Lamentations 3:22-23 12/26/2017*23*

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God is a God of new beginnings.

He is not refurbishing you…you were totaled.
You died with Christ and have been raised as a new creation, and each morning you start renewed.

When you accept the blood of Christ your sins are not only forgiven, they are forgotten.  The old passes away, and there is no connection to the failures of the past. His steadfast love insures that this is a never-ending process.

New Year’s resolutions often deal with what we plan to do in the coming year, but this year let’s talk about what we are NOT going to do… like continue to fight battles that have already been won, or carry baggage that is no longer our responsibility.  Let’s decide not to entertain guilt that has been obliterated by the costliest redemption in all of history.

Then let’s resolve to pass this on to others by forgiving the offenses they have inflicted on us. 

Determine to give a new beginning to anyone in your life who needs one.  If the blood of Christ eliminates your sin, shouldn’t it do the same for theirs?

Grant them forgiveness and you will be amazed at the relief you experience by setting yourself free from all the accounting…the Cross means there is no longer any need to keep score.

He is a God of new beginnings.

So, start again.

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” —J.P.  Morgan

Ephesians 1:7 12/19/2017

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

What a great Christmas verse. It explains the reason for his coming.

The excitement a gift can bring on Christmas morning is fun, but it is unrelated to what we celebrate.

The joy we celebrate is more akin to the emotion felt by prisoners in a death camp when they see liberating forces approaching. It is not a shallow happiness, it is a deeply emotional bliss.  It is a joy that borders on unbelievability because of the outlandishness of what God did.

Jesus didn’t come to visit on Christmas. He came to pay a debt.

God’s only Son offered himself as payment for my trespasses. His blood for my sin. Not because I deserved it, but because He loves me.

The most impactful act of love known to mankind took place in a manger in Bethlehem, and it is where all human history divides.

Enjoy the Holidays, but set aside some time to contemplate the true gift of Christmas…because that gift changed everything.

“Christmas is the day that holds all time together.”
- Alexander Smith

Luke 5:15-16 12/12/2017*28*

“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

When was the last time you withdrew to a lonely place and prayed? 

Is it even possible today? 

Apparently, Jesus did it regularly. Have we somehow missed the importance of this habit? Though He was God in human form, He still “often” withdrew.  If Christ thought it important for Him, how much more important is it for us?

The holidays are incredibly busy.  The days are filled with shopping, decorating, and Christmas parties.  But have we overlooked the reason we celebrate? 

Christmas was a rescue mission launched with one goal…to restore the fellowship we had with the Father in the garden. 

As we celebrate the success of that mission don’t forget to take advantage of the result. 

Withdraw to a quiet place today. Spend some time communicating with God and thank Him for Christmas…which liberated you from bondage, and reestablished the relationship you were created for in the first place.

“Most Christians do not have fellowship with God; they have fellowship with each other about God.”- Paris Reidhead

Romans 12:10 12/5/2017*30*

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above

yourselves."

What is the best way for us to love and honor each other during the holidays?

Christmas has nothing to do with Black Friday, Cyber Tuesday or any other shopping strategy.   It is a time to show your appreciation to God for the family and friends He has given you.

Devotion and Honor are not expressed by buying the latest gadget ... that is only a distraction.  In fact, not having time to spend with your family because you are busy trying to get a good deal on their gift is the antithesis of Christmas.

This year purify your holiday.  

Don’t allow materialism to pollute your celebration.  Don’t spend your time looking for trinkets, but instead think of ways to truly honor those you love. 

The best gifts are not the most expensive.

The gifts that are remembered are the simple ones given from the heart. Don’t just buy presents, invest time. Spend more time this Christmas communicating with those you love, and less time shopping for them.

Nothing “online” will compare to a quite conversation with a loved one where you express how valuable they are to you, and how grateful you are that God placed them in your life…don’t miss that opportunity.

“Appreciation can make a day - even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” 
-- Margaret Cousins

2 Thessalonians 1:4 11/28/2017*25*

“Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.”

The holidays can be tough.  Especially since according to Facebook everyone else’s life is flawless.

Social media would have you believe that Christianity, is all about comfort, affluence, and the perfect life.  But according to this verse it is really about perseverance. 

God wants distance runners. 

Paul didn’t speak proudly of the Thessalonians perfect life…he boasted of their endurance.  He highlighted their faith when times were hard.
  

Our lives are not easy.  They’re not supposed to be.  Endurance comes when you trust God with that fact, and set out to help others.  A distance runners goal is not to avoid pain, it is to keep running through it.

In the midst of your “persecutions and afflictions” …endure.  Then take it a step further and “count your trials as joy” knowing that “spiritual weightlifting” will make you stronger.

God proved His love for you when He gave the first Christmas gift. 

Trust Him.

There will be trials…but Christmas means you will not face them alone, and the empty tomb means they will not defeat you.

… Keep running.

“The first virtue in a soldier is endurance; courage is only the second virtue.”
- Napoleon Bonaparte

Romans 1:9 11/21/2017

“God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times...”

Whose salvation did you pray for today?   At least one name should pop into your mind when you read that question.   

Are you so invested in the people God has put in your path, that you constantly remember them in your prayers?  Or is your prayer life more about jobs, money, and personal problems?

If we diagramed your prayers what percentage would be about God’s Kingdom, and what percentage would be about yours?

Paul had not yet visited the church at Rome, yet they are constantly in his prayers. Even though he was being imprisoned, attacked, beaten, and shipwrecked, Paul prayed unceasingly for these strangers in Rome that God had laid on his heart. 

Can we be that focused?  Can we be so undistracted by day to day concerns that we pray unceasingly for the people God puts in our lives? 

There will be distractions, people who resent you, those who don’t want you to succeed…but can you ignore it all and focus on the job God has set before you?  Can you “seek first the Kingdom” and allow the other things to be added?

You have a mission today.  God has put people in your path who need to know Him.  Pray for them specifically this morning, and talk to them intentionally this afternoon.  There will be obstacles, but trust God and focus on increasing the Kingdom.  That is why you are here; everything else is just details.

“Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus.”
- Elton Trueblood

Psalm 119:105 11/14/2017*10/14*

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

If you are looking to the government, educational system, or our culture to give you direction you are wasting your time.

Even if they knew the way, they would not be allowed to tell you for fear of offending.  Because as long as we are all in the dark, and no one can see us, we are comfortable…lost but comfortable.

Shining a light in the darkness changes that.  The problem with light is it exposes things…it makes us aware of defects.  If we are on the wrong path it disturbs our sense of well-being.

That is what scripture does.  It shines a light on our path and by it we can clearly see the good and the bad in our direction.  It illuminates right and wrong, destroys the argument for relative standards, and upsets those who would rather die in the darkness, than live in the light.

God has provided a compass.  It is authoritative, and it is intended to change your course.  You cannot ignore the light in God’s word.  It will impact you.  It will reveal whether you are a moth or a cockroach because you will either fly to the light, or run from it.

Fly to the light.  Let God’s Word illuminate your path.  Follow the Creators design and you will experience what Jesus meant when he said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. "
- Plato

Philippians 4:7 11/7/2017

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

How can “the peace of God” surpass understanding?

Isn’t understanding the very thing that produces peace? 

 

We are a people of proof.  We want things defined, explained, and clarified.  How can we have peace without a comprehension of the solution to the problem we face?

The peace of God may not come from understanding the problem. It may come from understanding something greater than the problem.

 

Peace, without a solution to your situation, comes from understanding the love of God. It is a result of knowing that God, who has carried you this far, will continue to defend, and provide for you.

It is a change of focus.  Instead of staring at the threat, you stare at your protector.  Instead of desperately looking for an escape, you trust that God once again will deliver you. It is the difference in trusting your abilities, and trusting God.

If you are anxious today.  If you long for real peace.  Stop trying to manipulate the situation. Stop trying to understand and explain everything.  Quit looking at the obstacle, and gaze into the loving eyes of the Father.

Choose to rest in the abundant peace that is available, not from understanding the problem, but understanding the One who provides the solution.  According to scripture, that will guard you heart and provide true, unshakable peace.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God”
- Corrie Ten Boom

Genesis 12:7 10/31/2017*28*

“The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land " So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.”

Do you build altars when God appears in your life?

Abram built something to remind him of the time God showed up and made a promise.  We should do the same thing.  

It can be a journal, or a scrapbook… or a “God box” with note cards or trinkets in it …  maybe just a calendar with stars on the days God delivers …but we need to do something that documents the times God has shown His power in our lives.

We need this because, when we are threatened, we have a propensity to forget all the times He has delivered us.  It is astonishing how quickly we revert to fear. 

Like the Israelites who began questioning God’s love for them soon after God had miraculously split the ocean for them to cross.  Or like Peter, literally standing on the water and questioning God’s ability to handle a wave.  It defies logic, yet we all are susceptible to it.

Strengthen your faith by becoming intentional about documenting God’s victories in your life.  Build altars and routinely sit and review the amazing things God has done.  God’s work is always easier to see when you look back at it.  

Faith is not a blind leap. It is facing today without fear because of what God did yesterday.  Build an altar to remind yourself.  Be still and remember the grace He has shown you in the past, then confidently walk into your future. 

“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.”  Martin Luther

Genesis 50:20 10/24/2017

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

These words were spoken by Joseph to his brothers who had sold him into slavery. How did he avoid resentment? How can we?

The two most destructive emotions on the planet are bitterness, and self-pity. Faith destroys the environment they need to exist.

Trusting God changes your viewpoint.  It transforms you from a victim to an operative. It allows you to see how God can use what should have destroyed you to make you useful and effective against the enemy.

Faith gives you the patience to “let the play develop”.  It allows you to resist panic and wait for God to reveal His plan.  Nothing is more empowering then realizing that God “has your back”.

Confidence in Christ is what allows an alcoholic to both recover and move on to help others fighting the same battle. It enables those who have waded through unimaginable grief to rescue others sinking in it.  It equips battle tested “veterans” who can provide priceless guidance to those just entering the fight. 

Completely Trusting God changes you. 

If you are in the middle of the storm today, hold on.  Know that God loves you, and trust that He will carry you through…then turn your gaze outward and find the “many lives” you are meant to save through the rain.

"It is good for me to have been afflicted, that I might know how to speak a word in season to one that is weary."
-  Charles Spurgeon