WHERE IS THE ONE?

The Magi come asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:2)

Tradition has it that there were three Magi, probably because the Bible account names three gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh.) The names used for these Magi are Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, and tradition also says that they are of three different ethnic groups, signifying that Christ comes not just for one nation but for all people. In fact, that is what we celebrate in January at Epiphany: Jesus Christ as the Light of the world. We celebrate Christ as Light to the whole world, not as the Light to one small group in the world.

Many Christians mark Epiphany in only cursory ways, as if everything about Christmas ends at midnight on December 25.  We do seem in a hurry sometimes to put away Christmas... Most of us stop playing Christmas music, too, as if the songs are inappropriate at any other time of the year...

Commentators have said we seem in a hurry after Christmas to box up once again our patience, our tolerance, our generosity and put them back in the attic, as if we can sustain good behavior for a few weeks but wouldn't want to risk making it a way of life.  We may also put away our willingness to give a bit more, to be more forgiving, even to be more patient in traffic as we often are during the holidays. Perhaps we even box up our desires to hope and our openness to miracles and mystery, as if the messages of the Christmas stories can't quite survive the rigors of real life in the rest of the year. The Magi call us to continue our observance of Christ's coming after December is over. 

-- Mary Lou Redding in “WHILE WE WAIT: Living the Questions of Advent” (Nashville, Tenn.: Upper Room Books, 2002)   

#5255

WE ARE NOT ALONE

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”  (Isaiah 41:10 NIV)

God is with us!

This is the proclamation made visible to us in the brightness of Christmas Day.  We are radically accompanied.  There is nothing in human experience that is not touched and ultimately transfigured by divine life itself.  Matter is suffused with spirit. 

We are not alone. 

-- Wendy M. Wright in “The Vigil: Keeping Watch in the Season of Christ's Coming” (Nashville, Tenn.: Upper Room Books, 1992, used with permission)

#5254

REMEMBERING GOD’S LOVE

“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.”  (John 3:16)

Has something bad happened to you? If so, do you think it means God doesn’t really know what’s going on? Or worse, maybe He knows, but He’s not pleased with you or He doesn’t love you? Are you interpreting His love by your circumstances -- instead of interpreting your circumstances by His love?

When you’re tempted to question whether or not God cares, remember Christmas and the Baby in Bethlehem. Jesus said, “The Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God.” (John 16:27)

When tempted to doubt God’s love, take a good look at the heart of God wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. God loves you so much that He has given you Jesus. 

-- Anne Graham Lotz in “Fixing My Eyes on Jesus”

#5253

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

Ask most people why they became Christians, and they'll likely tell you the story of other people whose witnesses were their inspiration. Ever since the shepherds and the wise men left the manger, telling what they saw to the people they met, Christians sharing their personal encounters with God have been the most important evangelism tools in the church.

It's no different today. On the job, in our neighborhoods, while running errands -- throughout our daily living -- we encounter people who are yearning for a deeper relationship with the living God. And our individual testimonies, told with humility, earnestness and gratitude (not pomp and self-righteousness) are often the stepping stones brothers and sisters need as they take that closer walk with God.

If Christ has made a difference in your life, you ought to tell somebody… Learn to share your story.

-- from Interpreter magazine, October 2000

#5252

PUTTING CHRISTMAS AWAY

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”  (Luke 2:11 KJV)

Do not put Christmas away too soon -- keep the joy and the song going for the whole season. We have put too much effort into getting ready to celebrate for just one day. One day cannot contain all the joy of the good news that has come to us in Jesus Christ.

-- Mary Anna Vidakovich in “Sing to the Lord” 

#5251

THE TRUE MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS

Jesus said, "Let us go somewhere else -- to the nearby villages -- so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."  (Mark 1:38 NIV)

Over the last 10 years I have conducted Christmas Eve services in some unlikely places -- restaurants, firehouses, football-stadium parking lots, and prisons. On Christmas Eve two years ago, I participated as over 350 people, nearly all strangers to one another, gathered for a Christmas Eve service of carols, candlelight and Communion -- in a downtown dance hall and bar. In this unlikely venue, I saw God move in the hearts and lives of people, most of whom never would have stepped through the door of a church. It was a powerful reminder to me that in Jesus, God reveals the intention to encounter us where we are.

Many times those of us in the church forget that Jesus was not born in a church or cathedral; he was born "off-site" in the dirt and dung of a stable for animals. He was born in the midst of the reality of life, not as in some stained-glass portrayal of a royal birth. This was a real God, for real people, in real life. That's what Emmanuel, "God with us," means.

The true miracle of Christmas is not found in the pageantry of a great Christmas Eve service. The true miracle of Christmas is the truth that God is with us in the dirt and dailyness and in the reality and imperfection of our lives.

-- J. Mack Strange in "The Upper Room Online Daily Devotional"

#5250

JOY IN A WEARY WORLD

“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.”  (Isaiah 9:6 NKJV)

In December 1948 Prince Charles was baptized in Buckingham Palace. The following day the first pictures of the royal baby and heir apparent were released to the public. One of the most popular photos showed the royal family, including parents and grandparents, gathered around the little prince, gazing at him. The caption underneath was: “All eyes on the Baby.”…

This Christmas, and throughout the coming year, we have every reason for optimism. In all the weariness of life write this caption underneath your life: “All eyes on the Baby… the Baby Jesus.” He came the first time in a cradle as a Savior to bring the light of salvation, life, and forgiveness. He is coming again wearing a crown, as Sovereign, as Prince of Peace, to take over and make everything right forever. Whatever you do this Christmas, don’t miss the joy!

In dismay -- looking at the current situation of the ongoing pandemic -- some might say, “Look what the world has come to.” In delight -- looking at the Son who was given -- we can say, “Look Who has come to the world” and “look Who is coming again.”

That’s more than enough to shine light into every heart and saturate every mind with joy in a weary world.  

-- Adapted from an article by Mark L. Hitchcock entitled “A Weary World Rejoices”

#5249

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them light has shined.”  (Isaiah 9:2 NRSV)

It may come from a star. But somehow Christmas means seeing all of life in a new light. We live so much of our lives engulfed by the darkness of stumbling among the shadows of our selfishness. We live in a world beclouded by evil and hostility, by greed and hatred. Light means liberation! Light means freedom! Light means a new, better and brighter day! As people who walk so often in darkness, may we see a great light -- the light and splendor of Christmas.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  (John 8:12 NIV)

-- Don G. Smith, from an article entitled “Musings on a Miracle”

#5248

COME, THOU LONG EXPECTED ONE

“For a Child has been born for us, a Son given to us; authority rests upon His shoulders; and He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  (Isaiah 9:6-7 NRSV)

Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Son of the Most High, Prince of Peace, be born again into our world. Wherever there is war in this world, wherever there is pain, wherever there is loneliness, wherever there is no hope, come, thou long-expected One, with healing in Thy wings. 

-- Frederick Buechner

#5247

BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME

(Based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and John 3:16)

Because God loves me, He is slow to lose patience with me.

Because God loves me, He takes the circumstances of my life and uses them in a constructive way for my growth.

Because God loves me, He is for me. He wants to see me mature and develop in His love.

Because God loves me, He does not send down His wrath on every little mistake I make, of which there are many.

Because God loves me, He does not keep score of all my sins and then beat me over the head with them whenever He gets the chance.

Because God loves me, He is deeply grieved when I do not walk in the ways that please Him because He sees this as evidence that I don't trust Him and love Him as I should.

Because God loves me, He keeps on trusting me when at times I don't even trust myself.

Because God loves me, He never says there is no hope for me; rather, He patiently works with me, loves me, and disciplines me in such a way that it is hard for me to understand the depth of His concern for me.

Because God loves me, He never forsakes me even though many of my friends might.

Because God loves me, He stands with me when I have reached the rock bottom of despair, when I see the real me and compare that with His righteousness, holiness, beauty, and love. It is a moment like this that I can really believe that God loves ME.

Because God loves me, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, and that believing in Him I will have eternal life with the God who loves me.

Yes, the greatest of all gifts is God's perfect love given to us in His Son!

-- Dr. Dick Dickinson, Inter-Community Counseling Center, Long Beach, California

#5246

GOD IS ACTIVE IN THE DARK

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.”  (Luke 2:8-9)

When she was very young, one of my granddaughters became afraid of the dark. To fall asleep she needed a night-light in her room.

I wonder if you, like my granddaughter, are also afraid of the dark. Not the dark of night but the dark times in life, when pressures, problems, pain, and even persecution envelope us in a fog of confusion or depression… those spiritually dark times when God seems far away.

Please know that from the very beginning, God has been active in the dark. At the earliest dawn of creation, the Bible says, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering.” (Genesis 1:2)

If you are presently living in darkness… of a humanly hopeless situation… of death or disease or divorce… of fear or failure or frustration… of doubt or danger… of confusion or depression… be assured that God is with you. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” (Psalm 23:4 NIV)  God will change things, and He has a word for you.

God is active in the dark. Just ask the shepherds. 

-- Adapted from Anne Graham Lotz in “Fixing My Eyes on Jesus”

#5245

ADVENT WAITING AND WATCHING

It turns out that the One who made us is also the One who cannot stand for us to be apart. And that One begins to whisper to the ones who will listen -- "I will come again, I will walk among you. Look for me in a child who is to come, born of a maiden." The ones who hear the whisper and believe it begin to whisper themselves, trying to describe as best they can what they hear and what is to come. They use words like "Messiah," "Immanuel," the "Rod of Jesse," and "Son of David," trying to speak of what they know can hardly be said. The collective repeating of the whisper grows in volume until it has become as the sound of a voice crying in the wilderness.

Those who have begun to wait and to watch can indeed do only that: wait and watch. They look for the signs of God among us and wait and hope and wonder if they have somehow misunderstood.

And now we wait along with them again. 

-- Robert Benson in “The Night of the Child” (Nashville, Tenn.: Upper Room Books, 2001. Used with permission.) 

#5244

REMEMBERING WHAT GOD HAS DONE

“God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.”  (Ephesians 1:5)

Remembering what God has done is encouraging. Do you need to be encouraged today? I get down when I focus on myself and fail to look up at Jesus. When I look down, I forget all the blessings I have and all the blessings that await me in the future. When I begin to focus on all that God has done for me it lifts me up out of muck and mire…

I have learned it is beneficial to take time to record what the Lord has done in my life. This colorful roadmap of my journey helps me remember God’s faithfulness. When I get focused on the fact that I’m not where I want to be, I forget how far the Lord has brought me. My journal helps me refocus on God as I remember what He has done.

Remembering is important because we easily forget. Remember where He found you and how He adopted you into His family. 

-- Adapted from Tom Graves, The Light of Christ Journey Blog

#5243

THE GIFT FOR ALL PEOPLE – Part 2

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16 NLT)

Why did God choose you? 

The answer is at once simple and profound.  He chose you because He wanted to.  After all, you are His.  He made you.  He brought you home.  He owns you.  And if you've never heard Him assuring you of that simple fact, be reminded by the words on this page.  Let these words resonate in your heart: the God who created you loves you.  He made the ultimate sacrifice because of you.  No, God doesn't need you.  He wants you.  So, what do we do with this gift?  What does it have to do with our daily existence?

It has everything to do with it.  Our task on earth is singular -- to choose our eternal home.  You can afford many wrong choices in life.  You can choose the wrong career and survive, the wrong city and survive, the wrong house and survive.  You can even choose the wrong mate and survive.  But there is one choice that must be made correctly and that is your eternal destiny. 

-- Max Lucado in “The Gift for All People”

#5242

THE GIFT FOR ALL PEOPLE – Part 1

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23 NLT)

To whom does God offer His gift?  To the brightest?  The most beautiful or the most charming?  No.  His gift is for us all -- beggars and bankers, clergy and clerks, judges and janitors.  All God's children.

And He wants us so badly, He'll take us in any condition -- "as is" reads the tag on our collars.  He's not about to wait for us to reach perfection (He knows we'll never get there!).  Do you think He's waiting for us to overcome all temptations?  Hardly.  When we master the Christian walk?  Far from it.  Remember, Christ died for us when we were still sinners.  His sacrifice, then, was not dependent on our performance.

He wants us now.  And He'll do whatever it takes to bring His children home. Christ's love has no strings, no expectations, no hidden agendas, no secrets.  His love for us is up front and clear.  "I love you," He says.  Even if you let Me down.  I love you in spite of your failures." Why did God choose you?  Why did He choose me?  Honestly. Why?  What do we have that He needs? 

-- Max Lucado in “The Gift for All People”

#5241

REDISCOVERING THE REAL CHRIST

We need to forget the imagery of the Christ who has been ours too long and to rediscover the real Christ, the Christ of the prophets and the martyrs and the confessors, the Christ who is not only the lover of souls but also master, a monarch with demands to make in industry, in finance, in education, in the arts, in marriage, in the home; the Christ who is teacher of a social ideology which has eternal validity; the Christ who cries aloud with convincing force, "For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it" (Mark 8:35). 

-- Bernard Iddings Bell (1886-1958) in “Still Shine the Stars” 

#5240

BEING PRESENT THIS SEASON

If what it takes for you this year to be present in this sacred, thin place, to feel the breath and presence of a Holy God, is to forgo the cookies and the cards and the rushing and the lists, then we’ll be all right with cookies from the store and a few less gifts. It would be a great loss for you to miss this season, the soul of it, because you’re too busy pushing and rushing. And it would be a great loss if the people in your life receive your perfectly wrapped gifts, but not your love or your full attention or your spirit. This is my prayer for us, that we would give and receive the most important gifts this season -- the palpable presence of a Holy God, the kindness of well-chosen words, the generosity of spirit and soul. My prayer is that what you’ve lost, and what I’ve lost this year, will fade a little bit in the beauty of this season, that for a few moments at least, what is right and good and worth believing will outshine all the darkness, within us and around us. And I hope that someone who loves you gives you a really cute scarf. Merry Christmas. 

-- Shauna Niequist in “Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way”

#5239

HOW OTHERS PERCEIVE YOUR FAITH

"Ever since the creation of the world God's eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things God has made." (Romans 1:20)

When I was in high school, I was the drum major for our marching band. When we would perform on the football field or in a parade, the band director would always say, “People listen with their eyes.” In other words, if band members were out of step or out of line, the audience would perceive the band to be out of tune.

I have come to realize the same thing holds true with our faith. People cannot see your faith. So they judge your faith by what they can see. People will trust their eyes long before they will ever trust your words. What do your visibles say about the invisible things you believe?  

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson

#5238

THOSE TO WHOM THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGE CAME

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord…”  (Isaiah 61:1-2a NKJV)

Consider for a moment those to whom the Christmas message came. A poor, bewildered carpenter and his young bride far from home; a group of cold and hungry shepherds; a worn-out innkeeper; and a trio of travel-weary wise old men. And throughout this holy infant's life it was with the hurting and the broken ones He chose to spend His time; and He was crucified among them at the end. So if you feel a little weary, a little rushed, a little breathless at the manger, then take heart because this message is for you.

Christmas speaks above all else to the poor and homeless, the hungry, oppressed, and friendless of our world. We must never let ourselves forget that, or our celebrations will be false as Santa's whiskers. But it also speaks to those who are burdened in any way, whether with regrets for the past, heartache in the present, or foreboding for the future. God says to us this night, "Be strong, fear not, for I am with you. I am for you and I will never let you go. Here is my Son to prove it." 

-- J. Barrie Shepherd in “Jubilee: Readings Through the Year from Alive Now”, published by The Upper Room, Nashville, TN.   Used with permission.

#5237

STARVING FOR PEACE

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!”  (Isaiah 26:3 NLT)

Variety may be the spice of life, but it is not life itself.  It is that bread of life, that peace of God which is the very staff of life itself, for which men's souls are starving in these days.

-- G. A. Studdert Kennedy in “The Wicket Gate”

#5236

INFLUENCING OTHERS

“As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”  (1Peter 1:15-16 ESV)

Influence grows out of worship. Without that preoccupation, we have nothing to give a cynical, desperately unhappy, and unsettled world.

In 1966, during the closing service of the World Congress on Evangelism in the Kongresshalle in Berlin, Germany, Billy Graham spoke of the need for “a gentleness and a kindness and a love and a forgiveness and a compassion” that will mark us as different from the world. “We must be a holy people,” he said.

As an illustration of the power of personal holiness, he spoke of the conversion of Dr. H. C. Morrison, founder of Asbury Theological Seminary. He described a day many years before when Morrison, as a farm worker, was plowing in a field. Looking down the road, he saw an old Methodist circuit rider coming by on his horse.

Morrison had seen the elderly gentleman before and he knew him to be a gracious, godly man. As he watched the old saint go by Morrison felt the power of God’s presence, and a great sense of conviction of sin came over him. He dropped to his knees. And there, between the furrows in his field, alone, he gave his life to God.

When he concluded the story, Billy Graham earnestly prayed, “Oh, God, make me a holy man, a holy man.” 

-- David Roper in “A Beacon in the Darkness: Reflecting God’s Light in Today’s World”

#5235

ADVENT HOPE – ALERT EXPECTATION

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”  (Hebrews 10:23)

Hoping does not mean doing nothing. It is not fatalistic resignation. It means going about our assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions. It is not compelled to work away at keeping up appearances with a bogus spirituality. It is the opposite of desperate and panicky manipulations, of scurrying and worrying.

And hoping is not dreaming. It is not spinning an illusion or fantasy to protect us from our boredom or our pain. It means a confident, alert expectation that God will do what He said He will do. It is imagination put in the harness of faith. It is a willingness to let God do it His way and in His time. It is the opposite of making plans that we demand that God put into effect, telling Him both how and when to do it. That is not hoping in God but bullying God. "I pray to GOD… waiting for what He'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.”

-- Eugene H. Peterson in “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society”

#5234

ADVENT HOPE – FAITHFUL EXPECTATION

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.”  (Psalm 130:5)

In modern language, hope has become little more than a strong wish or a way of stating our preference. Hope, however, is a holy word, a powerful and exciting word. The word hope really means "faithful expectation." We hope, that is we faithfully expect that God is acting on our behalf to create, to save, and to sustain us. We claim an expectation for the future, even when the present does not provide proof that the future will be good; and we do so faithfully, within the relationship we claim with God in Jesus Christ. When we as faithful people say "hope," we should use the word with our feet firmly planted, our head held high, and our life relying on the God who will not let us go. We need to say "hope" as a prayer, as an affirmation of faith, and as a doxology to the living God. 

-- Randy Cross in “Born to Save: An Advent Study Based on the Revised Common Lectionary” 

#5233 

GOD’S INDESCRIBABLE GIFT

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”  (2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV)

It seems strange that there should ever have been any doubt as to what gift it is which evokes this burst of thanksgiving. There is but one of God's many mercies which is worthy of being thus singled out. There is one blazing central sun which shines out amidst all the galaxy of lights which fill the heavens. There is one gift of God which, beyond all others, merits the designation of “unspeakable.” The gift of Christ draws all other divine gifts after it. “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all -- how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 NIV) 

-- Alexander Maclaren

#5232

EXPRESSING THANKS FOR GOD’S GRACE

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son.”  (Ephesians 1:3-6 NLT)

Paul says that God “chose us” to emphasize that salvation depends totally on God. We are not saved because we deserve it but because God is gracious and freely gives salvation. We did not influence God’s decision to save us; He saved us according to His plan. Thus, there is no way to take credit for our salvation or to allow room for pride. The mystery of salvation originated in the timeless mind of God long before we existed. It is hard to understand how God could accept us. But because of Christ, we are holy and blameless in His sight. God chose us, and when we belong to Him through Jesus Christ, God looks at us as if we had never sinned. All we can do is express our thanks for His wonderful love… Have you entered into this loving relationship with God? 

-- From the “Life Application Study Bible”

#5231

A LIFESTYLE OF THANKSGIVING - Part 2

When thanksgiving is a lifestyle, gratitude will fill us and pour out of us no matter what is going on around us. Remember that the mouth speaks only out of the overflow of whatever is in the heart. This lifestyle though is not something that we can build in the spur of the moment. It is an attitude that must be cultivated as a discipline. When the last thing we want to do is give thanks that is when we should remind ourselves of who our God is and pray with thanksgiving. The psalmist does the same thing in Psalm 42:11: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”

The Psalmist is determined to praise God even when he is troubled and distressed. He encourages himself to trust in God because he knows the character and nature of the Lord he serves. He acknowledges his situation but he chooses to dwell on God instead of the circumstance. That is why he so boldly declares, “I will praise Him because He is my Savior and my God.”

Prayers of thanksgiving are far more than just mere words. Gratitude and thanksgiving should dwell in our hearts so that they anchor our souls in the hope of God no matter where we find ourselves. Give thanks to the Lord because He is good and because His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1) 

-- Adapted from Robin Haque

#5230

A LIFESTYLE OF THANKSGIVING - Part 1

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Thanksgiving is an integral part of Christian Living. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are to give thanks in all circumstances because doing so is the will of God for us. All circumstances. It’s easy to pray prayers of thanksgiving in good circumstances but what about thanks-giving prayers in bad situations, or even horrible ones? How can we be thankful then?

Thanksgiving is not done just by speaking words of thanks. Thanksgiving prayer, for the child of God, is an attitude. A person who is truly thankful for a gift or a blessing does not merely say the words, they will express their gratitude in other ways to the Giver that shows just how much they appreciate what was done for them.

In the same way, in our own lives, we can live lives that express our gratitude to the Lord who sustains us every single day. The season of life that we currently find ourselves in can be good or bad but God is the same. We are told to give thanks in all circumstances because doing so focuses our eyes on the God who is with us in all circumstances, instead of on the circumstances themselves. 

-- Adapted from Robin Haque

#5229

A THANK-YOU GIFT TO GOD

“Since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to Him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to Him, which is the spiritual way of worship.”  (Romans 12:1 NCV)

When it comes to worship, who you are matters more than what you do. If you are someone who deeply loves God and wants to live a life that gives Him joy, everything you do can be a form of worship. From singing songs of praise to washing dishes or helping a friend, every moment of your life becomes a thank-you gift to God.

Giving these simple gifts or offerings comes naturally when you give God one big gift each day -- the gift of your life. In the Old Testament, people gave God their first fruits. This was a thank-you gift given to God in return for all He’d given them. They’d give the first and best portion of produce they’d harvested, riches they’d received, or the best animals from their flocks. After Jesus sacrificed His life for others, God asked people to follow His Son’s example by presenting Him with the gift of themselves.

You don’t have to die to give this gift. All you have to do is ask God to help you devote your body, mind, and heart to becoming who He wants you to be. That’s how you turn an ordinary life into a dynamic living sacrifice. 

-- From “100 Favorite Bible Verses”

#5228

AN ANALOGY FOR SIN

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  (Isaiah 53:6 NKJV)

D. R. Davies provided a helpful analogy when he observed that sin is more like the act of a traitor than the act of a criminal. The rebellion of a criminal against the laws of his country is quite limited. No matter how spectacular his crimes, he breaks only certain specific laws. A traitor, by comparison, commits the far more serious offense of contesting altogether the sovereignty of his country. Analogously, the sinner is distinguished, not so much by the particular laws that he has broken but by the fact that he denies altogether the right of God to rule.  

-- William F. May in “A Catalogue of Sins”

#5227

FINISHING THE RACE - Part 2

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”  (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV)

The apostle Paul won the crown of righteousness because he finished well. The crown is awaiting all who are finishers. To finish the race means to be fully obedient to Christ all the days of my life. It means to humbly follow Christ and stay within the boundary lines He has set for us. It means to continue growing in purity of heart until the day I see Him face to face and become fully like Him (see 1 John 3:2-3). To finish the race means that I give myself fully to the work He assigned me so that when my life is done, I can say, along with Jesus, “I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave me to do.” (John 17:4 NIV).

Many Christians are not finishing well. But the power of Christ is available to counteract the pressures of this rebellious generation. Even where there has been failure, even when we stumble, God is able to pick us up, grant forgiveness, and give new purpose and power for living.

Commit yourself now to the way of endurance and overcoming. Like Paul, be a finisher.

-- Adapted from Ken Radke in “The Race Set Before Us”

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FINISHING THE RACE - Part 1

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”  (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV)

It has been estimated that 25 percent of all marathon runners never finish any given race. It’s such a grueling test of strength and will that just to cross the finish line is a great achievement.

Many people find their lives are the same type of grueling test. And with the rapid pace of society, its changing values, and increased pressure and stress, many drop out of the race. The Christian life is much like a marathon. There are many who finish poorly or not at all…

In his final days the apostle Paul wrote from a prison in Rome: “I have finished the race.” From the time he began the race until the end of his days, he was faithful -- not ashamed of Christ but testifying boldly for Him. We need to follow his example and be finishers in the race that is set before us. 

-- Adapted from Ken Radke in “The Race Set Before Us”

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THE EFFECTIVE PRAYER

My relationship with God is part of my relationship with human beings. Failure in one will cause failure in the other. It isn’t necessary that it be a distinct consciousness of something wrong between my neighbor and myself. An ordinary current of thinking and judging -- the unloving thoughts and words I allow to pass unnoticed -- can hinder my prayer. The effective prayer of faith comes from a life given up to the will and the love of God. Not as a result of what I try to be when praying, but because of what I am when I’m not praying, is my prayer answered by God. 

-- Andrew Murray in “With Christ in the School of Prayer”

#5224

A PLEASING AROMA

“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”  (2 Corinthians 2:15)

I hadn’t seen Brad for a year. He’d been battling cancer, so when he arrived at our home, I was very happy to see him. The dark circles under his eyes were evidence of his recent radiation and chemo treatments. But he gave me a wide grin when I asked how he was doing.

He said…, “God has been so faithful to me. He’s brought me to the point where I can work again. He’s put my cancer in remission. He’s even giving me my next breath!”

When Brad left that day, the fragrance of his life filled my house. The experience reminded me of Exodus 29:18, which says the priests consecrated their sacrifice as an “offering to the Lord, a please aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire.”

[Do you find that you are] in the fire? Then live your life as an offering, a pleasing aroma to God. 

-- Anne Graham Lotz in “Fixing My Eyes on Jesus”

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A DUAL RISK

“Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”  (John 1:12 NIV)

Every commitment is a sort of gamble. But for the person experiencing the acute sense of risk that comes at the moment of making a decisive commitment, there is a dual risk: Not only the risk of exercising faith and making a commitment, but the equally acute risk of NOT exercising faith and making a commitment. It is what Sheldon Vanauken, in his book “A Severe Mercy” describes so well as the “gap behind” -- the sense that one cannot draw back from the risk that is to be taken, except at even greater risk.

Vanauken wrote, “The position was not, as I had been comfortably thinking all these months, merely a question of whether I was to accept the Messiah or not. It was a question of whether I was to accept Him -- or reject. My God! There was a gap behind me, too. Perhaps the leap to acceptance was a horrifying gamble -- but what of the leap to rejection?” 

-- Maxine Hancock in “Re-evaluating Your Commitments: How to Strengthen the Permanent and Reassess the Temporary”

#5222

A PRAYER FOR VETERANS DAY

Loving God, we remember all those who have served in our country’s armed forces to preserve the freedoms You have granted us. We ask Your blessing for the men and women who currently serve in the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard. Bless also the family members who have made great sacrifices in order to make it possible for their loved ones to be on watch at home, or around the world, or to go into harm’s way.

For all those veterans who have been willing to lay down their lives for us, for the veterans of past wars who bear scars in their bodies and spirits, and for veterans who came home but couldn’t “fit in” with their families or communities anymore, we ask Your healing grace, gentle comfort, and abiding strength.

Keep all our veterans in Your care today. Grant them the peace they sought to preserve for others. Teach all Your people the ways of peace, so that those who have sacrificed so much will not have done so in vain. We pray all these things in the name of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

-- Adapted from “Litany for Veterans Day” by Eileen Norrington 

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STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, AND TRUST - Part 2

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea… ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’”  (Psalm 46:1-2,10 NKJV)

Psalm 46 talks about earthquakes felling mountains, cities being destroyed, nations being in an uproar, kingdoms crumbling… The overall tone of the psalm is anything but quiet and still. One sentence, however, says to “be still” and the focal point of emotion changes from outside chaos to internal rest. That’s why the psalm was written as a song. It proclaimed a message everyone needed to hear.

Let the truth of this verse find a home in your heart today. When life gets busy or chaotic, it’s easy to get distracted. You wind up focusing on problems instead of the One who holds the answer to your problems in His hands. When that happens, stop. Focus on who God is and how much He loves you. Share your own heartfelt psalm of prayer with the God of power and compassion. Be still and know God is near. 

-- From “100 Favorite Bible Verses”

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STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, AND TRUST - Part 1

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea… ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’”  (Psalm 46:1-2,10 NKJV)    

The Psalms are a tapestry of human emotions. The poetry of prayer weaves together anger, fear, joy, longing, despair, praise, and passion. This verse sums up God’s response to those prayers. Its truth is the thread of peace and comfort that runs through the entire book of Psalms, as well as the rest of the Bible -- and the life of every individual who walks with God. God’s answers to those who are emotionally troubled is brief and straightforward: stop and remember Who is on your side.  

-- From “100 Favorite Bible Verses”

#5219

IS YOUR ALL ON THE ALTAR?

You have longed for sweet peace,

And for faith to increase,

And have earnestly, fervently prayed;

But you cannot have rest,

Or be perfectly blest,

Until all on the altar is laid.

 

Refrain:

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?

Your heart does the Spirit control?

You can only be blest,

And have peace and sweet rest,

As you yield Him your body and soul.

 

Would you walk with the Lord,

In the light of His word,

And have peace and contentment alway?

You must do His sweet will,

To be free from all ill,

On the altar your all you must lay.

 

Oh, we never can know

What the Lord will bestow

Of the blessings for which we have prayed,

Till our body and soul

He doth fully control,

And our all on the altar is laid.

 

Who can tell all the love

He will send from above,

And how happy our hearts will be made;

Of the fellowship sweet

We shall share at His feet,

When our all on the altar is laid.

 

-- Elisha A. Hoffman, 1900

DEVELOPING CONVICTIONS

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.”  (1 Peter 1:24-25a NIV)

Reading the Bible can be compared to flying over a city in an airplane or helicopter. We see the general layout of the city: major buildings, rivers, parks, and other landmarks. We miss much of the detail…

Whereas reading can give us an overview, Bible study opens up the details of a passage and how it relates to the whole teaching of Scripture. We compared reading as an aerial view of a city. Bible study is like driving through the city, learning street names and locating the supermarket, bank, and post office. We learn to be “at home” in the city -- we know our way around. Bible study puts the teachings of Scripture together for us so that we get a clear picture of specific truths. Bible study develops convictions…

Bible reading and Bible study each play a distinctive role in sharpening and deepening our Christian lives and ministries. 

-- From “Growing Strong in God’s Family: A Course in Personal Discipleship to Strengthen Your Walk with God”

#5217

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE YEAST

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” (Matthew 13:33 NRSV)

Yeast makes bread rise because of the bubbles of gas that it produces. When the yeast is mixed throughout the dough, the bread rises and has the proper rough and airy texture. But if all of the yeast is lumped together in one small part of the dough, the bread won’t rise evenly and will have big, empty holes in it.

Even so, the church -- the people of the Kingdom -- must be intimately involved in life, in the world, in the flour of humanity. When we have clustered ourselves together, fearfully barricaded behind sanctuary walls, we have created great, empty holes in God’s world that are filled with nothing but hot air. But if we, who call ourselves yeast, are willing to become so involved in the pain, the despair, and the laughter of life that our main concern is enabling people to grow into all that they can be -- then God’s bread will become perfect in quality, with yeast permeating every part of the dough.

Being involved with life -- intimately mixed through and through it -- sounds dangerous. Yeast dies in the oven, having lost itself to the creation of something new. May we also be willing to lose ourselves. 

-- Mike Hodge

#5216

RESENTMENT AND BITTERNESS

Do you have a whole in your heart? Perhaps the wound is old. A parent abused you; a teacher slighted you… And you are angry.

Or perhaps the wound is fresh. The friend who owes you money just drove by in a new car. The boss who hired you with promises of promotions has forgotten how to pronounce your name. Your circle of friends escaped on a weekend get-away, and you weren’t invited… And you are hurt.

Part of you is broken, and the other part is bitter. Part of you wants to cry, and part of you wants to fight. The tears you cry are hot because they come from your heart, where there is a fire burning. It’s the fire of anger. It’s blazing. It’s consuming. Its flames leap up under a streaming pot of revenge.

And you are left with a decision. “Do I put the fire out or heat it up? Do I get over it or get even? Do I release it or resent it? Do I let my hurts heal, or do I let hurt turn into hate?... Resentment is the deliberate decision to nurse the offense until it becomes a black, furry, growling grudge…

Unfaithfulness is wrong. Revenge is bad. But the worst part of all is that, without forgiveness, bitterness is all that is left. 

-- Max Lucado in “The Applause of Heaven”

#5215

AN ACT OF WORSHIP

“But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.”  (John 4:23)

One of the ways we get to worship God is through the giving of our tithes and offerings. We worship when we give our hearts back to God through singing His praises, when we surrender our will to God’s ultimate design for our lives through prayer, and when we offer our tithes to Him for His glory through giving. Through financial giving we praise God for the blessings of having the financial resources to offer back to Him that which He has already given us.

Think about the relationship this has to singing. God has given us voices that, when utilized through spirit and truth, we offer our praises back to Him through the voices that He has already bestowed upon us. In the same vein, God has already blessed us with financial resources to live our lives, and through giving the tithe back to God, we praise Him in an act of worship. The emphasis is not on the money. The emphasis is on our hearts in worship. 

-- Kim Arnold

#5214

A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE

Jesus said, “As for everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”  (Luke 6:47-49 NIV)

No words ever written or spoken can compare with those of our Lord… Perhaps you’ve lost sight of this.

If you’ve been running low on faith, maybe it’s because you’ve been listening to the wrong people. With talk radio and television blaring 24/7, with a record number of magazines in prints, with thousands of publishers spitting out scores of books a year,… we live under a Niagara-like torrent of verbiage. But how many of those words are truly worthy of your time and attentions? How many are going to impact your life in any meaningful way? Not that many, I’m afraid.         

But one thing is sure: our Lord’s words are packed with power and, given the chance, will make a dramatic difference in your life.  

-- Mark Atteberry in “Free Refill: Coming Back for More of Jesus”

#5213

THE MEANING OF LIFE

“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”  (John 8:12 ESV)

Like most living legends, Julius Erving (Dr. J) is often asked about the greatest highlight of his career. Though Dr. J enjoyed one of the greatest careers in NBA history with over 30,000 points scored, he likes to tell others what went on in his heart.

“At age 29 I realized I was looking good on the outside but was hitting a lot of peaks and valleys on the inside.” He says, “After searching for the meaning of life for over ten years, I found the meaning in Jesus Christ. When I gave my life to Christ, I began to understand my true purpose for being here. It’s not to go through life and experience as many things as you possibly can and then turn to dust and be no more. The purpose of life is to be found through having Christ in your life, and understanding what His plan is and following that plan.”

Surely, God blessed Dr. J in basketball and in the game of life.  

-- Rod Handley, Elliot Johnson, and Gordon Thiessen in “Character Counts for Athletes”

#5212

 

THE BODY OF CHRIST

“Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”  (Ephesians 4:15-16 NIV)

The Church… is the body of Christ. Every Christian is a member or organ of the body, while Christ Himself is the Head, controlling the body’s activities. Not every organ has the same function, but each is necessary for the maximum health and usefulness of the body. Moreover, the whole body is animated by a common life. This is the Holy Spirit. It is His presence which makes the body one. 

-- John R. W. Stott, as quoted in “Growing Strong in God’s Family: A Course in Personal Discipleship to Strengthen Your Walk with God” 

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