MISSING THE POINT

It is Christmas time, and there is no other place on the calendar which can compare with it, no other season which makes its mark on the lives of so many people in so many ways. You can love Christmas, as most of us do, or you can dread it, as some surely do; but you can’t ignore it.

We can, however, miss the center, the point and the issue of the season, which is Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, in our culture, you can very easily miss Him. Warren Lewis overheard a woman on a city bus in England mutter, “O, Lor’! They bring religion into everything.” She pointed to a creche in front of a church. “Look – They’re dragging it even into Christmas now.”  (William Griffin in Clive Staples Lewis, a Dramatic Life) For vast number of secular people, Jesus Christ is just that incidental to the Christmas season; so much so that they think of Him, and the religion which bears His name, as an intrusion on their conglomerate of Santa Claus, parties and shopping.

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in a sermon entitled Matthew: Christ the Man

#3992

FACE TO FACE WITH THE SAVIOR

I am frightened by our ability in America to convince ourselves that we don't need Jesus.  We can amass fortunes, we can get degrees, we can own our house all on our own.  And yet, there's a certain affluence that we can attain when we become poverty-stricken  -- a certain humility that comes with trials, that brings us face to face with the Savior.

-- Max Lucado


#3991

THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”  (Revelation 22:16 NKJV)

O Christ the Bright and Morning Star:  grace the horizon of our world with promise of a new and holier day; that all the peoples of the earth may take fresh courage, and that the terrors of darkness may be put to flight.

-- John Underwood Stephens


#3990

THANKFULNESS TOWARDS GOD

How grateful we should be that our nation's founders recognized the importance of giving thanks. Though not considered a religious holiday by most, this traditional American holiday touches the very heart of the Christian message of thankfulness towards God.

In the original celebration, Pilgrims and Native Americans sat down together in peace and harmony to share the bounty of the earth with each other.  This year, as you take your seat between Grandma and Great-Aunt Helen, thank God for the love and warmth of family.  As you peer over the steaming bowl of mashed potatoes, pause for a moment to remember those who hunger -- both physically and spiritually.  And as you consider your life, take time -- on Thanksgiving Day and every day -- to reflect on the abundant blessings God has bestowed on you.

-- from CCON Connection


#3989

THANKFUL FOR THE “WITHOUTS”

If you’re looking for things to be thankful for (even if you live in a country where Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated this week) try some of these “withouts” the Lord brought to my mind.  I’m sure He will bring even more to yours as you focus on them.

Love Without Limits … “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Forgiveness Without Question … “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Promise Without Equivocation … “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please … what I have said, that will I bring about and what I have planned, that will I do.” (Isaiah 46:10-11)

Blessings Without Number … "You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock… Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out." (Deuteronomy 28:3-6)

Mercy Without Measure … “It is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassion fails not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Faithfulness Without Failing … “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands." (Deuteronomy 7:9)

Redemption Without Retraction …  “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)

Salvation Without Merit … But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)

Grace Without Guilt … Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Hmself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

So in a time when mankind has all but forgotten that the Lord is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Author of all our victories, who arranges every opportunity and fashions every blessing, these “withouts” might serve as good reminders to give thanks where thanks is due.

-- Jack Kelley, adapted from an article on gracethrufaith.com

#3988

GIVING TO THE LORD’S WORK

“Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.
Then He will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine.”  (Proverbs 3:9,10 NLT)

The only investments I ever made which paid constantly increasing dividends are those I have given to the Lord's work. Pastors do their congregation a great service by helping those in the church understand God's truth about money, time and giving.

-- J. L. Kraft, Founder of Kraft Foods

#3987

THE HEART OF GIVING

Giving in response to God’s amazing grace is a vital and essential aspect of true and genuine Christian Discipleship. The manner in which one gives, both in attitude and amount, will be a reflection of the condition of the heart.

When Jesus spoke to this issue, He encouraged His disciples to do more than what was required under the Old Testament with what was called the tithe (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). It is clear that our Lord was concerned not only with what we give but how we give. In other words, issues of the heart are at the heart of giving.

-- Daniel L. Akin

#3986

OUR SIXTH SENSE

Faith often looks like it’s out of touch with reality, but that’s because it’s in touch with a reality that is more real than anything you can see or hear or taste or touch or smell with your five senses. Faith is our sixth sense. And if you’re really in touch with God, sometimes it’ll appear as if you are out of touch with reality.

--  Mark Batterson in The Grave Robber

#3985

IN THE EYES OF A HOLY GOD

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  (1 John 1:8 NIV)

A study done a few years ago showed that the first sign of incompetence is our inability to perceive incompetence. We deceive ourselves about our intelligence, for example. I may think I’m pretty smart until I read about a student who did not miss a single question on the SAT, ACT, and PSAT combined. We deceive ourselves about our talent, for people at a karaoke bar sing with far more confidence than reality would allow. We deceive ourselves about our appearance. A grandpa friend of mine boarded an airport tram and noticed an attractive young woman sitting nearby who smiled at him. He thought to himself, I’ve still got it. “Excuse me, sir,” she said. “I can stand. Would you like to take my seat?"

Nowhere does this inability to have an objective, accurate, reality-based view of our performance show itself more than in the spiritual realm. When it comes to moral character, the purity of heart, the duplicity in our actions, how many of us have given serious thought to how our lives would grade out -- in the eyes of a holy, just, righteous, and truth-telling God? That is why the most dangerous force in the world is not sickness or injury or bankruptcy.

It is sin.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want to Be

#3984

IN THE EYES OF A HOLY GOD

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  (1 John 1:8 NIV)

A study done a few years ago showed that the first sign of incompetence is our inability to perceive incompetence. We deceive ourselves about our intelligence, for example. I may think I’m pretty smart until I read about a student who did not miss a single question on the SAT, ACT, and PSAT combined. We deceive ourselves about our talent, for people at a karaoke bar sing with far more confidence than reality would allow. We deceive ourselves about our appearance. A grandpa friend of mine boarded an airport tram and noticed an attractive young woman sitting nearby who smiled at him. He thought to himself, I’ve still got it. “Excuse me, sir,” she said. “I can stand. Would you like to take my seat?"

Nowhere does this inability to have an objective, accurate, reality-based view of our performance show itself more than in the spiritual realm. When it comes to moral character, the purity of heart, the duplicity in our actions, how many of us have given serious thought to how our lives would grade out -- in the eyes of a holy, just, righteous, and truth-telling God? That is why the most dangerous force in the world is not sickness or injury or bankruptcy.

It is sin.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want to Be

#3984

WALKING DOWN THE WRONG ROAD

“Do not quench the Spirit,” Paul says. (1 Thessalonians 5:19)  Any time I have a desire, the Spirit will prompt me to set it before God and ask the question, “Lord, what do You want me to do with this?” Or I can simply ask regarding any course of behavior, “If I walk down this road, where will it lead in the long run -- toward or away from the me I want to be?”

God will never lead us to manage a desire in a sinful way. If I want to walk down the wrong road, I must begin by silencing God’s divine voice within me. I must be careful not to pray about this desire with a submitted spirit. I must make sure I don’t talk about this desire with wise friends who will hold me accountable. I must make sure I don’t look carefully at passages of Scripture on the subject and reflect on them. I must do all these things without recognizing I am doing them. I must keep myself in a state of spiritual and mental vagueness where God is concerned.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want To Be

#3983

EMPTY AND RECEPTIVE

How much easier it is for most of us to give than it is to receive.  When we are in a giving mode, we are generally strong and in charge.  Sometimes we have to be brought to our knees before we are ready to receive.  This is when events and circumstances of life take over and do the emptying for us.  Maybe a bout of extended illness, or the trauma of a divorce, or the heartache of a loved one's death empties us.  When we cannot stand on our own strength, when we do not have the inner resources we normally have, we are being readied to receive.  When we are empty and poor inside, we finally realize that we have to rely on someone else giving us what we need.

Many things are given to us when we are receptive -- gifts such as a deeper understanding about ourselves and about life, a stronger union with God, a much fuller appreciation of friends and loved ones, a new look at things we so easily took for granted, a renewed vision of life that we only dimly glimpsed before.

At first we may not be receptive to what is being offered.  What is being poured into the receptive cup of our hearts may seem to be unneeded by us, or it may initially challenge us, or frighten us.  We may not want to hear the truth about our illusions, or take a giant risk of change, or to make a huge leap of belief in ourselves and others, or to accept a love like God's that is so total and unconditional.

-- Joyce Rupp in The Cup of Our Life

#3982

A PRAYER FOR VETERANS

Almighty God, we give You thanks today for our nation’s veterans. We honor them for their faithful service in defending and preserving our freedom. We are grateful to those who served during times of peace, standing ready, bravely awaiting their call to duty. We are grateful to those who served during times of unrest, enduring conflict and bearing the physical, emotional and spiritual wounds of war. We ask that You bless them, heal their wounds, and give them peace. We thank You, Lord, for all our veterans, the men and women of generations past and present. May we never forget what our country has asked of them and what they have given in return.

-- adapted from a video from Skitguys.com

#3981

THE PEACE OF CHRIST

“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”  (Colossians 3:14-16 NIV)

So here is Jesus’ word for us when someone doesn’t like us, when we get a bad review at work, or when the economy dips south and our 401(k) -- which remains the envy of 95 percent of the human race -- is down 30 percent: “My peace I give you,” Jesus promised. “I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

The peace of Jesus is something much deeper than self-help techniques to manage stress. It is deeper than anxiety reduction to make life more pleasant. It is the settled conviction that goes down to the core of your being -- to your belly where rivers of living water can flow -- that all things are in God’s hands. Therefore all things will be well, and you can live free of worry, burden, and fear.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want To Be

#3980

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

It is easier to be smart than to be good. You don’t need to know more from the Bible; you just need to do what you already know.

We don’t become doers on our own, of course. As we read the Scripture, we ask the Spirit to help us understand what to do in response, and the intersection of what the Scriptures teach and how our lives unfold will give us a never-ceasing stream to actually do what Jesus says. And when we forget, another chance will come along.

I was picking up a prescription one Saturday afternoon before a church service, and because I was in a hurry, I had called the night before to make sure it would be there. But when I got there, the man behind the counter told me it wouldn’t be ready until the next week. Apparently there was a mix-up between the medical people, the insurance people, and the pharmaceutical people.

“But I’ve got to have it,” I replied. I was scheduled to leave the United States the next day.

“Well, it’s not ready,” the clerk said.

“But the automated system told me last night it would be ready today.”

“There is a flaw in the automated system then,” he told me.

All of a sudden I felt unbelievable anger well inside me. A flaw in the system? I wanted to say, There’s a flaw in you! I didn’t say that, because people from my church might have been around. (That is an occupational hazard of being a pastor.) But with every gesture and tone that I could, I expressed contempt and irritation with the man behind the counter. I didn’t simply feel anger, I wanted to feel it. I indulged it. I wanted to make him feel small. I was amazed at my own ugliness.

When I returned to the church, I opened a Bible in my office and read a single phrase -- “love one another” -- and had to call a friend to tell him there was an inner jerk inside me that’s scary.

Then, after I got back from my trip, I went to the pharmacy to tell the man behind the counter I was sorry for being so irritated and how much I appreciated his help. And I was back in the flow.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want To Be

#3979

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

It is easier to be smart than to be good. You don’t need to know more from the Bible; you just need to do what you already know.

We don’t become doers on our own, of course. As we read the Scripture, we ask the Spirit to help us understand what to do in response, and the intersection of what the Scriptures teach and how our lives unfold will give us a never-ceasing stream to actually do what Jesus says. And when we forget, another chance will come along.

I was picking up a prescription one Saturday afternoon before a church service, and because I was in a hurry, I had called the night before to make sure it would be there. But when I got there, the man behind the counter told me it wouldn’t be ready until the next week. Apparently there was a mix-up between the medical people, the insurance people, and the pharmaceutical people.

“But I’ve got to have it,” I replied. I was scheduled to leave the United States the next day.

“Well, it’s not ready,” the clerk said.

“But the automated system told me last night it would be ready today.”

“There is a flaw in the automated system then,” he told me.

All of a sudden I felt unbelievable anger well inside me. A flaw in the system? I wanted to say, There’s a flaw in you! I didn’t say that, because people from my church might have been around. (That is an occupational hazard of being a pastor.) But with every gesture and tone that I could, I expressed contempt and irritation with the man behind the counter. I didn’t simply feel anger, I wanted to feel it. I indulged it. I wanted to make him feel small. I was amazed at my own ugliness.

When I returned to the church, I opened a Bible in my office and read a single phrase -- “love one another” -- and had to call a friend to tell him there was an inner jerk inside me that’s scary.

Then, after I got back from my trip, I went to the pharmacy to tell the man behind the counter I was sorry for being so irritated and how much I appreciated his help. And I was back in the flow.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want To Be

#3979

CITIZENS OF GOD’S KINGDOM

“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33a NIV)

For us who call ourselves Christians, our views, positions, and beliefs should all spring from our understanding of the will of God.  Christians seek, above all, to know and do the will of God.  Ultimately, nothing matters more than this.  God has created us, has a plan for us, and we believe we will be held accountable for how we respond to God's will.  We consider ourselves citizens of God's kingdom first, even before our national citizenship, and we strive to live so as to bring God's reign to the whole world.  When we invite Jesus to be Lord in our lives, we invite Him to be our sovereign or ruler.  We agree to live by His commands and teachings.  And we pledge to seek to do His will.

-- Adam Hamilton in Confronting the Controversies


#3978

AN AUDIENCE OF ONE

According to Jesus, what other people think of me matters very little.  What God thinks, matters far more.  Pray in a closed room, Jesus said, where no one but your Father can see you, rather than in a public place where you might get credit for being spiritual.  In other words, live for God and not other people.  I keep clamoring for attention and achievement.  Jesus invites me to let go of that competitive struggle, to trust that God’s opinion of me is the only one that counts, ultimately.

"There are but two principles of moral life in the universe," said the mystic Madam Guyon, "one which makes ourselves, or the most limited private good, the center; the other, which makes God, who may be called the universal good, the center."  I could summarize my entire spiritual pilgrimage as an effort to move the operating center from myself to God.

I ask myself how my life would differ if I truly played to an audience of One, if I continually asked not "What do I want to do?" or "What would bring me approval from others?" but "What would God have me do?"  Certainly my sense of ego and rivalry would fade because I would no longer need to worry about proving myself to other people.  I could concentrate instead on pleasing God, by living in such a way that would attract people to Jesus’ style of life.

-- Philip Yancey in Rumors of Another World

#3977

A REFLECTION OF OUR DISCIPLESHIP

For Christians, perhaps the most distressing aspect of political campaigns is the lying, name calling, mudslinging, and personal attacks that do not help us determine the qualifications and policy ideas of the candidates. Our country has become so polarized that we now divide ourselves off from those who do not share our political views. This division and antagonism between the parties extends even into the church, disrupting congregational life and foreclosing opportunities for fellowship, witness and cooperative ministry.

John Wesley famously advised his parishioners how to conduct themselves in an election: “1) To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy; 2) To speak no evil of the person they voted against; and 3) To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.” (Journal, October 6, 1774)

How we engage with each other in the political process is just as much a reflection of our discipleship as the particular conclusion we draw on various issues or candidates. At all times, we ought to embody the Spirit of Christ, treating each other with love, humility and respect.

-- Rev. Thomas A. Lambrecht in an article entitled “Participation in Political Process Is Opportunity and Responsibility”, Interpreter Magazine, Nov/Dec 2016

#3976

YOUR LEVEL OF SOUL SATISFACTION

“And the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in parched places, and they will strengthen your bones; and you'll be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.”  (Isaiah 58:11 ISV)

When we are hungry, anything on the menu looks good. When our soul is dissatisfied, sin begins to look tempting. That is why it is important to notice the level of soul satisfaction in our life.

On the dashboard of any car are certain lights that tell us how hot the engine is running or when we are about to run out of oil. They are commonly called “idiot lights” -- I suppose because only an idiot would ignore them. Likewise, the main light on the dashboard of our heart is our “soul satisfaction” light. This is why in the Bible there are so many commandments that call us to joy: “The joy of the Lord is your strength” and “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice!”

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want to Be

#3975

GOD IS AT WORK IN YOU

"For it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

God is at work in you is an explosive, earth-shaking, and life-changing truth. … At this very moment, whoever and wherever you are, something beyond our full comprehension is taking place within your life and mine. The infinite God of love has chosen to become resident within you and to work within you for pure good. Since God is pure goodness and has no ulterior motives, we can trust, embrace, and cooperate with the divine work going on within us and every child of God. Once we accept this truth and fully embrace this Divine Presence within us, many other things become clear and possible. We can listen to and follow the guidance of the One who made us, loves us, and is able to lead us in the way of God. We can hear and respond to the Divine call to communion and community with the present and living God. We can hear and respond to the call to faithfulness and service because we are no longer on our own, but the power and the presence of the God at work within us is ready, available, and capable to form, transform and shape us into the beautiful, faithful, and good persons we were created to become. We can now walk through each day without fear because we remember that we do not walk alone but always with the companionship and help of the One who is now at work within us. Let’s remember and remind each other often of this radical and revolutionary truth.

-- Reuben P. Job in When You Pray

#3974

A WINSOME WITNESS

"In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

The word evangelism once conjured up for me mental images of Bible-thumping, fist-pounding, loud-voiced preachers. Now I think of evangelism simply as a plain white candle. It's flame burns hot and strong, spreading light in the darkness. But as I grasp that candle, it feels cool to my touch and I have no difficulty holding it in my hand.

That's the kind of witness I feel called to be. My faith can burn brightly, but at the same time I can remain calm and cool. I am to speak about Jesus, but that does not mean that I get into heated arguments. I am to tell others about Jesus, but not in verbal battles. I am to have an answer for everyone who asks the reason for my hope, but I am to give my answer with "gentleness and respect" as Peter says.

Pushing our beliefs on others seldom meets with success. The winsome witness is a person in whom the light of Jesus shines brightly through gentle words and acts of love.

-- Tanya Ferdinandusz in The Upper Room

#3973