Christmas. It is one of the most joyous Christian holidays, a time to remember the birth of Christ our savior. Christmas is a time to share our blessings with one another, and to be surrounded by the people we love. It is a time for giving, and a time for forgiving. Most importantly, it is a reminder of how much God loves us.
John 3:16 (NIV)
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The apostle Paul explains that there can be a higher purpose in our suffering: we can pass along to others the comfort we have received from God. In a world where the focus is increasingly on our individual needs, God’s plan is that we would have compassion for one another. God wants us to look beyond ourselves to the needs of the people around us, being like Jesus to them.
God . . . comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Ever feel like relationships are hard to navigate sometimes? Sometimes I try so hard to figure out just the right words to say and talk through a situation. Spending time getting quiet can really be the best remedy for messy situations. Taking a step back from all the emotion, frustration and exhaustion to sit quietly with Jesus can do more to get out of a mess in a relationship. Many times I realize that the real issue is not with someone else, but the devil trying to destroy.
1 Peter 5:8-9a, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith …” (NIV).
Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (NIV)
I woke up Thanksgiving morning with a very heavy heart. While Karen and I find ourselves abundantly blessed, it is where we find many of our friends this Thanksgiving season. That morning in my time with the Lord I was struggling. I had received an unexpected blessing while news my friends were receiving appeared to be anything but a blessing. At this time, it was hard for me to give thanks. I struggled most of the day, even knowing that we have a Good God. Have you been there?
Psalm 100:1-5 (NIV)
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
In I Thessalonians 5:18, the apostle Paul wrote, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Everything means both good and bad, not just the good. “In everything” is not the same as “for everything.”
The apostle is encouraging us to have an “attitude of gratitude” concerning our entire life, not just the times when things are going well. It’s sometimes takes time for us to realize benefits we received by enduring tough times. Paul makes it perfectly clear that God’s Will for us is to be thankful people. Take time this week to ask people what they are thankful for. Let’s encourage others to be thankful by our example.
Take a moment to think of all that God has done for you. Before this day began, God has put blessings in your path. Take time right now to praise Him for the great and mighty things He has done.
Ephesians 1:3-4 (NIV)
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
How many times have you called someone, knowing that they have their phone with them, and they did not pick-up and answer your call? They may have a good reason, but it does not help you when you cannot reach them. We need not only to realize that God will always answer when we call out to Him, but he commands us to make the call. Not only will God “pick-up,” but he will bless us for making the call.
Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)
3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'
Have you heard the song, “One Day With Jesus?” Without Jesus there is no hope. But with Jesus, days that appear hopeless are not. The woman whom Elijah visits appears to have already give up hope of survival. Maybe she felt that one day would not make much of a difference. In this case one day did make a difference. Make sure today is a day with Jesus.
1 Kings 17:12-16 (NIV)
12 "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread--only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it--and die."
13 Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.
14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'"
15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So, there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.
16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.
Not sure how many of you remember the full-service gas stations. You would drive up and just say, “fill ‘er up” with regular or premium. There were only two choices. You did not even have to get out of your automobile. What are you filled with today? Maybe someone was rude to you or you missed out on something. Did the place you drove impact what you were filled with, or have you allowed the Spirit of God to continually fill your tank?
“The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace.” Romans 15:13
This morning as I started my truck, it was pitch black outside. I checked my head lights and the indicator showed them to be on. Now I have been having problems with one light, but this morning I was not seeing any light whatsoever. I was just about to get into another vehicle when I realized my windshield shade was blocking my vision. We should never go down a path in the dark.
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. Psalm 119: 105
I called my internet provider to see if my lack of service was on my end or on his end. At times, the fault lies on my end. Yet, this time the lack of internet service was because his towers were down. There are many things that we can not accomplish when our internet communications goes down. When we lose communication with God, it is never on His end. And when we lose that communication, we also lose power to accomplish great and mighty things. Stay connected to God with prayer and devotions.
Deuteronomy 31:5-6 (NIV)
5 The LORD will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you.
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
This past week with the weather change, I was reminded why the hot water heater is located in the attic and not the refrigerator in the attic. The cooler weather means that it takes longer for me to get hot water in the shower. The company we keep as well as where we walk, will make a difference in our Spiritual walk.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (NIV)
21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.
22 Avoid every kind of evil.
Have you noticed the similarities between a power cord and the Trinity? Think of this, God is the power that feeds our needs while Christ intercedes on our behalf. The Holy Spirit is what keeps us grounded.
Black Wire = Power coming in
White Wire = Return to source
Copper Wire = Ground
2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
You can be so preoccupied with your own interests or problems that you are oblivious to other people’s needs. Think about if Jesus only thought about His feelings. Would Jesus have gone to the cross? (Father let this cup pass from me) We are to be Christ like, denying self requires us to care about others. When you see someone you know, can you tell us about their interests?
Philippians 2:4 (ESV)
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Are you full of Joy when you go to work? We as believers are to rejoice always. It’s our Lord who provides the joy for us. As we take a day off from our jobs, remember our purpose. We are to glorify God in all that we do! Our final destination should be enough motivation to do all things with the joy of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
In today’s automobiles there are so many wonderful safety features. When the tire pressure drops, a light comes on. When a door is ajar, a light comes on. Many times, in our relationship’s others can see little lights coming on when there is a drop or ajar in our attitude to another. Most of us are good at giving advice. We need also to be good at receiving advice.
Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in the abundance of counselors there is safety. - Proverbs 11:14
Have you heard the expression: “Here’s is my two cents”? What is the value of a penny or two cents? When I was a child, there were gumball and candy machines that would take a penny. For a penny you could get two or three pieces of gum. Now pennies are used almost solely for making change. What can you purchase for a penny? The words we say have value, but what are those words worth? I want to encourage you to weigh the value of your words before you spend them.
Wise speech is rarer and more valuable than gold and rubies. Proverbs 20:15
When and who have you told lately that you appreciated? It does my heart good when someone loves on me with kind words of appreciation. I want to encourage you right now to take a minute or two to sent a text or e-mail to someone the Lord lays on your heart to encourage.
Psalm 72:18 (NIV)
18 Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
Have you searched for something only to find it in plain sight? My neighbor called me over to help him locate his TV remote. We spend almost an hour looking under tables, chairs, and other furniture for it. Almost ready to give up, I sat down on his couch only to find the remote lying there on the cushion right beside me.
There are sins in our lives that we want to hide, but they are in plain sight to God.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Psalm 139:23-24
I received the following note from a friend. “I'm doing well, still driving Uber. I give 10% of what I make driving Uber to KHCB 105.7, have been for a few years. 1 month ago, I gave them $80. Looked @ my bank acct. & discovered that I had given them $8000. I put a comma after 80 instead of a period. Went to the station & they gave me a refund on the spot. They were very nice & gave me a tour of the station. Be careful of the commas.”
As believers we need to be very careful in our walk. A comma or other punctuation mark at the wrong time might give a very costly message. We need to be careful not to lead someone down the wrong path.
Punctuation saves lives!
Let’s eat Grandma
Let’s eat, Grandma
Ephesians 5:15 (NIV)
15 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise,
