FAITH INFORMING LIFE

There is no need to multiply examples of what is so patently an essential condition of the Christian walk. We are saved through faith – an unflagging, unwavering attachment to the person of Jesus Christ.

What is the depth and quality of your faith commitment? In the last analysis, faith is not a way of speaking or even thinking; it is a way of living. Maurice Blondel said, “If you want to know what a person really believes, don’t listen to what he says but watch what he does.” Only the practice of faith can verify what we believe. Does faith permeate the whole of your life? Does it form your judgments about success, about death? Does it influence the way you read the newspaper? Do you have a divine sense of humor that see through people and events into the unfolding plan of God? When things are turbulent on the surface of your life, do you retain a quiet calm, firmly fixed in ultimate reality? As Therese of Lisieux said, “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things are passing.”

How has your faith shaped this past year? How will it shape the year ahead? 

-- Adapted from “Reflections for Ragamuffins” by Brennan Manning

#5506

THE WISE MEN’S RESPONSE

“And going into the house, [the wise men] saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”  (Matthew 2:11 ESV)

The message of the season is not, "Let it snow" or even, "Let us shop." The real message of Christmas is, "Let us worship." That is what the wise men came to do. And that is what we should be doing as well. 

-- Greg Laurie

#5505

THE SHEPHERDS’ RESPONSE

“So the [shepherds] hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”  (Luke 2:16-20 NIV)

The greatest brightness of the whole birth narrative comes in the shepherds' response. You see, had the shepherds only heard the message and gone back to sheep tending, we would think they were foolish. Had they found a baby and then gone home with a satisfied knowledge, we might consider them extremely fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time. Yet, what they did was greater. They proceeded to tell everyone around them, everywhere they could go, what they had heard and seen; and then they praised and glorified God for it all. The shepherds took on the role of the angels themselves, new messengers of salvation and good news; and in doing so, they extended the light of God's loving Word far beyond where it might have gone otherwise that night. The light of this news, this new day, was carried far and wide; and all who heard it were amazed and still are.

As we hear the shepherds' story, we find our task as the followers of Christ this Christmas. That is, we are called to bear the light of the news of the coming of Christ to this world, to carry the brightness of this gospel… The extent of this light is only limited by our self-limitation and unwillingness to share the message, or lack of faith in believing that the message is that profound, that world-changing… Who do you know who needs the light of Christ's love offered to him or her? 

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

#5504

THE PRINCE OF PEACE

“For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”   (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

I am the Prince of Peace. As I said to My disciples, I say also to you: Peace be with you. Since I am your constant Companion, My Peace is steadfastly with you. When you keep your focus on Me, you experience both My Presence and My Peace. Worship Me as King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Prince of Peace.

You need My Peace each moment to accomplish My purposes in your life. Sometimes you are tempted to take shortcuts, in order to reach your goal as quickly as possible. But if the shortcut requires turning your back on My peaceful Presence, you must choose the longer route. Walk with Me along paths of Peace; enjoy the journey in My Presence. 

-- From “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence” by Sarah Young 

#5503

ETERNITY INTERRUPTED TIME

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made… The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  (John 1:1-3,14)

[Jesus] came, not as a flash of light or as an unapproachable conqueror, but as one whose first cries were heard by a peasant girl and a sleepy carpenter. God tapped humanity on its collective shoulder, "Pardon me," he said, and eternity interrupted time, divinity interrupted carnality, and heaven interrupted the earth in the form of a baby. Christianity was born in one big heavenly interruption. 

-- Max Lucado

#5502

SUCH GOOD NEWS

“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’”  (Luke 2:10-11 ESV)

Christmas holds the key to unlocking the deepest mysteries of our lives: Who we are, where did we come from, is there meaning to our lives, and where are we going? Granted, we focus at this time on the birth of Jesus, on the exchange of gifts, and the place of joy and triumph even when days are dark and foreboding. But the enormous truth of Christmas rests in the revelation of God’s self to humankind. At last we can talk about God in terms we understand, human terms. Because of Jesus, we can make sense of our lives and understand more fully who we are and where we are going…

When Jesus appears as revealer of this transcendent God, God becomes near, loving, and approachable. Now we know that God understand us and that we can begin to understand God. The birth of Jesus allows an experience of God with us and within us. While Moses was told not to look on the face of God (Exodus 33), Jesus said that we see God when we see Jesus (John 14). The great mystery of God unfolds in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Now we know who we are – God’s beloved children (John 1:12-13); to whom we belong – our faithful Redeemer; and where we are going in our journey of life – to a place prepared for us. (John 14:1-4) Thus the Christmas story is such good news. 

-- Excerpted from “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God” by Rueben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck

#5501

THE FULFILLMENT OF PROMISES

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”  (Isaiah 7:14 NKJV)

Waiting at a bus stop on one end of a major curve in the road is a great analogy for what hope and faith are all about. You know the bus is coming, your bus schedule says it will, and yet you cannot see its arrival until it makes that final bend toward you.

As we anticipate the joyful celebration of Christ’s birth in just a few days, let’s stand on His promises. We may not yet see them before our eyes, but His word is Truth, and the fulfillment of those promises are just around the bend.

“‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”  (Matthew 1:23 NKJV)

-- Adapted from Katherine Walden

#5500

IN THE DARKNESS, HOPE

“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”  (Matthew 4:16)

Look up, you whose eyes are fixed on this earth, you who are captivated by the events and changes on the surface of this earth. Look up, you who turned away from heaven to this ground because you had become disillusioned. Look up, you whose eyes are laden with tears, you who mourn the loss of all that the earth has snatched away. Look up, you who cannot lift your eyes because you are so laden with guilt. “Look up, your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28)

Something different than you see daily, something more important, something infinitely greater and more powerful is taking place. Become aware of it, be on guard, wait a short while longer, wait and something new will overtake you! God will come, Jesus will take possession of you and you will be redeemed people!

Lift up your heads, you army of the afflicted, the humbled, the discouraged, you defeated army with bowed heads. The battle is not lost, the victory is yours -- take courage, be strong! There is no room here for shaking your heads and doubting, because Christ is coming. 

-- From “A Testament to Freedom: Essential Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer”

#5499

RESPONDING TO THIS GLORIOUS GIFT

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  (Ephesians 3:17b-19 NIV)

Rest in the deep assurance of My unfailing Love. Let your body, mind, and spirit relax in My Presence. Release into My care anything that is troubling you, so that you can focus your full attention on Me. Be awed by the vast dimensions of My Love for you: wider, longer, higher, and deeper than anything you know. Rejoice that this marvelous Love is yours forever!

The best response to this glorious gift is a life steeped in thankfulness. Every time you thank Me, you acknowledge that I am your Lord and Provider. This is the proper stance for a child of God: receiving with thanksgiving. Bring Me the sacrifice of gratitude, and watch to see how much I bless you. 

-- From “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence” by Sarah Young 

#5498

GIVING CHRISTMAS FRUIT

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

This season of gift-giving provides an opportune time to imagine how we might share the fruit of the Spirit during these often hectic days, when both people and packages fill our lives.

• Love — We can sift every thought, word, and action through the filter of “Is it demonstrating the love of Christ?”

• Joy — We can be the source of smiles, laughter, and appreciation because of the joy of Christ in us.

• Peace — We can fill the atmosphere with our own sense of the peace Christ, a calm amid the chaos, so that it brings peace to others.

• Patience — We can be more tolerant when things go awry knowing Christ is that way with us.

• Kindness — We can shower others with affirmation, encouraging the flickering light of Christ to burn more brightly in their lives.

• Goodness — We can focus on the positives, rather than the faults, on what is good and acceptable as Christ did.

• Faithfulness — We can be true to the blessed meaning of the Christmas season -- Emmanuel, God with us.

• Gentleness — We can give our full attention to each person, one at a time, not omitting even the most outcast.

• Self-control — We can commit ourselves to no outbursts, no over-indulgences, only Christ-centered behavior.

We can’t give away what we don’t possess; our connection to the Spirit is vital. As the fruit of the Spirit is grown within us, we can bestow blessings on those around us out of the abundant crop.

-- Generously adapted from “Rhythms of Growth: 365 Meditations to Nurture the Soul” by Linda Douty

#5497

BECAUSE GOD LOVES US

The Bible is a story of love: God’s love for the world and God’s love for His children. After all, God is love (1 John 4:8). Nowhere do we see the love of God more active than in Jesus. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)

This famous verse captures the heart of the Bible, the heart of the faith, and truly the heart of God. Jesus came to us because God loves us. That is the supreme example of agape love. God loves us first. (1 John 4:19) God takes the first step. And the birth of Jesus proves that.

In Jesus, we see God taking the first step to touch and shape our lives. In offering His Son to you, God shows you His highest dreams for your life. He wants us to be like Christ. That is the best-version-of-yourself. Just as Jell-O takes the form of the container it is surrounded by, so too are we shaped by what we are surrounded by. God desires to immerse you in Himself, Jesus. In Him you can fulfill God’s dream for your life. 

-- Allen R. Hunt in “Nine Words: A Bible Study to Help You Become the Best-Version-of-Yourself”

#5496

RECEIVING THE GIFT

Do not hesitate to receive joy from Me, for I bestow it on you abundantly. The more you rest in My Presence, the more freely My blessings flow into you. In the Light of My Love, you are gradually transformed from glory to glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18) It is through spending time with Me that you realize how wide and long and high and deep is My Love for you. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Sometimes the relationship I offer you seems too good to be true. I pour My very life into you, and all you have to do is receive Me. (John 1:12) In a world characterized by working and taking, the admonition to rest and receive seems too easy. There is a close connection between receiving and believing: As you trust Me more and more, you are able to receive Me and My blessings abundantly. Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) 

-- Adapted from “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence” by Sarah Young 

#5495

A LIGHT HAS DAWNED

This December my wife and I are renting a lake house near our daughter in Michigan. It has a great view of the Canadian Lakes. The other morning while it was still dark I looked out and saw about 20 Canada geese sitting on top of a thin layer of new ice. They were facing west and it was cold and dark. But as the pre-dawn sunlight began to paint the sky with color, they began to stir. Then as soon as the sun broke the horizon they got up, did an about face, waddled about 20 yards, and sat down, facing the light that had dawned.

It reminded me of Isaiah’s passage: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned… For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isiah 9:2,6 NIV)         

Unfortunately, many in our world today are not even as responsive as the geese, ignoring the Light of Christ that has come into our world. It does require an about face, for many are walking away from the light into a darker and darker world.  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)

-- David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#5494

THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY GOOD NEWS

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son,…”  (John 3:16a NRSV)

Sometimes the hype and clichés of the season distract us. The clever marketing efforts succeed in making us desire tangible things we can hold in our hands and savor as gifts. However, marketing hype and catchy clichés cannot answer the deep questions of the heart, explain the mystery of God’s presence, or help us comprehend the meaning of our existence. Yet all these gifts are promised to us in the Advent Season.

Yes, it is true that God’s astounding and radical intervention in our human history cannot be contained in the tame and timid displays of Christmas lights, catchy slogans, or exchange of gifts. Advent confronts us once again with God’s unparalleled effort to communicate the message that all humankind is embraced and held close by a God of love. Jesus Christ has come, is present with us, and will come again in final victory when all darkness, pain, and evil will be no more. In Advent we begin again to try and make plain the wonderful truth of the most extraordinary good news the world has ever heard. Soon we will join the angelic chorus in singing, “Christ the Savior is born.”

“…so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.”  (John 3:16b NRSV) 

-- Adapted from the Introduction to “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God” by Norman Shawchuck and Rueben P. Job

#5493

DIVINE JOY

Joy is just what Jesus intends for you. It is His goal that joy will be a vital part of your life. Hear His words: “I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) Jesus comes to bring you the joy of God. Becoming the-best-version-of-yourself may involve some struggle and pain, but it will most certainly be defined by joy. Why? Because you are doing exactly what the Lord of the Universe intends for you. Better still, He introduces you to the Holy Spirit, who completes you and makes you whole on the journey. Knowing God the Father, God the Son in Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit completes you with divine joy. This is why you are here. To be in relationship with the One who made you, He who loves you, and He who will sustain you to the very end and beyond. The world may offer brief moments of happiness here and there, but it cannot offer deep, real joy… Jesus Joy is eternal and powerful. 

-- Allen R. Hunt in “Nine Words”

#5492

GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY

“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’”  (Luke 2:10 NKJV)

The joy of discovering Jesus and the Kingdom of God surpasses anything else that you will ever know in this lifetime. Consider the joy you feel when you find money on the sidewalk. Or when you are out of town and unexpectedly run into someone you know. Or when you have lost a piece of jewelry and then find it. It is amazing how much joy we gain in finding and discovering something.

Yet, the joy of meeting Jesus for the first time and gaining entry in a new way of life exceeds the joy of everything else. There is no joy like that of being part of the Kingdom of God. Incomprehensible joy. Divine joy. Unswerving joy. That is Jesus joy! 

-- Allen R. Hunt in “Nine Words”

#5491

PREPARE HIM ROOM

One year a church was holding its annual Christmas pageant with children playing all the parts. A small boy portraying the innkeeper in Bethlehem was instructed to turn away Joseph and Mary from his inn. The boy, however, felt so badly for them that he said, “Sorry, there’s no room in the inn,… but you can come over to my house!”

Today, it seems, Christ is turned away from many places and from many hearts. He’s not welcome. But have you invited Him to come into your home,… into your heart? Is busyness crowding Him out? Is sin blocking the door? Are you afraid of what the neighbors might say?

The Gospel of John says, “He came to what was His own, and His own people did not accept Him. But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.”  (John 1:11-13 NRSV)

This contemporary worship song by Sovereign Grace Music puts it all together:
“Oh, our hearts, as busy as Bethlehem
Hear Him knock, don't say there's no room in the inn
Through the cradle, cross, and grave
See the love of God displayed
Now He's risen and He reigns
Praise the Name above all names!
Prepare Him room
Prepare Him room
Let the King of glory enter in.”

 -- David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#5489

BRING THEM TO CHURCH

“And they were bringing children to Jesus that He might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.’”  (Mark 10:13-14 ESV)

Bring them to church. Saturate their lives with the Word of God. Even if they lay on the floor. Even if they need 437 goldfish and a sucker to be quiet. Even if you stand in the back swaying back and forth holding them. Even when it’s hard. Even when your row looks like a small hurricane just came through. Bring them to church. Let them see you worship. Let them see you pray. Let them see you running toward the Savior ... because if they don’t see and learn these things from you, who are they going to learn them from?

The world will teach them it’s not a priority. The world will teach them it’s okay to lay out, not to pick up their Bibles. The world will direct them so far off course, confuse them, and misinform them that just being “good” is enough. The world won’t teach them about Jesus. That’s our job.

Bring them to church. 

-- Posted on Facebook by First United Methodist Church, South Bend, Indiana

#5490

THE SOURCE OF ALL PEACE

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”  (Colossians 3:15 NIV)

In order to allow the peace of Christ to rule your heart, it’s important to recognize who the true source of peace is. 1 Thessalonians 3:16 says, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way.” God is referred to as “the God of peace” over and over again in Scripture. Fifteen of the biblical epistles (technical terms for letters written to the churches, such as Philippians, Galatians and Ephesians), give a greeting to their beloved church members, which include some version of the phrase “peace from God.” These, alongside verses on peace, make a strong case from the New Testament of where peace originates. Remember, our soul craves peace. Don’t buy into the notion that an afternoon of solitude or a weekend at the beach will give you peace. Peace is not a serene setting or even a peace of mind. Anything or anyone who promises you peace is not being authentic with you. True and lasting soul-level peace is found only in a Person: Jesus Christ, the Source of all peace. 

-- Lesli White in an article entitled “How to Allow the Peace of Christ Rule Your Heart”

#5488

THE PEACE OF CHRIST

[Jesus said to His disciples,] “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”  (John 14:27 ESV)

If we are to be truly peacemakers, I think we must move beyond the notion of peace as the absence of conflict… Peace has to do with the fullness of things, with lion and lamb lying down together, not a world without lions.  If we are to have hearts capable of the peace of Christ, which does indeed pass all understanding (Philippians 4:7), we must have hearts capable of embracing the joy and the sorrow, the sacredness and the sin of the world…

The infant in the manger at Bethlehem comes with a message of peace, an announcement that all sad divisions, all the irreconcilable pieces of our public and private lives will be brought together in the celebration of "shalom" -- God's blessing, God's peace.  This will not, I think, occur when conflict has ceased.  For creative conflict is a necessary component of growth.  Rather, peace will reign when our forgiveness of self and others is wide and deep enough to create new possibilities and, without the use of violence, to transform our seeming impasses into new freedoms and joys. 

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

#5387

A HOPE THAT IS SOLID

Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”  (Matthew 7:24-25 NIV)

Nineteenth-century hymn writer Edward Mote (1797-1874) wrote the following: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness… On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand." If we understand little else on our Advent journey toward Christmas, let's understand that.

There is nothing else that solid, and there is nothing else that real… Through Jesus Christ, we can have a hope that means something. 

-- Derek Maul in “In My Heart I Carry a Star: Stories of Advent”

#5486

THE LIFELINE OF HOPE

“For You, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.”  (Psalm 71:5 ESV)

Hope is the lifeline tossed out to us from God. It sustains us when we feel like we are drowning, and God gently pulls us and the lifeline toward the shores of spiritual growth. With hope we also have faith -- not faith that we will be spared pain and despair but faith in the God who will lead us through the difficult times.

Therefore, in our struggle to understand God’s will, let us not concentrate solely on our pain and despair. Instead, trusting in the Lord, let us look with hope and faith toward attaining new, rich experiences of the abundant life God has given us. 

-- Adapted from John R. Wimmer in “Blessed Endurance: Moving Beyond Despair to Hope” 

#5485

PREPARE THE WAY

“A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’”  (Isaiah 40:3-5 NRSV)

As you begin this journey through Advent, how do you prepare to welcome God? You prepare your welcome of God when you exercise welcome toward others. You prepare your welcome of God when you empty your life of the sin that crowds out all that is good and gracious. You prepare your welcome of God when you comfort the afflicted with compassion.  

-- John Indermark in “Setting the Christmas Stage”

#5484

THE NEW RELATIONSHIP

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

During this Advent season as we celebrate the new relationship between God and His people, may that be mirrored in our renewed relationships with spouses, children, family and those near and dear to us. May we speak tenderly to each other amidst all the rush of the season and transform the shopping days till Christmas into the true Advent of Christ. 

-- Casely Essamuah

#5483

ADVENT WAITING

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:12 NIV)

Sometimes it seems as though we spend our lives waiting. Daydreaming about an upcoming vacation, worrying over a medical test, preparing for the birth of a child or grandchild -- our days are filled with anticipation and anxiety over what the future holds. As Christians, we, too, spend our lives waiting. But we are waiting for something much bigger than a trip, bigger even than retirement or a wedding: We are waiting for the return of Jesus in glory. Advent heightens this sense of waiting, because it marks not only our remembrance of Jesus’ arrival into our world more than 2,000 years ago – the Word made flesh -- but also our anticipation of His final coming. 

-- Author Unknown

#5482

PRAISING THE CREATOR

“For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17 ESV)

When you sit down to eat, pray. When you eat bread, do so thanking Him for being so generous to you... When you dress, thank Him for His kindness in providing you with clothes. When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw yourself at God’s feet and adore Him who in His wisdom has arranged things in this way. Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep or awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your benefit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator. 

-- St. Basil the Great

#5481

THE SOURCE OF LIFE’S BLESSINGS

“Lord, I will thank You with all my heart; I will sing to You.” (Psalm 138:1)

The grateful heart sees beneath the surface to the source of life's blessings.  Richard Cabot used to say to his students at Harvard: "When you say to me, 'thank you', remember I couldn't have done for you what I did, had not hundreds of others done for me.  They could not have done for me what they did, had not thousands done for them.  So the thing goes on in infinite space and time.  Therefore, when you say thank you to anyone, you are really saying, 'Thank You, God'.” 

-- Dr. Harold Beaty in a sermon titled "Life's Greatest Virtue" 

#5480

THANKSGIVING AND GRATITUDE

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”  (Psalm 100:4-5)

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. 

-- Melody Beattie

#5479

KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS

“Let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”  (Hebrews 12:1,2)

The problem with most of us is that we want to overcomplicate this process. We assume that something as valuable as a faith refill ought to cost us something, so we try to acquire it through physical effort. We squeeze even more religious activities into our already overcrowded schedules. We restart our daily devotional (for the ten thousandth time). We run out and buy the latest Christian best seller and start highlighting it with a yellow marker… And, of course, we recommit (again, for the ten thousandth time) to taming that nasty little habit we’ve managed to keep a secret for years.

But it never works. It NEVER works.

Because frenzied activity, even if well-intentioned, saps our strength and dulls our senses. It fills our lives, not with faith but with noise that drowns out His still, small voice. Worst of all, it makes us numb to His often feather-like touch. 

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

#5478

DISCIPLINE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE - Part 2

"Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”  (1 Corinthians 9:26-27 NIV)

[Disciplines] are the “means” -- the positive set of directions for the Christian life, often called the “means of grace.”… These means of grace are not a method of deserving God’s grace, but a pattern by which we enable ourselves to be receptive to grace and remove the barriers that God permits us to erect as the price of freedom. These tools, or aids, are ways by which we open ourselves to God’s free grace. In using them, we shape our lives in order to become open to God’s presence. They give our Christian pilgrimage a definite shape, in an age in which there is a general sense of loss of direction and confusion about right and wrong, along with an accompanying sense of God’s absence. 

-- Howard L. Rice in “Reformed Spiritualty”

#5477

DISCIPLINE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE - Part 1

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”  (1 Corinthians 9:24-25 NIV)

Discipline in the Christian life is not a luxury. Without it we become confused, lose our way, compromise our principles, and discover that we are not the people we had intended to be. No one is so sturdy in the faith that the temptation to surrender bit by bit does not erode conviction. Days go by and we discover that, instead of growing in grace in these days, we have wasted them. 

-- Howard L. Rice in “Reformed Spiritualty”

#5476

DISCIPLINES FOR SPIRITUAL LIFE

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”  (Acts 2:42 ESV)

The persons and ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus Himself, both rich in the practice of activities designed to strengthen the Spirit, were held constantly before [early Christians]. So, wherever early Christians looked they saw examples of the practice of solitude, fasting, prayer, private study, communal study, worship, and sacrificial service and giving -- to mention only some of the more obvious disciplines for spiritual life.

These early Christians really did arrange their lives very differently from their non-Christian neighbors, as well as from the vast majority of those of us called Christians today. We are speaking of their overall style of life, not just what they did under pressure, which frequently was also astonishingly different. 

-- Dallas Willard in “The Spirit of the Disciplines”

#5475

PEOPLE OF PRAYER

"Be persistent in prayer, and keep alert as you pray, giving thanks to God.”  (Colossians 4:2 GNT)

What the Church needs today is not more technology or better, not new organizational models or more novel methods, but people whom the Holy Spirit can use -- people of prayer, people mighty in prayer.

-- E. M. Bounds, adapted

#5474

UNDYING GRATITUDE

"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13 NRSV)

Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices. 

-- U.S. President Harry S. Truman 

#5473

THE GOSPEL IN COMMUNITY

In the wake of Paul’s travels throughout the Mediterranean, Christian communities sprang up, consolidated and began to multiply. This was the outcome of a deliberate policy on his part. He not only proclaimed the message of Christ and brought people into an intimate relationship with God, but drew the consequences of that message for the life of his converts and led them into a personal relationship with one another… For Paul the gospel bound men and women to one another as well as to God.

Acceptance by Christ necessitated acceptance of those who He had already welcomed (Romans 15:7); reconciliation with God entailed reconciliation with others that exhibited the character of the gospel preaching (Philippians 4:2-3); union in the Spirit involved union with one another, for the Spirit was primarily a shared, not individual experience (2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1; Ephesians 4:3). The gospel is not a purely personal matter. It has a social dimension. It is a communal affair. 

-- Robert Banks in “Paul’s Idea of Community: Early House Churches in their Historical Settings”

#5472

USING OUR GIFTS

In His final words to His disciples, Jesus gives them their Great Commission. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

God expects each of us to use our gifts to make disciples: to share the Good News and the Word, to help lives be changed by the Gospel. God desires for the world to believe in Jesus Christ, to call Him Lord, and to follow Him. As a result, God expects His gifts to you to be used to help make that Kingdom mission happen… Your faithfulness in using your gifts will result in changed lives, saved souls, new lives, and transformed relationships. 

-- Allen R. Hunt in “Nine Words: A Bible Study to Help You Become the Best-Version-of-Yourself”

#5471

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF CHRIST

As Paul sums it up, God's power "raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else… God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church" (Ephesians 1:20-22).

Celebrating and proclaiming the ascension is therefore crucial if we are to fully exalt Christ. Jesus is not only risen but reigning, not only alive but sovereign, not only central but supreme. Moreover, as theologian Douglas Farrow demonstrates, whenever we fail to proclaim Christ as ascended, enthroned, and exalted, something else -- our personal agendas, the world's agendas, the church's agendas -- moves in to fill the vacuum. Mark it down, when we fail to exalt and enthrone Jesus, something or someone else inevitably assumes the throne. 

-- Stephen Seamands in an article entitled "He Ascended into Heaven" in Good News Magazine, May/June 2011

#5470

IS THE TRUTH OUT THERE?

“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, ‘If you continue in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”  (John 8:31-32 NRSV)

All this talk of truth and falsehood, right and wrong, seems medieval to many people today.  A philosophical position called deconstructionism says that all claims about truth are really masks for those who just want power.  Deconstructionism has a point: Many claims about truth are motivated by power.  In fact, people have been known to twist the words of the Bible in order to justify their cruelty toward other people.  For instance, the Bible has been used to justify white supremacy.

However, taken as an absolute about all truth claims, deconstructionism goes to far.  If there is a God who created the universe, then that God's perspective on life is the true one.  That God's claims about truth are motivated not by power but simply by truth.  Extreme deconstructionism says there is no Creator God.  There are only interest groups competing for the power to say what goes.

The sister of deconstructionism is relativism.  Relativism says there are no absolute truths. "Truth" is only what works in a given context.  Truth depends completely on your point of view, and there is no God's-eye-view that is the standard by which all other perspectives are measured.

Deconstructionism and relativism treat reality like the laws of a democratic society.  It would be as if the law of gravity were not written into the fabric of the universe.  As if gravity were law only until an interest group could garner enough power to tip the balance on the Supreme Court or in Congress.  As if gravity were law only as long as it made society run smoothly -- but as soon as it seemed essential for humans to be weightless, citizens could vote and repeal gravity.  Almost nobody actually believes such things about gravity, but many people believe them about ethical questions, the nature of God, and what happens when you die.  These issues are supposedly decided by lobbying, voting, and personal preference. 

-- Karen Lee-Thorp in “A Compact Guide to the Bible”

#5469

A LIGHT TO OUR PATH

God’s Word provides all the light we will ever need on our journey through this life. It’s “a lamp to our feet and a light to our path” (Psalm 119:105). It brings light to our darkened minds. It helps us think theologically. Strange and mysterious though God’s leading may seem, when we derive our understanding from serious investigation of the written Word of God, we will not be led astray. And we will continue to stand on the solid rock of God’s Word of Truth. All other ground is sinking sand. 

-- Charles R. Swindoll in “The Mystery of God’s Will: What Does He Want for Me?”

#5468

THE OBJECT OF OUR TRUST

"It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people.  It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in princes." (Psalm 118:8-9)

Pilots put confidence in their planes.  Commuters place confidence in trains, cars, or buses.  Each day we must put our confidence in something or someone.  If you are willing to trust a plane or car to get you to your destination, are you willing to trust God to guide you here on earth and to your eternal destination?  Do you trust Him more than any other human being?  How futile it is to trust anything or anyone more than God.

-- From the “Life Application Bible” 

#5467

OVERFLOWING HOPE

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13 NIV)

When you meet a person who is really excited about something it shows. Their zeal is obvious to all and they are a chatterbox talking about "their thing." Every aspect of life has some connection with this item of excitement. In short, they are overflowing with the goodness of this thing in their life. It may be a new job, car, relationship or other happening in their life. But, regardless of what it is, they "work it in" to every conversation. They simply cannot contain their new happiness and it overflows to all aspects of their life.

What about your friend Jesus? Have you gotten excited about our Lord?… Does it show? Does your zeal overflow? Do those around you see Christ at work in your heart?… We can feel the joy of the Lord and stand and shout for joy and let the world see the Spirit overflowing into all areas of our life. Practice joyfully and thankfully seizing the day and recognizing that God has given us another gift of "today." And that kind of attitude is catching!…

Do you "overflow" with the good things of God? Does your attitude of loving the Lord bubble to the top for all to see? 

-- Pastor Gary Stone 

#5466

THE GIFT OF LOVE

“We love because He first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate a brother or sister are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from Him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.”  (1 John 4:19 NRSV)

Love is the most important gift we'll give during our lifetime. More than a one-time extravagance, it's a genuine, ongoing assurance we express through our words and actions. There are many priceless gifts that find their roots in love. Forgiveness. Trust. Friendship. Kindness. Sacrifice. Each one is a vital piece of a beautiful whole.

We love others because God loves us so graciously. Merit isn't an issue with God, nor should it be with us. We should give love so generously that it becomes a part of who we are and a reflection of Who we serve.   

-- Source Unknown

#5465

THE WOLVES WITHIN

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things.”  (Philippians 4:8 NIV)

An old grandfather said to his grandson who came in to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story:"

"I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those who have taken so much with no sorrow for what they do; but hate wears you down and does not hurt your enemy. It is like drinking a poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times."

He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm.  He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended.  He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.  But… the other wolf… Ah! The littlest thing will send him into a fit of temper.  He fights everyone, all of the time, for no reason.  He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great.  It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing. Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."

The boy looked intently into his grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"

The grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed." 

-- The story of two wolves is a classic fable that is credited to the Cherokee or Lenape people. It is also known as “Which Wolf Do You Feed?”

#5464

PRAYER POSTURE

“I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.”  (Psalm 143:6 NKJV)

One of my favorite prayer postures I learned from the Quakers. I lead our congregation in this prayer frequently. We begin with hands facing down, symbolizing the things we need to let go of. It involves a process of confessing our sins, rebuking our fears, and relinquishing control. Then we turn our hands over so they are facing up in a posture of receptivity. We actively receive what God wants to give -- joy unspeakable, peace that transcends understanding, and unmerited grace. We receive the fruit and gifts of His Spirit with open hands and open hearts. 

-- Mark Batterson in “The Circle Maker”

#5463

ACCEPTING GOD’S GRACE

God saw our entire lives from beginning to end, birth to hearse, and in spite of what He saw, He was still convinced “to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure.” (Ephesians 1:5 NLT)

We can now live “like God’s very own children, adopted into His family -- calling Him ‘Father, dear Father’… And since we are His children, we will share His treasures -- for everything God gives to His Son, Christ, is ours, too.” (Romans 8:15,17 NLT)

It really is this simple. To accept God’s grace is to accept God’s offer to be adopted into His family.

Your identity is not in your possessions, talents, tattoos, kudos, or accomplishments. Nor are you defined by your divorce, deficiencies, debt, or dumb choices. You are God’s child. You get to call Him “Papa.” You “may approach God with freedom and confidence.” (Ephesians 3:12 NIV) You receive the blessings of His special love (1 John 4:9-11) and provision (Luke 11:11-13). And you will inherit the riches of Christ and reign with Him forever (Romans 8:17). 

-- Max Lucado in “Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine”

#5462

GETTING BACK ON THE RIGHT PATH

The Greek word for repentance is metanoia, a word that means to have a change of heart that results in a change of behavior. Depending upon the nature of the sin, repentance may include strong feelings of remorse, or it may simply be a conviction that the path one had taken was the wrong path, coupled with a determination to live differently in the future.

Repentance begins with my awareness of the gap I have created between myself and God, or myself and the other person. I acknowledge that I have stepped off the path, hurting people and wounding my relationship with God, and I express the remorse I feel. I confess to the other person and do what I can to make amends, I confess to God and ask for His mercy and forgiveness, and I turn back toward the right.

When I do that, God forgives me. It’s not a complicated process. God removes the burden of my sin and I am restored. The Psalmist captures the process in Psalm 32:5. “Then I acknowledged my sin to You and I did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And You forgave the guilt of my sin.” 

-- Adam Hamilton in “Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go”

#5461

CHOOSING TO WALK WITH JESUS

Choosing life seems like the reasonable thing to do. If given the choice why would anyone not choose life? It seems foolish to choose anything else, to choose anything less than the best. It remains a mystery to me that we often find ourselves choosing what diminishes life and leaves us less than we were before. But we are often unaware of the consequences of our choices until later, sometimes much later.

Jesus always invites us to choose life by forsaking our way of life for His way of life. It is never an easy choice. Choosing to walk with Jesus in a culture that ridicules faithfulness and glorifies violence is to choose a way with cost attached. When you choose to walk with Jesus in a culture that rewards those who take for themselves before thinking about others, you may wind up feeling someone has taken advantage of you. And yet, as the decades pass and we look back, it is clear to see that those who sought advantage by taking advantage have in reality lost life. Those who chose to walk with Jesus in the hard decisions and in the good times have discovered richness to life beyond price. At times it may seem the cost of choosing life is too high, but when you stop and think about it, choosing life is the only reasonable choice to make. 

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#5460

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

“For God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  (Colossians 1:13-14 NIV)

God is at work carefully bringing about His Kingdom. He is working to bring all creation unto Himself. The Holy Spirit’s work in each believer’s heart is certainly a part of that greater work of God, but God is also about the cosmic business of completing creation and bringing everything to consummation. We humans can merely wait and anticipate.

What a blessing that day will be when Jesus arrives for His children. When God ushers in His Kingdom once and for all. When [evil is] swept away and impurity is banished from the world. When we are restored to our eternal place near the throne of God to be joined with believers from all times and all places in singing the praises of our Lord and our God. What a day! Come, Lord Jesus, come. 

– Allen R. Hunt in “Nine Words”

#5459

SURRENDER BRINGS POWER

“Before the Lord we bow,
The God who reigns above,
And rules the world below,
Boundless in power and love;
Our thanks we bring
In joy and praise,
Our hearts we raise
To heaven's high King.”  (Francis Scott Key)

When we are contrite, when we are submitting, we kneel, expressing with our bodies what is in our hearts. When a subject comes before his king, what does he do to humble himself? He kneels to acknowledge that he is in the presence of his master. When a believer in any religion comes to pray to his God, what does he do? He kneels to acknowledge that he is in the presence of his master. When a man asks a woman to become his wife, what does he do? He gets down on one knee to acknowledge… well, you get the idea.

Bent low in surrender. Jesus understood that if you want to experience victory, you must start in surrender. Surrender brings power, and the need to surrender is deeply tied to Jesus’ offer of living in the flow of the Spirit. You receive power through the act of surrender that you cannot obtain any other way; you receive freedom through submission that you will otherwise never know. 

-- Adapted from John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God’s Best Version of You”

#5458

SURRENDERING TO GOD

“Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.”  (Matthew 6:26)

Jesus is very clear on this point: There is no way for a human being to come to God that does not involve surrender.

Surrender is not the same thing as passivity. God’s will for your life involves exercising creativity, making choices, and taking initiative. Surrender does not mean being a doormat. It does not mean you accept circumstances fatalistically. Often it means you will have to fight to challenge the status quo. It doesn’t mean that you stop using your mind, stop asking questions, or stop thinking critically. Surrender is not a crutch for weak people who cannot handle life.

Instead, surrender is the glad and voluntary acknowledgement that there is a God and it is not me. His purposes are often wiser and better than our own desires. Jesus does not come to rearrange the outside of our life the way we want. He comes to rearrange the inside of our life the way God wants.

In surrender, I let go of my life. It is a Copernican revolution of the soul in which I take myself out of the center of the universe and place God there. I yield to Him. I offer obedience. I do what He says. 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be: Becoming God’s Best Version of You”

#5457

DYING TO OURSELVES – Part 2

“We don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at Him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges!”  (2 Corinthians 5:16-17 The Message)

[Jesus] turns the world’s views inside out and upside down. He simply cuts against the grain of how we naturally think, and we realize that to follow Jesus, we need to retrain our minds to focus through spectacles we’ve never worn before. The key to thinking His way is an utter surrender, a giving up of the old ways, which never would have worked anyway. 

-- Kyle Idleman in “The End of Me: Where Real Life in the Upside-Down Ways of Jesus Begins” 

#5456

DYING TO OURSELVES – Part 1

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV)

How do we die to ourselves?

[As a pastor] I’ve been around my share of dead people. I’ve been in the room before the coroner comes in. I’ve sat with families as their father and husband took his last breath. I’ve stood next to many open caskets as friends and family walked by to say good-bye. And I don’t mean to be coarse, but I’ve noticed something about dead people.

They don’t seem to care very much what other people think of them. They’re not concerned with how nice their clothes are.

Dead people aren’t caught up in their stock investments, nor do they show much interest in getting a promotion. Death renders all worldly points moot. It’s the ultimate, required surrender of yourself and all you have. When Jesus speaks of dying to ourselves, this is what He wants us to think about. All the stuff of the world is dead to us, and we’re dead to it. 

-- Kyle Idleman in “The End of Me: Where Real Life in the Upside-Down Ways of Jesus Begins” 

#5455