Advent - Day Four

For Advent this year, we are reading A Weary World Rejoices written by Brittany Rust **************************************************************

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then 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 bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give 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.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:26-38 NKJV

The wheels are put in motion for the coming of Jesus with an announcement to a young virgin girl. God was about to send the Savior and He chose to do it through her. Wow, to be in Mary’s shoes. A teenager given an incredible responsibility.

But God knew exactly what He was doing, and Mary was the person for the job. Let’s not forget that God has always, and will always, have a plan. A plan that weaves all things together for good. Mary had no idea what that looked like but her future pain and joy were wrapped up in good. And so is ours. But only because Jesus came.

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Prayer:

Father, 

           Sometimes it's hard to recognize the good in the trials of life. Help us to see Your fingerprints on everything - to recognize the value added of growing in grace and strengthening our faith and trust in You through what satan meant for bad in our lives. We want to follow Your plan and not our own. Help us, O God, for we cannot do that without You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Advent - Day Three

For Advent this year, we are reading A Weary World Rejoices written by Brittany Rust
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But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land.
And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored around the world.
Micah 5:2-4 NLT

Jesus has always been there; long before the earth was formed. He is from everlasting to everlasting. And while He is eternal, there was a time people waited for His coming on the earth. Micah 5 gives us a glimpse into His arrival—He would be born in Bethlehem.

We are reminded that under His authority and lordship, there is peace and joy. Our Jesus is a good shepherd who takes wonderful, loving care of His flock. Rest in that knowledge today; you are cared for by the Savior.

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Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for giving us the best Shepherd to watch over us, One we can trust to lead us safely through life. Thank You for protection from those who would seek to harm us, for healing us when we are wounded, for setting us free when we've gotten ourselves trapped, and for rescuing us when we are lost. Thank You for peace that passes understanding and for joy. In this holiday season especially, help us to stay focused on You and who You are. Help us to help others see their greatest hope is in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Advent - Day Two

For Advent this year, we will read A Weary World Rejoices written by Brittany Rust

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Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. 

And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited.

The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.

Isaiah 11:1-5 NLT

The people of Israel looked for a Savior who would come and set them free from the oppression they faced under other world powers. And indeed, Christ came with all power and authority to demolish evil. But He came with more power and understanding than we could ever imagine. He came with a plan to execute justice in a way no one else ever could, then or forevermore.

Celebrate that you serve a Savior who doesn't act or judge based on what we think or believe but from righteousness and grace!

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Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for sending Your Son to redeem us from our sins so that we can wear Your righteousness and be forgiven to live by Your grace and mercy. Help us to delight in obeying You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Advent - Day One - A Weary World Rejoices by Brittany Rust

For Advent this year, we will read A Weary World Rejoices written by Brittany Rust

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For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV

Isaiah gives a prophecy of the Savior who would come and reign on this earth. We get such a beautiful and powerful glimpse into this coming, and it was with eager expectation people looked forward to this moment. It was an event they longed for.

In this short passage, many things about the Messiah are described. 

A child would be born. 

The Messiah would be born to the people of Israel. A son made flesh. (Isaiah 7:14, a child would be born of a virgin and He would be named Immanuel, "God with us.").

The government would rest on His shoulders. He would rule over Israel and the world for all time. His authority would be established above all.

He would be to His people: A Wonderful Counselor - Intimately aware of the workings of God and every man's heart. He is the wisdom of God and speaks to mankind.

A Mighty God - Not only would He be a man but He would be fully God, mighty to save.

An Everlasting Father - He is the author of life and designer of the universe.

The Prince of Peace - He established peace both on the earth and in our hearts.

He would reign on the throne of David. Established from the line of David, once a king and a prophecy of His human lineage.

He would have the zeal of the Lord Almighty. The zeal of the Lord overcomes all things and all things depend on God.

There was a time when people heard this prophecy and held it dear, hoping and praying it would come soon. We get to experience this fulfillment on the other side and that's what Christmas is about—celebrating the coming that already took place. Celebrating the moment Christ entered the world to save humanity.

Are you ready to prepare your heart? Ready to celebrate Jesus?

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Prayer:

Father,

           As Advent begins, help us to prepare our hearts to receive Your greatest Gift. Let us not get caught up in the commercialism of the world, but to keep our hearts and minds focused on You. Help us to remember the hope that Your precious Son brought - and continues to bring - to us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

It's Just Not the End Yet...

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

Isaiah 61:2-4 NKJV

When I was a kid, I loved the song by Neil Diamond titled, "Song Sung Blue". It spoke of feeling blue and turning it into a song, starting to feel good, and singing the blues away. When I got a little older, I realized the premise was found in Isaiah 61:3 - The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. And that we really can sing away the spirit of heaviness.

Today was a heavy day. The only comfort for my soul has been in acknowledging God in all of it. Songs that help me to focus on the eternal faithfulness and goodness of God and knowing that in Him, it will all come out right in the end. And knowing that it's just not the end yet...

Bob Benson said, "There has to be a song. There are too many dark nights, too many troublesome days, and too many wearisome miles. Somewhere deep in the forgotten corner of one’s heart - there has to be a song. Like a cool, clear drink of water and like the gentle warmth of sunshine, and like the tender love of a child, there has to be a song!"

Songs like:

Cece Winan - Goodness of God and Worthy of It All

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFA6ZkiKIO0&list=RDRFA6ZkiKIO0&index=1

and 

Charity Gayle - I Speak Jesus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcmqSfr1ENY&list=RDRFA6ZkiKIO0&index=6 

What are your go-tos?

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for music. Thank You for songs. Thank you for the promise of relief from heavy hearts! Thank You that You alone are always worthy of our praise. Open our hearts and minds to see Your goodness in all things. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Spurgeon Writes...

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”…
Mark 15:33-34 NIV

From the writings of Spurgeon:
"This darkness tells us all that the Passion is a great mystery, into which we cannot pry. I try to explain it as substitution, and I feel that where the language of Scripture is explicit, I may and must be explicit too. But yet I feel that the idea of substitution does not cover the whole of the matter, and that no human conception can completely grasp the whole of the dread mystery. It was worked in darkness because the full, far-reaching meaning and result cannot be beheld of finite mind. Tell me the death of the Lord Jesus was a grand example of self sacrifice— I can see that and much more.

Tell me it was a wondrous obedience to the will of God—I can see that and much more. Tell me it was the bearing of what ought to have been borne by myriads of sinners of the human race, as the chastisement of their sin—I can see that, and found my best hope upon it.

But do not tell me that this is ALL that is in the cross. No, great as this would be, there is much more in our Redeemer’s death. God only knows the love of God; Christ only knows all that He accomplished when He bowed His head and gave up the ghost. 

There are common mysteries of nature into which it were irreverence to pry, but this is a divine mystery, before which we put our shoes from off our feet, for the place called Calvary is holy ground. God veiled the cross in darkness, and in darkness much of its deeper meaning lies; not because God would not reveal it, but because we have not capacity enough to discern it all. 

God was manifest in the flesh, and in that human flesh He put away sin by His own sacrifice, this we all know, but “without controversy great is the mystery of godliness.” Once again, this veil of darkness also pictures to me the way in which the powers of darkness will always endeavor to conceal the cross of Christ. We fight with darkness when we try to preach the cross.

“This is your hour, and the power of darkness,” said Christ, and I doubt not that the infernal hosts made in that hour a fierce assault upon the spirit of our Lord. Thus much we also know, that if the prince of darkness is anywhere in force, it is sure to be where Christ is lifted up. To becloud the cross is the grand objective of the enemy of souls. Did you ever notice it? These fellows who hate the gospel will let every other doctrine pass muster, but if the atonement is preached, and the truths which grow out of it, straightaway they are awakened. Nothing provokes the devil like the cross. Modern theology has for its main objective the obscuration of the doctrine of the atonement. These modern cuttlefish make the water of life black with their ink. They make out sin to be a trifle, and the punishment of it to be a temporary business, and thus they degrade the remedy by underrating the disease. We are not ignorant of their devices.

Expect, my brethren, that the clouds of darkness will gather as to a center around the cross, that they may hide it from the sinner’s view. But expect this also, that there darkness shall meet its end. 

Light springs out of that darkness—the light eternal of the undying Son of God, who having risen from the dead, lives forever to scatter the darkness of evil."

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your Living Word - And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined. Thank You for the Light of the World - Your precious Son - who redeemed us from sin, death, hell, and the grave. Open our spiritual eyes to see Your Light so that we may walk in the light as He is in the light. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Travel Advisory

Do this and you will never ever be lost. In this way you will receive a rich welcome into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2nd Peter 1:10b-11 CEB

Today was Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. - a national holiday. Lots of people traveling this week and returning home later in the weekend. Regardless of your mode of travel, I hope you have great directions for your final destination.

When I travel on the road, I used to use the AAA Triptik. They were great - maps laid out in a spiral flip binder in doable miles per page without being overwhelmed by the overall trip. The route to travel was clearly highlighted along with bits of vital information: the terrain was described (mountainous, flat lands, rolling hills), rest stops and road construction were marked, AAA-recommended hotels were noted with information to make reservations, etc. It would even warn you of speed traps! It was nigh on impossible to get lost while using a AAA Triptik. Now we use GPS or Waze... which are great as long as you have reception...

As one who can get lost so frequently that all roads look familiar, I am thrilled to find today's promise - Do this and you will never ever be lost. Since our destination is the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it would behoove us to follow the trip advisory that God has laid out for us. 

If we go back a few verses in our text for today, we find this vital information:
By his divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own honor and glory. Through his honor and glory he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, that you may share the divine nature and escape from the world’s immorality that sinful craving produces.

This is why you must make every effort to add moral excellence to your faith; and to moral excellence, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, endurance; and to endurance, godliness; and to godliness, affection for others; and to affection for others, love. If all these are yours and they are growing in you, they’ll keep you from becoming inactive and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These are the things we must do, so that we will never be lost.

Peter goes on to tell us, Whoever lacks these things is shortsighted and blind, forgetting that they were cleansed from their past sins.

Let's not get lost. God has given us the directions for our journey - His Word. It has all the vital information we need. The route is clearly highlighted. Use it! Don't take one step without it. And the reception is always great!

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You for the ultimate travel advisory. We are so grateful that You have paid the way for us to get to You. We want to be around Your banqueting table on the day You call us home. Keep us ever mindful of the trip advisories in Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
Regardless of your mode of travel, please be aware of your surroundings and stay safe.

Find Us Faithful

Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Hebrews 13:4-6 NLT

So many stories of love gone awry. There are WAY too many stories of unfaithful love in the headlines, and none of them sadder than when it involves someone who is supposed to be a Christian. Let’s just be very clear about this. It was NEVER – and HAS never – and WILL NEVER be in God’s plan for us to be unfaithful because HE is not unfaithful, nor can He be… and we are to be like Him.

Oh, we hear all the excuses…”There are too many temptations out there.” “I couldn’t help myself.” “It’s not my fault…” If the temptations are “out there,” then don’t GO “out there.” You can go to work and NOT have to be the most popular person. You CAN help yourself when you CHOOSE to follow God. Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit… I don’t need Webster’s, Oxford’s or Funk & Wagnall’s to tell me that means to control myself. I’m not even going to address “It’s not my fault…” Puh-lease!

What does it mean to be faithful? What does it take to be faithful? If we don’t know the answer to either of those, how can we be faithful? Either way - by whatever means we take - it’s only through God and striving to be like Him.

1st Corinthians 1:9 NKJV, God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1st Thessalonians 5:23-24 NKJV, Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

2nd Thessalonians 3:3 NKJV, But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

And while learning the process of being faithful and in all things, Psalm 107:1 NLT, Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Prayer:

Father,
           Establish our hearts in You so that our whole spirit, soul, and body may be preserved blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ. You are faithful, Father, who also will do it. Cause us to be faithful to You and to the ones You have placed in our lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Be On Guard

I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
2nd Peter 3:17-18 NLT

There is always someone, somewhere, who is somehow trying to ensure that the Name of Jesus will not be heard. That being said, I want to go on record and to be held accountable that the Promise for Today will never be a political statement as the world sees politics, but it WILL always be about the Word of God and taking a stand for what is holy and righteous, in spite of public opinion, and that in and of itself, may cause it to appear politically inclined. When events take place that challenge or defy Scripture, or even reinforce the prophetic, I pray God will show us His Word for that time. If I have to worry about who is going to be offended by what I write, you can best believe the only One I will worry about offending is Christ.

And so...be on guard.

I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.

I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

2nd Peter 3:5-18 New Living Translation

Prayer:

Father,
           Keep us alert and always ever mindful of You and what You want. Father, we choose to become less, so that You become MORE in our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Hands Are For Loving

And supper being ended, the devil having 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 to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
John 13:2-5 NKJV

A friend sent me a great story about hands and the value of something when it's in your hands. You may have seen it before. One example was the value of a basketball. In my hand, it's worth about the price of a basketball. However, in Michael Jordan's hands... Or the story about the old violin up for sale at an auction. It looked so bad, the auctioneer couldn't even get anyone to start the bidding. Then an old man walked to the front, lovingly took the violin in hand, and played the most incredible music! Bidding for the old violin went through the roof because of the touch of the old master's hand.

Hands are for loving. God proved that with His hands. He fashioned us in our mother's womb. He stretches forth His hands to heal. He gathers us to Himself. He corrects us and wants us to do what is right. So, whatever God has given you to do - when you do it - it's an act of love because of your obedience. No matter what it is.

Building, demolishing, washing - cooking - cleaning, giving, receiving. Letting go, holding on... Hands are for loving. What's in your hand?

Prayer:

Father,
             Help us to recognize what it is You want our hands to do and help us to do it cheerfully as unto You. By Your Grace and by Your mercy in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Stress Management

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1st Peter 5:7 NIV

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on...”

I immediately thought of our text for today. Of course, the secular world has all kinds of suggestions on how to make it better, and I thought about doing a comparison of the original suggestions to see how many of them were based on Scripture, but I thought I’d just rather do this.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul...Psalm 23:2-3 KJV

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… Isaiah 53:4a NKJV

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him… Isaiah 53:5c NKJV

The syllabus for our stress management course is called The Bible… Pay close attention to what is written in red.

Prayer:

Father,
            We pray according to Your Word in Psalm 25, Show us the right path, O Lord; point out the road for us to follow. Lead us by Your truth and teach us, for You are the God who saves us. All day long we put our hope in You. Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and unfailing love, which You have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of our youth. Remember us in the light of Your unfailing love, for You are merciful, O Lord. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Finding Answers

Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
Job 38:2-7 NLT

Looking for answers? How many search engines can you name off the top of your head? We’re a world of people who want answers. We always want to know why. We always try to find the reason or the cause of why something happened. Bible colleges even teach courses in apologetics to try to help us explain or defend our beliefs.

However, there are horrific events that take place for which we have no answers and we cannot ignore the proverbial elephant sitting in the room and say nothing and carry on as though it is life as usual with a cavalier attitude of “today's another day.” So what I do have, I offer to you.

Psalm 42:3, Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?”

Matthew 5:4, Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Romans 8:26-27, And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

2 Timothy 1:7, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Revelation 21:8, But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

1st Thessalonians 4:13-18, And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.

Revelation 21:4, And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

If you’re looking for answers, I only know one place that won’t give you the wrong answer… and only one place where you can find the answer to every question. God’s Word.

Prayer:

Father,
           There are situations where we can’t even begin to know how to pray without Your direction. According to Your Word, Holy Spirit, help us in our weakness. Pray for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And Father, hear our hearts as the Spirit pleads for us in harmony with Your own will. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

What to Remember

 Psalm 46 NIV

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[b] A song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Prayer:

Father,

         Help us to ALWAYS remember that You are our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Then we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. You are always with us! You are our impregnable Fortress. We want to know You in Your fullness, Father. Be exalted, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Upright or Uptight?

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
Romans 6:14-16 NLT

There are those who would have us believe that since we live under God's Grace - the grace that frees us from the requirements of the law - that we are free to do whatever we want. I have to ask - did they not continue to read? Verses 15 and 16 of our text quickly and clearly dispel that fallacy.

Titus 2:11-14 NIV backs it up - For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

So in my mind, this begs the question: Are we eager to do good or only eager to do what feels good? There is a HUGE difference...

Titus 2:15a NIV, reads: These, then, are the things you should teach.

Prayer:

Father,
           Help us to walk in the full redemption of the glorious grace You have provided for us so that we can say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the Blessed Hope. Please continue to purify us for Yourself so that we may be Your very own people. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Life Groups

A friend loves at all times...
Proverbs 17:17a NKJV

At our church, we have a wide variety of Life Groups; men, women, married couples, and young adults. Next year, we will add Life Groups to our Youth ministry. Tonight was the Celebration Dinner for the completion of our 2022 Life Groups. To me, it is always a wondrous event and a little bit like a foretaste of Heaven. To celebrate what we have accomplished as a group focused on our community.

The premise of our Life Groups is a covenant commitment - to be an active participant to grow together in the Word and in relationship with God and with each other. There is a special bond that forms and proves to be trustworthy and faithful. It builds a spiritual confidence knowing that you don't have to face any of life's trials alone. It's living out Romans 12:15, to rejoice with those rejoicing and to weep with those who are weeping. 

I believe we are supposed to walk this way with all our Christian brothers and sisters, not just our Life Groups. However, we don't. We don't take the time to build relationships, to get real with each other, to be transparent with our struggles. We're afraid of judgment and concerned with what others will think or do. Family, can we just lay it all down at the feet of Jesus and bear one another's burdens?  Let's do this life in Christ.

Prayer:

Father,

          We choose this day to lay it all at the foot of the Cross. Every sin, every burden, every test and trial, every joy and triumph, every loved one, and every not-so-loved one. Keep us ever mindful that we are to love at all times. To love like Jesus loved and laid down His life for us. Help us, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Clunkers

At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.
2nd Corinthians 5:16b-18 NLT

Let me start with telling you that I used to drive an honest-to-goodness, genuine, bonafide, redneck clunker... one that kind souls had poured money in to make sure it kept running and was road-worthy. And when I drove to work or to the store, I used to park in the back or on the side - away from the new cars and the lights - because my car always looked worse sitting between two nice cars. Don't get me wrong - I was grateful it ran. In fact, I'm sure owning that car improved my prayer life, but I was embarrassed to the point that I wanted to nominate my own car for the show where they take the clunkers and fix them up.

A few years later, I was able to purchase a new car. One night, backing out of a front-row parking space, I caught a view of that car in the glass storefront and whispered, "Thank You, God..." I was sincere in my thanks, but I was clueless.

Immediately, God reminded me of where He TRULY had brought me from...and it had nothing to do with a car or with me being honest-to-goodness or genuine. However, I guarantee I was a bonafide, sin-sick clunker of a woman who didn't have the good sense to be ashamed of my sin until He opened my eyes to get a view of myself from His holy perspective. Oh, praise God for His mercy and His GREAT grace!! Driving a nice car will not get me to Heaven or have any effect on my eternity one way or the other (unless there's a pride issue.) I can stand with my head up only because HE is the lifter of my head. Because HE has washed my sins away. Because I am loved so much that He sent His Son to die in my place...

Whether I'm looking in a storefront window or glancing in the rearview mirror - It's a great view from where I am... here at the foot of the Cross.

Prayer:

Father,
           Like the old song says, if they could see where You brought me from, they would know why I love You so. It's our desire to live like You and for You. Keep our vision clear so we can find our way home in You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

A Different Twist on Veterans Day

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:13-14 NLT

I did not write this, my sister - our youngest sibling - wrote it.  It's a little dark, as memories of war usually are, but it in no way tells it all. However, there's a light at the end of the darkness... the Light of the world.
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I’ve been thinking a lot about Veterans Day today, seeing many posts on social media to thank veterans for their service, lots of flags, pics of them together. It’s wonderful that so many people care enough about the men and women who serve and who have served our great country for our freedom.

Let’s talk about the forgotten veterans, the ones who were spat on in the 70’s, drafted into a war they did not ask to fight, who saw their buddies killed, the ones who had to make a choice to be killed or kill the one younger than they who was holding a machine gun pointed back at them. The ones who came back… but were never the same. I didn’t see any posts about them. I didn’t see any posts about the ones suffering from PTSD or the ones living on the street. They served, too, but I didn’t see anyone mention them today. How I wish they would have cared enough to think about them, too. They served. They left their families, too. Please, God, let them not stay forgotten.

Let’s talk about the ones like my dad, the POWs tortured in enemy camps. My father was a POW for 19 months during WWII in a Japanese prison camp on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. He never came back the same, either. As the child of a former POW, I will tell you that you live their nightmares with them… He can’t sleep and you can’t sleep through his screams because of the memories that haunt him when he closes his eyes. Then there would be those times he couldn’t sleep at all and would stay up for 3 or 4 nights in a row and no one could rest. There could be much more said about his torment but that would not be the point of this story.

You might think that as a child I would have felt proud of my dad, for his service, for making it home, and for being a hero, but I didn’t. I wanted him to be like everyone else’s dad, but he wasn’t. He never would be, but as a child, you don’t understand that. You just keep hoping he’ll change. He would get himself in trouble with law enforcement, and get into physical fights because he had to prove that no one would ever get the best of him again. He couldn’t hold down a job. I only knew my dad to work 2 jobs when I was growing up, 2 weeks at a tile store and 1 night at a 7-11 and it was robbed that same night.

Between the summer of my 6th & 7th year of school, my dad decided he couldn’t deal with the responsibilities of married life and children, so he left. I didn’t even cry when he left. So much of our lives were in turmoil caused by him that I was actually glad to see him go. He came back into our lives about 3 years later - a different man - but still not one I could trust to be a “daddy”.

As he aged, his moods were much more erratic and there came a time when my brother and I had to commit him to a VA psychiatric hospital because he had hit his wife and knocked her down. There seemed to be nothing worse to me at that time than to have to visit my father there and hear him make threats to kill me for making that decision. Thankfully, after 4 months of treatment, they found a regimen of meds that kept him at an even keel, and he lived out his life without any more violent episodes. I grew to accept him for who he was until he passed away at the age of 80.

I didn’t cry when I got the call that he had passed; I just felt a huge emptiness, the kind that makes you sick to your stomach. I knew he was no longer being tormented in his mind, and I was very thankful for that. I thanked God for it as I was sitting in the VA chapel for his service. I was fine until they played Taps, and then I felt the hot tears flowing down my face because of “that war” that stripped me of a father, stripped my mother of a good husband who should have loved her unconditionally, who should have provided for her and made her feel safe. He just wasn’t able to do that because of all he had been through…

In this past year, God has done a healing in me about my father. I don’t know if it’s because I’m older and wiser or that God finally broke down the walls that have surrounded me regarding all my hidden feelings about my dad... all those things we’re not supposed to talk about. God has shown me that my father did the best he could with all that he had going on in his mind. Honestly, when you stop and think about it, the fact that he could function for as long as he did is absolutely miraculous. I look forward to seeing him in Heaven, complete and whole, and I can’t wait to hug him and thank him for being my dad and to tell him I love him and that I am proud of his service to our country. He is safe now; his mind is at peace.

God made a way for this miraculous, healing change in me. My prayer is that you will reach out to Him and let God help you through your life struggles, as only He can.

INSTINCTS by Pr. Alan Neel

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
Galatians 5:16-18

From my Pastor, Alan Neel *******
In order for us to overcome our natural sinful instincts, we must allow the Holy Spirit to guide our lives. Unfortunately, many people don’t want anyone to guide them or give them directions. We should understand that the battle to overcome our sinful flesh is never won by self-discipline but by submission [to God].

The power of God is only revealed in our lives through daily submission. It’s time that we tune in to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead us to success over our sinful instincts. Listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit is the way to life, peace, and joy!

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Prayer:

Father,

           Forgive us for thinking we can accomplish anything without You. Holy Spirit, guide us into all Truth. Open our eyes of understanding to comprehend what it means to be in true submission to Your will instead of our own. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Worries

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
Luke 12:25 NLT

We all know there are different ways to look at life's challenges. Some people are logically methodical, planning each detail. Some are what we call worry warts. They try to perceive every possible scenario and figure out what could go wrong and worry accordingly. Still others try to roll with whatever comes their way at whatever time it comes and hope they can figure it out.

The truth we miss in the process is that when we worry, we are essentially leaving out the most important part of any solution. God - who promises to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8). Jesus - who promised to be with us all the way to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). And the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and tell us about the future (John 16:13 NLT).

Worry is what we do when we don't acknowledge God in life's scenarios - past, present and future - even though we are instructed to not borrow trouble from tomorrow (Matthew 6:34). We must remember that God is omnipresent. There is NEVER a time when He is not with us. Therefore, since God is with us (Immanuel), there is never a reason to worry. Accept life's circumstances for what they truly are - opportunities to trust God and grow our faith.

Prayer:

Father,
           Open our eyes to see You in all things. Open our hearts to embrace Your omnipresence. Holy Spirit, please always remind us to trust, not worry. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Let There Be Light

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:3 NLT

The following was written by my dear friend, David Jackson.

God’s first recorded words in Scripture illuminated His new creation with light. This is not the light of the sun, which was not created till the fourth day. This initial illumination is apparently the glory of God, that brilliant evidence of His presence from which man retreated in his fallen state, having degenerated to a point where he loved darkness more than the light (John 3.19). 

It is this glory of God that will illuminate the new creation once it has been delivered from the evil and injustice of a dark, fallen world (Revelation 22.5). It is this glory that is captured in the very person of Jesus Christ. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4.6 NLT). Jesus is the Light of the world, that “true Light that gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1.9).

Jesus’ first coming illuminated the path for entering the kingdom of God. His second coming will be “a glorious appearing” that establishes that heavenly kingdom on earth (Titus 2.13-14). It will be a moment when the prevailing evil that has smothered the world in gross darkness for so long will be “destroyed by the brightness of His coming“ (2 Thessalonians 2.8). On that great Day when every eye shall be overwhelmed by a brilliance greater than the sun shining at peak strength, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He alone is the true Light of the World. 

In the light of that moment, all the world will be of one mind, agreeing together that Jesus alone illumines the Way to the Father; He alone disperses the darkness that has been attempting to conceal the Truth; He alone can ignite our soul with new Life. That glorious appearing is not far away. Today is the day of preparation for that day.

Dear Jesus,
                  Shine Your Light on us! Illumine our souls with Your very presence. Illumine our path with Your Word that we might know “the way wherein we should walk.” And light up our hearts and minds with a sense of urgency so that we may prepare ourselves for Your soon glorious return. Amen

A Long Story...

I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God's straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master.
2nd Peter 1:1-2 The Message

A few years back, I was on the computer at work, taking care of business with one of the engineers, when someone brought a woman to my desk. I didn't know her, but thought maybe she was the wife of one of our field guys. She was not. She asked if she could use my phone, which I thought was a little strange, considering there is a phone in the front lobby that she had to pass in order to get to our office door. I dialed the number she requested and handed her my phone.

It's a little difficult to try to give someone privacy when they're less than 2 feet away from you, talking on your phone. She proceeded to tell whoever was on the other end that she'd been clean 15 days and she wasn't messing that up for anybody, and she was afraid of repercussions from the other halfway house residents for letting the director know that the anybody's were using, so she left the house and took a "wrong" turn and wound up in our office - specifically, at my desk.

Let me just say - God is so cool.

When all was said and done, I found myself offering to give her a ride to her destination. I really felt impressed that it was a divine intervention for the woman. On the way to my car, she reiterated that she was 15 days clean (from a 20-year addiction) and wanted to know if I ever had any kids who were recovering addicts. I told her no, I had one that was recoverED, and so was her mother. She asked how long I'd been clean (since 1980). Once we got in the car, she asked if I ever sponsored people (It's a 12-step feature.) I told her not really, because I didn't do the 12-step - I took one step...to God. (Please understand - I am NOT knocking 12-step programs - I know they work, too.) So then she started to tell me about the "higher power acceptance" portion of the program. She finished with the declaration that she hadn't yet picked her higher power from the ones they offered, but she didn't believe in God because she couldn't touch Him or see Him.

I asked her if she breathed every day. She said yes. Breathe in? Yes. Out? Yes. Can you touch it? Can you see it? Her reply was no, but you could see what it does. Perfect answer. I replied, You can see what God does, too. I could tell by her face she didn't believe me, so I began.

You think you took a wrong turn in getting to my office, but let's look at the facts. There are any number of places you could have walked into, but you walked into our building. There were about 75 people on the 1st floor of our building today. 73 or 74 of them would have directed you to the phone - only 2 would not...and one of them happened to be in the lobby and brought you to my desk... To MY desk - the only one in the building (to my knowledge) who God has delivered from alcohol and drug abuse - none of which was known by the people I work with.

To make a long story a little shorter, she had to acknowledge God as the orchestrator and also acknowledged that our meeting was His handiwork. She allowed me the opportunity to pray with her before she got out of my car. God is faithful.

Definitely, a divine intervention.

Prayer:

Father,
            Thank You for divine appointments to share our story. May we always be able to hear You and obey. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

What Time?

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
Psalm 56:3 KJV

Scripture doesn't tell us we'll never be afraid, but it does tell us not to fear. There is a difference. 

Fear will come - just like every other test and trial - but in God's Word, there is an answer - an antidote - for every one of them, including fear. 

The miraculous thing is the antidote is the same for each of them... trust in God.

Some might say that's over-simplifying the message. No, it's not easy to trust God in the middle of it all. It's quite difficult. It takes FAITH. Ask Peter. Ask Abraham. Ask Mary...and the list goes on and on.

What time? Any time, EVERY time, all the time. Wherever, whenever. Trust in God. He not only has the answer, He IS the answer.

Prayer:

Father,
          Forgive us for not exercising the measure of faith You have given each of us. We choose to trust You - no matter the circumstance. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.