December 1
“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.”
(1 Timothy 4:7, NIV84)
(1 Timothy 4:7, NIV84)
I find it interesting how people can be so moved by something they hear that may not even be true. When I was young, I would see magazines on the grocery store shelves that said things like “Elvis Reappears after Death!” or “Surgeons Cut My Head off and Sewed it Back On!” or “Satan’s Skull Found in Mexico: Bible Experts Call it the Find of the Century!” In modern times, Facebook, the Onion, Buzzfeed, and other Web Sites continue to pass on this “information”, some knowingly while others do it without their consent. Some writers even dress up their attention-grabbing headlines to look like news stories just to get more people to visit their site. Web sites such as snopes.com try to sort out what is real from what is not, but even they can get it wrong. You may think this is all a recent phenomenon brought on by the internet or political shenanigans. In truth, these tales and myths have been around for centuries and were even prevalent in Biblical times. The scripture for today is ample evidence.
In writing to Timothy, the apostle Paul made note that Timothy should not get caught up in “godless myths and old wives’ tales” (1 Timothy 4:7). You may think the Bible doesn’t really say “old wives’ tales” but in fact the Greek does lend itself to that interpretation. Maybe this is where that phrase has come from! Still, the scripture points you to consider what you hear and read and see. Not everything you encounter is the truth. People can manipulate a story to manipulate your emotions, change your mind, plant an idea, or get you to dislike someone. The “rumor mill” is another source of stories that will try to manipulate your emotions and influence your understanding of what’s true. You, my friend in Christ, should not trust in such second-hand stories. It’s always best to believe the truth directly from the source.
In my hometown, there was a baseball diamond on my elementary school grounds. It was there that we played many hours of softball. My cub scout group had a baseball team that played there. The city also had programs for children to play there. Behind the fence, next to the field, was an older home. The kids knew it as the home of the “evil old man”. If we hit a softball onto that property, we would abandon it. Better to just let the “evil old man” have the ball than he takes you into his house and torture you! Years later, I met that man. Though old by then, he wasn’t evil. He told me that one day some kids were playing softball on the field and hit a fly ball up on his roof three times in one hour! Each time they searched his property to find the ball and retrieve it. One youth even peered into his windows. Another stomped through his flowers. He complained after he heard the third ball hit his house. He yelled for them to go home and quit playing. They began to tell other kids about the “evil old man”. His story is more evidence that what you hear is not necessarily truth. You should always check your sources!
God doesn’t want true Christians involved with disseminating questionable truths and sketchy information. Paul made it clear in this verse that you should not be telling old tales and myths as truth. God wants the truth told. God wants the truth to come out of your lips (John 8:32). If you base your emotions or your feelings on myths and tales, it will be easy to manipulate your ideas. Soon, the truth and the lie will be indistinguishable.
I am surprised how many Christians read their horoscopes every day. These “truths” based on the relationships of the stars are anything but reality. I also am surprised at how many Christians pass on information that is based on false information or gossip. As a true Christian, you should be very careful of such things.
Today, I want you to consider if you are being manipulated by a lie or half-truth. Is someone playing on an emotion to manipulate you? Is gossip changing your view of a person or their character? Do you tend to believe the stories you hear all too readily? The truth is important to God. It should always be important to you. Myths, legends, wild stories and such may offer comic relief, but they can also be sources of lies and manipulations and gossip that cover up what is really going on in your world. So, be careful what you hear or read!
In writing to Timothy, the apostle Paul made note that Timothy should not get caught up in “godless myths and old wives’ tales” (1 Timothy 4:7). You may think the Bible doesn’t really say “old wives’ tales” but in fact the Greek does lend itself to that interpretation. Maybe this is where that phrase has come from! Still, the scripture points you to consider what you hear and read and see. Not everything you encounter is the truth. People can manipulate a story to manipulate your emotions, change your mind, plant an idea, or get you to dislike someone. The “rumor mill” is another source of stories that will try to manipulate your emotions and influence your understanding of what’s true. You, my friend in Christ, should not trust in such second-hand stories. It’s always best to believe the truth directly from the source.
In my hometown, there was a baseball diamond on my elementary school grounds. It was there that we played many hours of softball. My cub scout group had a baseball team that played there. The city also had programs for children to play there. Behind the fence, next to the field, was an older home. The kids knew it as the home of the “evil old man”. If we hit a softball onto that property, we would abandon it. Better to just let the “evil old man” have the ball than he takes you into his house and torture you! Years later, I met that man. Though old by then, he wasn’t evil. He told me that one day some kids were playing softball on the field and hit a fly ball up on his roof three times in one hour! Each time they searched his property to find the ball and retrieve it. One youth even peered into his windows. Another stomped through his flowers. He complained after he heard the third ball hit his house. He yelled for them to go home and quit playing. They began to tell other kids about the “evil old man”. His story is more evidence that what you hear is not necessarily truth. You should always check your sources!
God doesn’t want true Christians involved with disseminating questionable truths and sketchy information. Paul made it clear in this verse that you should not be telling old tales and myths as truth. God wants the truth told. God wants the truth to come out of your lips (John 8:32). If you base your emotions or your feelings on myths and tales, it will be easy to manipulate your ideas. Soon, the truth and the lie will be indistinguishable.
I am surprised how many Christians read their horoscopes every day. These “truths” based on the relationships of the stars are anything but reality. I also am surprised at how many Christians pass on information that is based on false information or gossip. As a true Christian, you should be very careful of such things.
Today, I want you to consider if you are being manipulated by a lie or half-truth. Is someone playing on an emotion to manipulate you? Is gossip changing your view of a person or their character? Do you tend to believe the stories you hear all too readily? The truth is important to God. It should always be important to you. Myths, legends, wild stories and such may offer comic relief, but they can also be sources of lies and manipulations and gossip that cover up what is really going on in your world. So, be careful what you hear or read!
December 2
“…. the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness; and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
(Luke 3:2–3, RSV)
(Luke 3:2–3, RSV)
The above scripture speaks about John the Baptist, the son of Zechariah. He was a relative of Jesus, born a few months before Jesus. Jesus traveled with John and was close to him. When John was beheaded for preaching faithfully, Jesus’ response was to go to away for a short time to gather himself (Matthew 14:13). It is obvious that the two not only knew each other, but had profound respect for one another.
Luke 3 mentions that John the Baptist traveled near the Jordan River, preaching. He taught that people needed to repent and be forgiven for their sins (Luke 3:3). The word “repentance” used in the scripture means to “change one’s ways”, or do an about face. It means to walk away from sin and find your way closer to God. In involves a change of heart and mind. Jesus also was a firm believer in the power of repentance. In fact, His very first sermon in the gospel of Mark included the topic of repentance (Mark 1:15). If both John the Baptist and Jesus saw repentance as this crucial to faith, you should realize its importance for your life as well.
For weeks, Kristen carried around in her heart the nagging feeling that she should never have said what she did to her best friend. The two had “words”. This meant they had a big blowout, a fight, an argument. It occurred at a party in front of several friends. Jealous of her friend’s new outfit, Kristen called her “a slut”. The words were not only uncharacteristic for Kristen, being a church-going girl, but they were very harsh for the situation. Katie left the party without Kristen. The two hadn’t spoken since. As the days went by, Kristen was not only saddened by what happened, she began to feel awkward in church and in quiet moments. Only now, weeks later, was she realizing that she had not only wrecked her relationship with her best friend, but God was unhappy with her jealousy, envy, and the whole situation. Now, there were two things Kristen could do: she could own up to everything or she could just try to ignore it. She ignored it.
Six bad months later, Kristen was at a church event when Katie showed up. The two saw each other, but the ignoring continued. After many furtive glances and awkward looks, Kristen and Katie ended up in the same focus group at the youth event. Sitting on opposite ends of the gathering, they were both quiet. When the focus group broke up, Kristen was moved to do something. The topic had been forgiveness and it made Kristen uncomfortable knowing what she had done to Kristen. She walked over to Katie and said, “I’m so sorry Katie. I shouldn’t have said what I said. I was actually jealous of your outfit.” Katie replied quietly that Kristen hurt her badly. Kristen continued her confession saying, “I messed up big time. I’m so very sorry. Can you forgive me?” Katie did. The two hugged and their relationship was mended. That night Kristen reflected on the many months that had passed and how much she needed to make things right with Katie. She felt like she had lost those months from her life. Why had she not just “fessed up”? She went to bed that night with a prayer telling God how stupid she had been.
Why is it that we won’t repent and change our ways, admit our misstep and move toward reconciliation? Why is it that we need people like Jesus and John the Baptist to remind us how much we need repentance? God has shown us that repentance is good for the soul and necessary to the enjoyment of life. Though difficult to do, repentance carries huge benefits when done correctly. It can heal relationships, mend a broken heart, reconnect one with God, and so much more. It is great to be free of a sin or a past error. Repentance, though difficult, is needed and cherished in our world. A good “I’m sorry” can go a long way toward healing and peace!
Is there something you regret today? Is there a past wrong that needs to be corrected? Is someone in need of hearing you say, “I’m sorry!”? Does God need for you to come clean about something?
Luke 3 mentions that John the Baptist traveled near the Jordan River, preaching. He taught that people needed to repent and be forgiven for their sins (Luke 3:3). The word “repentance” used in the scripture means to “change one’s ways”, or do an about face. It means to walk away from sin and find your way closer to God. In involves a change of heart and mind. Jesus also was a firm believer in the power of repentance. In fact, His very first sermon in the gospel of Mark included the topic of repentance (Mark 1:15). If both John the Baptist and Jesus saw repentance as this crucial to faith, you should realize its importance for your life as well.
For weeks, Kristen carried around in her heart the nagging feeling that she should never have said what she did to her best friend. The two had “words”. This meant they had a big blowout, a fight, an argument. It occurred at a party in front of several friends. Jealous of her friend’s new outfit, Kristen called her “a slut”. The words were not only uncharacteristic for Kristen, being a church-going girl, but they were very harsh for the situation. Katie left the party without Kristen. The two hadn’t spoken since. As the days went by, Kristen was not only saddened by what happened, she began to feel awkward in church and in quiet moments. Only now, weeks later, was she realizing that she had not only wrecked her relationship with her best friend, but God was unhappy with her jealousy, envy, and the whole situation. Now, there were two things Kristen could do: she could own up to everything or she could just try to ignore it. She ignored it.
Six bad months later, Kristen was at a church event when Katie showed up. The two saw each other, but the ignoring continued. After many furtive glances and awkward looks, Kristen and Katie ended up in the same focus group at the youth event. Sitting on opposite ends of the gathering, they were both quiet. When the focus group broke up, Kristen was moved to do something. The topic had been forgiveness and it made Kristen uncomfortable knowing what she had done to Kristen. She walked over to Katie and said, “I’m so sorry Katie. I shouldn’t have said what I said. I was actually jealous of your outfit.” Katie replied quietly that Kristen hurt her badly. Kristen continued her confession saying, “I messed up big time. I’m so very sorry. Can you forgive me?” Katie did. The two hugged and their relationship was mended. That night Kristen reflected on the many months that had passed and how much she needed to make things right with Katie. She felt like she had lost those months from her life. Why had she not just “fessed up”? She went to bed that night with a prayer telling God how stupid she had been.
Why is it that we won’t repent and change our ways, admit our misstep and move toward reconciliation? Why is it that we need people like Jesus and John the Baptist to remind us how much we need repentance? God has shown us that repentance is good for the soul and necessary to the enjoyment of life. Though difficult to do, repentance carries huge benefits when done correctly. It can heal relationships, mend a broken heart, reconnect one with God, and so much more. It is great to be free of a sin or a past error. Repentance, though difficult, is needed and cherished in our world. A good “I’m sorry” can go a long way toward healing and peace!
Is there something you regret today? Is there a past wrong that needs to be corrected? Is someone in need of hearing you say, “I’m sorry!”? Does God need for you to come clean about something?
December 3
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”
(James 4:10, NLT)
(James 4:10, NLT)
The workers didn’t really notice it when a man in a suit walked on the work floor with the owner of the company. They thought it was a tour for a dignitary or a way to impress a friend of the “big boss”. The owner and his guest walked through the different work zones and then made their way to the offices. There, the owner said to his guest, “What do you think?”
The man replied, “I thought it would be bigger. A lot of work gets done in such a small area.”
The owner said, “Did you see the man in the blue bibs?”
The man answered: “Yes, was that Charlie?”
The owner replied, “That was indeed Charlie. I’m telling you that man alone keeps that floor going. He’s quiet and reserved. You’d never know it by meeting him, but he gets the job done.”
The man questioned: “If the company is sold, I want Charlie to come with the company, as we promised. Yes?”
The owner replied, “No doubt. I’m sure he’ll stay. Just treat him right. He is worth any expense you must pay. Safety has increased greatly. Downtime has dropped as well. Since he became manager of the section, we’ve done nothing but improve output.”
When the deal was finished, and the company sold to the man in the suit, Charlie got a visit at his desk. The owner introduced himself and told Charlie that the deal would never have gone down without Charlie being a part of it. The owner expected Charlie to continue his good work, and as long as Charlie did that, he would be the head supervisor of the work area. Charlie was shocked by the attention. He had no idea that the sale of the company was contingent upon his work . The bonus he got for staying on as the manager under the new owners was a welcome addition. It would help him pay for some medical expenses for his daughter, who had an incurable illness.
Charlie is one of those humble guys that make work hum. When he’s around, things flow more smoothly. He doesn’t play a supervisor who rails on everybody and does little. Charlie gets in there and works with his team. Every one of the guys on the floor is thankful for Charlie’s leadership. They are blessed because he doesn’t have a big ego or a need to show off. Sadly, people like Charlie are getting more and more rare. First, humility is viewed as weakness in many places of society today. Second, fewer in leadership recognize and respect those with humility. Some see profits as more important than people. God, however, greatly prizes those with humility.
In the scripture for today, God’s blessing upon the humble is claimed. If you “humble yourself before the Lord”, God will notice. God’s response to your humility will be to lift you up and honor you. Notice that the two halves of this verse go in order. First, you show humility. Then, God lifts you up and shows you great honor. Some people think if God shows them honor, they will then respond correctly. This is not how it works in scripture. Your humility must come first. God’s blessing for that humility will then come in time.
In Philippians 2:8, we are told that even Jesus “humbled himself”. This humility was displayed in His “obedience unto death”. Jesus stayed true to His calling. He remained faithful. He never let his status as “Son of God” or “Savior” go to his head. He remained approachable, respectful, loving.
Humility as a human being is respected by God and Jesus. Though people today like to shine a light upon themselves, God doesn’t respect that side of human behavior. Taking “selfies”, doing self-promotion on Linkedin.com, and padding your resume are not ways to gain God’s favor. Talking about yourself incessantly will only garner God’s unfavorable eye. God looks for the humble. God blesses them. God expects it of you. Will you deliver?
I have found that humble people like Charlie in the story above do make the world flow more smoothly. Their unassuming behavior greases the wheels in life (they put the "hum" in humble!). They don’t care who gets the attention. They are not out for personal glory. God responds to their gracious behavior. When you are gracious and humble, when you are not out for personal glory or self-aggrandizement; God respects that attitude. God blesses it. The world may not notice your humility, but to God it is a shining beacon of hope worthy of honor.
The man replied, “I thought it would be bigger. A lot of work gets done in such a small area.”
The owner said, “Did you see the man in the blue bibs?”
The man answered: “Yes, was that Charlie?”
The owner replied, “That was indeed Charlie. I’m telling you that man alone keeps that floor going. He’s quiet and reserved. You’d never know it by meeting him, but he gets the job done.”
The man questioned: “If the company is sold, I want Charlie to come with the company, as we promised. Yes?”
The owner replied, “No doubt. I’m sure he’ll stay. Just treat him right. He is worth any expense you must pay. Safety has increased greatly. Downtime has dropped as well. Since he became manager of the section, we’ve done nothing but improve output.”
When the deal was finished, and the company sold to the man in the suit, Charlie got a visit at his desk. The owner introduced himself and told Charlie that the deal would never have gone down without Charlie being a part of it. The owner expected Charlie to continue his good work, and as long as Charlie did that, he would be the head supervisor of the work area. Charlie was shocked by the attention. He had no idea that the sale of the company was contingent upon his work . The bonus he got for staying on as the manager under the new owners was a welcome addition. It would help him pay for some medical expenses for his daughter, who had an incurable illness.
Charlie is one of those humble guys that make work hum. When he’s around, things flow more smoothly. He doesn’t play a supervisor who rails on everybody and does little. Charlie gets in there and works with his team. Every one of the guys on the floor is thankful for Charlie’s leadership. They are blessed because he doesn’t have a big ego or a need to show off. Sadly, people like Charlie are getting more and more rare. First, humility is viewed as weakness in many places of society today. Second, fewer in leadership recognize and respect those with humility. Some see profits as more important than people. God, however, greatly prizes those with humility.
In the scripture for today, God’s blessing upon the humble is claimed. If you “humble yourself before the Lord”, God will notice. God’s response to your humility will be to lift you up and honor you. Notice that the two halves of this verse go in order. First, you show humility. Then, God lifts you up and shows you great honor. Some people think if God shows them honor, they will then respond correctly. This is not how it works in scripture. Your humility must come first. God’s blessing for that humility will then come in time.
In Philippians 2:8, we are told that even Jesus “humbled himself”. This humility was displayed in His “obedience unto death”. Jesus stayed true to His calling. He remained faithful. He never let his status as “Son of God” or “Savior” go to his head. He remained approachable, respectful, loving.
Humility as a human being is respected by God and Jesus. Though people today like to shine a light upon themselves, God doesn’t respect that side of human behavior. Taking “selfies”, doing self-promotion on Linkedin.com, and padding your resume are not ways to gain God’s favor. Talking about yourself incessantly will only garner God’s unfavorable eye. God looks for the humble. God blesses them. God expects it of you. Will you deliver?
I have found that humble people like Charlie in the story above do make the world flow more smoothly. Their unassuming behavior greases the wheels in life (they put the "hum" in humble!). They don’t care who gets the attention. They are not out for personal glory. God responds to their gracious behavior. When you are gracious and humble, when you are not out for personal glory or self-aggrandizement; God respects that attitude. God blesses it. The world may not notice your humility, but to God it is a shining beacon of hope worthy of honor.
December 4
“And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” (Acts 18:9–11, ESV)
After the apostle Paul was converted and baptized, he traveled to many places to preach and teach about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This preaching was highly controversial at the time. Christian leaders like Stephen and James were murdered for preaching about the risen Christ. As Paul traveled, he had to choose when and how to bring the gospel to people most effectively. It was a tenuous time in the history of Christianity.
In the scripture for today, Paul was in Corinth. He was wondering when and how to preach so that the Word of God could best grow and multiply and people could learn about Jesus. As he considered this, praying about it, God came to Paul in a vision and told him not to be afraid to speak the gospel openly (Acts 18:9). God was with Paul. He would be protected. In that vision, God said something very interesting. God told Paul to preach openly, saying, “I have many in this city who are MY PEOPLE.” (Acts 18:10). This statement by God tells me is that God knows not only who are HIS followers, but God also knows where his followers reside. God keeps track of who is faithful and who is not. God knows the whereabouts of HIS faithful followers. God made Paul feel comfortable in his preaching because God knew that true and faithful people were in Corinth.
If we take this revelation of God to heart, it means that God keeps track of your whereabouts. God watches over you. God knows your heart. You are one of God’s people, right? Others of true faith should find comfort and safety in your presence. Missionaries should feel at ease around you. Pastors should feel comfortable preaching the truth of the gospel without fear when around you.
Three days before Christmas in 1986, two visitors came to my door. They were poor, hungry, and hurting. The man and woman had been living with her family when an argument broke out. They were kicked out of the house. They had nowhere to go, and she was pregnant. I called the local shelter and it was full and accepting no other guests. The night was frigid. The streets were not safe there in North St. Louis. I had to do something. I took the car out of the parsonage garage. Laura and I put a heater in the garage and placed a mattress on boards. We fixed up the bed with linens and a very warm comforter. We brought in a portable heater and warmed it up, making the garage seem like a bedroom. Making a warm meal, we shared it with them. We left them in the only safe and warm place we could find. They stayed the night. The next morning, we found their linens folded, and their dishes were neatly placed on our porch. They had gone to find friends to stay with. They wrote a note thanking us for the night’s stay and the hospitality. It was only a couple of days later that I thought about their situation as I read the Christmas story and noted that there was “no room at the inn” for Mary and Joseph.
On a dark, cold night in the middle of a dangerous part of the city, this couple found safety and security and shelter with us. They knew we were some of “God’s people”. They felt safe. We took care of them. True and faithful “God’s people” will always watch out for others who are in need. The hurting need care and protection and watching over. Paul felt safe with the “God’s people” in Corinth. Do “God’s people” feel safe with you? When in your company, do “God’s people” find love and friendship, safety and trust? If you are one of “God’s people” that will always be the case.
In this world, there are those who call themselves “Christian”. They may or may not be faithful. But, if you are one of “God’s people”, you can always be counted on to be a person with whom others can feel secure. You are one of “God’s people”, right?
In the scripture for today, Paul was in Corinth. He was wondering when and how to preach so that the Word of God could best grow and multiply and people could learn about Jesus. As he considered this, praying about it, God came to Paul in a vision and told him not to be afraid to speak the gospel openly (Acts 18:9). God was with Paul. He would be protected. In that vision, God said something very interesting. God told Paul to preach openly, saying, “I have many in this city who are MY PEOPLE.” (Acts 18:10). This statement by God tells me is that God knows not only who are HIS followers, but God also knows where his followers reside. God keeps track of who is faithful and who is not. God knows the whereabouts of HIS faithful followers. God made Paul feel comfortable in his preaching because God knew that true and faithful people were in Corinth.
If we take this revelation of God to heart, it means that God keeps track of your whereabouts. God watches over you. God knows your heart. You are one of God’s people, right? Others of true faith should find comfort and safety in your presence. Missionaries should feel at ease around you. Pastors should feel comfortable preaching the truth of the gospel without fear when around you.
Three days before Christmas in 1986, two visitors came to my door. They were poor, hungry, and hurting. The man and woman had been living with her family when an argument broke out. They were kicked out of the house. They had nowhere to go, and she was pregnant. I called the local shelter and it was full and accepting no other guests. The night was frigid. The streets were not safe there in North St. Louis. I had to do something. I took the car out of the parsonage garage. Laura and I put a heater in the garage and placed a mattress on boards. We fixed up the bed with linens and a very warm comforter. We brought in a portable heater and warmed it up, making the garage seem like a bedroom. Making a warm meal, we shared it with them. We left them in the only safe and warm place we could find. They stayed the night. The next morning, we found their linens folded, and their dishes were neatly placed on our porch. They had gone to find friends to stay with. They wrote a note thanking us for the night’s stay and the hospitality. It was only a couple of days later that I thought about their situation as I read the Christmas story and noted that there was “no room at the inn” for Mary and Joseph.
On a dark, cold night in the middle of a dangerous part of the city, this couple found safety and security and shelter with us. They knew we were some of “God’s people”. They felt safe. We took care of them. True and faithful “God’s people” will always watch out for others who are in need. The hurting need care and protection and watching over. Paul felt safe with the “God’s people” in Corinth. Do “God’s people” feel safe with you? When in your company, do “God’s people” find love and friendship, safety and trust? If you are one of “God’s people” that will always be the case.
In this world, there are those who call themselves “Christian”. They may or may not be faithful. But, if you are one of “God’s people”, you can always be counted on to be a person with whom others can feel secure. You are one of “God’s people”, right?
December 5
“During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
(John 13:2–5, ESV)
(John 13:2–5, ESV)
“A recent study of student morality by the Josephson Institute found 71 percent of high-schoolers cheated on a test and 92 percent lied to parents in the past year. Professor James Davison Hunter of the University of Virginia, after a ten-year study, determined that a “death of character” is occurring in the United States. He suggests that people are more concerned today about feeling good than about being good, and a fellow researcher has determined that our culture today is suffering from “self-esteemia.”” Selfies, selfishness, self-aggrandizement, self-centeredness and more are now central in the mind of old and young.
“So many of these problems would dissolve in a good basin of water if we would just learn the art of washing feet.” There, humility reigns and selfishness fades away. “Alexander Maclaren called John 13–17, “the Holy of Holies of the New Testament”. Nowhere else have we the heart of God so unveiled to us. This section of scripture begins in John 13 with the washing of the disciples’ feet. Ordinarily, the cleansing of feet was done before the meal by the lowest-ranking servant in the household. When none of the disciples were willing, Jesus Himself rose during the meal to do it. It was one of the most usual and unnatural acts of His life and ministry. What was its purpose?” (adapted from Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Annual Preacher’s Sourcebook, p. 228)
The scripture for today contains Jesus' actions while gathered with His disciples during the Passover meal. While eating with them, Jesus knew that Judas was “already” being manipulated by “the devil” to betray Jesus (John 13:2). Jesus felt His time was short in the world. One of His own disciples had it in for Him. The scripture says that as Jesus considered that “the Father had given all things into His hands”, then got up and began to “wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him” (John 13: 4-5). Now, let’s put this into context. Upon recognizing He was nearing the end of His life, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet! It was an act saved for a special occasion. It was an act that showed humility and servant-hood. With Judas maneuvering to betray Jesus for money, for selfish reasons, Jesus gave up any thought of selfishness to display ultimate humility and servant-hood by washing the disciples’ feet. The Son of God was not going to be remembered for self-promotion at this special meal. He was going to show what true faithfulness was like… it is humble … it is giving …. it cares more about offering a service than adornment.
A few years ago, a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. On their way home, they were late for their flight. In their rush through the crowded concourse, with boarding passes and briefcases, one of the men inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding…all but one. He experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. There, he found a 16-year-old girl who was totally blind gathering up the apples! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. He paid for any that were bruised or damaged.
“Are you okay?”, he asked her. She nodded through her tears.
As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, “Mister…. Are you Jesus?”
It seems she was praying asking for Jesus’ help when the salesman had returned and helped her. She was making sure Jesus didn’t answer her prayer Himself!
When you show humility, kindness, compassion, and servant-hood, you too might just be mistaken for Jesus!
In the days ahead, see if there is some way you can serve rather than be served. Look for a situation in which you can offer help, show kindness, be compassionate, no strings attached. It might just go a long way to displaying that Jesus truly is your example!
“So many of these problems would dissolve in a good basin of water if we would just learn the art of washing feet.” There, humility reigns and selfishness fades away. “Alexander Maclaren called John 13–17, “the Holy of Holies of the New Testament”. Nowhere else have we the heart of God so unveiled to us. This section of scripture begins in John 13 with the washing of the disciples’ feet. Ordinarily, the cleansing of feet was done before the meal by the lowest-ranking servant in the household. When none of the disciples were willing, Jesus Himself rose during the meal to do it. It was one of the most usual and unnatural acts of His life and ministry. What was its purpose?” (adapted from Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Annual Preacher’s Sourcebook, p. 228)
The scripture for today contains Jesus' actions while gathered with His disciples during the Passover meal. While eating with them, Jesus knew that Judas was “already” being manipulated by “the devil” to betray Jesus (John 13:2). Jesus felt His time was short in the world. One of His own disciples had it in for Him. The scripture says that as Jesus considered that “the Father had given all things into His hands”, then got up and began to “wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him” (John 13: 4-5). Now, let’s put this into context. Upon recognizing He was nearing the end of His life, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet! It was an act saved for a special occasion. It was an act that showed humility and servant-hood. With Judas maneuvering to betray Jesus for money, for selfish reasons, Jesus gave up any thought of selfishness to display ultimate humility and servant-hood by washing the disciples’ feet. The Son of God was not going to be remembered for self-promotion at this special meal. He was going to show what true faithfulness was like… it is humble … it is giving …. it cares more about offering a service than adornment.
A few years ago, a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. On their way home, they were late for their flight. In their rush through the crowded concourse, with boarding passes and briefcases, one of the men inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding…all but one. He experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. There, he found a 16-year-old girl who was totally blind gathering up the apples! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. He paid for any that were bruised or damaged.
“Are you okay?”, he asked her. She nodded through her tears.
As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, “Mister…. Are you Jesus?”
It seems she was praying asking for Jesus’ help when the salesman had returned and helped her. She was making sure Jesus didn’t answer her prayer Himself!
When you show humility, kindness, compassion, and servant-hood, you too might just be mistaken for Jesus!
In the days ahead, see if there is some way you can serve rather than be served. Look for a situation in which you can offer help, show kindness, be compassionate, no strings attached. It might just go a long way to displaying that Jesus truly is your example!
December 6
“By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
(1 John 4:13, NASB95)
(1 John 4:13, NASB95)
Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wonder if I'm going to heaven?" or "Is God with me?"? If so, you are in good company. Throughout history, many have thought the same. Our scripture today is the apostle John's way of answering those questions for you. He gave us a way to prove that God is in you and with you.
John wrote that we can "know" that God is in our lives by the presence of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13). If you feel the presence of God's Holy Spirit and sense the Spirit of God directing your life, God is in you. It’s as simple as that. The presence of God's Spirit is a clear sign and "proof" that God lives in you. When speaking to the Corinthian Christians, the apostle Paul said twice that the body of a Christian is holy, because of the "Holy Spirit within" (1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Corinthians 3:16). He also taught them that unspiritual people do not receive the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). There are many "spirits" that can fill a person, such as a spirit of jealousy (Numbers 5:30), a spirit of wisdom (Deuteronomy 34:9), a lying spirit (2 Chronicles 18:22), evil spirits (Acts 19:15), as well as the Holy Spirit. These spirits attach themselves to your heart and soul. When the Holy Spirit is a part of you, it is "proof" of God's presence in your life. The reason why is that God's Spirit will NOT remain in you as long as other "spirits" or evil spirits reside in you. You will either follow God's Spirit or another spirit. Is the Holy Spirit in your life? If so, your future with God will be wonderful. If not, what other spirit has control of you?
“Claire had lied since she was little. Recently she'd lied at work, telling everyone she was terminally ill with cancer. She'd gotten a huge amount of sympathy and attention, not to mention extended time off. Now she'd been found out and fired. In her time, she'd lied about knowing famous people (she didn't), winning money (she hadn't), and not cheating on or having stolen from boyfriends (she had). Now Claire felt she'd burnt all her bridges, friends had fled, and work opportunities dried up. Instead of changing her ways and telling the truth, she found a new place and new people to continue her compulsive lying. She would move to a new town and have a fresh start. But the lying followed her.” (adapted from an article about Compulsive Lying Disorder by Therapist Mark Tyrrell on Uncommonhelp.me).
Though mental health professionals have diagnosed Claire’s case as one of Compulsive Lying Disorder with some Munchhausen's Syndrome thrown into the mix, I think Claire has a “lying spirit” as mentioned in 2 Chronicles 18:22. It is one of the many “spirits” that can inhabit your heart and play with your life. When God’s Holy Spirit is absent in your life, these other “spirits” can settle into your mind or heart or life and raise complete havoc. One of Claire’s therapies involved her purposely telling the truth over and over, even though this made her very uncomfortable. This therapy is very Biblical in its effort. The gospel of John even calls honesty an example of the Spirit of Truth, another name for the Holy Spirit (John 16:13).
Examine your life for evidence of which “spirit” controls your desires and guides your life. Many people today are driven by divisive spirits, lustful spirits, and greedy spirits. Those who are close to God and destined for eternal life are those who are led by the Holy Spirit. If you visit this web site, changes are you are being influenced by the Holy Spirit. I only hope and pray that this will continue all your days and that we will share eternal life in God’s presence surrounded by the Spirit of God!
John wrote that we can "know" that God is in our lives by the presence of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13). If you feel the presence of God's Holy Spirit and sense the Spirit of God directing your life, God is in you. It’s as simple as that. The presence of God's Spirit is a clear sign and "proof" that God lives in you. When speaking to the Corinthian Christians, the apostle Paul said twice that the body of a Christian is holy, because of the "Holy Spirit within" (1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Corinthians 3:16). He also taught them that unspiritual people do not receive the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). There are many "spirits" that can fill a person, such as a spirit of jealousy (Numbers 5:30), a spirit of wisdom (Deuteronomy 34:9), a lying spirit (2 Chronicles 18:22), evil spirits (Acts 19:15), as well as the Holy Spirit. These spirits attach themselves to your heart and soul. When the Holy Spirit is a part of you, it is "proof" of God's presence in your life. The reason why is that God's Spirit will NOT remain in you as long as other "spirits" or evil spirits reside in you. You will either follow God's Spirit or another spirit. Is the Holy Spirit in your life? If so, your future with God will be wonderful. If not, what other spirit has control of you?
“Claire had lied since she was little. Recently she'd lied at work, telling everyone she was terminally ill with cancer. She'd gotten a huge amount of sympathy and attention, not to mention extended time off. Now she'd been found out and fired. In her time, she'd lied about knowing famous people (she didn't), winning money (she hadn't), and not cheating on or having stolen from boyfriends (she had). Now Claire felt she'd burnt all her bridges, friends had fled, and work opportunities dried up. Instead of changing her ways and telling the truth, she found a new place and new people to continue her compulsive lying. She would move to a new town and have a fresh start. But the lying followed her.” (adapted from an article about Compulsive Lying Disorder by Therapist Mark Tyrrell on Uncommonhelp.me).
Though mental health professionals have diagnosed Claire’s case as one of Compulsive Lying Disorder with some Munchhausen's Syndrome thrown into the mix, I think Claire has a “lying spirit” as mentioned in 2 Chronicles 18:22. It is one of the many “spirits” that can inhabit your heart and play with your life. When God’s Holy Spirit is absent in your life, these other “spirits” can settle into your mind or heart or life and raise complete havoc. One of Claire’s therapies involved her purposely telling the truth over and over, even though this made her very uncomfortable. This therapy is very Biblical in its effort. The gospel of John even calls honesty an example of the Spirit of Truth, another name for the Holy Spirit (John 16:13).
Examine your life for evidence of which “spirit” controls your desires and guides your life. Many people today are driven by divisive spirits, lustful spirits, and greedy spirits. Those who are close to God and destined for eternal life are those who are led by the Holy Spirit. If you visit this web site, changes are you are being influenced by the Holy Spirit. I only hope and pray that this will continue all your days and that we will share eternal life in God’s presence surrounded by the Spirit of God!
December 7
“Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.”
(Proverbs 26:20, NIV84)
(Proverbs 26:20, NIV84)
The scripture for today is a reminder of the connection between gossip and arguments, fights, quarrels, or hostility. Proverbs, which is a book full of wisdom, sees gossip as fueling arguments and quarrels as much as wood fuels a fire. There is a direct connection made in this verse between gossip and arguments. Is this any surprise to you? It shouldn’t be. However, there are many ways to gossip that may not be common knowledge. I wonder if you know all the dangers each exposes.
A fairly common form of gossip is when one person tells a rumor about another without checking facts and intending to cause harm. The gossip is not based on the truth whatsoever. A close approximation of this is when a person uses a few facts about a person put together in order to give the impression of something that is false being true. For example, if a politician mentions that her opponent travels a lot, is gone away from home on business trips, and has a beautiful secretary who travels with him, the politician is hinting that there may be something going on when there may not be. It is a form of passive-aggressive manipulation of the truth that is common not only to politics but to those who desire to hurt a person’s reputation.
Another form of gossip commonly used involves the use of “a friend”. A person may say that “a friend” told her something. This implies that the friend is trusted and thus the information is to be trusted when it most certainly is not. Related to this form of gossip is when you quote an online source that is questionable, but make it sound like investigative journalism. The source makes it seem legitimate when it is not.
As I’ve hinted above, there are many ways to gossip. All have the intended result of damaging the reputation of another by spreading lies, innuendos, or twisted facts as the truth. It is very important that you, my friend in Christ, learn to separate yourself from those who gossip. They are unreliable sources for the truth. They can twist the truth. God won’t be found in their hearts. Anyone willing to either use gossip or pass it on is not a reliable friend. He or she can as easily twist the facts on you or use you as their “trusted source”. Keeping a gossip as a friend is like sleeping with a mosquito in your bedroom. You never know if or when the mosquito will bite you.
In the second church I served, there was a woman known for her gossip. Everyone in the church knew she talked about others behind their backs. The crazy thing to me is that people kept her as a friend just so they could “be in the know” about others in the church. This gossiper loved to have juicy news to share. On one occasion, my wife invited a few ladies in the church over to do some quilting. The gossiper was not invited. Later, a person in the church came to me disturbed. It seems that in retaliation for my wife’s lack of an invitation, the gossiper had told a few ladies in the church that the pastor’s wife had a drinking party with alcohol at the parsonage no less! Well, the ladies had rum cake.. is that the same? It took a couple of weeks of defending my wife’s reputation and lots of conversations to reverse the lies and gossip being told. Is this what the church is about? As the scripture for today implies, there was a big quarrel when this woman stoked the fires with juicy gossip. What surprised me most were the supposed Christian women who passed along the information, knowing it was lies as “I don’t know if it is true, but……”. I believe in my heart that everyone who told the gossip sinned in those days. I can only hope they made it right with God.
Sadly, many churches are home to gossip mills. Don’t you be a part of them. If nothing else, you need to be a source of truth who fights against the gossip. You need to kill the gossip at the source. After the lies began to circulate in the church about my wife’s non-existent drinking party, a man in the church openly castigated the woman who started the rumors. He mentioned to everyone at a meeting that she was “an old bat who liked to stir up trouble and should keep her mouth shut!” Every church needs a truth teller to counter the gossip. My hope is that you kill the fires of gossip and reinforce the truth everywhere you go. You never know when the reputation you save is the one God is working through.
A fairly common form of gossip is when one person tells a rumor about another without checking facts and intending to cause harm. The gossip is not based on the truth whatsoever. A close approximation of this is when a person uses a few facts about a person put together in order to give the impression of something that is false being true. For example, if a politician mentions that her opponent travels a lot, is gone away from home on business trips, and has a beautiful secretary who travels with him, the politician is hinting that there may be something going on when there may not be. It is a form of passive-aggressive manipulation of the truth that is common not only to politics but to those who desire to hurt a person’s reputation.
Another form of gossip commonly used involves the use of “a friend”. A person may say that “a friend” told her something. This implies that the friend is trusted and thus the information is to be trusted when it most certainly is not. Related to this form of gossip is when you quote an online source that is questionable, but make it sound like investigative journalism. The source makes it seem legitimate when it is not.
As I’ve hinted above, there are many ways to gossip. All have the intended result of damaging the reputation of another by spreading lies, innuendos, or twisted facts as the truth. It is very important that you, my friend in Christ, learn to separate yourself from those who gossip. They are unreliable sources for the truth. They can twist the truth. God won’t be found in their hearts. Anyone willing to either use gossip or pass it on is not a reliable friend. He or she can as easily twist the facts on you or use you as their “trusted source”. Keeping a gossip as a friend is like sleeping with a mosquito in your bedroom. You never know if or when the mosquito will bite you.
In the second church I served, there was a woman known for her gossip. Everyone in the church knew she talked about others behind their backs. The crazy thing to me is that people kept her as a friend just so they could “be in the know” about others in the church. This gossiper loved to have juicy news to share. On one occasion, my wife invited a few ladies in the church over to do some quilting. The gossiper was not invited. Later, a person in the church came to me disturbed. It seems that in retaliation for my wife’s lack of an invitation, the gossiper had told a few ladies in the church that the pastor’s wife had a drinking party with alcohol at the parsonage no less! Well, the ladies had rum cake.. is that the same? It took a couple of weeks of defending my wife’s reputation and lots of conversations to reverse the lies and gossip being told. Is this what the church is about? As the scripture for today implies, there was a big quarrel when this woman stoked the fires with juicy gossip. What surprised me most were the supposed Christian women who passed along the information, knowing it was lies as “I don’t know if it is true, but……”. I believe in my heart that everyone who told the gossip sinned in those days. I can only hope they made it right with God.
Sadly, many churches are home to gossip mills. Don’t you be a part of them. If nothing else, you need to be a source of truth who fights against the gossip. You need to kill the gossip at the source. After the lies began to circulate in the church about my wife’s non-existent drinking party, a man in the church openly castigated the woman who started the rumors. He mentioned to everyone at a meeting that she was “an old bat who liked to stir up trouble and should keep her mouth shut!” Every church needs a truth teller to counter the gossip. My hope is that you kill the fires of gossip and reinforce the truth everywhere you go. You never know when the reputation you save is the one God is working through.
December 8
“Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” …..
(John 18:37–38, RSV)
(John 18:37–38, RSV)
When Jesus was captured by the Roman guard and transported to Governor Pontius Pilate for an interrogation, Pilate himself questioned Jesus as to His actions and words. For the most part, Jesus didn’t reveal much. Pilate didn’t see Him as a political threat and was ready to release Him, but because of His fear of an uprising led by Jewish leaders, Pilate turned over Jesus to be crucified. Pilate felt it easier to get rid of Jesus and the problem than deal with the Jewish leaders and their threats. In his questioning, Pilate asked if Jesus was a King, thus a political threat. Jesus’ response shows He was no political threat. It does, however, reveal His mission. In His response to Pilate’s query, Jesus said that the whole reason for being born was so that he could “bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37). Jesus believed that the world was full of lies and liars. Jesus once called Satan the “father of lies” (John 8:44). Jesus believed that the world needed to hear and know the truths about God. The world was sinking fast in all the lies it believed. Sadly, our world continues to create and spin lies. Jesus is as relevant today as ever as the bringer of truth.
In Washington, DC, there are politicians that spew venom at Christianity. Some have called Christians, “haters”, for not accepting same-sex marriage and gender identification issues. They see Christians as biased and misogynist for supporting long-held traditional family roles. In the past week, I have seen articles stating this very thing, for the media has jumped on the bandwagon. Many mainstream media sources are full of people who write long diatribes against Christian values. On the website prospect.org was the following quote of Dan Savage: “Over the last 30 years, the Christian right has worked to make anti-gay bigotry almost the only defining feature of Christianity—you can be an adulterer like Newt Gingrich and get the support of fundamentalist Christians so long as you’re anti-gay," says Savage, who coined the term "NALT Christians" (Not All Like That) after receiving e-mails from fans explaining that not all Christians were anti-gay. "Christians who are not anti-gay bigots need to speak out and come out." He urges Christians to stop their hating and get with the program. Sadly, Savage and all his believers don’t realize the lies that they believe. It is a lie that the Bible is pro-homosexuality. It is a lie that the Bible supports gay marriage. It is a lie that Christians are bigots because they don’t believe what mainstream media and certain agendas promote. It is also a BIG lie that homosexuals don't deserve our love and care, for many of them suffer from the world's lies as well. Everywhere you go, there are lies that people believe. Jesus said His mission was to bring the truth. For that, he was murdered. When you speak the real truth today, you still get in trouble.
There are many lies that regular Christians tell themselves. You probably have thought or said these things as well. I’ve counseled Christians drowning in depression who thought they were worthless. Not to God they aren’t! I’ve met with youth who thought that they didn’t have anything to contribute to God. How wrong they were! Today, one of them preaches and another is a missionary. One woman I met with a few years ago said she was “too old to find love”. I asked her to pray about it and have faith that God would show her the truth. She almost laughed me out of my office, thinking I was such a “dreamer”. Two years later, I officiated at her wedding. I’ve met many Christians who believed the world’s lies about money, sex, love, marriage, depression, acceptance, forgiveness, and so much more. The world is full of lies told every day. Jesus was sent to bring the truth about God’s love and your worth!
I find Pilate’s response to Jesus interesting. In the scripture above, he ended his conversation with Jesus by saying, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Even in his day, Pilate knew that there were competing truths being told in the world. The Roman government taught many truths about marriage, sex, gods, family, and the value of a life that were different from the truth that the Jews believed. Pilate admits that the world he experienced struggled with what is the truth. Do you?
If Jesus was sent to bring the truth to the world, what truth might HE be bringing you today? Is there a lie that the world teaches that you have come to believe? How might that lie cause pain and suffering in your life? I once met a man who believed that the doctors were keeping him alive with a life-saving medicine. He found out six months later that the life-saving medicine that he thought would be his saving grace had destroyed his liver and ultimately killed him. When we put our faith in a lie, we often will suffer for it. Jesus knew this well. He was determined to spread God’s real truth in a world with many and various competing lies. Don’t you be caught up in the world’s lies. Seek the truth. You won’t find the truth in worldly places. You will only find it in Godly faith.
In Washington, DC, there are politicians that spew venom at Christianity. Some have called Christians, “haters”, for not accepting same-sex marriage and gender identification issues. They see Christians as biased and misogynist for supporting long-held traditional family roles. In the past week, I have seen articles stating this very thing, for the media has jumped on the bandwagon. Many mainstream media sources are full of people who write long diatribes against Christian values. On the website prospect.org was the following quote of Dan Savage: “Over the last 30 years, the Christian right has worked to make anti-gay bigotry almost the only defining feature of Christianity—you can be an adulterer like Newt Gingrich and get the support of fundamentalist Christians so long as you’re anti-gay," says Savage, who coined the term "NALT Christians" (Not All Like That) after receiving e-mails from fans explaining that not all Christians were anti-gay. "Christians who are not anti-gay bigots need to speak out and come out." He urges Christians to stop their hating and get with the program. Sadly, Savage and all his believers don’t realize the lies that they believe. It is a lie that the Bible is pro-homosexuality. It is a lie that the Bible supports gay marriage. It is a lie that Christians are bigots because they don’t believe what mainstream media and certain agendas promote. It is also a BIG lie that homosexuals don't deserve our love and care, for many of them suffer from the world's lies as well. Everywhere you go, there are lies that people believe. Jesus said His mission was to bring the truth. For that, he was murdered. When you speak the real truth today, you still get in trouble.
There are many lies that regular Christians tell themselves. You probably have thought or said these things as well. I’ve counseled Christians drowning in depression who thought they were worthless. Not to God they aren’t! I’ve met with youth who thought that they didn’t have anything to contribute to God. How wrong they were! Today, one of them preaches and another is a missionary. One woman I met with a few years ago said she was “too old to find love”. I asked her to pray about it and have faith that God would show her the truth. She almost laughed me out of my office, thinking I was such a “dreamer”. Two years later, I officiated at her wedding. I’ve met many Christians who believed the world’s lies about money, sex, love, marriage, depression, acceptance, forgiveness, and so much more. The world is full of lies told every day. Jesus was sent to bring the truth about God’s love and your worth!
I find Pilate’s response to Jesus interesting. In the scripture above, he ended his conversation with Jesus by saying, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Even in his day, Pilate knew that there were competing truths being told in the world. The Roman government taught many truths about marriage, sex, gods, family, and the value of a life that were different from the truth that the Jews believed. Pilate admits that the world he experienced struggled with what is the truth. Do you?
If Jesus was sent to bring the truth to the world, what truth might HE be bringing you today? Is there a lie that the world teaches that you have come to believe? How might that lie cause pain and suffering in your life? I once met a man who believed that the doctors were keeping him alive with a life-saving medicine. He found out six months later that the life-saving medicine that he thought would be his saving grace had destroyed his liver and ultimately killed him. When we put our faith in a lie, we often will suffer for it. Jesus knew this well. He was determined to spread God’s real truth in a world with many and various competing lies. Don’t you be caught up in the world’s lies. Seek the truth. You won’t find the truth in worldly places. You will only find it in Godly faith.
December 9
“But the wicked will perish: Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.” (Psalm 37:20, NIV)
Did you know that there are passages speaking about enemies of God, of God’s people, and of God’s plans 494 times in the Bible? That’s a lot of talk about enemies! The scriptures speak openly about God’s destruction of HIS enemies, but also Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Have you ever wondered why people who are holy to God see so much hatred and are exposed to so many enemies in history? Honestly, it has to do with evil. Evil cannot stand the presence of holiness, godliness, or the good. It will constantly fight against godly things wherever it can, causing wars and death and suffering in the process.
When you believe in God, it puts a bulls-eye on your back. From the moment you make real promises to God and a real faith takes hold, Satan considers you an enemy. He will seek ways to hurt you. He will hunt you. The book of Job talks about Satan going to and fro around the earth (Job 2:2). What do you think he is doing? Sightseeing? No way. He’s looking for prey, for people to destroy, for ways to kill faith in God. When you side with God in the spiritual war that is waging between God and Satan, Satan considers you an enemy combatant. He and those who he can manipulate will go after you. It doesn’t matter how nice of a person you are, Satan and his followers will consider you an enemy and make you an enemy, whether you like it or not.
You always know that you are faithful to God when enemies suddenly appear. It means you are doing something right. It means your faith is real. I know it doesn’t feel nice to have enemies, but it means you have taken a side in the spiritual war going on. You have sided with God. If you side with Satan, you will also have a great enemy…. God. Whenever you get serious about faithfulness or sin, sadly spiritual enemies will be the consequence.
In one church I served, there was a member who hated me so much that she told me that she was not only going to bad-mouth me in the congregation, she was going to cause me to lose my job. The reason for her hatred of me? I had included a bulletin insert made for churches that the county churches all used that talked about praying for and helping those who have had abortions and suffer lingering psychological and emotional effects from it. She said it was inappropriate, awful, and I was a horrible person to include it in a bulletin on Sunday morning. She said the other fifty churches and pastors in the county who used the bulletin insert should all be ashamed. Ultimately, she gathered friends in the church and convinced them to force me to lose my job. She was an enemy, no doubt. She enjoyed causing me harm, and reveled in the power it gave her over me. She even went so far as to cause the church to stop my paycheck for two months. While she enjoyed our suffering, Laura and I went hungry. We only ate one meal a day, because it was all we could afford. Not satisfied at that, she manipulated the leaders to silence me. I was not allowed to speak with church members and friends in the church for 90 days until I was to be forcefully evicted from the parsonage. One week before we would have been put out on the street literally, God gave me a job in another state. Those who know me cannot believe there are such angry and bitter and hateful people in the church. Oh, there are. Enemies of God reside all over the world. They will hate you for just being faithful. Paul, in Ephesians 6:12, mentions this struggle we have with the spiritual war.
In the scripture for today, we are told that God’s enemies will perish. They will “go up in smoke” (Psalm 37:20). They will disappear, never to be heard from again. In your spiritual fights, don’t hate the enemies who have set up themselves against God or against what is right. They will be doomed in the end. Their life will amount to nothing. I have seen the enemies of God suffer and die. Their end was never glorious. Most never made things right with God. Their bitterness and anger and hatred grew stronger for most until the end. In the case of many, they could hardly stand themselves. I would never want you to end up this way.
Don’t be surprised when spiritual enemies appear. In reality, they will expose whether you have a real faith or not. Their hatred of what is right will show them for who they are. When they hate you, don’t be afraid. God notices their presence and will protect you in ways you are not even aware. While they live with their anger and hatred and envy and evil thoughts, you sleep peacefully at night knowing God is with you. God watches over HIS own.
When you believe in God, it puts a bulls-eye on your back. From the moment you make real promises to God and a real faith takes hold, Satan considers you an enemy. He will seek ways to hurt you. He will hunt you. The book of Job talks about Satan going to and fro around the earth (Job 2:2). What do you think he is doing? Sightseeing? No way. He’s looking for prey, for people to destroy, for ways to kill faith in God. When you side with God in the spiritual war that is waging between God and Satan, Satan considers you an enemy combatant. He and those who he can manipulate will go after you. It doesn’t matter how nice of a person you are, Satan and his followers will consider you an enemy and make you an enemy, whether you like it or not.
You always know that you are faithful to God when enemies suddenly appear. It means you are doing something right. It means your faith is real. I know it doesn’t feel nice to have enemies, but it means you have taken a side in the spiritual war going on. You have sided with God. If you side with Satan, you will also have a great enemy…. God. Whenever you get serious about faithfulness or sin, sadly spiritual enemies will be the consequence.
In one church I served, there was a member who hated me so much that she told me that she was not only going to bad-mouth me in the congregation, she was going to cause me to lose my job. The reason for her hatred of me? I had included a bulletin insert made for churches that the county churches all used that talked about praying for and helping those who have had abortions and suffer lingering psychological and emotional effects from it. She said it was inappropriate, awful, and I was a horrible person to include it in a bulletin on Sunday morning. She said the other fifty churches and pastors in the county who used the bulletin insert should all be ashamed. Ultimately, she gathered friends in the church and convinced them to force me to lose my job. She was an enemy, no doubt. She enjoyed causing me harm, and reveled in the power it gave her over me. She even went so far as to cause the church to stop my paycheck for two months. While she enjoyed our suffering, Laura and I went hungry. We only ate one meal a day, because it was all we could afford. Not satisfied at that, she manipulated the leaders to silence me. I was not allowed to speak with church members and friends in the church for 90 days until I was to be forcefully evicted from the parsonage. One week before we would have been put out on the street literally, God gave me a job in another state. Those who know me cannot believe there are such angry and bitter and hateful people in the church. Oh, there are. Enemies of God reside all over the world. They will hate you for just being faithful. Paul, in Ephesians 6:12, mentions this struggle we have with the spiritual war.
In the scripture for today, we are told that God’s enemies will perish. They will “go up in smoke” (Psalm 37:20). They will disappear, never to be heard from again. In your spiritual fights, don’t hate the enemies who have set up themselves against God or against what is right. They will be doomed in the end. Their life will amount to nothing. I have seen the enemies of God suffer and die. Their end was never glorious. Most never made things right with God. Their bitterness and anger and hatred grew stronger for most until the end. In the case of many, they could hardly stand themselves. I would never want you to end up this way.
Don’t be surprised when spiritual enemies appear. In reality, they will expose whether you have a real faith or not. Their hatred of what is right will show them for who they are. When they hate you, don’t be afraid. God notices their presence and will protect you in ways you are not even aware. While they live with their anger and hatred and envy and evil thoughts, you sleep peacefully at night knowing God is with you. God watches over HIS own.
December 10
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions.”
(Romans 6:12, RSV)
(Romans 6:12, RSV)
In a kingdom, the King’s decision is the law of the land. The King is ruler, judge, jury, and legislator. The King is the ultimate authority. All those subject to the King must obey his laws and follow his commands. This is the way of a monarchy. There are constitutional monarchies that give some representation to the people enabling them to self-govern, but for most monarchies, the King’s command is law. Everyone must obey it. They must follow the King’s direction.
In the scripture above, a kingdom is presented. While hidden in the language of the verse, it is readily apparent if you look closely. The scripture doesn’t mention a kingdom per se, but it does mention a “reign”. To “reign”, one has absolute authority like a king in a kingdom. In fact, many modern-day dictionaries, including Wikipedia, refer to the definition of the word “reign” as like that of a monarchy. Thus, when the scripture from Romans shown above mentions to never let sin ”reign” in your body, it is saying that you have a choice of rejecting the control and command of sin. However, when you submit to sin, you become subject to it, just like a serf in a monarchy. As the second half of the scripture states, you will “obey sin’s passions”. Sin will make rules and laws and legislation in your life that you must follow. It will control your life like a king controls a kingdom.
Many people do not realize the power of sin in a life. It controls. It can have absolute authority. You will find yourself subject to it. It will run your life. I find that for most, this obedience to sin is not seen as something as dangerous as it is. They do not realize that you can give up total control of your life to sin. It can command you and control what you do and how you think. Like a king in a kingdom, sin’s rule over your life can become absolute.
Doris is in her eighties. She’s widowed now. She and her husband celebrated their forty-fifth wedding anniversary before he died. She misses him greatly. Doris’ husband, Chet, gave a lot of stability and strength to Doris. He took care of many things in their home, including the budget and repairs and many other little things. Now that he’s been gone for almost twenty years, Doris has gotten used to living on her own. But her life has changed greatly since Chet left.
Ten years ago, Doris got involved with a traveling group that took bus trips here and there. She enjoyed the company, the camaraderie, the friendships. On one of the bus trips, they went to a place that had an attached casino. On a whim, Doris played a slot machine and won on her first pull! She went home that day with more money in her pocket than she ever had. Catching the gambling bug, she went back to that casino again and again. Some days, she is there before the sun comes up. On a good day, she won’t leave the casino until the sun goes down. She no longer travels with her “bus trip friends”. She spends most of her days pining away the time until she can go back to the casino. Her adult children have become jealous of her new addiction. At family gatherings, they will often poke fun of her, seeing by her actions that she is nervous not being at the slots, even when with them.
Doris doesn’t realize it, but her life now revolves around the sin of gambling. The gambling bug has absolute control of her life. She’s happy on days she wins. She’s depressed on days she loses. She gives almost all her extra money to her addiction. Hour after hour, she slaves away at the slot machine. Gambling runs her life. She obeys its commands. That’s what its like when a sin “reigns” in your body. You will spend every day dealing with the sin. It might ruin your finances and control your thoughts. It will control your every waking hour.
Little sins can grow up into a big sin that has absolute “reign” over your life. Be careful of sin’s allure. Don’t let it get a foothold in your life. You will always regret it. It will control you. Is there a danger of a sin taking control of your life? Does a sin have power over your thoughts? Is there a sin that can wreck your day? Be careful that you work with God to exorcise every sin, especially those that could ultimately control your life.
In the scripture above, a kingdom is presented. While hidden in the language of the verse, it is readily apparent if you look closely. The scripture doesn’t mention a kingdom per se, but it does mention a “reign”. To “reign”, one has absolute authority like a king in a kingdom. In fact, many modern-day dictionaries, including Wikipedia, refer to the definition of the word “reign” as like that of a monarchy. Thus, when the scripture from Romans shown above mentions to never let sin ”reign” in your body, it is saying that you have a choice of rejecting the control and command of sin. However, when you submit to sin, you become subject to it, just like a serf in a monarchy. As the second half of the scripture states, you will “obey sin’s passions”. Sin will make rules and laws and legislation in your life that you must follow. It will control your life like a king controls a kingdom.
Many people do not realize the power of sin in a life. It controls. It can have absolute authority. You will find yourself subject to it. It will run your life. I find that for most, this obedience to sin is not seen as something as dangerous as it is. They do not realize that you can give up total control of your life to sin. It can command you and control what you do and how you think. Like a king in a kingdom, sin’s rule over your life can become absolute.
Doris is in her eighties. She’s widowed now. She and her husband celebrated their forty-fifth wedding anniversary before he died. She misses him greatly. Doris’ husband, Chet, gave a lot of stability and strength to Doris. He took care of many things in their home, including the budget and repairs and many other little things. Now that he’s been gone for almost twenty years, Doris has gotten used to living on her own. But her life has changed greatly since Chet left.
Ten years ago, Doris got involved with a traveling group that took bus trips here and there. She enjoyed the company, the camaraderie, the friendships. On one of the bus trips, they went to a place that had an attached casino. On a whim, Doris played a slot machine and won on her first pull! She went home that day with more money in her pocket than she ever had. Catching the gambling bug, she went back to that casino again and again. Some days, she is there before the sun comes up. On a good day, she won’t leave the casino until the sun goes down. She no longer travels with her “bus trip friends”. She spends most of her days pining away the time until she can go back to the casino. Her adult children have become jealous of her new addiction. At family gatherings, they will often poke fun of her, seeing by her actions that she is nervous not being at the slots, even when with them.
Doris doesn’t realize it, but her life now revolves around the sin of gambling. The gambling bug has absolute control of her life. She’s happy on days she wins. She’s depressed on days she loses. She gives almost all her extra money to her addiction. Hour after hour, she slaves away at the slot machine. Gambling runs her life. She obeys its commands. That’s what its like when a sin “reigns” in your body. You will spend every day dealing with the sin. It might ruin your finances and control your thoughts. It will control your every waking hour.
Little sins can grow up into a big sin that has absolute “reign” over your life. Be careful of sin’s allure. Don’t let it get a foothold in your life. You will always regret it. It will control you. Is there a danger of a sin taking control of your life? Does a sin have power over your thoughts? Is there a sin that can wreck your day? Be careful that you work with God to exorcise every sin, especially those that could ultimately control your life.
December 11
“Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.” (1 Thessalonians 5:26, RSV)
[WARNING: TODAY'S MEDITATION IS VERY DEEP. IT IS NOT MEANT FOR NEWER CHRISTIANS OR THOSE WHO ARE WEAK IN FAITH. IT IS MEANT TO BRING A GREATER DEPTH TO YOUR BIBLE STUDY. SOME PEOPLE CAN'T HANDLE THIS LEVEL OF DEPTH! DON'T READ ON UNLESS YOU ARE READY FOR A CHALLENGE!]
Today, I want to talk with you about how people manipulate the Bible with an agenda. Wanting to pursue their own agenda or keep their own bias, they manipulate you, dear friend. It has even come to the point that they manipulate the Bible you read. Don’t believe me? I will prove it to you.
The above scripture was written originally by Paul around 50 AD. His words ended his letter to the church in Thessalonica. You might think the words are clear cut and understandable. They are. The original Greek text is easy to understand and undeniable in meaning. Yet, this scripture was rewritten in 1989 in the NRSV version of the Bible to say, “Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.” (1 Thessalonians 5:26, NRSV) For almost two thousand years, this scripture has been interpreted in your Bible in one way. In 1989, they completely changed the meaning. How? According to the NRSV Bible, it now reads as if men and women in Biblical times were commanded by Paul to greet each other with a kiss. It can also be assumed by the reader that men and women read Paul’s letter, though most women in Thessalonica could not read at the time. Also, you might infer that men and women would greet each other with holy kisses when gathering in Thessalonica. This also would not be true. By injecting a bias for feminism into their interpretation of scripture rather that interpreting what was originally in scripture, the authors of the NRSV Bible changed the original meaning of this verse. If the NRSV was the only Bible you read, you’d never know that you were NOT reading what was originally written by Paul.
Because of the controversy of people with agendas manipulating the Bible you read, some churches have vowed to go back to older English versions of the Bible, like the King James Version completed in 1611 AD. This has caused other problems not intended. Many people are not familiar with King James’ English from the 1600’s. They used different words for some things back then. For example, Song of Solomon 2:17 in the King James Version of the Bible says…. “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, And be thou like a roe or a young hart Upon the mountains of Bether.” (Song of Solomon 2:17, KJV 1900) I dare you to tell me what a roe and a hart are! A young hart would be a male deer around three to five years of age. A roe is a gazelle! Also, the language use is not familiar to Bible readers today. 2 Kings 5:25 in the King James Bible states that “the servant went no whither..” Can you explain this verse? One version of the Bible interprets it as: “Thy servant went nowhere”. I think that is clearer, don’t you? In Numbers 20:3, the King James says: “And the people chode with Moses and spake…” Can you explain the word “chode”? Spake is the past tense of “speak” in King James era language. But “chode”, what does that mean? The NAS Bible interpreted the word chode as “contended”. It means to challenge verbally or argue with. Often, those with the King James Version of the Bible won’t read their Bibles regularly due to the many language problems.
What do you do? Long ago, I was taught that a good way to read the Bible is to use multiple versions of the Bible to get a better understanding of the scripture. It helps that I can read the original Greek versions of the Bible, with some portions written before 300 AD. That always helps me understand what was most original (but even that can be debated with some original Greek scriptures using different words). However, for most people, this is not an option. A good way to read and study the Bible is to find a Study Bible that helps interpret scripture. Also, stay away from Bibles that were written with a major bias, such as the NRSV, which was meant to “bring the Bible to modern people”. It tends to interpret the Bible from a modern liberal perspective only. This version of the Bible would rather rewrite a verse to make it apply to modern ideas than interpret the Bible as it was originally written. If you like the NRSV and read it regularly, please continue! Just make sure you look at other versions of the Bible, so you can know when this version uses biased interpretations that vary from what was originally written. Do you know what bias your Bible version has? The NASB was originally written from a Roman Catholic perspective. The NIV was written with a conservative bias. The TNIV was written with a more moderate theological view of interpretation. The RSV was written from a 1950’s mainline protestant perspective. I think you get the picture.
Every version of the Bible has a bias. Some Bibles are written for a specific group, another for a more modern interpretation. Some are literal translations. Others, like the Living Bible and NLT, have always attempted to translate for the clearest and most enjoyable reading using paraphrasing, but can take great liberties in their choice of wording. The best thing you can do is find a person who is knowledgeable and trustworthy in Bible wording and interpretation, and seek his or her help with your studies. This is also why studying the Bible is more fruitful than just reading it. Every good pastor studies a scripture and its varying understandings (and prays about it!), before preaching on its meaning. No pastor should shortcut this critical theological work.
If the Meditation for today is too deep for you, please don’t fret! We will go back to the normal study method tomorrow! I just want you to understand more completely that the Bible is not as cut and dried as many think it is. There are people who like to play with the interpretation of the Bible, to manipulate what it says. Some quote a certain version of the Bible that is biased to twist its meaning. I’m sure Satan enjoys that. Some have left it up to their pastor or priest to interpret the Bible for them. Do you think this wise? Do you know your pastor’s or priest’s biases? You need to do more than just read or listen to scripture. You need to study it, find its original meaning, seek its meaning for your life, ask for God’s Spirit to direct you in its interpretation. God’s Word found in the Bible can change your life! Keep reading and studying and learning! Don't let another's bias stop God from reaching your heart with HIS Word!
Today, I want to talk with you about how people manipulate the Bible with an agenda. Wanting to pursue their own agenda or keep their own bias, they manipulate you, dear friend. It has even come to the point that they manipulate the Bible you read. Don’t believe me? I will prove it to you.
The above scripture was written originally by Paul around 50 AD. His words ended his letter to the church in Thessalonica. You might think the words are clear cut and understandable. They are. The original Greek text is easy to understand and undeniable in meaning. Yet, this scripture was rewritten in 1989 in the NRSV version of the Bible to say, “Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.” (1 Thessalonians 5:26, NRSV) For almost two thousand years, this scripture has been interpreted in your Bible in one way. In 1989, they completely changed the meaning. How? According to the NRSV Bible, it now reads as if men and women in Biblical times were commanded by Paul to greet each other with a kiss. It can also be assumed by the reader that men and women read Paul’s letter, though most women in Thessalonica could not read at the time. Also, you might infer that men and women would greet each other with holy kisses when gathering in Thessalonica. This also would not be true. By injecting a bias for feminism into their interpretation of scripture rather that interpreting what was originally in scripture, the authors of the NRSV Bible changed the original meaning of this verse. If the NRSV was the only Bible you read, you’d never know that you were NOT reading what was originally written by Paul.
Because of the controversy of people with agendas manipulating the Bible you read, some churches have vowed to go back to older English versions of the Bible, like the King James Version completed in 1611 AD. This has caused other problems not intended. Many people are not familiar with King James’ English from the 1600’s. They used different words for some things back then. For example, Song of Solomon 2:17 in the King James Version of the Bible says…. “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, And be thou like a roe or a young hart Upon the mountains of Bether.” (Song of Solomon 2:17, KJV 1900) I dare you to tell me what a roe and a hart are! A young hart would be a male deer around three to five years of age. A roe is a gazelle! Also, the language use is not familiar to Bible readers today. 2 Kings 5:25 in the King James Bible states that “the servant went no whither..” Can you explain this verse? One version of the Bible interprets it as: “Thy servant went nowhere”. I think that is clearer, don’t you? In Numbers 20:3, the King James says: “And the people chode with Moses and spake…” Can you explain the word “chode”? Spake is the past tense of “speak” in King James era language. But “chode”, what does that mean? The NAS Bible interpreted the word chode as “contended”. It means to challenge verbally or argue with. Often, those with the King James Version of the Bible won’t read their Bibles regularly due to the many language problems.
What do you do? Long ago, I was taught that a good way to read the Bible is to use multiple versions of the Bible to get a better understanding of the scripture. It helps that I can read the original Greek versions of the Bible, with some portions written before 300 AD. That always helps me understand what was most original (but even that can be debated with some original Greek scriptures using different words). However, for most people, this is not an option. A good way to read and study the Bible is to find a Study Bible that helps interpret scripture. Also, stay away from Bibles that were written with a major bias, such as the NRSV, which was meant to “bring the Bible to modern people”. It tends to interpret the Bible from a modern liberal perspective only. This version of the Bible would rather rewrite a verse to make it apply to modern ideas than interpret the Bible as it was originally written. If you like the NRSV and read it regularly, please continue! Just make sure you look at other versions of the Bible, so you can know when this version uses biased interpretations that vary from what was originally written. Do you know what bias your Bible version has? The NASB was originally written from a Roman Catholic perspective. The NIV was written with a conservative bias. The TNIV was written with a more moderate theological view of interpretation. The RSV was written from a 1950’s mainline protestant perspective. I think you get the picture.
Every version of the Bible has a bias. Some Bibles are written for a specific group, another for a more modern interpretation. Some are literal translations. Others, like the Living Bible and NLT, have always attempted to translate for the clearest and most enjoyable reading using paraphrasing, but can take great liberties in their choice of wording. The best thing you can do is find a person who is knowledgeable and trustworthy in Bible wording and interpretation, and seek his or her help with your studies. This is also why studying the Bible is more fruitful than just reading it. Every good pastor studies a scripture and its varying understandings (and prays about it!), before preaching on its meaning. No pastor should shortcut this critical theological work.
If the Meditation for today is too deep for you, please don’t fret! We will go back to the normal study method tomorrow! I just want you to understand more completely that the Bible is not as cut and dried as many think it is. There are people who like to play with the interpretation of the Bible, to manipulate what it says. Some quote a certain version of the Bible that is biased to twist its meaning. I’m sure Satan enjoys that. Some have left it up to their pastor or priest to interpret the Bible for them. Do you think this wise? Do you know your pastor’s or priest’s biases? You need to do more than just read or listen to scripture. You need to study it, find its original meaning, seek its meaning for your life, ask for God’s Spirit to direct you in its interpretation. God’s Word found in the Bible can change your life! Keep reading and studying and learning! Don't let another's bias stop God from reaching your heart with HIS Word!
December 12
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:6–8, ESV)
It is not unusual to see a gift wrapped under a tree at this time of year. Presents have become closely associated with the Advent and Christmas seasons. Gift-giving is common. Salvation Army bell ringers know this. They see more donations during this time of year than any other time. Many non-profit groups survive based on generous gifts donated during December. However, our scripture for today reminds us that not all gifts are tactile. Not all gifts can be wrapped and placed under a tree. Spiritual gifts, for example, are common in Christians all year long. The scripture above reminds you that if you have spiritual gifts, you should use them. God gives spiritual gifts for the express purpose of their being shared with others. To hold them back is to deny God the glory and the faithful community the rewards of your faith.
In Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol”, we are introduced to the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. He is wealthy. He owns a business. Socially-minded community individuals beg him to give money for the poor, but Scrooge will not share the wealth. In the book, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts to open his heart up to what he is missing by holding on to his hoards. To hold back his financial profits and keep everything for himself denied his reason for being. It caused him untold regret, sadness, loneliness, and isolation. The name, Scrooge, has forever been associated with those who would rather hoard their profits than share their wealth. Scrooge-like people keep everything for themselves and deny others who need them or their help.
Sadly, there are spiritual Scrooges in the world as well. Though given gifts of grace when they became Christians (Romans 12:6), they refuse to use them. Some are given boatloads of faith. Others have a mind to serve or enjoy teaching. A few are blessed with extra money to share with others generously. Joyful ones are given the enjoyment to uplift others with encouragement or bring cheer to a room. Still others, are blessed with the ability to forgive easily. Their mercy could change a life! These gifts of grace are given to Christians to share with their community and church (Romans 12:6-8). God has given these gifts of grace to each according to God’s Spirit (Romans 12:3). That means you probably have one of these gifts! The only warning God gives with each gift is that you should never become lazy in the sharing of these gifts, or fail to share them with others (Romans 12:11). These spiritual gifts are given by God so that you can share them freely, openly, and often. However, spiritual Scrooges fail in this warning. They hold back their gifts. They do not share the abundance given from God. Selfishly, they keep what God meant for them to give. When you do not share your spiritual gifts, not only will others go without, you will lose the blessing God intended with the gift.
I have met many, many Christians who have not followed this scripture. These spiritual Scrooges hold back their spiritual gifts from God’s purpose. I’ve met many who were gifted to teach, but didn’t want to “making the effort” to prepare for Sunday School or Adult Bible Study. I’ve witnessed many others who had lots of money, but liked to attach strings to their gifts, thus negating God’s command in this scripture to contribute generously. In fact, they are pretty stingy in their gifts. Others, withhold their compassion or mercy for fear that their kindness will be abused. Most of all, I’ve seen many who did not serve others, because they didn’t have the time or care to give freely. Caught up in busy-ness at work or home, their lives have become centered on “waiting for retirement” for their delayed gratification. Then, they plan to live it up in style. There are a million ways to fail God’s gifts of grace mentioned in these three verses above. All these ways darken the world. Each gift is meant to brighten someone’s day!
After finding out that a local homeless shelter had a problem with bedbugs, a local company was called in to eliminate the problem. George was sent by his boss to fumigate and treat the premises. He followed through, but noted that awful conditions at the shelter. With barely enough money to make ends meet, the shelter was skimping on basic cleaning and hygienic practices. Appalled by the situation, George decided to do something. With his encouragement, ten men from the Men’s Group at his church came in one weekend and cleaned the place top to bottom. A few of the guys also did preventative maintenance. A couple of the men, George included, volunteered for other odd jobs around the place. Now retired, if you ask George today what he considers as his life’s greatest joy, he would include his work at the shelter. George loves to fix things, help the people, and serve the need. The shelter has become his second home. He knows all the residents and volunteers by name.
George has the gift of service. God gave it to him. At the shelter, he can share that gift. It is one of the highlights of his life. He can’t imagine not giving his time at the shelter. It brings him great joy to work there. Though others might find the work tedious or unsanitary, George sees the need and loves to help. His service is blessed by God. Many very needy people are blessed by God, because of George. George's gift of grace enlightens everyone around. Now, imagine if George had never gone to the shelter for work and seen the spiritual opportunity! How much poorer everyone, including George, would be!!!
Spiritual Scrooges take away from the joy of life. Withholding God’s gifts of grace, they don’t bring needed light and help and care and growth. Instead, the spiritual and corporeal darkness continues unabated in the world. The world is no better off for their life or faith. Don’t be a spiritual Scrooge! There are others desperate for your spiritual gifts. It is blessed both to give and to receive spiritual gifts. Is there a place you need to give some spiritual help today? Don’t be surprised if God’s Spirit shows you! It is your destiny! It is a great joy in this season to give spiritual gifts. Wouldn’t you agree?
In Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol”, we are introduced to the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. He is wealthy. He owns a business. Socially-minded community individuals beg him to give money for the poor, but Scrooge will not share the wealth. In the book, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts to open his heart up to what he is missing by holding on to his hoards. To hold back his financial profits and keep everything for himself denied his reason for being. It caused him untold regret, sadness, loneliness, and isolation. The name, Scrooge, has forever been associated with those who would rather hoard their profits than share their wealth. Scrooge-like people keep everything for themselves and deny others who need them or their help.
Sadly, there are spiritual Scrooges in the world as well. Though given gifts of grace when they became Christians (Romans 12:6), they refuse to use them. Some are given boatloads of faith. Others have a mind to serve or enjoy teaching. A few are blessed with extra money to share with others generously. Joyful ones are given the enjoyment to uplift others with encouragement or bring cheer to a room. Still others, are blessed with the ability to forgive easily. Their mercy could change a life! These gifts of grace are given to Christians to share with their community and church (Romans 12:6-8). God has given these gifts of grace to each according to God’s Spirit (Romans 12:3). That means you probably have one of these gifts! The only warning God gives with each gift is that you should never become lazy in the sharing of these gifts, or fail to share them with others (Romans 12:11). These spiritual gifts are given by God so that you can share them freely, openly, and often. However, spiritual Scrooges fail in this warning. They hold back their gifts. They do not share the abundance given from God. Selfishly, they keep what God meant for them to give. When you do not share your spiritual gifts, not only will others go without, you will lose the blessing God intended with the gift.
I have met many, many Christians who have not followed this scripture. These spiritual Scrooges hold back their spiritual gifts from God’s purpose. I’ve met many who were gifted to teach, but didn’t want to “making the effort” to prepare for Sunday School or Adult Bible Study. I’ve witnessed many others who had lots of money, but liked to attach strings to their gifts, thus negating God’s command in this scripture to contribute generously. In fact, they are pretty stingy in their gifts. Others, withhold their compassion or mercy for fear that their kindness will be abused. Most of all, I’ve seen many who did not serve others, because they didn’t have the time or care to give freely. Caught up in busy-ness at work or home, their lives have become centered on “waiting for retirement” for their delayed gratification. Then, they plan to live it up in style. There are a million ways to fail God’s gifts of grace mentioned in these three verses above. All these ways darken the world. Each gift is meant to brighten someone’s day!
After finding out that a local homeless shelter had a problem with bedbugs, a local company was called in to eliminate the problem. George was sent by his boss to fumigate and treat the premises. He followed through, but noted that awful conditions at the shelter. With barely enough money to make ends meet, the shelter was skimping on basic cleaning and hygienic practices. Appalled by the situation, George decided to do something. With his encouragement, ten men from the Men’s Group at his church came in one weekend and cleaned the place top to bottom. A few of the guys also did preventative maintenance. A couple of the men, George included, volunteered for other odd jobs around the place. Now retired, if you ask George today what he considers as his life’s greatest joy, he would include his work at the shelter. George loves to fix things, help the people, and serve the need. The shelter has become his second home. He knows all the residents and volunteers by name.
George has the gift of service. God gave it to him. At the shelter, he can share that gift. It is one of the highlights of his life. He can’t imagine not giving his time at the shelter. It brings him great joy to work there. Though others might find the work tedious or unsanitary, George sees the need and loves to help. His service is blessed by God. Many very needy people are blessed by God, because of George. George's gift of grace enlightens everyone around. Now, imagine if George had never gone to the shelter for work and seen the spiritual opportunity! How much poorer everyone, including George, would be!!!
Spiritual Scrooges take away from the joy of life. Withholding God’s gifts of grace, they don’t bring needed light and help and care and growth. Instead, the spiritual and corporeal darkness continues unabated in the world. The world is no better off for their life or faith. Don’t be a spiritual Scrooge! There are others desperate for your spiritual gifts. It is blessed both to give and to receive spiritual gifts. Is there a place you need to give some spiritual help today? Don’t be surprised if God’s Spirit shows you! It is your destiny! It is a great joy in this season to give spiritual gifts. Wouldn’t you agree?
December 13
““You shall have no other gods before me.” (Deuteronomy 5:7, NIV)
I have met many people who do not believe they worship other gods, when they do. I have met many who thought they did not practice the making of idols, idolatry, but in all reality, they do. When the commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before me, many atheists, for example, do not believe they worship any form of god. Yet, many atheists worship humanism (the worship of humanity, self, or human reason). When you give something ultimate importance in life or when something else controls your life, that becomes your god.
It is easy to make or form a god. You essentially just turn an object or an idea into your reason to live. You worship the concept, the idea, the object. You give it authority over you and submit yourself to its ideals. In this way, an alcoholic worships alcohol, a spender worships money, a power-broker worships power, a sex addict worships human lust. There are many gods people worship.
Out of California, we have a humanistic new religion with a new god, Artificial Intelligence. “Former Google and Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski has reportedly created a new religion called Way of the Future, which involves worshiping an artificial intelligence robot. The papers filed with the Internal Revenue Service in May state that the religion’s activities will revolve around “the realization, acceptance, and worship of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) developed through computer hardware and software,” according to Wired Magazine.” (https://www.westernjournal.com/new-religion-forming-california-worship-man-made-ai-messiah/) You may think this is a hoax, but it is not. They even have emulated churches. They have a gospel book called “The Manual”. It lays down the purpose of their religion. They have public ceremonies, a form of worship. They even call their computational god, “AI Messiah”. The title of this “god” means Artificial Intelligence savior. It is just another example of people who worship other gods.
When you elevate something to have power over you in life, you have made it into your “god”. In doing this, you break the commandment from Deuteronomy 5:7, “You shall have no other gods before me [THE God].” This decision to elevate something in your life to a god can happen consciously or unconsciously. You may choose to make yourself a god, like Anthony Levandowski in the paragraph above, or you may unconsciously just let something have control over your life. Either way, you have fashioned yourself a god. In time, you will come to worship it, give it power over your life, and cede to it control over your future. The problem is that all “gods” pale in comparison to the real thing. Our God in heaven is not amused by the power we give to our little gods.
Can you imagine a child getting up from sleep one morning and walking into the kitchen to see mom and dad, then saying, “I’m going to pick a new mother and father today to be my family!” The child then chooses to whom he will show respect and love in his life. It’s a slap in the face to the parents, no doubt. This may sound ludicrous, but its essentially what humans do to God the Father when we choose for ourselves other gods. We elevate to godhead, something or someone who doesn’t belong there. And it is a slap in the face to the real God.
Is there something that competes in your life with the real God? Is there something or someone you elevate in importance in your life a little too much? There is always a danger that you will “worship” something or someone else in your life, giving it control over your decisions. This will always alienate you from the real God, and in the end, wreck your life. Be careful what you make important in your life. It may become your god.
(Special thanks to my blessed cousin, John, who sent me the information on this new religion in California!)
It is easy to make or form a god. You essentially just turn an object or an idea into your reason to live. You worship the concept, the idea, the object. You give it authority over you and submit yourself to its ideals. In this way, an alcoholic worships alcohol, a spender worships money, a power-broker worships power, a sex addict worships human lust. There are many gods people worship.
Out of California, we have a humanistic new religion with a new god, Artificial Intelligence. “Former Google and Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski has reportedly created a new religion called Way of the Future, which involves worshiping an artificial intelligence robot. The papers filed with the Internal Revenue Service in May state that the religion’s activities will revolve around “the realization, acceptance, and worship of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) developed through computer hardware and software,” according to Wired Magazine.” (https://www.westernjournal.com/new-religion-forming-california-worship-man-made-ai-messiah/) You may think this is a hoax, but it is not. They even have emulated churches. They have a gospel book called “The Manual”. It lays down the purpose of their religion. They have public ceremonies, a form of worship. They even call their computational god, “AI Messiah”. The title of this “god” means Artificial Intelligence savior. It is just another example of people who worship other gods.
When you elevate something to have power over you in life, you have made it into your “god”. In doing this, you break the commandment from Deuteronomy 5:7, “You shall have no other gods before me [THE God].” This decision to elevate something in your life to a god can happen consciously or unconsciously. You may choose to make yourself a god, like Anthony Levandowski in the paragraph above, or you may unconsciously just let something have control over your life. Either way, you have fashioned yourself a god. In time, you will come to worship it, give it power over your life, and cede to it control over your future. The problem is that all “gods” pale in comparison to the real thing. Our God in heaven is not amused by the power we give to our little gods.
Can you imagine a child getting up from sleep one morning and walking into the kitchen to see mom and dad, then saying, “I’m going to pick a new mother and father today to be my family!” The child then chooses to whom he will show respect and love in his life. It’s a slap in the face to the parents, no doubt. This may sound ludicrous, but its essentially what humans do to God the Father when we choose for ourselves other gods. We elevate to godhead, something or someone who doesn’t belong there. And it is a slap in the face to the real God.
Is there something that competes in your life with the real God? Is there something or someone you elevate in importance in your life a little too much? There is always a danger that you will “worship” something or someone else in your life, giving it control over your decisions. This will always alienate you from the real God, and in the end, wreck your life. Be careful what you make important in your life. It may become your god.
(Special thanks to my blessed cousin, John, who sent me the information on this new religion in California!)
December 14
“A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.”
(Acts 19:19–20, NLT)
(Acts 19:19–20, NLT)
After five years of alcoholism, Charlie had enough. He was sick of the hangovers, the fear of being arrested for drunk driving again, the anger when he drank, and the stupid mistakes his drinking caused to occur. His devoted wife, Carrie, had stood by him through it all, suffering the whole while. When Charlie finally made the decision to go to rehab, he went to a friend who had given up drinking successfully and asked what to do. The friend said, “First of all, go through the house and get rid of all your stashes of alcohol. Leave nothing in the house to tempt you to drink even one drink.” Wisely, Charlie followed his friend’s advice. He and Carrie went through the house with a fine-tooth comb, searching out and discarding every single bottle and carafe. Charlie was never going back to drinking. From now on, things would be different.
Charlie’s actions are a form of “burning your bridges”. It’s a way to separate your past from your present and future. You essentially make it so that you are not tempted to slip back into your past mistakes, to be drawn to your kryptonite. In ancient Roman times, some Roman leaders would order their armies to cross a river to meet an enemy. To give added incentive to the soldiers, the leaders of the army would then burn any bridge or boat so that the army could not retreat. It gave the army ultimate inspiration to win the battle. There could be no retreat. “Burning the bridges” gave the army extra backbone to overcome the upcoming battle. In the same way, Charlie got rid of all those temptations in his home so that he had more incentive to win against alcoholism. His actions gave him added courage in his new stance.
A form of burning the bridges occurs in the scripture from Acts 19, the scripture reading for today. The two verses shown above make clear the response of the Ephesian Christians upon beginning their new life in Christ. After being converted by the apostle Paul, those who “had been practicing sorcery”, a form of black magic, “brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire” (Acts 19:19). This symbolic act displayed for all to see that the Ephesian Christians were serious about their new faith in Jesus. They were not going to go back to their old ways, practicing sorcery. At the time, sorcery was lucrative. A good sorcerer could sell incantations, curses, and potions for a good bit of money in Ephesus. By burning their books, these new Christians didn’t let their old life or the riches they might gain, cause them to go against their Lord Jesus. It was the perfect way to say to God that you were faithful. Their public example of burning their books of dark magic made others take note of the value of Jesus. Notice in the scripture above that after the burning of their sorcery books, "the message about the Lord spread widely and had a power effect" far beyond the region of Ephesus! (Acts 19:20)
If you value Jesus, there may be times that you choose to “burn your bridges” as well. It might be a great way to achieve great success in your life. If something in your past may tempt you, like the phone number of an old drug dealer or an old girlfriend, it might be better to get rid of the number than be tempted and fail. If there is a sin that has caused you to suffer and disrespect God in the past, it might be better to get rid of all those things that may tempt you to sin again. If you have an addiction, get rid of all advertisements, tickets, enticements, or friends who may cause you to feed that addiction. If you are addicted to smoking, get rid of all your cigarettes and lighters. If you are addicted to sex, throw away all your pornography. If tempted to overspend, get rid of all sales ads and store credit cards. If you tend to wreck your diet with cookies, keep them out of the house! Anything that can cause you to go back to old sins should be done away with. It’s the safest course of action…. burning your bridges so you aren’t tempted to fail.
Are there some things you need to get rid of in your life? Is there a temptation that will only get you into trouble? Consider the actions of the Ephesian Christians in Acts 19 and follow their example. Sometimes, getting rid of temptations to sin will spare you from future hurt and pain. It will also be a sign to Jesus that HE means more to you!
Charlie’s actions are a form of “burning your bridges”. It’s a way to separate your past from your present and future. You essentially make it so that you are not tempted to slip back into your past mistakes, to be drawn to your kryptonite. In ancient Roman times, some Roman leaders would order their armies to cross a river to meet an enemy. To give added incentive to the soldiers, the leaders of the army would then burn any bridge or boat so that the army could not retreat. It gave the army ultimate inspiration to win the battle. There could be no retreat. “Burning the bridges” gave the army extra backbone to overcome the upcoming battle. In the same way, Charlie got rid of all those temptations in his home so that he had more incentive to win against alcoholism. His actions gave him added courage in his new stance.
A form of burning the bridges occurs in the scripture from Acts 19, the scripture reading for today. The two verses shown above make clear the response of the Ephesian Christians upon beginning their new life in Christ. After being converted by the apostle Paul, those who “had been practicing sorcery”, a form of black magic, “brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire” (Acts 19:19). This symbolic act displayed for all to see that the Ephesian Christians were serious about their new faith in Jesus. They were not going to go back to their old ways, practicing sorcery. At the time, sorcery was lucrative. A good sorcerer could sell incantations, curses, and potions for a good bit of money in Ephesus. By burning their books, these new Christians didn’t let their old life or the riches they might gain, cause them to go against their Lord Jesus. It was the perfect way to say to God that you were faithful. Their public example of burning their books of dark magic made others take note of the value of Jesus. Notice in the scripture above that after the burning of their sorcery books, "the message about the Lord spread widely and had a power effect" far beyond the region of Ephesus! (Acts 19:20)
If you value Jesus, there may be times that you choose to “burn your bridges” as well. It might be a great way to achieve great success in your life. If something in your past may tempt you, like the phone number of an old drug dealer or an old girlfriend, it might be better to get rid of the number than be tempted and fail. If there is a sin that has caused you to suffer and disrespect God in the past, it might be better to get rid of all those things that may tempt you to sin again. If you have an addiction, get rid of all advertisements, tickets, enticements, or friends who may cause you to feed that addiction. If you are addicted to smoking, get rid of all your cigarettes and lighters. If you are addicted to sex, throw away all your pornography. If tempted to overspend, get rid of all sales ads and store credit cards. If you tend to wreck your diet with cookies, keep them out of the house! Anything that can cause you to go back to old sins should be done away with. It’s the safest course of action…. burning your bridges so you aren’t tempted to fail.
Are there some things you need to get rid of in your life? Is there a temptation that will only get you into trouble? Consider the actions of the Ephesian Christians in Acts 19 and follow their example. Sometimes, getting rid of temptations to sin will spare you from future hurt and pain. It will also be a sign to Jesus that HE means more to you!
December 15
““In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ””
(Acts 20:35, NASB95)
(Acts 20:35, NASB95)
It’s hard to believe that you can read something in the Bible, but not see something in a very familiar verse. At times, God can open your eyes to see a new revelation in an old familiar piece of scripture. In those moments, I am firmly convinced that God is speaking to you. God is helping you see something you missed before, something that can help you in your present situation.
In Acts 20:35, the apostle Paul is preaching to the elders of the Ephesian church. He wants them to remember some important elements of the faith. Paul realizes his time is short. Bad days are coming for him. Paul mentions just a few verses before our scripture for today that his “imprisonment and afflictions” (Acts 20:23) are coming soon. When Paul got to Jerusalem, he was arrested by the Roman authorities and destined to die in Rome. Knowing how important his final days of freedom were, Paul wanted to pass on some wisdom to the Ephesian elders. In his final sermon to the elders, he includes a quote from Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Jesus’ words are not quoted in the gospels in such a way, but Paul learned that Jesus had said them. He wanted the Ephesian church to remember these words of Jesus. Paul felt they would help in the coming days.
When I was young, my grandmother used to quote these words of Jesus to me every now and then. She considered them very wise. As a young man, I thought Christmas was all about getting presents. To get them, I would have to give something as a gift as well. This poor view of Christmas giving was corrected by my grandmother’s quote of Jesus. She’d say, “Honey, it is more blessed to give than to receive.” I can still picture her saying it. As a youth, I didn’t believe it at first. As I grew older, I have since realized these words are so very true. I love to give, to share, to help. This scripture has formed the basis for my own personal mission works over the decades. It has captivated me.
However, when reading the Bible anew this morning, it struck me that I missed something special in these verses that I have long believed, but had forgotten was there. This quote of Jesus does NOT say “it is blessed to give and not receive”. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of giving and receiving. Notice, taken in the right context, this verse actually says that it is BOTH blessed to give AND receive. It’s just MORE blessed to give. So, as people of God, we are called to faithfully both give and receive gifts of love. Whether from God or a friend, gifts are meant as blessings to be honored.
I’ve met people who could give gifts, but had difficulty receiving them. They didn’t know how to take a gift, a complement, or even help. They misunderstood Jesus’ words and sought to only be givers. They were poor receivers. You must be different, willing to both give and receive as God leads you.
Two weeks before Christmas, I stopped at the home of a poor widow in the church. The year was 2009. She was widowed years before, and her husband had left her with no insurance policy upon his death. He wanted to save a few dollars, and cancelled his policy. Then, he died suddenly. His wife was left with little money and barely eked out a living. Well into her late seventies, she worked five days a week. It was a hard life. To make ends meet, she brought in a border to help cover the bills. At Christmastime, she could barely pay the extra utility bills due in winter months, let alone buy gifts for others. I came to her house that night with gifts. My wife and I set aside money for a gift certificate and food for her. I dropped it all off with a smile. At first, she said she could not with good conscience accept the gifts. Then, she said it was too much. Finally, she accepted them. She had a hard time receiving the gifts. She was used to giving, but not receiving. But, receiving too is a blessing, even if it is more of a blessing to give a gift.
I have known many people over the years like this poor widow. I’ve met people who would reject an offer of help, reject a gift of love, turn away a person who wanted to forgive and forget. While some of these folks could easily give a gift, and think nothing of it, they had difficulty receiving forgiveness, love, a kindness, a gift, an offer of help, or a blessing during a time of need. It is a great blessing to give. It is also a blessing to receive according to the scripture above.
Are you willing to both give and receive gifts of love given by others? How often do you give gifts? How blessed are you? Think about these things today and in the next few weeks. Open your heart to Jesus’ words. Be wise to their meaning!
In Acts 20:35, the apostle Paul is preaching to the elders of the Ephesian church. He wants them to remember some important elements of the faith. Paul realizes his time is short. Bad days are coming for him. Paul mentions just a few verses before our scripture for today that his “imprisonment and afflictions” (Acts 20:23) are coming soon. When Paul got to Jerusalem, he was arrested by the Roman authorities and destined to die in Rome. Knowing how important his final days of freedom were, Paul wanted to pass on some wisdom to the Ephesian elders. In his final sermon to the elders, he includes a quote from Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Jesus’ words are not quoted in the gospels in such a way, but Paul learned that Jesus had said them. He wanted the Ephesian church to remember these words of Jesus. Paul felt they would help in the coming days.
When I was young, my grandmother used to quote these words of Jesus to me every now and then. She considered them very wise. As a young man, I thought Christmas was all about getting presents. To get them, I would have to give something as a gift as well. This poor view of Christmas giving was corrected by my grandmother’s quote of Jesus. She’d say, “Honey, it is more blessed to give than to receive.” I can still picture her saying it. As a youth, I didn’t believe it at first. As I grew older, I have since realized these words are so very true. I love to give, to share, to help. This scripture has formed the basis for my own personal mission works over the decades. It has captivated me.
However, when reading the Bible anew this morning, it struck me that I missed something special in these verses that I have long believed, but had forgotten was there. This quote of Jesus does NOT say “it is blessed to give and not receive”. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of giving and receiving. Notice, taken in the right context, this verse actually says that it is BOTH blessed to give AND receive. It’s just MORE blessed to give. So, as people of God, we are called to faithfully both give and receive gifts of love. Whether from God or a friend, gifts are meant as blessings to be honored.
I’ve met people who could give gifts, but had difficulty receiving them. They didn’t know how to take a gift, a complement, or even help. They misunderstood Jesus’ words and sought to only be givers. They were poor receivers. You must be different, willing to both give and receive as God leads you.
Two weeks before Christmas, I stopped at the home of a poor widow in the church. The year was 2009. She was widowed years before, and her husband had left her with no insurance policy upon his death. He wanted to save a few dollars, and cancelled his policy. Then, he died suddenly. His wife was left with little money and barely eked out a living. Well into her late seventies, she worked five days a week. It was a hard life. To make ends meet, she brought in a border to help cover the bills. At Christmastime, she could barely pay the extra utility bills due in winter months, let alone buy gifts for others. I came to her house that night with gifts. My wife and I set aside money for a gift certificate and food for her. I dropped it all off with a smile. At first, she said she could not with good conscience accept the gifts. Then, she said it was too much. Finally, she accepted them. She had a hard time receiving the gifts. She was used to giving, but not receiving. But, receiving too is a blessing, even if it is more of a blessing to give a gift.
I have known many people over the years like this poor widow. I’ve met people who would reject an offer of help, reject a gift of love, turn away a person who wanted to forgive and forget. While some of these folks could easily give a gift, and think nothing of it, they had difficulty receiving forgiveness, love, a kindness, a gift, an offer of help, or a blessing during a time of need. It is a great blessing to give. It is also a blessing to receive according to the scripture above.
Are you willing to both give and receive gifts of love given by others? How often do you give gifts? How blessed are you? Think about these things today and in the next few weeks. Open your heart to Jesus’ words. Be wise to their meaning!
December 16
“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”
(Genesis 3:8, NIV84)
(Genesis 3:8, NIV84)
Can you imagine living in the presence of God? What would it be like to take a walk with the Lord down a path through an orchard? It sounds like Heaven to me. In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve did just that. They walked and talked with God frequently. They were visited by God and worked with God. They knew God intimately. That closeness to God was destroyed by their first sin. When Satan talked them into going against the command of God by eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1-6), the result was that Adam and Eve “hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). Though blessed by God, and familiar with the presence of God, sin had a way of making them embarrassed and caused them to hide from God. It affected their relationship with God. It caused irreparable harm.
Sin may do the same thing in your life. It causes a distance between you and God. It causes you to want to “hide” from God. How can a person hide from an all-powerful, all-seeing, omnipotent God? You can’t. Still, when sin occurs, you will try to hide from God. You may try to hide your shame, your mistake, your failure. This is really the worst thing a person could do. When sin hits, you should run to God, confess your sin, and be reconciled to God. Instead, most people want to hide from God. They stop praying. They stop going to church. They refrain from giving tithes, offerings, and gifts in God’s name. They break the relationship. They carry the guilt.
When you sin against another person, you will have the same tendency to hide. You might hide behind alcohol. You might hide your mistake, downplay your failure, manipulate others to cover everything up. It’s all too common to do so. Even the greats from the Bible did their own hiding. Moses hid the body of an Egyptian he killed long before he met God at the burning bush (Exodus 2:12). David tried to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11, 12). King Ahab and Jezebel caused the murder of a neighbor named Naboth (1 Kings 21:7). While hiding their involvement, they scooped up Naboth’s property and called it their own. Peter tried to hide the fact that he was a disciple of Jesus, denying Jesus three times while he was on trial (Matthew 26). Early Christians Ananias and Saphira sold a piece of property, promising to give the money to the apostles. Instead, they hid a portion of the money for their own use (Acts 5). Eventually, all these and many more people in the Bible were exposed by God. Their sins became known. God wanted all of us to learn our lesson not to hide things from God. There are many ways to hide things. God wants nothing to come between you and HIM.
In Junior High, Kala won a scholarship to go to a camp for gifted youth. Her mood was sky high when she received the reward on the final day of school in front of the whole auditorium full of students, teachers, and guests. Two months later, Kala spent her week at the camp. For seven days, she learned how to ride a horse, paddle a canoe, and discern the different plants and animals in a nearby wooded area. Every day was packed with new experiences for Kala. Sadly, during that week, Kala also was sexually assaulted by a camp counselor. He asked to meet her after the evening meal. When she came to the outdoor area where he asked her to meet him, he talked her into exposing herself to him under the guise that he was checking for ticks. For days and weeks after the event, she could still feel his hands in private places. It disgusted her.
Embarrassed by what had happened, Kala withdrew from friends and family. This was one form of hiding. Then, she refused to talk about her experience at the camp. This was another form of hiding what had happened. At school that fall, her grades dropped, and she began to hang around with new friends more on the fringe of her social group. She closed herself off from others. She was very quiet and reserved. The assault and her hiding thereafter changed her life, her personality, her friendships, her grades, and so much more. Not only did the sin affect her life, the hiding changed it irreparably.
Only years later did Kala ever finally let the assault come to light. At a couple’s retreat, she told her husband about the event. They two prayed about it with a counselor. Her husband hugged her. He showed her kindness and love. Only then, did she feel the darkness from her past lifting. She finally became free from the sin. She no longer hides from it. In fact, she has spoken openly about it to three groups, hoping to save other women from feeling the same pain and hiding their shame.
Hiding may seem natural when you do something wrong. Hiding the event, hiding the sin, hiding from certain people, hiding what you did, burying it in the past are all ways you make a mistake. You need to deal with your sin, confess your part in it, and move on. You need to deal with the hurts, face the mistakes, take responsibility for your own hiding. Someone may sin against you, but your hiding of the guilt may be as bad as the sin. In a way, covering up something is a form of sin. Don’t let it wreck your relationship with others or with God, like it did with Adam and Eve. The loving arms of God accept all those with a penitent heart! Why wait?
Sin may do the same thing in your life. It causes a distance between you and God. It causes you to want to “hide” from God. How can a person hide from an all-powerful, all-seeing, omnipotent God? You can’t. Still, when sin occurs, you will try to hide from God. You may try to hide your shame, your mistake, your failure. This is really the worst thing a person could do. When sin hits, you should run to God, confess your sin, and be reconciled to God. Instead, most people want to hide from God. They stop praying. They stop going to church. They refrain from giving tithes, offerings, and gifts in God’s name. They break the relationship. They carry the guilt.
When you sin against another person, you will have the same tendency to hide. You might hide behind alcohol. You might hide your mistake, downplay your failure, manipulate others to cover everything up. It’s all too common to do so. Even the greats from the Bible did their own hiding. Moses hid the body of an Egyptian he killed long before he met God at the burning bush (Exodus 2:12). David tried to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11, 12). King Ahab and Jezebel caused the murder of a neighbor named Naboth (1 Kings 21:7). While hiding their involvement, they scooped up Naboth’s property and called it their own. Peter tried to hide the fact that he was a disciple of Jesus, denying Jesus three times while he was on trial (Matthew 26). Early Christians Ananias and Saphira sold a piece of property, promising to give the money to the apostles. Instead, they hid a portion of the money for their own use (Acts 5). Eventually, all these and many more people in the Bible were exposed by God. Their sins became known. God wanted all of us to learn our lesson not to hide things from God. There are many ways to hide things. God wants nothing to come between you and HIM.
In Junior High, Kala won a scholarship to go to a camp for gifted youth. Her mood was sky high when she received the reward on the final day of school in front of the whole auditorium full of students, teachers, and guests. Two months later, Kala spent her week at the camp. For seven days, she learned how to ride a horse, paddle a canoe, and discern the different plants and animals in a nearby wooded area. Every day was packed with new experiences for Kala. Sadly, during that week, Kala also was sexually assaulted by a camp counselor. He asked to meet her after the evening meal. When she came to the outdoor area where he asked her to meet him, he talked her into exposing herself to him under the guise that he was checking for ticks. For days and weeks after the event, she could still feel his hands in private places. It disgusted her.
Embarrassed by what had happened, Kala withdrew from friends and family. This was one form of hiding. Then, she refused to talk about her experience at the camp. This was another form of hiding what had happened. At school that fall, her grades dropped, and she began to hang around with new friends more on the fringe of her social group. She closed herself off from others. She was very quiet and reserved. The assault and her hiding thereafter changed her life, her personality, her friendships, her grades, and so much more. Not only did the sin affect her life, the hiding changed it irreparably.
Only years later did Kala ever finally let the assault come to light. At a couple’s retreat, she told her husband about the event. They two prayed about it with a counselor. Her husband hugged her. He showed her kindness and love. Only then, did she feel the darkness from her past lifting. She finally became free from the sin. She no longer hides from it. In fact, she has spoken openly about it to three groups, hoping to save other women from feeling the same pain and hiding their shame.
Hiding may seem natural when you do something wrong. Hiding the event, hiding the sin, hiding from certain people, hiding what you did, burying it in the past are all ways you make a mistake. You need to deal with your sin, confess your part in it, and move on. You need to deal with the hurts, face the mistakes, take responsibility for your own hiding. Someone may sin against you, but your hiding of the guilt may be as bad as the sin. In a way, covering up something is a form of sin. Don’t let it wreck your relationship with others or with God, like it did with Adam and Eve. The loving arms of God accept all those with a penitent heart! Why wait?
December 17
““But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
(Luke 11:42, RSV)
(Luke 11:42, RSV)
“It’s just not fair! I tell you, it’s just not fair!”
That’s all JD could say to his family. He was cited by a police officer who knew him, an officer who didn’t like him. The officer had a personal issue with JD, and when JD was driving down the road, the officer followed him until he could find some infraction of the law, no matter how obscure. Years before, JD had dated the police officer’s sister. It was a bad breakup that led to bad blood between the officer and JD. Ever since then, the police officer looked for ways to hurt JD. On the night that JD complained about it all being unfair, the officer had stopped JD and cited him for a burned out bulb on his license plate. Then, the officer proceeded to search his car, his belongings, everything. Obviously, the officer was hoping to find something incriminating on JD. He didn’t. That didn’t stop JD from feeling absolutely violated. And JD was right. He was violated, and it was unfair.
I was a State Police Chaplain. I saw mostly good, trustworthy, honest cops. I also knew some bad ones. Like any group in society, police officers can have both good and bad eggs among them. There are those who would give their life to save yours. There are also those who take advantage of their position of power. Police officers are sworn to uphold the law and seek the public good, but some do not take that oath seriously. All officers are the backbone of justice in society. It is extremely important they are respectful of people and the law. Otherwise, all of society suffers.
In our scripture today, Jesus condemns the Pharisee religious leaders of His day. Even though they followed many laws, including the laws to “tithe” as noted in the verse above, many failed to do two important things. First, they would rather follow religious laws than show the love of God. AND second, as Jesus said, “they neglected justice”. I want to focus on their neglect of justice. The Pharisees weren’t police officers or soldiers. You might not think they upheld justice in their communities. But, you would be wrong. The Pharisees oversaw justice in their communities. They interpreted scripture and God’s law. Their teaching and interpretation of the scripture absolutely determined how criminals were viewed, who was considered righteous, and who should be thrown into prison. They influenced civil, religious, and political law. Their leadership was the backbone for society. For them to lack justice meant that there were times that the laws interpreted and carried out by the Pharisees were absolutely unfair. And Jesus wanted no part of it.
God cares about justice. God demands that judges, politicians, lawyers, police officers, teachers, pastors, and all of us administer justice wherever we are. Notice, I didn’t write that all these should follow the laws. I wrote that they should administer justice. This is a whole different thing. Human laws can have loopholes. They can favor one group over another. An example of this is found in present day family law. The laws and courts often “favor” the mother in divorce proceedings and judgments. For centuries, mothers were viewed as the backbone of the family. While this is true in many individual cases, I know some mothers that should not be mothers. Still, the divorce courts and laws favor them. The courts are biased in their respect. There are also courts and laws that can favor the rich, certain groups, certain people, depending on the geographic locale. These biased courts and laws may administer the law, but not necessarily God’s justice. God’s justice demands that what is lawful is what is right in God’s eyes. To swerve from that is to violate God’s view of justice as did the Pharisees in Jesus’ day.
You may not be a lawyer or a police officer, but you administer justice in many ways. When you decide which of your children was naughty and decide on a punishment, you are administering justice. But is it God’s justice? In thousands of different ways, you will make judgments and decisions in your life that God will examine closely to make sure they are just and fair in HIS eyes. You must be careful to administer God’s justice in all that you do.
The Pharisees were very religious people in Jesus’ day. Still, they failed God’s test for justice. God will test you. You may be religious. You may go to church every week unfailingly. You may have memorized two hundred passages from the Bible and lead an Adult Bible study. You still could fail to administer God’s justice. Be careful in your decisions and judgments. Be careful in deciding right from wrong. God is watching. God wants you to be fair according to HIS standards. God will bless you for every righteous judgment and hold you responsible for those that are not.
That’s all JD could say to his family. He was cited by a police officer who knew him, an officer who didn’t like him. The officer had a personal issue with JD, and when JD was driving down the road, the officer followed him until he could find some infraction of the law, no matter how obscure. Years before, JD had dated the police officer’s sister. It was a bad breakup that led to bad blood between the officer and JD. Ever since then, the police officer looked for ways to hurt JD. On the night that JD complained about it all being unfair, the officer had stopped JD and cited him for a burned out bulb on his license plate. Then, the officer proceeded to search his car, his belongings, everything. Obviously, the officer was hoping to find something incriminating on JD. He didn’t. That didn’t stop JD from feeling absolutely violated. And JD was right. He was violated, and it was unfair.
I was a State Police Chaplain. I saw mostly good, trustworthy, honest cops. I also knew some bad ones. Like any group in society, police officers can have both good and bad eggs among them. There are those who would give their life to save yours. There are also those who take advantage of their position of power. Police officers are sworn to uphold the law and seek the public good, but some do not take that oath seriously. All officers are the backbone of justice in society. It is extremely important they are respectful of people and the law. Otherwise, all of society suffers.
In our scripture today, Jesus condemns the Pharisee religious leaders of His day. Even though they followed many laws, including the laws to “tithe” as noted in the verse above, many failed to do two important things. First, they would rather follow religious laws than show the love of God. AND second, as Jesus said, “they neglected justice”. I want to focus on their neglect of justice. The Pharisees weren’t police officers or soldiers. You might not think they upheld justice in their communities. But, you would be wrong. The Pharisees oversaw justice in their communities. They interpreted scripture and God’s law. Their teaching and interpretation of the scripture absolutely determined how criminals were viewed, who was considered righteous, and who should be thrown into prison. They influenced civil, religious, and political law. Their leadership was the backbone for society. For them to lack justice meant that there were times that the laws interpreted and carried out by the Pharisees were absolutely unfair. And Jesus wanted no part of it.
God cares about justice. God demands that judges, politicians, lawyers, police officers, teachers, pastors, and all of us administer justice wherever we are. Notice, I didn’t write that all these should follow the laws. I wrote that they should administer justice. This is a whole different thing. Human laws can have loopholes. They can favor one group over another. An example of this is found in present day family law. The laws and courts often “favor” the mother in divorce proceedings and judgments. For centuries, mothers were viewed as the backbone of the family. While this is true in many individual cases, I know some mothers that should not be mothers. Still, the divorce courts and laws favor them. The courts are biased in their respect. There are also courts and laws that can favor the rich, certain groups, certain people, depending on the geographic locale. These biased courts and laws may administer the law, but not necessarily God’s justice. God’s justice demands that what is lawful is what is right in God’s eyes. To swerve from that is to violate God’s view of justice as did the Pharisees in Jesus’ day.
You may not be a lawyer or a police officer, but you administer justice in many ways. When you decide which of your children was naughty and decide on a punishment, you are administering justice. But is it God’s justice? In thousands of different ways, you will make judgments and decisions in your life that God will examine closely to make sure they are just and fair in HIS eyes. You must be careful to administer God’s justice in all that you do.
The Pharisees were very religious people in Jesus’ day. Still, they failed God’s test for justice. God will test you. You may be religious. You may go to church every week unfailingly. You may have memorized two hundred passages from the Bible and lead an Adult Bible study. You still could fail to administer God’s justice. Be careful in your decisions and judgments. Be careful in deciding right from wrong. God is watching. God wants you to be fair according to HIS standards. God will bless you for every righteous judgment and hold you responsible for those that are not.
December 18
“The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. “But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he has done he shall live.” (Ezekiel 18:20–22, RSV)
In the scripture above, the prophet Ezekiel made clear who should suffer for a sin and who should be forgiven for being righteous. During the time of Ezekiel, the people of God were sinning greatly in their relationship with God. In response, they had begun to suffer great calamities, when God gave them over to their enemies and stopped protecting them. The great exile was upon them. Thousands died in war. The younger Israelites and Judahites thought that God was punishing them for the sins of their fathers. Ezekiel made clear in the verses above that the sins of their fathers may have indeed led to the exile, but those sins would not be counted upon their children. God holds each person responsible for their own sins. A father would not “suffer for the iniquity of the son” (Exodus 18:20). Likewise, “the son would not suffer for the iniquity of the father.” Also, if the son or father repented and “turned away from ALL his sins”, the one who did this great act would be "remembered". His sins would be wiped away for this righteousness. The father and son who continued to sin would not be forgiven.
The scripture above makes clear that to God, you determine whether you are forgiven or suffer the wrath of God for your sin. If you come from a father or mother who have sinned against God, God doesn’t relate to you based on their sins. Some of the earliest Israelites believed they would suffer for the sins of their ancestors. Ezekiel, in speaking for God, declared this untrue. You would be held accountable for your own sins. You would be blessed for your own righteous actions. Your relationship with God was to be determined by your life, not by where you came from or who was related to you.
This scripture does not mean that if you grow up with people who sin that you won’t be tainted by that sin. It doesn’t mean that if you have a spouse who sins greatly that you won’t suffer in your life because of that person. It’s just that God won’t hold their sin against you. However, you and I both know that we will all suffer when someone close to us sins. We will suffer the “side-effects” of their rebellion against God.
Jerry grew up in Alabama. His parents were dirt poor. His mother was very young when she married her husband. Jerry was their first and only child. Jerry’s father was a big drinker. While fun and outgoing when sober, Jerry’s father was a mean drunk. When drinking, he was prone to start fights, yell, hit, and more. Living under his roof, Jerry grew to hate his father and his drinking binges. He often sided with his mother when he got older, protecting her. Jerry’s father hurt his friends, his family, and his wife. He was a terrible person. For a long time, Jerry grew up thinking God hated him for giving him such a father. He thought God didn’t like him. He was wrong. While staying with his grandparents, Jerry attended church and was saved and baptized. Twenty years later, Jerry was not only active in his own church, but an elder to boot! Jerry and God were incredibly close, and Jerry was a wonderful father and husband.
Jerry’s father’s sins caused Jerry and his mother to suffer tremendously, but God never held those sins against Jerry. Instead, God blessed Jerry. When Jerry sought out God, God became close to him. Yes, when someone close to you sins, the effects of that sin can wreck your life and deeply wound your heart. But, that doesn’t mean God doesn’t love you greatly. That doesn’t mean God isn’t trying to help you in many ways to be close to him. God holds your sin against you. God blesses your righteousness. God will only hold you accountable for the sins you commit and the things you do IN RESPONSE to the sin that is around you. If you are so hurt by the sin of another that you sin to get even, you will not be responsible for the sin of another, but your sinful response is all on you. Remember that.
Notice in the scripture above how easily God is willing to forgive! Even when you sin, God is waiting and hoping you repent and change. Ezekiel 18:21-22 makes clear that even a wicked man who turns to God and rejects his sinful life can be made clean and be forgiven in the eyes of God. All it takes is turning away from the sin that has captivated him. How awesome is God’s forgiveness! No matter what your situation in life, God is ready with open arms to be ever closer to the real you!
The scripture above makes clear that to God, you determine whether you are forgiven or suffer the wrath of God for your sin. If you come from a father or mother who have sinned against God, God doesn’t relate to you based on their sins. Some of the earliest Israelites believed they would suffer for the sins of their ancestors. Ezekiel, in speaking for God, declared this untrue. You would be held accountable for your own sins. You would be blessed for your own righteous actions. Your relationship with God was to be determined by your life, not by where you came from or who was related to you.
This scripture does not mean that if you grow up with people who sin that you won’t be tainted by that sin. It doesn’t mean that if you have a spouse who sins greatly that you won’t suffer in your life because of that person. It’s just that God won’t hold their sin against you. However, you and I both know that we will all suffer when someone close to us sins. We will suffer the “side-effects” of their rebellion against God.
Jerry grew up in Alabama. His parents were dirt poor. His mother was very young when she married her husband. Jerry was their first and only child. Jerry’s father was a big drinker. While fun and outgoing when sober, Jerry’s father was a mean drunk. When drinking, he was prone to start fights, yell, hit, and more. Living under his roof, Jerry grew to hate his father and his drinking binges. He often sided with his mother when he got older, protecting her. Jerry’s father hurt his friends, his family, and his wife. He was a terrible person. For a long time, Jerry grew up thinking God hated him for giving him such a father. He thought God didn’t like him. He was wrong. While staying with his grandparents, Jerry attended church and was saved and baptized. Twenty years later, Jerry was not only active in his own church, but an elder to boot! Jerry and God were incredibly close, and Jerry was a wonderful father and husband.
Jerry’s father’s sins caused Jerry and his mother to suffer tremendously, but God never held those sins against Jerry. Instead, God blessed Jerry. When Jerry sought out God, God became close to him. Yes, when someone close to you sins, the effects of that sin can wreck your life and deeply wound your heart. But, that doesn’t mean God doesn’t love you greatly. That doesn’t mean God isn’t trying to help you in many ways to be close to him. God holds your sin against you. God blesses your righteousness. God will only hold you accountable for the sins you commit and the things you do IN RESPONSE to the sin that is around you. If you are so hurt by the sin of another that you sin to get even, you will not be responsible for the sin of another, but your sinful response is all on you. Remember that.
Notice in the scripture above how easily God is willing to forgive! Even when you sin, God is waiting and hoping you repent and change. Ezekiel 18:21-22 makes clear that even a wicked man who turns to God and rejects his sinful life can be made clean and be forgiven in the eyes of God. All it takes is turning away from the sin that has captivated him. How awesome is God’s forgiveness! No matter what your situation in life, God is ready with open arms to be ever closer to the real you!
December 19
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5:10, NKJV)
(Matthew 5:10, NKJV)
The scripture above is part of the Beatitudes of Jesus and part of Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount. It’s placement within the context of the greatest sermon of Jesus’ life in the gospel of Matthew shows the importance of these words. This verse is crucial for your life, especially when things go wrong. This scripture will remind you during difficult times when you are being beaten up or persecuted for doing something right, that God is watching, and God will bless your faithfulness.
A dear friend of mine was driving down the road in Virginia when he witnessed an accident. An eighty-year-old man accidentally hit a motorcycle at a stoplight. After the incident, the man from the motorcycle proceeded to beat up the older man for damaging his ride. My friend jumped out of the car to break it up and he too was beaten up by the man from the motorcycle and a few of his friends from a motorcycle gang who had returned to the scene. Both the eighty-year-old and my friend ended up in the hospital. Both were threatened by the bikers. Both were sore for days.
In this real occurrence, my friend was just trying to help an older man who was being abused. Though trying to do the right thing, he was beaten up half to death. Sometimes, life is very unfair. For doing something right, you may be treated as though you did something wrong. When you try to help someone, he or she may resent your offer. Trying to tell the truth, you may suffer for being honest when another person is dishonest. It just doesn’t seem fair or just, but it happens all the time. In the scripture above, Jesus is confirming that God knows what is right. God blesses the person who does the right thing. You may be treated poorly for doing the right thing in God’s eyes, but God will bless your action. God considers your action worthy of a person going to Heaven. Others, however, will persecute you for being righteous before God. They might hate you, swear at you, vow to get even when you don’t do what they want. You will have to choose whether to do what others want and avoid the conflict or do what God wants and face the situation head on.
Jorge was married to a real tiger of a woman named Christina. She was moody and vengeful. Though very passionate and great looking, she had a fiery temper and a need to get even. If you did what she wanted, you were treated with smiles and warmth, hugs and kisses. But, if you went against her, you paid for it with yelling, passive-aggressive games, and vengeful acts. Sometimes, Jorge wondered if he was even safe when she got in one of her snits. She would throw things and scream no matter who was listening. If you cowered, she would back off eventually. If you fought her, she would make you pay over and over.
Jorge went to Christina's parents and urged them to help. They politely declined. He went to his doctor and described Christina’s outbursts. The doctor said there was nothing he could do. In the end, Jorge asked a few friends to have an “intervention” with Christina. They all said they loved her but that she should get some help for her anger, resentment, and damaging moodiness. At first, Christina was quiet. But in the days following the intervention, when Jorge thought things were better, Christina was just simmering. A week later, she hit him with a pan, threw his clothes out the door, and swore at him so loudly that all the neighbors came out of their houses to watch. Jorge tried to do the right thing by his wife. Christina made him pay for not doing what she wanted.
In life, you are going to have to pick your battles. In some of those battles, doing the right thing in God’s eyes will get you cussed at, resented, hurt, and maybe even beaten. You may think that avoiding the conflict is your only option. Not to God. Doing the right thing is what God wants to see. You won’t be blessed by God, according to today’s scripture, for avoiding what is needed. The blessing comes when you stand up and do what is right in God’s eyes. Every angry response to doing the godly thing may sting, but not with God. God will be blessing you the whole while. It may not feel like it at the time, but later in your life you will feel the blessing of God. In Heaven, these deeds are remembered.
It may be hard at times to live with the consequences of doing what is right in God’s eyes. Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross for doing what was right. You may also pay a price for doing the right thing. It may hurt. It may cost you. It may bring sadness, but it will also bring God’s blessing. God will notice your brave adherence to do what is godly. In the long run, God will bless you in ways you cannot imagine at the time. Others will also benefit from your faithfulness. It just may not seem like it at the moment.
In the days and weeks and years ahead, will you be known as the person who did what was right and necessary, or will you be remembered for avoiding conflict? God only blesses one of these types of individuals – the one who stands up for what is right. Are you willing to do what’s right in God’s eyes no matter what the consequences? God will know. Jesus cares. Our world needs you to do what is right by God no matter what the consequences.
A dear friend of mine was driving down the road in Virginia when he witnessed an accident. An eighty-year-old man accidentally hit a motorcycle at a stoplight. After the incident, the man from the motorcycle proceeded to beat up the older man for damaging his ride. My friend jumped out of the car to break it up and he too was beaten up by the man from the motorcycle and a few of his friends from a motorcycle gang who had returned to the scene. Both the eighty-year-old and my friend ended up in the hospital. Both were threatened by the bikers. Both were sore for days.
In this real occurrence, my friend was just trying to help an older man who was being abused. Though trying to do the right thing, he was beaten up half to death. Sometimes, life is very unfair. For doing something right, you may be treated as though you did something wrong. When you try to help someone, he or she may resent your offer. Trying to tell the truth, you may suffer for being honest when another person is dishonest. It just doesn’t seem fair or just, but it happens all the time. In the scripture above, Jesus is confirming that God knows what is right. God blesses the person who does the right thing. You may be treated poorly for doing the right thing in God’s eyes, but God will bless your action. God considers your action worthy of a person going to Heaven. Others, however, will persecute you for being righteous before God. They might hate you, swear at you, vow to get even when you don’t do what they want. You will have to choose whether to do what others want and avoid the conflict or do what God wants and face the situation head on.
Jorge was married to a real tiger of a woman named Christina. She was moody and vengeful. Though very passionate and great looking, she had a fiery temper and a need to get even. If you did what she wanted, you were treated with smiles and warmth, hugs and kisses. But, if you went against her, you paid for it with yelling, passive-aggressive games, and vengeful acts. Sometimes, Jorge wondered if he was even safe when she got in one of her snits. She would throw things and scream no matter who was listening. If you cowered, she would back off eventually. If you fought her, she would make you pay over and over.
Jorge went to Christina's parents and urged them to help. They politely declined. He went to his doctor and described Christina’s outbursts. The doctor said there was nothing he could do. In the end, Jorge asked a few friends to have an “intervention” with Christina. They all said they loved her but that she should get some help for her anger, resentment, and damaging moodiness. At first, Christina was quiet. But in the days following the intervention, when Jorge thought things were better, Christina was just simmering. A week later, she hit him with a pan, threw his clothes out the door, and swore at him so loudly that all the neighbors came out of their houses to watch. Jorge tried to do the right thing by his wife. Christina made him pay for not doing what she wanted.
In life, you are going to have to pick your battles. In some of those battles, doing the right thing in God’s eyes will get you cussed at, resented, hurt, and maybe even beaten. You may think that avoiding the conflict is your only option. Not to God. Doing the right thing is what God wants to see. You won’t be blessed by God, according to today’s scripture, for avoiding what is needed. The blessing comes when you stand up and do what is right in God’s eyes. Every angry response to doing the godly thing may sting, but not with God. God will be blessing you the whole while. It may not feel like it at the time, but later in your life you will feel the blessing of God. In Heaven, these deeds are remembered.
It may be hard at times to live with the consequences of doing what is right in God’s eyes. Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross for doing what was right. You may also pay a price for doing the right thing. It may hurt. It may cost you. It may bring sadness, but it will also bring God’s blessing. God will notice your brave adherence to do what is godly. In the long run, God will bless you in ways you cannot imagine at the time. Others will also benefit from your faithfulness. It just may not seem like it at the moment.
In the days and weeks and years ahead, will you be known as the person who did what was right and necessary, or will you be remembered for avoiding conflict? God only blesses one of these types of individuals – the one who stands up for what is right. Are you willing to do what’s right in God’s eyes no matter what the consequences? God will know. Jesus cares. Our world needs you to do what is right by God no matter what the consequences.
December 20
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17, ESV)
If God offered to give you a present this Christmas, what would you ask for? So often, we don’t stop and think what we would like from God. Sadly, our thoughts end up more like, “I hope I win the lottery!” or “God, I hope there’s a good parking spot!” Is that all the asking you do of God in your life? Jesus said in the book of Matthew, “Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find. Knock and it will be opened to you!” (Matthew 7:7). So, what kind of things do you ask God for?
Some people ask for the wrong things from God. Some beg God for things that would make life easy, not necessarily better. Others beg God for help, but only when all other options are tried first. There is nothing wrong in asking God for healing, help, wholeness, peace, and so much more. But, your motivations for asking do tell a lot about you. For example, in James 4:3, the scripture tells us that some people of faith ask God wrongly, for things to fulfill their desires. Instead of asking for things that would be ultimately important to our lives, we often ask for shallow, worldly things like great Christmas presents, a boyfriend, a new car, and other material possessions. Do you ask God for the right things?
I went on a Mission Trip with one of my youth groups years ago. While on the trip, we gathered nightly for prayer, Bible study, fun, games, etc. We talked about the day’s experiences and what happened. Often, while serving at homeless shelters or food pantries, the youth would be exposed to very needy families. This would bring up worries, fears, ideas, hope, and more emotions. We would work through them together. On this one trip, I remember asking the youth to write down on Sunday night what they hoped for that week. One youth wrote that she hoped they could visit a Theme Park and go on roller-coaster rides. Her biggest hope for God was to have a fun week. That was before she met Sally and Cindy. Sally was a very poor woman in the homeless shelter with a young daughter, Cindy, aged eight. The two were at the shelter the entire week we were there. On Saturday night, I asked all the youth again to write what they wanted for the next day. This particular youth didn’t write anything about a roller-coaster. Instead, she prayed hard that Cindy and Sally found a home to live in and that Cindy’s new job worked out. This youth knew to ask God for something much more important by the end of that week than at the first.
James mentions in the scripture above that “every good gift, every perfect gift is from … the Father of Lights” (James 1:17). God comes through at the perfect time with the perfect gifts needed at the moment. So often, we don’t ask for the right things from God because our connection with God is not good enough for us to see what is the best thing in a certain situation. You might think that the best gift for a hungry older gentleman at a soup kitchen is to get a warm meal. I can tell you about an older man at a soup kitchen whose great hope was not for a warm meal, but for hope. He was so beaten down by depression that he had lost all hope for living a normal life. His medications had never worked. His family had rejected him because of his illness, his depression. When we talked one night, that older man got a glimmer of hope from a conversation we shared. You can never tell what the perfect gift is for a person just from looking at their features, their race, or their circumstances. But God does know the perfect gift for you. God knows what you need to ask for this Christmas, not just what you desire.
As you go about your holiday preparations and gift-wrapping and singing, think a little about God’s perfect gifts. The scripture above is clear that God is great at giving good gifts. Are you? God is ready to give to others what they really need. Are you? I bet God is even waiting to give you something special during these holy days. What do you think it is? Will you see it for what it is? Will you accept it? Will you stop by to thank HIM when you finally receive your gift?
Some people ask for the wrong things from God. Some beg God for things that would make life easy, not necessarily better. Others beg God for help, but only when all other options are tried first. There is nothing wrong in asking God for healing, help, wholeness, peace, and so much more. But, your motivations for asking do tell a lot about you. For example, in James 4:3, the scripture tells us that some people of faith ask God wrongly, for things to fulfill their desires. Instead of asking for things that would be ultimately important to our lives, we often ask for shallow, worldly things like great Christmas presents, a boyfriend, a new car, and other material possessions. Do you ask God for the right things?
I went on a Mission Trip with one of my youth groups years ago. While on the trip, we gathered nightly for prayer, Bible study, fun, games, etc. We talked about the day’s experiences and what happened. Often, while serving at homeless shelters or food pantries, the youth would be exposed to very needy families. This would bring up worries, fears, ideas, hope, and more emotions. We would work through them together. On this one trip, I remember asking the youth to write down on Sunday night what they hoped for that week. One youth wrote that she hoped they could visit a Theme Park and go on roller-coaster rides. Her biggest hope for God was to have a fun week. That was before she met Sally and Cindy. Sally was a very poor woman in the homeless shelter with a young daughter, Cindy, aged eight. The two were at the shelter the entire week we were there. On Saturday night, I asked all the youth again to write what they wanted for the next day. This particular youth didn’t write anything about a roller-coaster. Instead, she prayed hard that Cindy and Sally found a home to live in and that Cindy’s new job worked out. This youth knew to ask God for something much more important by the end of that week than at the first.
James mentions in the scripture above that “every good gift, every perfect gift is from … the Father of Lights” (James 1:17). God comes through at the perfect time with the perfect gifts needed at the moment. So often, we don’t ask for the right things from God because our connection with God is not good enough for us to see what is the best thing in a certain situation. You might think that the best gift for a hungry older gentleman at a soup kitchen is to get a warm meal. I can tell you about an older man at a soup kitchen whose great hope was not for a warm meal, but for hope. He was so beaten down by depression that he had lost all hope for living a normal life. His medications had never worked. His family had rejected him because of his illness, his depression. When we talked one night, that older man got a glimmer of hope from a conversation we shared. You can never tell what the perfect gift is for a person just from looking at their features, their race, or their circumstances. But God does know the perfect gift for you. God knows what you need to ask for this Christmas, not just what you desire.
As you go about your holiday preparations and gift-wrapping and singing, think a little about God’s perfect gifts. The scripture above is clear that God is great at giving good gifts. Are you? God is ready to give to others what they really need. Are you? I bet God is even waiting to give you something special during these holy days. What do you think it is? Will you see it for what it is? Will you accept it? Will you stop by to thank HIM when you finally receive your gift?
December 21
““Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11–12, RSV)
Today, I want you to think about something found in the above verses. Again, we are looking today at the Beatitudes of Jesus from HIS Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. This time, we are looking at the last of the Beatitudes. It concerns what happens when people hate you and persecute you, causing you to face all kinds of “evil” falsely just because you believe in Jesus. In response to your faithfulness during persecution, Matthew 5:12 says you will have a “great reward in heaven”. You will be as important to God as the prophets, who suffered the same in the name of God.
Now, let’s think about this verse a moment. When you stand firm in the faith, despite all kinds of crap thrown at you, God “rewards” you. Did you know that God gives out rewards? Yes, God ultimately does. And, God’s rewards last not only in this life, but in the next. How awesome is that! God keeps these rewards on your record for all eternity! Every moment you suffer earns you more respect and more rewards from God for your faithfulness.
John had been working at the same company for nineteen years, slaving away and doing a great job, or so he thought. He was well liked and had a great knack for his position. He was mid-level management at a well-known electronics conglomerate. At twenty years, John was going to get a special worker’s retirement, and be given special upgrades and perks with the company. He was excited to go to work every day. Then, the bottom dropped out. The company laid him off and his pension was never put into effect. A few years later, the company relocated to Mexico. Essentially, all the perks and rewards he was promised went up in smoke. After a long period without a job, John had to work low-level management positions for the rest of his life, and suffered two heart attacks due to all the stress.
In this life, rewards are often promised by people and corporations and politicians. Some pan out. Some do not. Some are like carrots dangling on a stick that you never really acquire. Some places put so much red tape or so many hoops to jump through that in the end the reward is not even worth it. From rebates that seem to disappear to broken promises of a promotion for all the overtime you put in, rewards can be pulled at any time in this world. But Not with God! God’s rewards last FOREVER!
It takes a special person to hang in there when they are attacked for their faith. Ever known a youth to be teased for being a believer? Have you ever heard of people who were mocked for changing their life around after being saved? It happens all the time. Go on Facebook and you will read many tirades showered upon those who state their faith in godly marriage or their belief in God. People come out of the woodwork to call them “haters”, “homophobic”, anti-social, backward, and so much more. Don’t let it get to you. They did the same to the prophets long ago. It says so in our scripture today (Matthew 5:12)! Doesn’t that put you in good company? I think so!
How much does God mean to you? Do you enjoy the comfort of God’s arms? Then, be prepared to face a life where you are maligned for your faith and chastised for being truthful. You might have to defend your faith before others. But God will see the good when you are faithful. And the rewards will come in time. God promises!
Now, let’s think about this verse a moment. When you stand firm in the faith, despite all kinds of crap thrown at you, God “rewards” you. Did you know that God gives out rewards? Yes, God ultimately does. And, God’s rewards last not only in this life, but in the next. How awesome is that! God keeps these rewards on your record for all eternity! Every moment you suffer earns you more respect and more rewards from God for your faithfulness.
John had been working at the same company for nineteen years, slaving away and doing a great job, or so he thought. He was well liked and had a great knack for his position. He was mid-level management at a well-known electronics conglomerate. At twenty years, John was going to get a special worker’s retirement, and be given special upgrades and perks with the company. He was excited to go to work every day. Then, the bottom dropped out. The company laid him off and his pension was never put into effect. A few years later, the company relocated to Mexico. Essentially, all the perks and rewards he was promised went up in smoke. After a long period without a job, John had to work low-level management positions for the rest of his life, and suffered two heart attacks due to all the stress.
In this life, rewards are often promised by people and corporations and politicians. Some pan out. Some do not. Some are like carrots dangling on a stick that you never really acquire. Some places put so much red tape or so many hoops to jump through that in the end the reward is not even worth it. From rebates that seem to disappear to broken promises of a promotion for all the overtime you put in, rewards can be pulled at any time in this world. But Not with God! God’s rewards last FOREVER!
It takes a special person to hang in there when they are attacked for their faith. Ever known a youth to be teased for being a believer? Have you ever heard of people who were mocked for changing their life around after being saved? It happens all the time. Go on Facebook and you will read many tirades showered upon those who state their faith in godly marriage or their belief in God. People come out of the woodwork to call them “haters”, “homophobic”, anti-social, backward, and so much more. Don’t let it get to you. They did the same to the prophets long ago. It says so in our scripture today (Matthew 5:12)! Doesn’t that put you in good company? I think so!
How much does God mean to you? Do you enjoy the comfort of God’s arms? Then, be prepared to face a life where you are maligned for your faith and chastised for being truthful. You might have to defend your faith before others. But God will see the good when you are faithful. And the rewards will come in time. God promises!
December 22
“And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.”
(Mark 1:16–20, RSV)
(Mark 1:16–20, RSV)
The scripture for today pictures Jesus calling His disciples to come and follow him. I want you to notice the word that describes the disciples’ response in both situations. That word is “immediately”. Each time the disciples were asked to follow Jesus, their response was immediate. They even “left their nets” (Mark 1:18), left their jobs, to follow Jesus. In both situations here in the gospel of Mark, there was NO HESITATION on the part of the disciples to follow Jesus’ call. How about you? Do you hesitate when God asks for something? Do you think through things, delay the inevitable, try to talk yourself out of it? Hesitation did not make up the character of the disciples when Jesus called them. Do you think Jesus would be proud when you hesitate to do something HE wants you to do?
Contrast the immediate response of the disciples to Jesus’ command with the response of some of the unfaithful in the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14. In the parable, the banquet holder invited close friends to a Great Banquet. They knew about it in advance (Luke 14:16). When the day came for the party, they did not respond immediately and come to the Banquet. Instead, they made excuses as to why they couldn’t go. One had a business matter to attend to. Another had a family matter. The banquet holder (usually seen as God in the interpretations) got a cold response on the day of the Banquet. There was hesitation, balking, rejection. There was NO immediate respect of the invitation or the Banquet holder.
Hesitation was a characteristic of the unfaithful in Luke 14. Immediate commitment and a complete dedication to follow through was a hallmark of the disciples in Mark 1. I think you can see clearly now what I see in scripture. Hesitation to follow God’s command or word was a sign of a poor servant, someone lacking faith, a lack of commitment. Don’t let hesitation to follow God’s wishes be a sign of your life.
Even in the Christmas story, you see true faith coming to those involved. The wise men were committed to follow a star in the east. Joseph, who hesitated when he found out Mary was pregnant, responded immediately after the angel visited him. There was NO hesitation (Matthew 1:20). When the angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her she would give birth to a Savior, Mary at first had fear, but then immediately “went with haste” to see her cousin Elizabeth to follow through with the pregnancy (Luke 1:39). Though fearful of her situation, she trusted the angel sent by God, and immediately sought to work things out.
One of the greatest responses you can give God is never to hesitate to do God’s will. The moment you realize what God wants done, get the job done. If you need to forgive someone, don’t delay. If God puts on your heart to give to a mission or complete a task in your church, jump in and do what is needed. When God calls you to teach a Sunday School class or take a position of leadership in the church, don’t second-guess your abilities. Take the reins and go for it! God loves a disciple to respond immediately. I want you to be one of those who doesn’t hold back.
Today, consider if there is something God needs you to do immediately. Is there something you are putting off? Are you hesitating to forgive someone or make something right? Listen to God’s direction. Follow through in God’s plan. Show yourself for who you really are, a faithful disciple who can be trusted to come through for your Savior!
Contrast the immediate response of the disciples to Jesus’ command with the response of some of the unfaithful in the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14. In the parable, the banquet holder invited close friends to a Great Banquet. They knew about it in advance (Luke 14:16). When the day came for the party, they did not respond immediately and come to the Banquet. Instead, they made excuses as to why they couldn’t go. One had a business matter to attend to. Another had a family matter. The banquet holder (usually seen as God in the interpretations) got a cold response on the day of the Banquet. There was hesitation, balking, rejection. There was NO immediate respect of the invitation or the Banquet holder.
Hesitation was a characteristic of the unfaithful in Luke 14. Immediate commitment and a complete dedication to follow through was a hallmark of the disciples in Mark 1. I think you can see clearly now what I see in scripture. Hesitation to follow God’s command or word was a sign of a poor servant, someone lacking faith, a lack of commitment. Don’t let hesitation to follow God’s wishes be a sign of your life.
Even in the Christmas story, you see true faith coming to those involved. The wise men were committed to follow a star in the east. Joseph, who hesitated when he found out Mary was pregnant, responded immediately after the angel visited him. There was NO hesitation (Matthew 1:20). When the angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her she would give birth to a Savior, Mary at first had fear, but then immediately “went with haste” to see her cousin Elizabeth to follow through with the pregnancy (Luke 1:39). Though fearful of her situation, she trusted the angel sent by God, and immediately sought to work things out.
One of the greatest responses you can give God is never to hesitate to do God’s will. The moment you realize what God wants done, get the job done. If you need to forgive someone, don’t delay. If God puts on your heart to give to a mission or complete a task in your church, jump in and do what is needed. When God calls you to teach a Sunday School class or take a position of leadership in the church, don’t second-guess your abilities. Take the reins and go for it! God loves a disciple to respond immediately. I want you to be one of those who doesn’t hold back.
Today, consider if there is something God needs you to do immediately. Is there something you are putting off? Are you hesitating to forgive someone or make something right? Listen to God’s direction. Follow through in God’s plan. Show yourself for who you really are, a faithful disciple who can be trusted to come through for your Savior!
December 23
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1–5, ESV)
In this season of Advent, as Christmas comes quickly, we are reminded of the birth of Christ by seeing the twinkling lights on Christmas trees, strung over the road on Main Streets, dangling from the eaves of roofs, and brightening the longest days of the year. Though some have talked about the history of Christmas lights having pagan origins, the meaning of “CHRISTMAS LIGHTS” never had pagan origins. Christians like Martin Luther centuries ago would hang candles from evergreens to celebrate during the Christmas season. In the first decades after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the people would gather in catacombs to worship, in fear for their lives from Roman persecution. In those dark caves, the light and warmth of their lights and worship lit up not only the darkness, but the lives of those who came to meet God.
From the beginning of Genesis, God was associated with light. God created light in the midst of darkness and void at creation. God set the sun in its pattern. God created the light of day. Though the earth had known only darkness before God, it would soon spring forth biological life from the light that God had created. Life would grow because of God’s transforming act! The light enabled life! It is no different today. Christmas lights remind us that God seeks to bring light into darkness.
During this season, remember that Jesus was and is a great light to this earth. Where at creation, God brought forth sunlight and moonlight and starlight and initiated life and light, Jesus was the greatest spiritual light ever to be given to our world. He was the Son of God given as a gift to redeem the world. His life and atoning death continues to bring hope to billions. His example of servant-hood contrasts itself against the powers of evil and selfishness pervasive in our world. Where evil only causes darkness, Jesus brings light and life.
No matter how dark or menacing the day might be, look for God to shed some light into your darkness. Because you are a child of God and share your faith with others, God will share His light with you. Along with the twinkling lights of this season, you might be a spark of light to those around you. Your faith will “shine” into the lives of those around you. Our world desperately needs things like hope, peace, light, life, forgiveness and love. Your faith is crucial to God’s plan to share things just like these.
Why would God cause light and life to come into this world? Why did God cause light to burst forth at creation? Why did God the Father send Jesus, His Son, into this spiritually dark world? All for the same reasons. God loves to bring forth life and warmth and light. God seeks to drive away darkness, evil, sin, and shame. God seeks out the faithful. God enjoys the warmth they share, the love they engender.
Today, notice the beautiful lights that are all around. Celebrate the fact that God has placed the warm comfort of peace and hope into your heart. Celebrate God’s redeeming love for you. One of the many reasons Jesus was sent into this world was for God to reach out to YOU! Yes, YOU! God intends to spend today with YOU! Enjoy that fact. It can keep you warm on even the coldest night!
From the beginning of Genesis, God was associated with light. God created light in the midst of darkness and void at creation. God set the sun in its pattern. God created the light of day. Though the earth had known only darkness before God, it would soon spring forth biological life from the light that God had created. Life would grow because of God’s transforming act! The light enabled life! It is no different today. Christmas lights remind us that God seeks to bring light into darkness.
During this season, remember that Jesus was and is a great light to this earth. Where at creation, God brought forth sunlight and moonlight and starlight and initiated life and light, Jesus was the greatest spiritual light ever to be given to our world. He was the Son of God given as a gift to redeem the world. His life and atoning death continues to bring hope to billions. His example of servant-hood contrasts itself against the powers of evil and selfishness pervasive in our world. Where evil only causes darkness, Jesus brings light and life.
No matter how dark or menacing the day might be, look for God to shed some light into your darkness. Because you are a child of God and share your faith with others, God will share His light with you. Along with the twinkling lights of this season, you might be a spark of light to those around you. Your faith will “shine” into the lives of those around you. Our world desperately needs things like hope, peace, light, life, forgiveness and love. Your faith is crucial to God’s plan to share things just like these.
Why would God cause light and life to come into this world? Why did God cause light to burst forth at creation? Why did God the Father send Jesus, His Son, into this spiritually dark world? All for the same reasons. God loves to bring forth life and warmth and light. God seeks to drive away darkness, evil, sin, and shame. God seeks out the faithful. God enjoys the warmth they share, the love they engender.
Today, notice the beautiful lights that are all around. Celebrate the fact that God has placed the warm comfort of peace and hope into your heart. Celebrate God’s redeeming love for you. One of the many reasons Jesus was sent into this world was for God to reach out to YOU! Yes, YOU! God intends to spend today with YOU! Enjoy that fact. It can keep you warm on even the coldest night!
December 24
“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” (Proverbs 26:4–5, ESV)
Above is one of the most confusing verses of all the Bible! It seems to say that you should not answer a fool when he or she is being foolish. Then again, it also seems to say you should answer the fool when he or she is being foolish! Well, which is it?!!!! That’s the wisdom of these two verses of Proverbs; it depends on the moment! Only through clear and faithful discernment can you know how to treat a person who is acting foolishly. By saying nothing, you could be making a mistake. By saying something, you could pay for it!
“We all know the feeling. When someone belittles us in front of others, we want to rail against them or make their lives miserable by filtering our rage through our best passive-aggressive behavior. When a friend continuously doles out inflammatory remarks, it’s easy to snap and say (or tweet) something inspired by the white-hot rage sweeping through us.” (Revecca Van Noord, Connect the Testaments). In these moments, it is important that you listen to the wisdom above from Proverbs and watch what you say or don’t say. You don’t want to make yourself look foolish. You don’t want to play into the fool’s game. It takes godly wisdom to know what to say and when to remain silent (Ecclesiastes 3 states this in another way!). As a child of God, you need to watch yourself when in the presence of a fool. They can all too easily draw you in or have you respond with foolish banter.
The holidays can bring out the worst in some people. Feeling insecure, some foolish people at dinner parties will rave on. Others will play head games. There will be drunks who are so full of eggnog that they blather on trying to get you to agree with their take on the inane topic of the night. It is difficult to determine what to say, who to listen to, when to walk away. The same is true when dating, in an argument with a family member, or when dealing with a customer service nightmare.
In moments when you are in a conversation with a person who is acting foolish, the scriptures above come into play. They offer wisdom, though it seems confusing at first. In many places in Proverbs, you will read rules about how you act and what decisions you make, but here in these two verses that seem like polar opposites, the book is saying you can go two ways. In the moment when a fool is trying to manipulate you into a conversation, it may be best to remain out of the conversation. On the other hand, sometimes a foolish person needs to hear some wisdom from God that may help. If the person will be able to hear God in the moment, it might be better to bring some needed godly words to that moment. It just depends on so many factors that you must rely on God’s Spirit and the specific conversation to determine what to do.
In these crazy days when we wish the President would quit tweeting and people would quit baiting the poor man, it is hard for all of us to know when to speak and when to remain silent. It is difficult to discern what to do when people are overly sensitive, narcissism is rampant, trolls blast away at one’s reputation online for fun, and crass people don’t even know basic etiquette. It’s all too easy to respond with anger, get snarky with passive-aggressive behavior, or never say anything ever.
Inside your heart and mind is a precious commodity. God’s Spirit works in you. God needs you to at times hold back your tongue when emotional but then not be silent in the face of abuse. God expects you to discern when to speak and when to be silent when baited by a fool. Why? Because the world is filled with foolishness, and God’s wisdom is sometimes the only thing that seems rational and trustworthy. Fads come and go. People play emotional games. Mean-spirited souls like to get a rise out of others by pushing their buttons. So many people act the fool. God’s wisdom works when all else fails.
In the next few days, don’t let yourself become the fool. Don’t let foolish talk draw down the joy in your soul. Rise above the foolishness of the world with the knowledge that God’s love endures forever. God’s wisdom does as well.
“We all know the feeling. When someone belittles us in front of others, we want to rail against them or make their lives miserable by filtering our rage through our best passive-aggressive behavior. When a friend continuously doles out inflammatory remarks, it’s easy to snap and say (or tweet) something inspired by the white-hot rage sweeping through us.” (Revecca Van Noord, Connect the Testaments). In these moments, it is important that you listen to the wisdom above from Proverbs and watch what you say or don’t say. You don’t want to make yourself look foolish. You don’t want to play into the fool’s game. It takes godly wisdom to know what to say and when to remain silent (Ecclesiastes 3 states this in another way!). As a child of God, you need to watch yourself when in the presence of a fool. They can all too easily draw you in or have you respond with foolish banter.
The holidays can bring out the worst in some people. Feeling insecure, some foolish people at dinner parties will rave on. Others will play head games. There will be drunks who are so full of eggnog that they blather on trying to get you to agree with their take on the inane topic of the night. It is difficult to determine what to say, who to listen to, when to walk away. The same is true when dating, in an argument with a family member, or when dealing with a customer service nightmare.
In moments when you are in a conversation with a person who is acting foolish, the scriptures above come into play. They offer wisdom, though it seems confusing at first. In many places in Proverbs, you will read rules about how you act and what decisions you make, but here in these two verses that seem like polar opposites, the book is saying you can go two ways. In the moment when a fool is trying to manipulate you into a conversation, it may be best to remain out of the conversation. On the other hand, sometimes a foolish person needs to hear some wisdom from God that may help. If the person will be able to hear God in the moment, it might be better to bring some needed godly words to that moment. It just depends on so many factors that you must rely on God’s Spirit and the specific conversation to determine what to do.
In these crazy days when we wish the President would quit tweeting and people would quit baiting the poor man, it is hard for all of us to know when to speak and when to remain silent. It is difficult to discern what to do when people are overly sensitive, narcissism is rampant, trolls blast away at one’s reputation online for fun, and crass people don’t even know basic etiquette. It’s all too easy to respond with anger, get snarky with passive-aggressive behavior, or never say anything ever.
Inside your heart and mind is a precious commodity. God’s Spirit works in you. God needs you to at times hold back your tongue when emotional but then not be silent in the face of abuse. God expects you to discern when to speak and when to be silent when baited by a fool. Why? Because the world is filled with foolishness, and God’s wisdom is sometimes the only thing that seems rational and trustworthy. Fads come and go. People play emotional games. Mean-spirited souls like to get a rise out of others by pushing their buttons. So many people act the fool. God’s wisdom works when all else fails.
In the next few days, don’t let yourself become the fool. Don’t let foolish talk draw down the joy in your soul. Rise above the foolishness of the world with the knowledge that God’s love endures forever. God’s wisdom does as well.
December 25
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
(Luke 2:1–7, RSV)
(Luke 2:1–7, RSV)
As an experiment just to see what would happen, an ethics professor at Princeton Seminary asked for volunteers among the seminarians bound for ministry. At two o'clock in the afternoon, fifteen students gathered at Speer Library on the edge of the campus. There, the professor divided the group of fifteen into three groups of five each. He gave the first group of five envelopes telling them to proceed immediately across campus to Stewart Hall and that they had fifteen minutes to get there. If they didn't arrive on time, it would affect their grade. This, he called the 'High Hurry Group". A minute or two later he handed out envelopes to five others. Their instructions were to also go over to Stewart ball, but they were given forty-five minutes. After they departed he gave the last of the envelopes with instructions to the third group, the "Low Hurry" group. They were given three hours to arrive at Stewart Hall. Now, unknown to any of these students, the teacher had arranged with three students from the Princeton University Drama Department to meet them along the way acting as people in great need. In front of Alexander Hall, one of the drama students was stumbling around covering his head with his hands and moaning out loud in great pain. As they passed by Miller Chapel on their way to Stewart Hall they found a fellow who was on the steps lying face down as if unconscious. And finally, on the very steps of Stewart Hall, the third drama student was acting out an epileptic seizure. It's interesting that of the first group, no one stopped, of the second, two of the five stopped, and of the third group all five stopped. This little experiment proved that people in a hurry or highly focused on their own tasks often miss (or don't even notice) very important things.
Maybe one of the things we forget most of this season of the year is that there are many powerful little events happening around us that often go unnoticed while we busy ourselves with our tasks. You may not notice the depressed secretary from while in the midst of your work party. While shopping for presents, you may not notice the woman who just put three things back from her cart because she can't afford it. Your life may be so filled with holiday banquets and special school concerts that you missed seeing the homeless man at the street corner. Some of the youth have finals and cram during the week before Christmas. Will they even see the girl who misses her family, whose eyes are filled with tears? Between the baking, cooking, cleaning, snow shoveling, sick child, or flat tire, would you even notice God's angel gracing your presence, watching over you? So often at this time of year, we forget to stop and look around, to reflect, to pray, to enjoy time with God one on one. When we do that, we can easily miss the most important of all moments.
Think about it. On that night when Jesus was born, there were many, many people in the city of Bethlehem. They went there to be enrolled, signed up for a tax. “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register.” Mary and Joseph were traveling, too. Even though Mary was fully pregnant, they had to travel. Why are there always interruptions when we least need them? To make matters worse, the inns were full of travelers. And then, “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6-7)
The bustling city didn't notice a man with a very pregnant wife who had traveled some distance. They probably didn’t hear when Mary gave birth or when the newborn cried. Had anybody noticed? Did anybody care? How could people have missed that? How could the innkeeper have turned them away? But amid the bustling city, the many people, the many needs, the hassles of an inn overrun with travelers, the innkeeper missed it. We often do the same. Amidst the bustling ways of Christmas Day, we sometimes miss the precious moments, the tender moments, the important little events that happen around us. We are so busy with dashing through the snow that we miss the silent night and holy night THAT GIVES meaning to this season just as they did on that first Christmas.
One December, I went with an adult choir to sing at a nursing home. We walked through the halls singing Christmas carols. Near the end of one hall, as we walked past a room, I noticed a man wipe away tears from his eyes. I figured he enjoyed the singing. But, I felt that familiar tug of God wanting me to stop… so I did. I wished him a good day and a Merry Christmas. He could barely talk. So, I held his hand. He cried the whole time he talked. His daughter, his only child, had died that week. Nobody knew it but one of the nurses. His wife had died years before. Now, he felt more alone in his life than ever before. But, God wouldn’t let me walk past his room. God would not let him feel alone. I was sent to hold his hand while he cried. Then we prayed together. Later, a couple of the adult leaders teased me for walking off and leaving the group. A couple of the singers were annoyed with me for making them late. They had no idea that God had a special mission for me that I could not overlook. While they walked past the room oblivious to the suffering of this man, God wouldn’t let me miss a very important moment to share the reason for the season.
Don’t be so caught up in the hustle and bustle that you miss the most important things in life. Whether on Christmas Day or on a Thursday in February, there are often very important things going on around you that God just doesn’t want you to miss. Let Jesus’ birth remind you of that. Unlike the innkeeper from the Gospel of Luke, can you make a more suitable place for Jesus in your life and daily activities?
Maybe one of the things we forget most of this season of the year is that there are many powerful little events happening around us that often go unnoticed while we busy ourselves with our tasks. You may not notice the depressed secretary from while in the midst of your work party. While shopping for presents, you may not notice the woman who just put three things back from her cart because she can't afford it. Your life may be so filled with holiday banquets and special school concerts that you missed seeing the homeless man at the street corner. Some of the youth have finals and cram during the week before Christmas. Will they even see the girl who misses her family, whose eyes are filled with tears? Between the baking, cooking, cleaning, snow shoveling, sick child, or flat tire, would you even notice God's angel gracing your presence, watching over you? So often at this time of year, we forget to stop and look around, to reflect, to pray, to enjoy time with God one on one. When we do that, we can easily miss the most important of all moments.
Think about it. On that night when Jesus was born, there were many, many people in the city of Bethlehem. They went there to be enrolled, signed up for a tax. “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register.” Mary and Joseph were traveling, too. Even though Mary was fully pregnant, they had to travel. Why are there always interruptions when we least need them? To make matters worse, the inns were full of travelers. And then, “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6-7)
The bustling city didn't notice a man with a very pregnant wife who had traveled some distance. They probably didn’t hear when Mary gave birth or when the newborn cried. Had anybody noticed? Did anybody care? How could people have missed that? How could the innkeeper have turned them away? But amid the bustling city, the many people, the many needs, the hassles of an inn overrun with travelers, the innkeeper missed it. We often do the same. Amidst the bustling ways of Christmas Day, we sometimes miss the precious moments, the tender moments, the important little events that happen around us. We are so busy with dashing through the snow that we miss the silent night and holy night THAT GIVES meaning to this season just as they did on that first Christmas.
One December, I went with an adult choir to sing at a nursing home. We walked through the halls singing Christmas carols. Near the end of one hall, as we walked past a room, I noticed a man wipe away tears from his eyes. I figured he enjoyed the singing. But, I felt that familiar tug of God wanting me to stop… so I did. I wished him a good day and a Merry Christmas. He could barely talk. So, I held his hand. He cried the whole time he talked. His daughter, his only child, had died that week. Nobody knew it but one of the nurses. His wife had died years before. Now, he felt more alone in his life than ever before. But, God wouldn’t let me walk past his room. God would not let him feel alone. I was sent to hold his hand while he cried. Then we prayed together. Later, a couple of the adult leaders teased me for walking off and leaving the group. A couple of the singers were annoyed with me for making them late. They had no idea that God had a special mission for me that I could not overlook. While they walked past the room oblivious to the suffering of this man, God wouldn’t let me miss a very important moment to share the reason for the season.
Don’t be so caught up in the hustle and bustle that you miss the most important things in life. Whether on Christmas Day or on a Thursday in February, there are often very important things going on around you that God just doesn’t want you to miss. Let Jesus’ birth remind you of that. Unlike the innkeeper from the Gospel of Luke, can you make a more suitable place for Jesus in your life and daily activities?
December 26
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
(2 Corinthians 9:6–7, NIV84)
(2 Corinthians 9:6–7, NIV84)
It's not unusual during the Christmas season to see bell ringers at the stores hoping people will give money to the Salvation Army. That money will go to keep people's utilities on during the winter. Throughout December, there are many ministries that are hoping people feel generous enough to give in support of their work. Some of those ministries will make enough in donations during the Holiday Season to help them continue to do their God-given work well through March or April. The whole ministry of the church relies on giving of people like you and me. The giving stops, the ministry stops. If you stop giving your time, your effort, your faith, your money, ministries begin to die. People will suffer the consequences. There will be children born without knowing the name, Jesus Christ. There will be people living in hunger, physical and spiritual. It is my belief that ultimately our families, community, and country will suffer the consequences. As the scripture says.... "The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." (2 Corinthians 9:6). In other words, the person who gives sparingly will find fewer gracious blessings. The school teacher who holds back will also reap little. The boss who shares little will also reap few rewards. The company who gives to employees like Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” will also reap few accolades. The church that gives sparingly will also reap few blessings. The parent who gives little in the way of time or love will reap comparatively little love and joy in return.
Your giving determines what God does through you. It is my opinion that nothing is impossible with God. In fact, that's precisely what Philippines 4:13 says. The limits come from you. When you give what you've got, when you give based on your gifts from God, it's not that things might happen, things will happen. But what you do is your choice. So, if it's up to you to give of yourself, you can't blame another person if you don't give what effort, time, work, money or whatever you can. You also cannot blame God, for God gives you the ability to do what is needed. Again, your limits are up to you. What are those things in life you would like to see accomplished? Has God called you to do it? Give of yourself and you might just be surprised what God can do with your efforts.
There are many great gifts that you can give. A lot of them don't cost a cent. A smile. A handshake. A hug. A shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold don't cost a thing but are great things to give. Give them cheerfully. So too, there are little gifts and big ones that can you can give along the way. Just don't forget to give them. And, don't give them reluctantly. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Are you a cheerful giver? Do you give reluctantly? Do you give because it is expected?
The pastor got up into the pulpit one Sunday near Christmas and mentioned a looming financial crisis for the church. Their school and support for the poor would be affected. He asked the congregation to bring any gift to the front of the church to help during a special offering. The members loved their church and they loved the Lord. They soon filled the aisles as they brought their offerings. The pastor noticed one giver above all the rest. It was a little girl who was on a pair of crutches. When she reached the front of the church, she removed a ring from her finger, and after great effort, she placed it with the rest of the offerings and returned to her seat.
After the service was over, the pastor looked through the gifts until he found the little girl's ring. He took it to her and said, "Honey, I saw what you did. It was beautiful, but the response of the people has been so large that we have money left over, so we do not need your ring. I have brought it back to you."
The little girl looked up at her pastor and said, “I didn’t give the ring to you, I gave it to Jesus.” Impressed, the pastor put the ring right back from where he got it. That little girl gets it. She understands giving. She is gracious in her giving. She gives cheerfully to Jesus!
God watches how you give. God looks into your heart with every gift. What does God usually see with your gifts? Are you cheerful? Are you gracious? Are you good at sharing? Think about these things today…
Your giving determines what God does through you. It is my opinion that nothing is impossible with God. In fact, that's precisely what Philippines 4:13 says. The limits come from you. When you give what you've got, when you give based on your gifts from God, it's not that things might happen, things will happen. But what you do is your choice. So, if it's up to you to give of yourself, you can't blame another person if you don't give what effort, time, work, money or whatever you can. You also cannot blame God, for God gives you the ability to do what is needed. Again, your limits are up to you. What are those things in life you would like to see accomplished? Has God called you to do it? Give of yourself and you might just be surprised what God can do with your efforts.
There are many great gifts that you can give. A lot of them don't cost a cent. A smile. A handshake. A hug. A shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold don't cost a thing but are great things to give. Give them cheerfully. So too, there are little gifts and big ones that can you can give along the way. Just don't forget to give them. And, don't give them reluctantly. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Are you a cheerful giver? Do you give reluctantly? Do you give because it is expected?
The pastor got up into the pulpit one Sunday near Christmas and mentioned a looming financial crisis for the church. Their school and support for the poor would be affected. He asked the congregation to bring any gift to the front of the church to help during a special offering. The members loved their church and they loved the Lord. They soon filled the aisles as they brought their offerings. The pastor noticed one giver above all the rest. It was a little girl who was on a pair of crutches. When she reached the front of the church, she removed a ring from her finger, and after great effort, she placed it with the rest of the offerings and returned to her seat.
After the service was over, the pastor looked through the gifts until he found the little girl's ring. He took it to her and said, "Honey, I saw what you did. It was beautiful, but the response of the people has been so large that we have money left over, so we do not need your ring. I have brought it back to you."
The little girl looked up at her pastor and said, “I didn’t give the ring to you, I gave it to Jesus.” Impressed, the pastor put the ring right back from where he got it. That little girl gets it. She understands giving. She is gracious in her giving. She gives cheerfully to Jesus!
God watches how you give. God looks into your heart with every gift. What does God usually see with your gifts? Are you cheerful? Are you gracious? Are you good at sharing? Think about these things today…
December 27
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea….” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.” (Matthew 2:1–12, RSV)
I was reading the Christmas story in the gospel of Matthew several weeks ago. In Matthew 2, it tells about the coming of the Magi or Wise Men to the child Jesus. After reading through this story a few times, I came to the realization that it said nothing new to me. It was the same old story. There were the same people involved... the Wise Men, Herod, Mary, Joseph, and the child Jesus. It's the same story I've heard hundreds of times. People have heard this story for years. To many, it's so familiar that they have it memorized. I asked God to let me see something new and different about this story to share it with you. I got my wish. This past Friday, I began to see some different things in the scripture. I read the scripture again and felt God was saying something new to me. I saw a message that was different from what I had seen before. I saw a message that is perfect for our time, our situation in history, and has great meaning for your life. I want to share what God revealed to me.
The scripture in Matthew 2 is a familiar one. It begins with Jesus' birth in the days of Herod the King. Herod was King of Judea, king of the Jews. Wise Men came from the East to Herod saying...."Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him"(Matthew 2:2). They figured that the King of the Jews would surely know where the next King was to be born. They figured that Herod would be excited about the news. He wasn't. The scripture tells us that "When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea..."(Matthew 2:3-5). Herod then called the Wise Men to a secret meeting. He found out when the star appeared in the sky, and sent them to Bethlehem saying.... "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."(Matthew 2:8). The story then tells of the Wise Men and their visit to the Christ child. ..."and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way." (Matthew 2:11-12) As the Wise Men left the scene, going back to their country, Herod attempted to kill the Christ child. But before his deadly work could be accomplished, Jesus was whisked off by his parents to Egypt where he stayed until Herod died.
The story of the Wise Men is a familiar one to those of you who know the Bible. So, what's new about it? As I was pondering that, I saw a commercial on television. It told about how wonderful an imitation Christmas tree adds to the season. I thought to myself, "You know, I can still remember what a real Christmas tree smelled like when I was a child. I loved that smell." For me, an imitation tree, a fake Christmas tree, just couldn't capture that wonderful smell. It was then that I began to look at the story of the Wise Men again. Their love for the Christ child was real, not fake. They came a long distance just to see Him. They worshiped Him! They even brought gifts! But where they were genuine in their desire to see the Christ child, Herod was not. Oh, he told the Wise men that he wanted to see the Christ child too, but he was just lying. He was faking the entire time. He really wanted to destroy Jesus so that nobody else could challenge the political status quo. So, what we have in this scripture are two pictures, one fake and one real. The fake is Herod who tells the Wise Men he wants to go and see Jesus when he really wants to kill the Christ child. Then, we recognize the Wise Men who out of real love want to worship Him offering gold, frankincense and myrrh. On the one hand, we have fake Herod. On the other hand, there are sincere and genuine Wise Men.
If you look at the whole season of Christmas, you see two pictures as well. You see the fake and you see the real. You see things that are genuine and things that are not. Just like there are fake Christmas trees, fake holly and mistletoe, fake candles and even fake Santas, there are real ones too. There are so many things that are fake in this season... and a very many things real about it, too. It's up to you to determine what is fake and what is real, just as Mary and Joseph and the Wise Men needed to do in the original Christmas story.
Look at the Christmas programs in some churches. Is there a genuine care about the gospel story, or is something else going on? When people perform in the Christmas program, is their genuine intent to tell the Christmas story or to put on a good show? In one church I know of, the parents constantly complain about practicing for the Christmas program. For weeks beforehand you might hear, "Oh, we've got that stupid Christmas program at the church. It just wrecks our Saturdays." Several parents complained to the pastor there: "It's just one more obligation in an already crowded time of the year. We don't have time for all the practices." The Christmas program was one more obligation? In the end, it almost sounded as if the whole program was rather contrived. The parents were not genuine in their desire to enjoy the Christmas story. Are they like Herod or the Wise Men? Has their Christmas become fake or real?
Are you like Herod or the Wise Men in how you spend your Christmas season? Look at the family visits you make at Christmas time. A husband informed me that all week his wife complained bitterly… "You know I hate it when your brother and sister come over. They drive me nuts with all their stories about their trips. And all they do is talk about how great their kids are. You can hardly talk about anything else without them bringing up their trips or their kids and controlling the conversation." The husband said to his wife, "Honey, just fake a smile and listen and make believe you like them." Interesting. Does that describe Christmas at your family gatherings? Is the reason you visit genuine or not?
So many parts of our Christmas season have become commercialized. They are not real and genuine. There are advertisements that proclaim that the only good gift is a diamond. Really? Retailers often care more about profits than giving. Party-goers say “Merry Christmas” but don’t sound very merry. They might even say it with a scowl and think like Scrooge! There are so many, many things in this season that are no longer genuine and from the heart. The shallow facade no longer bears witness to the real meaning of this season. Some parts of the Christmas season have their origin with fake Herod, not the genuine Wise Men.
In the Christian church throughout history, the Christmas Season was twelve days long. It lasted from December 25th through January 6th. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, they celebrated Christmas on January 6th. No matter where or how you celebrate this season, make it real! Be genuine! Don’t let the fakeness of it all get to you! Your faith is the real deal. Jesus was brought into this world to make your relationship with God real. Don’t cheapen it in any way, no matter what the world does this time of year!
The scripture in Matthew 2 is a familiar one. It begins with Jesus' birth in the days of Herod the King. Herod was King of Judea, king of the Jews. Wise Men came from the East to Herod saying...."Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him"(Matthew 2:2). They figured that the King of the Jews would surely know where the next King was to be born. They figured that Herod would be excited about the news. He wasn't. The scripture tells us that "When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea..."(Matthew 2:3-5). Herod then called the Wise Men to a secret meeting. He found out when the star appeared in the sky, and sent them to Bethlehem saying.... "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."(Matthew 2:8). The story then tells of the Wise Men and their visit to the Christ child. ..."and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way." (Matthew 2:11-12) As the Wise Men left the scene, going back to their country, Herod attempted to kill the Christ child. But before his deadly work could be accomplished, Jesus was whisked off by his parents to Egypt where he stayed until Herod died.
The story of the Wise Men is a familiar one to those of you who know the Bible. So, what's new about it? As I was pondering that, I saw a commercial on television. It told about how wonderful an imitation Christmas tree adds to the season. I thought to myself, "You know, I can still remember what a real Christmas tree smelled like when I was a child. I loved that smell." For me, an imitation tree, a fake Christmas tree, just couldn't capture that wonderful smell. It was then that I began to look at the story of the Wise Men again. Their love for the Christ child was real, not fake. They came a long distance just to see Him. They worshiped Him! They even brought gifts! But where they were genuine in their desire to see the Christ child, Herod was not. Oh, he told the Wise men that he wanted to see the Christ child too, but he was just lying. He was faking the entire time. He really wanted to destroy Jesus so that nobody else could challenge the political status quo. So, what we have in this scripture are two pictures, one fake and one real. The fake is Herod who tells the Wise Men he wants to go and see Jesus when he really wants to kill the Christ child. Then, we recognize the Wise Men who out of real love want to worship Him offering gold, frankincense and myrrh. On the one hand, we have fake Herod. On the other hand, there are sincere and genuine Wise Men.
If you look at the whole season of Christmas, you see two pictures as well. You see the fake and you see the real. You see things that are genuine and things that are not. Just like there are fake Christmas trees, fake holly and mistletoe, fake candles and even fake Santas, there are real ones too. There are so many things that are fake in this season... and a very many things real about it, too. It's up to you to determine what is fake and what is real, just as Mary and Joseph and the Wise Men needed to do in the original Christmas story.
Look at the Christmas programs in some churches. Is there a genuine care about the gospel story, or is something else going on? When people perform in the Christmas program, is their genuine intent to tell the Christmas story or to put on a good show? In one church I know of, the parents constantly complain about practicing for the Christmas program. For weeks beforehand you might hear, "Oh, we've got that stupid Christmas program at the church. It just wrecks our Saturdays." Several parents complained to the pastor there: "It's just one more obligation in an already crowded time of the year. We don't have time for all the practices." The Christmas program was one more obligation? In the end, it almost sounded as if the whole program was rather contrived. The parents were not genuine in their desire to enjoy the Christmas story. Are they like Herod or the Wise Men? Has their Christmas become fake or real?
Are you like Herod or the Wise Men in how you spend your Christmas season? Look at the family visits you make at Christmas time. A husband informed me that all week his wife complained bitterly… "You know I hate it when your brother and sister come over. They drive me nuts with all their stories about their trips. And all they do is talk about how great their kids are. You can hardly talk about anything else without them bringing up their trips or their kids and controlling the conversation." The husband said to his wife, "Honey, just fake a smile and listen and make believe you like them." Interesting. Does that describe Christmas at your family gatherings? Is the reason you visit genuine or not?
So many parts of our Christmas season have become commercialized. They are not real and genuine. There are advertisements that proclaim that the only good gift is a diamond. Really? Retailers often care more about profits than giving. Party-goers say “Merry Christmas” but don’t sound very merry. They might even say it with a scowl and think like Scrooge! There are so many, many things in this season that are no longer genuine and from the heart. The shallow facade no longer bears witness to the real meaning of this season. Some parts of the Christmas season have their origin with fake Herod, not the genuine Wise Men.
In the Christian church throughout history, the Christmas Season was twelve days long. It lasted from December 25th through January 6th. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, they celebrated Christmas on January 6th. No matter where or how you celebrate this season, make it real! Be genuine! Don’t let the fakeness of it all get to you! Your faith is the real deal. Jesus was brought into this world to make your relationship with God real. Don’t cheapen it in any way, no matter what the world does this time of year!
December 28
“Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!”” (Daniel 6:16, NRSV)
Children are often regaled with the story of Daniel being thrown into the lion’s den. The young love to be told stories of animals. They also like to see superhuman powers, such as displayed by God’s saving Daniel from the lions. However, this story of Daniel also has a very interesting point to make. If you look closely at the scripture above, the King who ordered Daniel thrown into the lion’s den hoped that Daniel’s God would deliver him from the mouths of the lions. The king had hoped that Daniel’s God would come through for him. This verse teaches us that sometimes great things in life can occur when a person relies on no one or nothing other than God!
Without realizing it, you probably rely on many things, people, or your own wisdom to get through your day. Most people don’t lean on God completely and utterly. If your car broke down, you’d seek out a mechanic to save you. Should your furnace fail during cold weather, you’d just call up a repairman. You might rely on AAA should you break down while traveling. You count on a friend or spouse should you need a ride to the doctor’s office when you break a leg. You don’t often totally rely on God, until everything goes wrong! That’s sad to me, because you should learn to rely on God more. God should be the first one you speak to in the day, in the moment of decision, when a crisis hits, or when something goes wrong. God should be your first thought, for no person or tool can replace God’s wisdom and guidance. Yet, how often are you utterly dependent upon God?
I met little Joey when I visited a Children’s Hospital. I was waiting for the nurses to finish preparing a member of my congregation for surgery. To bide my time, I stepped into the lounge area, where there were various seats along with games for children to play while waiting. As I sat down, Joey was playing with a wooden toy in the corner. I sat not far from him. I was surprised that his parents weren’t there, but Joey seemed unfazed. He was playing. As I sat there, he asked me a couple of questions. I could tell he wanted to talk. As we talked, I mentioned that I was a pastor. I talked about my visit. I mentioned the snowstorm going on outside. Cars were strewn all over the highway as I drove to the hospital that morning. Between the snow and ice, the roads were treacherous. Then, Joey said something very interesting. After saying I was worried about driving back home, Joey grew quiet. He then said, “I wish I was going home today.” Then, he went back to playing.
After a few moments, he asked if I was afraid to drive home. I said, “Yes.” He then said, “Sometimes, I’m afraid, too. But you are a pastor! You don’t need to be afraid!”
I thought about that for a moment. What Joey was saying was that I was squarely in God’s hands and needn’t worry about anything. My life was in the best of care. I was watched over by the creator of the universe! No matter what happened to me on the way home, God would and could play a hand in the outcome. Joey knew this, because he was dying. He had thought about this. He knew about God’s power. He knew his future was questionable, but God wasn’t. He had tremendous faith. Funny thing, I wasn’t afraid as I drove home that day! I had an even stronger feeling God was with me, because Joey reminded me of that!
When Daniel was tossed into the lion’s den, nobody could help him except God. The soldiers couldn’t fight off the lions. They were kept at the mouth of the den. The king couldn’t help Daniel’s situation, because of the law of the land which forced him to enforce Daniel’s sentence. But, when nothing in the world could help Daniel, that’s when he was totally reliant on God. The King knew this and even hoped that faithful Daniel be delivered (Daniel 6:16). And Daniel was. An angel had delivered Daniel (Daniel 6:22). Where nothing of this world could help faithful Daniel, God could.
This story of Daniel reminds me to lean on God more completely. I must learn not to just trust in those I can call in to help me. I need to lean on God to help me. God will guide me well. God will show me who to call. God will show me the real help I need. God answers prayers! Are you going to rely on God only when everything else fails or throughout your life? God will gladly walk through your day with you. God’s Spirit will gladly be your guide. Learn to lean on God not just when nothing else is available. Lean on God every day in every way. Let God be the first one you talk to when things go wrong, and the first one you praise when thankful. Then, watch your relationship with God grow in beautiful ways!
Without realizing it, you probably rely on many things, people, or your own wisdom to get through your day. Most people don’t lean on God completely and utterly. If your car broke down, you’d seek out a mechanic to save you. Should your furnace fail during cold weather, you’d just call up a repairman. You might rely on AAA should you break down while traveling. You count on a friend or spouse should you need a ride to the doctor’s office when you break a leg. You don’t often totally rely on God, until everything goes wrong! That’s sad to me, because you should learn to rely on God more. God should be the first one you speak to in the day, in the moment of decision, when a crisis hits, or when something goes wrong. God should be your first thought, for no person or tool can replace God’s wisdom and guidance. Yet, how often are you utterly dependent upon God?
I met little Joey when I visited a Children’s Hospital. I was waiting for the nurses to finish preparing a member of my congregation for surgery. To bide my time, I stepped into the lounge area, where there were various seats along with games for children to play while waiting. As I sat down, Joey was playing with a wooden toy in the corner. I sat not far from him. I was surprised that his parents weren’t there, but Joey seemed unfazed. He was playing. As I sat there, he asked me a couple of questions. I could tell he wanted to talk. As we talked, I mentioned that I was a pastor. I talked about my visit. I mentioned the snowstorm going on outside. Cars were strewn all over the highway as I drove to the hospital that morning. Between the snow and ice, the roads were treacherous. Then, Joey said something very interesting. After saying I was worried about driving back home, Joey grew quiet. He then said, “I wish I was going home today.” Then, he went back to playing.
After a few moments, he asked if I was afraid to drive home. I said, “Yes.” He then said, “Sometimes, I’m afraid, too. But you are a pastor! You don’t need to be afraid!”
I thought about that for a moment. What Joey was saying was that I was squarely in God’s hands and needn’t worry about anything. My life was in the best of care. I was watched over by the creator of the universe! No matter what happened to me on the way home, God would and could play a hand in the outcome. Joey knew this, because he was dying. He had thought about this. He knew about God’s power. He knew his future was questionable, but God wasn’t. He had tremendous faith. Funny thing, I wasn’t afraid as I drove home that day! I had an even stronger feeling God was with me, because Joey reminded me of that!
When Daniel was tossed into the lion’s den, nobody could help him except God. The soldiers couldn’t fight off the lions. They were kept at the mouth of the den. The king couldn’t help Daniel’s situation, because of the law of the land which forced him to enforce Daniel’s sentence. But, when nothing in the world could help Daniel, that’s when he was totally reliant on God. The King knew this and even hoped that faithful Daniel be delivered (Daniel 6:16). And Daniel was. An angel had delivered Daniel (Daniel 6:22). Where nothing of this world could help faithful Daniel, God could.
This story of Daniel reminds me to lean on God more completely. I must learn not to just trust in those I can call in to help me. I need to lean on God to help me. God will guide me well. God will show me who to call. God will show me the real help I need. God answers prayers! Are you going to rely on God only when everything else fails or throughout your life? God will gladly walk through your day with you. God’s Spirit will gladly be your guide. Learn to lean on God not just when nothing else is available. Lean on God every day in every way. Let God be the first one you talk to when things go wrong, and the first one you praise when thankful. Then, watch your relationship with God grow in beautiful ways!
December 29
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:26–31, RSV)
Bill was a policeman in a small town in Washington State. One Christmas Eve, while doing his routine check of the businesses and buildings in the town, he ended up at a church. The night was quiet and uneventful, but the church was unlocked, so he went in. It was not uncommon in that small town for the door of the church to be left open, but he thought he would check it out anyway. He walked in and his flashlight seemed to shine brightly on the altar and especially on the Bible as he walked forward into the sanctuary. As he walked up the aisle, Bill was thinking about all his problems, all his mistakes in life. At 15, he drank constantly. At 19 when he joined the army, it got worse. He drank almost every night. When he was 24, he moved back home and was hired almost immediately for the police department. He went up in rank a number of times, but his family life and his own happiness never went up with him. Finally, he had had it with life. Just three days before entering that church, he considered killing himself. He had the gun loaded, but couldn't finish the job. He considered himself a coward for that. He walked into the church that night an angry, depressed, hurtful man. It was only a matter of time before he'd have the courage to pull that trigger.
As he walked up to the altar that night, his flashlight kept shining off the Bible. Curious, he went up to take a look at the scripture. It was opened to Psalm 143. In the quiet of that night, Bill read these words, "The enemy hath persecuted my soul; he has smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore, my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate." With each word he read, he was more and more convinced that this scripture was meant for him. He remembered his happy childhood when he went to church. His family had once worshiped together. He remembered the closeness he had felt as a child in God's house. As he was thinking on this, goosebumps hit him for in the very next few verses, the scripture went on to say,,.. "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all they words; I think on the work of thy hands.”
A ray of hope began to take away the darkness in Officer Bill's heart. There in the quiet darkness of the night Bill's life was changed. The next day, he told his wife that he knelt at that altar in the quiet of night and asked God to forgive him and come into his heart and life for good.
God does things like this all the time. In the quiet of night people are saved, their lives are changed, they become different and special children of God. It was night in Egypt when the children of Israel were released from the bondage of Pharaoh with the last plague. It was night when Samuel discerned the voice of God calling him to be a prophet to God's people. It was at night that God gave David some of his sweetest psalms. It was at night when Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises in the Philippian jail, and an earthquake sent from God freed them. It was night when our Lord, Jesus Christ, was born. It is significant that God comes at night with messages for us. At the darkest time, at our darkest hour, God is there with light, with rays of hope, with a message. God's light begins to break through, and things look different, become different, are changed forever.
An angel of God, named Gabriel, was sent to a woman, a virgin named Mary almost 2000 years ago. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary thought it was all quite unreal, for she had no husband and she was not pregnant. How was she supposed to have a child? Yet, Mary did believe it could happen. She had doubts all along, but she did listen to the angel and believed it could happen.
Both Mary and Officer Bill were given that special gift of God's presence. And that presence was real. It wasn't a dream. God was there for Bill in the quiet dark of night. Angels gathered around Bethlehem and Mary on the night Jesus was born. Both people encountered a message sent from God. Both had their lives changed when they believed what God told them. Both felt the real presence of God in the quiet stillness of the night.
On the front lawn of a church nearby, there is a manger scene. It is all lit up at night. I was told that a few years ago, one young child in the neighborhood used to sneak over at night and crawl halfway under the straw in the back of the manger behind the figures of the wise men and shepherds so not to be seen, and he would sit there and read his Bible, wondering what the birth of Christ was really like. He wondered what it would be like to be a shepherd. On one occasion, he hid the statue of a shepherd, donned a shawl and knelt there for an hour, as people walked by. They didn't know he wasn't supposed to be part of the scene. They thought they were looking at statues, but to this young boy, it was real. God was real. The Christmas story was real, life-changing, wonderful. The young man said to the pastor several years later that he felt God in the night under the lights to be so close to him. As he read the story of Jesus' birth and other scriptures it was as if God was right there in the manger scene with him. He will never forget those holy and precious moments with God.
Tonight, why don't you spend a little special time with God? Look for God's presence coming into your evening. Give a chance for God to bless into your life. Ask for God to shine a little light into your heart, bring a little good news into your world.
By the way, Officer Bill became a Pastor of a church in the state of Washington not long after his conversion. When God comes into a life, amazing things can happen. God is real. God changes lives and saves souls all the time. Many a night has found God visiting a lonely soul or a crying mother. In the darkness, many have found the comfort of loving Heavenly arms.
As he walked up to the altar that night, his flashlight kept shining off the Bible. Curious, he went up to take a look at the scripture. It was opened to Psalm 143. In the quiet of that night, Bill read these words, "The enemy hath persecuted my soul; he has smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore, my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate." With each word he read, he was more and more convinced that this scripture was meant for him. He remembered his happy childhood when he went to church. His family had once worshiped together. He remembered the closeness he had felt as a child in God's house. As he was thinking on this, goosebumps hit him for in the very next few verses, the scripture went on to say,,.. "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all they words; I think on the work of thy hands.”
A ray of hope began to take away the darkness in Officer Bill's heart. There in the quiet darkness of the night Bill's life was changed. The next day, he told his wife that he knelt at that altar in the quiet of night and asked God to forgive him and come into his heart and life for good.
God does things like this all the time. In the quiet of night people are saved, their lives are changed, they become different and special children of God. It was night in Egypt when the children of Israel were released from the bondage of Pharaoh with the last plague. It was night when Samuel discerned the voice of God calling him to be a prophet to God's people. It was at night that God gave David some of his sweetest psalms. It was at night when Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises in the Philippian jail, and an earthquake sent from God freed them. It was night when our Lord, Jesus Christ, was born. It is significant that God comes at night with messages for us. At the darkest time, at our darkest hour, God is there with light, with rays of hope, with a message. God's light begins to break through, and things look different, become different, are changed forever.
An angel of God, named Gabriel, was sent to a woman, a virgin named Mary almost 2000 years ago. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary thought it was all quite unreal, for she had no husband and she was not pregnant. How was she supposed to have a child? Yet, Mary did believe it could happen. She had doubts all along, but she did listen to the angel and believed it could happen.
Both Mary and Officer Bill were given that special gift of God's presence. And that presence was real. It wasn't a dream. God was there for Bill in the quiet dark of night. Angels gathered around Bethlehem and Mary on the night Jesus was born. Both people encountered a message sent from God. Both had their lives changed when they believed what God told them. Both felt the real presence of God in the quiet stillness of the night.
On the front lawn of a church nearby, there is a manger scene. It is all lit up at night. I was told that a few years ago, one young child in the neighborhood used to sneak over at night and crawl halfway under the straw in the back of the manger behind the figures of the wise men and shepherds so not to be seen, and he would sit there and read his Bible, wondering what the birth of Christ was really like. He wondered what it would be like to be a shepherd. On one occasion, he hid the statue of a shepherd, donned a shawl and knelt there for an hour, as people walked by. They didn't know he wasn't supposed to be part of the scene. They thought they were looking at statues, but to this young boy, it was real. God was real. The Christmas story was real, life-changing, wonderful. The young man said to the pastor several years later that he felt God in the night under the lights to be so close to him. As he read the story of Jesus' birth and other scriptures it was as if God was right there in the manger scene with him. He will never forget those holy and precious moments with God.
Tonight, why don't you spend a little special time with God? Look for God's presence coming into your evening. Give a chance for God to bless into your life. Ask for God to shine a little light into your heart, bring a little good news into your world.
By the way, Officer Bill became a Pastor of a church in the state of Washington not long after his conversion. When God comes into a life, amazing things can happen. God is real. God changes lives and saves souls all the time. Many a night has found God visiting a lonely soul or a crying mother. In the darkness, many have found the comfort of loving Heavenly arms.
December 30
“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.””
(Luke 2:8–12, ESV)
(Luke 2:8–12, ESV)
If you read the Christmas stories from our Bible, one thing will strike you right away. If you notice, there are angels in each story. I believe that if you notice what the angels are doing, you begin to see what God is about. You see, the angels are sent by God... to speak for God... to do God’s work.... to accomplish God’s bidding. If we look carefully at what the angels are doing... we can learn about what God was planning for Jesus. And if we notice how God worked and used his angels for Jesus, we can begin to see what God is going to do for all those, who like Jesus, believe in Him and live for Him.... People like you and me.
The first mention that Jesus is going to be born comes from an angel. In the gospel of Matthew, the angel Gabriel is sent to Mary to tell her that Jesus was going to be born to her. What is obvious is that the angel wants Mary to know what will soon happen. So, you see, angels tell of the future... they prophecy of what God is going to do. God often wants us to see what he is going to do in the near or far future. If we are
faithful, God will have us as part of his plan. God will have hopes and plans for your life for you to follow. Sometimes, God may warn you of things to come. Sometimes, God may make something happen now so that in the future, you accomplish his plan. There are many moments, you won’t understand what God is doing. Mary didn’t know that Jesus was going to die on a cross when the angel visited her. What she knew is that God was going to be with Jesus in a special and holy way. God may not tell you every little bit about the future... sometimes God just tells you just enough to accomplish what you need to accomplish for Him.
Paul Rader was a pastor from New York. He made enemies because he wasn’t afraid to share his faith with others. But many people had their lives changed by this pastor who was known to go out and see people and urge them to make a choice for faith. One man who was visited by Pastor Rader was an investment broker. The man didn’t want to talk to Rader. He said he had no time for God, and Rader warned him not to leave God out of his life. One day Pastor Rader sensed that God wanted him to go immediately and speak to him again. So he took a train into town where the man worked, hurried to the bank, and found his friend standing in the doorway.
"Rader," the investment banker said, "I'm glad to see you! I wrote a telegram begging you to come, but later changed my mind and didn't send it."
'That's all right" said the pastor. "your message came through anyhow by way of heaven."
The banker was amazed that even despite not sending the message, the pastor had shown up at his work just when he was thinking of him. As the two talked, the banker decided right there in his office to believe.
Two days later, Pastor Rader was called to the hospital. He came quickly. The investment broker had had a heart attack and was dying. As the two talked, the broker said, “I see a sky so blue and grass so very green!" Pastor Rader told him that it was truly what heaven is like. Then, the banker gave a strange gasp and stopped breathing. Later, Pastor Rader told a friend that it is funny how many times God had told him to go visit someone, so he could be there just in time. God often warns us about things. God sends messages, sends messengers to make us change things that are wrong, to bring us back to the faith, or to be there for someone who has a need.
As I’ve studied these scriptures of Christmas, I've found that angels also bring messages to those who need to do something. Notice in our scripture above that they go to the shepherds and tell them to visit the Christ child born in a stable and placed in a manger. They do not want the shepherds to miss this special, significant and holy event. When someone you love has a need, God may put it in your heart to say just the right thing or be at the right place at the right time. Years ago, a man from my congregation had chest pains and an ambulance was called. They transported him to the hospital. As the paramedics got him into the hospital emergency room, he had a heart attack, his heart stopped, and he immediately lost consciousness. The staff began to work on him, when a doctor from another room suddenly appeared and began to have them change their emergency procedures. Ultimately those procedures saved this man’s life. What the family didn’t’ know until later was that the doctor who came from the other room was a cardiac specialist who just happened to be at the hospital in that city, and wasn’t even supposed to be there that day. Some saw it as coincidence, but I’ve seen too many coincidences to even think it was a chance thing. That doctor happened to be at that hospital in the emergency area just when our member needed him. A few minutes earlier or later and the man would have died. How is it that such things happen? God lets people know at times to be somewhere at the right time. Sometimes, angels with invisible guiding voices and arms push you to go where God needs you most.
Angels appeared to Mary and Joseph once more just after Jesus’ birth. An angel in the gospel of Matthew warned Joseph to flee to Egypt to protect the newborn Son of God. King Herod wanted Jesus dead. Herod wanted no challenges to his power or his throne, so many children were killed in an attempt to stop Jesus from ever blessing our world. But, Herod didn’t’ kill Jesus. An angel came to Joseph to warn him to leave and go to Egypt so the child would be safe. Angels are protectors. Angels always protect those who are beloved to God.
An article in National Geographic several years ago painted an incredible picture of God's protective wings. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched in a statuesque manner on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked the bird over with a stick. Upon doing so, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had singed her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live. Then, I read in scripture from Psalm 91, “God will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Like those little chicks found protection under the mother’s wings, we can find protection with God and His angels.
Taken as a whole, the Christmas story reminds us that angels are messengers of God sent with three orders.... First, to tell what God is going to do.... Second, to help the faithful to be at the right place at the right time.....and Third, to protect the faithful. It is my belief that God did not just send angels with these orders long ago. God continues to send angels, messengers of God, to lead us today. You might be the angel sent with God’s message. You might be the one to save a life. You might be the one who will change the life of another. I pray you find that like in days of old, God continues to guide, lead, and protect the faithful ones like you. Celebrate that today. And may God’s angels be there with you always.
The first mention that Jesus is going to be born comes from an angel. In the gospel of Matthew, the angel Gabriel is sent to Mary to tell her that Jesus was going to be born to her. What is obvious is that the angel wants Mary to know what will soon happen. So, you see, angels tell of the future... they prophecy of what God is going to do. God often wants us to see what he is going to do in the near or far future. If we are
faithful, God will have us as part of his plan. God will have hopes and plans for your life for you to follow. Sometimes, God may warn you of things to come. Sometimes, God may make something happen now so that in the future, you accomplish his plan. There are many moments, you won’t understand what God is doing. Mary didn’t know that Jesus was going to die on a cross when the angel visited her. What she knew is that God was going to be with Jesus in a special and holy way. God may not tell you every little bit about the future... sometimes God just tells you just enough to accomplish what you need to accomplish for Him.
Paul Rader was a pastor from New York. He made enemies because he wasn’t afraid to share his faith with others. But many people had their lives changed by this pastor who was known to go out and see people and urge them to make a choice for faith. One man who was visited by Pastor Rader was an investment broker. The man didn’t want to talk to Rader. He said he had no time for God, and Rader warned him not to leave God out of his life. One day Pastor Rader sensed that God wanted him to go immediately and speak to him again. So he took a train into town where the man worked, hurried to the bank, and found his friend standing in the doorway.
"Rader," the investment banker said, "I'm glad to see you! I wrote a telegram begging you to come, but later changed my mind and didn't send it."
'That's all right" said the pastor. "your message came through anyhow by way of heaven."
The banker was amazed that even despite not sending the message, the pastor had shown up at his work just when he was thinking of him. As the two talked, the banker decided right there in his office to believe.
Two days later, Pastor Rader was called to the hospital. He came quickly. The investment broker had had a heart attack and was dying. As the two talked, the broker said, “I see a sky so blue and grass so very green!" Pastor Rader told him that it was truly what heaven is like. Then, the banker gave a strange gasp and stopped breathing. Later, Pastor Rader told a friend that it is funny how many times God had told him to go visit someone, so he could be there just in time. God often warns us about things. God sends messages, sends messengers to make us change things that are wrong, to bring us back to the faith, or to be there for someone who has a need.
As I’ve studied these scriptures of Christmas, I've found that angels also bring messages to those who need to do something. Notice in our scripture above that they go to the shepherds and tell them to visit the Christ child born in a stable and placed in a manger. They do not want the shepherds to miss this special, significant and holy event. When someone you love has a need, God may put it in your heart to say just the right thing or be at the right place at the right time. Years ago, a man from my congregation had chest pains and an ambulance was called. They transported him to the hospital. As the paramedics got him into the hospital emergency room, he had a heart attack, his heart stopped, and he immediately lost consciousness. The staff began to work on him, when a doctor from another room suddenly appeared and began to have them change their emergency procedures. Ultimately those procedures saved this man’s life. What the family didn’t’ know until later was that the doctor who came from the other room was a cardiac specialist who just happened to be at the hospital in that city, and wasn’t even supposed to be there that day. Some saw it as coincidence, but I’ve seen too many coincidences to even think it was a chance thing. That doctor happened to be at that hospital in the emergency area just when our member needed him. A few minutes earlier or later and the man would have died. How is it that such things happen? God lets people know at times to be somewhere at the right time. Sometimes, angels with invisible guiding voices and arms push you to go where God needs you most.
Angels appeared to Mary and Joseph once more just after Jesus’ birth. An angel in the gospel of Matthew warned Joseph to flee to Egypt to protect the newborn Son of God. King Herod wanted Jesus dead. Herod wanted no challenges to his power or his throne, so many children were killed in an attempt to stop Jesus from ever blessing our world. But, Herod didn’t’ kill Jesus. An angel came to Joseph to warn him to leave and go to Egypt so the child would be safe. Angels are protectors. Angels always protect those who are beloved to God.
An article in National Geographic several years ago painted an incredible picture of God's protective wings. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched in a statuesque manner on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked the bird over with a stick. Upon doing so, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had singed her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live. Then, I read in scripture from Psalm 91, “God will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Like those little chicks found protection under the mother’s wings, we can find protection with God and His angels.
Taken as a whole, the Christmas story reminds us that angels are messengers of God sent with three orders.... First, to tell what God is going to do.... Second, to help the faithful to be at the right place at the right time.....and Third, to protect the faithful. It is my belief that God did not just send angels with these orders long ago. God continues to send angels, messengers of God, to lead us today. You might be the angel sent with God’s message. You might be the one to save a life. You might be the one who will change the life of another. I pray you find that like in days of old, God continues to guide, lead, and protect the faithful ones like you. Celebrate that today. And may God’s angels be there with you always.
December 31
““Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. “For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the Lord. “But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death.””
(Proverbs 8:34–36, NASB95)
(Proverbs 8:34–36, NASB95)
In the scripture above, the writer of Proverbs is talking about the importance of listening to “me” (Proverbs 8:34). Do you know who “me” is? In Proverbs 8:35, written above, it also says that whoever “sins against me injures himself….” and those who “hate me love death”. Can you guess who “me” is in these verses? The answer is godly wisdom. According to these verses, if you ignore godly wisdom, you will do yourself harm. Those who seek and find godly wisdom find both a good life and “favor from the Lord.” You’d think from these verses that people would flock to find godly wisdom while living in this world. But then, you’d be wrong.
There are a lot of forms of worldly wisdom in the modern era. Medical wisdom from twenty years ago said that eating eggs was hazardous to your health. Now, medical wisdom says that eating egg yolks is good for your brain! Worldly wisdom from your dentist tells you that flossing is good for your teeth, and sweets are bad for your teeth. Worldly wisdom from feminism says that women can have it all, from family to independence to any job they wish. I have yet to find a godly woman who agrees. Worldly wisdom teaches that your political affiliation can influence your ability to be hired. Worldly wisdom says you should try out a relationship through premarital sex and living together. Young people often call this a “try before you buy” type of relationship. There are many forms of worldly wisdom. Different types of worldly wisdom can clash with each other. Godly wisdom is very different. For one thing, godly wisdom comes from God. It is wisdom that is found in the Bible and from a relationship with God. You can’t get godly wisdom unless you know God or study the Bible. In your life, you will have to choose which types of wisdom to put your faith in. For me, Godly wisdom works. I have found that Godly wisdom brings a longer, happier life. Godly wisdom also has the ability to bring one into favor with God (Proverbs 8:36). Worldly wisdom, in my opinion, often is destructive (as Proverbs 8:36 contends). It usually leads to failed or dysfunctional relationships, friendships, and marriages. It can lead to financial ruin, depression, and many forms of sin. To flirt with worldly wisdom is dangerous. To follow God’s wisdom may be more difficult at times, but it is the best source of information on how to enjoy a full life.
Jack met Gillian when he was in college. In every way, he thought she was his soul mate. During his senior year in college, they decided to find an apartment together to save money. It seemed like a wise choice. They had a steamy relationship and were always touching each other. The sex was great. They looked forward to being together. Everything seemed perfect. Five months after they started living together, Gillian became moody and depressive. She started to withdraw from Jack. For several months, this went on, until Jack found out that Gillian had been seeing a friend at work. Gillian admitted to Jack that she had sex with a co-worker. It broke Jack’s heart. He didn’t know what he did to deserve this stab in the back from Gillian. He moved out. To compensate for his pain, Jack began to drink heavily. He even dabbled in drugs. Depression hit hard. He became withdrawn and sullen. He quit school.
At this point in Jack’s life, he was at a very low point. To deal with his pain and hurt, he was medicating his depression with alcohol and drugs. Instead of seeking help, he sought solace. Instead of opening his heart up to God, he closed it off to God and his family and friends. Jack was in a delicate, dangerous state in his life.
Suffering through this period of his life, Jack kept in touch with one childhood friend. He poured out his heart to Darryl in phone calls and in emails. Darryl would stop in to visit once in a while, but lived an hour away by car. On a whim, Darryl invited Jack to come with him on a weekend men’s retreat. Ten guys from Darryl’s churchmen’s group volunteered to help paint a neighborhood food pantry. They worked at the pantry on Saturday, then went out to eat together. They even had prayer time in the evening. On Sunday, they went to a special event at a nearby church, where a Christian gospel group presented parts of the program. That afternoon, they spent a few more hours finishing up the painting at the food pantry. Some time during that weekend, Jack found his spiritual side. He began to feel his heart coming alive again. He decided to visit with Darryl’s men’s group every month and join in a group Bible Study. The guys took Jack in and considered him one of their group. Darryl and this group of guys made a huge difference in Jack’s life. Jack even feels they saved his life. Six month later, he gave his soul to Jesus. Three years later, Jack met a woman at the church and they got married. If you meet Jack today, you’d think he had it all together. He seems to have everything a guy could want. He’s joyful at his place in life.
Before Jack met God, his decisions were decided by what was popular. He often reacted to situations by hormones and doing what felt good. This ended up causing him to drink too much, live with the wrong woman, get depression, and get sick. He was lonely and self-destructive. This was what worldly wisdom gave him. Today, following godly wisdom, Jack has good relationships with his wife and four daughters. He’s active in his church and has a good number of friends. If you had to choose which path Jack should follow, would you desire him to follow worldly wisdom or godly wisdom? To Jack, the best choice is obvious. He tried both. One worked in the short term-worldly wisdom. One worked in the long term-godly wisdom.
As a whole, do you practice godly wisdom? Are there areas in your life where worldly wisdom still holds sway? Get to know God and God’s Word intimately. God’s wisdom is a sure foundation for life. It won’t prevent you from a broken heart, sadness, hurt, or disease. But, God’s wisdom can best help you respond to it. Sometimes, godly wisdom will be all that keeps you from wrecking everything.
There are a lot of forms of worldly wisdom in the modern era. Medical wisdom from twenty years ago said that eating eggs was hazardous to your health. Now, medical wisdom says that eating egg yolks is good for your brain! Worldly wisdom from your dentist tells you that flossing is good for your teeth, and sweets are bad for your teeth. Worldly wisdom from feminism says that women can have it all, from family to independence to any job they wish. I have yet to find a godly woman who agrees. Worldly wisdom teaches that your political affiliation can influence your ability to be hired. Worldly wisdom says you should try out a relationship through premarital sex and living together. Young people often call this a “try before you buy” type of relationship. There are many forms of worldly wisdom. Different types of worldly wisdom can clash with each other. Godly wisdom is very different. For one thing, godly wisdom comes from God. It is wisdom that is found in the Bible and from a relationship with God. You can’t get godly wisdom unless you know God or study the Bible. In your life, you will have to choose which types of wisdom to put your faith in. For me, Godly wisdom works. I have found that Godly wisdom brings a longer, happier life. Godly wisdom also has the ability to bring one into favor with God (Proverbs 8:36). Worldly wisdom, in my opinion, often is destructive (as Proverbs 8:36 contends). It usually leads to failed or dysfunctional relationships, friendships, and marriages. It can lead to financial ruin, depression, and many forms of sin. To flirt with worldly wisdom is dangerous. To follow God’s wisdom may be more difficult at times, but it is the best source of information on how to enjoy a full life.
Jack met Gillian when he was in college. In every way, he thought she was his soul mate. During his senior year in college, they decided to find an apartment together to save money. It seemed like a wise choice. They had a steamy relationship and were always touching each other. The sex was great. They looked forward to being together. Everything seemed perfect. Five months after they started living together, Gillian became moody and depressive. She started to withdraw from Jack. For several months, this went on, until Jack found out that Gillian had been seeing a friend at work. Gillian admitted to Jack that she had sex with a co-worker. It broke Jack’s heart. He didn’t know what he did to deserve this stab in the back from Gillian. He moved out. To compensate for his pain, Jack began to drink heavily. He even dabbled in drugs. Depression hit hard. He became withdrawn and sullen. He quit school.
At this point in Jack’s life, he was at a very low point. To deal with his pain and hurt, he was medicating his depression with alcohol and drugs. Instead of seeking help, he sought solace. Instead of opening his heart up to God, he closed it off to God and his family and friends. Jack was in a delicate, dangerous state in his life.
Suffering through this period of his life, Jack kept in touch with one childhood friend. He poured out his heart to Darryl in phone calls and in emails. Darryl would stop in to visit once in a while, but lived an hour away by car. On a whim, Darryl invited Jack to come with him on a weekend men’s retreat. Ten guys from Darryl’s churchmen’s group volunteered to help paint a neighborhood food pantry. They worked at the pantry on Saturday, then went out to eat together. They even had prayer time in the evening. On Sunday, they went to a special event at a nearby church, where a Christian gospel group presented parts of the program. That afternoon, they spent a few more hours finishing up the painting at the food pantry. Some time during that weekend, Jack found his spiritual side. He began to feel his heart coming alive again. He decided to visit with Darryl’s men’s group every month and join in a group Bible Study. The guys took Jack in and considered him one of their group. Darryl and this group of guys made a huge difference in Jack’s life. Jack even feels they saved his life. Six month later, he gave his soul to Jesus. Three years later, Jack met a woman at the church and they got married. If you meet Jack today, you’d think he had it all together. He seems to have everything a guy could want. He’s joyful at his place in life.
Before Jack met God, his decisions were decided by what was popular. He often reacted to situations by hormones and doing what felt good. This ended up causing him to drink too much, live with the wrong woman, get depression, and get sick. He was lonely and self-destructive. This was what worldly wisdom gave him. Today, following godly wisdom, Jack has good relationships with his wife and four daughters. He’s active in his church and has a good number of friends. If you had to choose which path Jack should follow, would you desire him to follow worldly wisdom or godly wisdom? To Jack, the best choice is obvious. He tried both. One worked in the short term-worldly wisdom. One worked in the long term-godly wisdom.
As a whole, do you practice godly wisdom? Are there areas in your life where worldly wisdom still holds sway? Get to know God and God’s Word intimately. God’s wisdom is a sure foundation for life. It won’t prevent you from a broken heart, sadness, hurt, or disease. But, God’s wisdom can best help you respond to it. Sometimes, godly wisdom will be all that keeps you from wrecking everything.