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“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song” (Psalm 95:1-2).

Molly and I traveled to Tennessee to be with my older daughter and her family for Thanksgiving. It is getting harder to get my whole family together at the same time so it was good to be with one of the families.  Another reason for traveling to TN was to visit with friends who are in a battle with cancer. Family and friends are at the top of my list of things for which I am thankful.

As I look forward to celebrating Christmas I am most thankful for God’s plan to redeem us for His own people. Beginning in the book of Genesis God reveals his plan to mankind that a Savior would come.  Matthew and Luke begin their gospel writings with the narrative of Jesus’ birth and both include his human genealogy. Matthew begins, “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.”  God had promised David, “your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16). Jesus fulfills that promise as the King of kings over the Kingdom of God. God had promised Abraham his descendants would be as numerous as the stars and “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).  Jesus offers this blessing of salvation to all who will receive it.

It is interesting that Luke takes Jesus’ genealogy all the way back to the first man, Adam, who he calls the son of God. (Luke 3:38)  He was created by God as the very first man. Jesus, the Creator, is the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), the Son of God. The first Adam brought sin to all people, but the last Adam brings life.  The first Adam was not without sin, the last Adam is sinless and takes away sin through His sacrificial death and powerful resurrection.

Thank you, God, for my Savior! I praise you for the peace He gives me. Help me live a life worthy of my King!

“Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this” (Isaiah 9:7).

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn” (Isaiah 60:1-3).

Driving home from the Eastern Christian Conference on Sunday, I noticed a billboard with the words, “It’s your time to shine.” I think it was an ad for jewelry, but for me it was a reminder of what the weekend conference had been about—Arise! Shine! The theme was based on the Scripture passage from Isaiah 60. I listened to speakers encouraging Christians to be ambassadors for Christ in our dark world. The lost live in darkness and need the Light of the world. Christians reflect the Light of the world through the way they live their lives. It’s time to shine!

The Apostle Paul says it this way, “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be very careful, then how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:14-16). I have to ask myself, “Can the lost see Jesus in my actions?” It’s my time to shine!

This was the last year for the Eastern Christian Conference – a gathering of Christians from the Eastern part of the United States. It was a bittersweet weekend for me. Wayne had worked with this conference for years and many memories came to mind as I reconnected with friends through worship and fellowship. Dyke McCord led this grand finale, bringing together top-notch speakers and workshop leaders.  He chose Ken Meade to give the closing message Sunday morning. Ken brought it to a close with a celebration: Celebrate Christ, Celebrate the Church, Celebrate Christians, all with a joyful heart.  What a challenge! If every Christian did that daily  what a different world this would be!

It’s time to shine the light of Jesus!

“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” (Acts 9:1).

While reading the account of Saul’s Damascus road experience I was struck by how dangerous this man was. Saul of Tarsus was a terrorist. He had authority from the high priest to take men or women as prisoners just because they were followers of Christ. He was on his way to Damascus to do just that when he was stopped in his tracks. God had different plans for this man.

In our day, innocent folks are losing their lives because of the evil done by evil men or women. We hear of terrorists’ actions almost every day happening somewhere in the world. Maybe, we’re too immune to the awfulness of it all.  Many of these actions are taken against people because they are Christians. I’ve added these terrorists to my prayer list. No, I don’t have names, but God knows who they are. I pray that they will hear the gospel message, repent, and be saved allowing God to change their plans.

I don’t know if anyone was praying for Saul but God knew he was useful in His service. Using a man named Ananias God changed Saul from a terrorist to a teacher of the gospel. Even his name is changed. Saul is called Paul a little later in the book of Acts. I wonder how many terrorists would become Christians if the church were to pray earnestly for their salvation.  We pray for the safety of those in danger of the terrorists. We should also pray for the terrorists.

Think of Paul the preacher and how much his work impacted the Lord’s work. Much of the New Testament was written by Paul and he traveled to many places starting churches and encouraging the Christians. Maybe, there is a present-day terrorist that God can use as His instrument for His Kingdom work. Let’s pray for that one.

“Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:28).

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Dear Readers, I invite you to pray with me.

Dear God, you are our Creator, Provider, and Savior of our souls. You deserve all honor and glory because you are God Almighty and Everlasting, giver of grace and never-ending love.  We can depend on your faithfulness and provision for our life here on earth as well as future life with you in heaven.

We thank you for the Church. Thank You for the Holy Spirit given freely to obedient believers. We pray the Church will stand strong and confident against the evil forces seeking to bring down your people. You promised the gates of hell would never prevail against the Church. May we, your people, claim that promise as we remain faithful to you, your Word, and your Church.

God, we are thankful for our Nation, the United States. She isn’t perfect but we know she was founded on godly principles. Thank You for our freedoms and for many who fought and died to maintain our freedoms. We are grateful for our military today that stands strong, ready to defend our Nation. Bless them and their families.

This week our Nation is exercising our freedom to vote for government leaders. We pray for wisdom as we mark our ballots. We thank you for leaders who stand up for the right to life for the unborn, who believe we should protect the elderly and the helpless, who believe in the rule of law, and who practice honesty and integrity. We pray the outcome of this election will be for the good of our country and its citizens. We ask that you hold back the forces of evil that want to destroy our families and our way of life. Help us seek truth in your Word and learn to distinguish the difference between the world’s non-truth and your truth. Jesus said He was the way, the truth, and the life. Give us courage to follow the way, the truth, and the life!

In the Name of Jesus, Who is above all names, Amen

“All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips” (Luke 4:22).

“They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority” (Luke 4:32).

I’m reading through the gospels and I noticed that Luke mentions often how the people were astonished or amazed at Jesus’ miracles and teachings. I’m reading the words He spoke to the people 2000 years ago and I had to ask myself, “Am I amazed at His teachings and miracles?” I had to admit I’m often unaffected by what I read. Sometimes I read when I’m tired or distracted by other things and I don’t allow the Word to speak to my soul.  It’s hard to find those moments when I can fully give attention to the Word, but I must. I must read with fresh eyes and open heart. I must be amazed and astonished at the teachings and work of Jesus! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Jesus is at work today. The Creator of the universe is present with me and has promised to never leave me. In their song, Don’t Let Me Miss the Glory, Joe Beck and Carl Cartee remind me that all creation sings to the honor of His Name. Don’t let me miss the glory of Jesus’ teachings.

What is most amazing is that God planned for Jesus to suffer a cruel death He didn’t deserve, so I could be saved from punishment I deserved. Not only that.  He’s preparing a place where I can be with Him forever in the joys of heaven.  That will truly be a life of amazement!

Thank you, God, for your amazing love and grace!

 

 

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:19-23).

I visited the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter last week. My older daughter and I took a break to do something special. We’re glad we did. Seeing the size of the ark reminded me of the great faith Noah must have had to persevere in such an undertaking. Viewing the scenes and presentations at the Creation Museum as well as those at the ark gives one a strong basis for a Biblical worldview.

We live in a culture where a Biblical worldview is often ridiculed or ignored. I think sometimes we, who live with a Biblical view of things, are intimidated by the loud voices of those who do not.  Noah wasn’t intimidated by those who chose not to believe a flood would destroy them. His faith and confidence was in God. Ours can be, too. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus’ death opened the way for us to be pure and clean in order to enter the Most Holy Place, the place where God dwells. Jesus is our great high priest and He is the way to the Father. He is faithful and we can have confidence and assurance in our walk with Him. I think this confidence and assurance should also give us boldness in the workings of our government.

As we hold on to the hope we profess, let us use our voices to boldly proclaim the truth. Stand up for Biblical truth. Pray for our government leaders. Write letters to the newspaper editor and phone or send emails to our senators and representatives. Let them know where we stand on issues of today and find out where they stand as well. Then vote accordingly on November 6.

 

“But the Lord said, ‘You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?’” Jonah 4:10-11

As I read through the book of Jonah recently I was reminded of his reluctance to obey God. Nineveh was a huge, important city, and it was a wicked city. God was ready to destroy it and told Jonah to go and proclaim His message. Apparently, Jonah wasn’t interested in obeying God or taking His message to the people. He ran the opposite way and ended up in the belly of a great fish.

When the fish couldn’t stomach Jonah any longer it threw him onto the shore and God again told him to go to Nineveh.  This time Jonah obeyed and told them God’s message. The people of the city, including the king, repented and God didn’t destroy them.  Jonah wasn’t happy. He was angry. He sat outside the city and asked God to take away his life. The sun was hot and he was miserable so God provided a vine to grow up and give him shade, but the next day He sent a worm to chew the vine and it withered. No more shade. Jonah said, “I am angry enough to die.”

Jonah was not only reluctant. He was selfish. He was more concerned about his own comfort than the salvation of the great city of Nineveh. I, too, am sometimes reluctant to obey God. I find myself being more concerned about my own comfort and preferences than I am about the salvation of lost souls.  There are lost people all around us. Do we see them? Do we care?

“Then he (Jesus) said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’” (Matthew 9:37-38).

“I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel” (Ezekiel 39:7).

Ezekiel was one of God’s prophets during the time His people were in captivity. His people had strayed away from worshiping God as He commanded. They turned to idols and lived as the pagans around them. They had profaned God’s holy name. All through the book of Ezekiel we read, “Declares the Sovereign Lord.” God is sovereign and He has commanded His people to worship and serve Him only. God is holy and His name is holy. I think we sometimes forget about His holiness.

When I sit down to read the Word and pray I sometimes forget I’m in the presence of holiness. My attitude is a bit too casual, I think. God is above all and He created all things that exist. He is awesome and amazing. I am often reminded of this as I read the Word and as I enjoy His creation of both the mighty and mini creatures. I must praise and worship Him, recognizing His awesomeness and reverence His name. As a child of the King, His holiness demands my submission to Him.  As the Apostle Paul so eloquently states in Philippians 2:5, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” There is no room for my selfishness and pride when I think about what Jesus did.

Jesus willing gave up His place with the Father, humbled Himself, took on a servant nature to become a human, and gave up his life on a cross!  Read on: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

What an awesome Name! Does my life honor His Name?

Dear God, I want my life to be free of idols that would cause me to profane your Name. I want my life, every thought and action and attitude, to be like Jesus. Forgive my selfishness and pride. Forgive me when I disregard Your Holiness when I call on Your Name. Give me a spirit of humility and an attitude of submission. In the Holy Name of Jesus, Amen.

Occasionally, I like to open one of  Wayne’s sermon notebooks and read through a sermon or two. Today, I remembered he’d preached a sermon about 9/11 and looked it up. His three points were:

1. Remembering 9/11

2. A personal 9/11

3. God’s 9/11.

He said, “We remember shock and outrage at the terrorism, pride in the heroism, and a sudden, sickening uncertainty. We realized that we love our country—and we stand together to guarantee its freedoms to our children.”

The students at the school where I subbed today were not even born when this happened. Most of them do not understand all the sacrifices made by our military and others to fight against terrorism.  I still grieve for our country’s loss that day, but so many citizens have also been lost in the wars since then.  It makes me sad to see our Nation so divided politically.  We must stand strong as a Nation and recognize God as the Sovereign Ruler of all.

Through National tragedy or personal tragedy God is still in control and cares for us. Wayne mentioned in his sermon the song by Bob Ponchot, God Still Cares. A line from that song says, “But there’s hope in a God Who cares.” Praise Him, for our hope!

Wayne’s last point was that God also had a 9/11—the day His Son was crucified! God’s Son died to rescue us—an even greater rescue than all those heroes who attempted to rescue victims of 9/11. Some of those heroes died trying to save others. One of those heroes was Todd Beamer. His wife, Lisa Beamer, said in her book, Let’s Roll, “The only true security in this life comes from placing our trust in God Who loves us and is in complete control of the events of our lives and our world.”

Some days are discouraging, sometimes we’re fearful and uncertain, some days are downright dreadful and tragic, but through it all our hope is in God.

The prophet Habakkuk said it this way. “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

Oh, that I could trust God like Habakkuk!  Wayne closed his sermon with these encouraging words from the Apostle Paul. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?” 2  Corinthians 2:15-16

I made ketchup today. I enjoy making it for several reasons. It reminds me of my mom.  When I was growing up she always made her own ketchup. I liked it better than store-bought.  I think it’s the best for bean soup and for making barbecue sauce. Making ketchup fills the house with a spicy, sweet aroma! It simmered on my stove most of the day and I can still smell it now at 9:30 PM.

The Bible says that we (Christ followers) are “to God the aroma of Christ.” If we are the aroma of Christ, then we must have Christ-like characteristics. Think fruit of the Spirit. When we have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control growing in our lives we have the sweet aroma of Christ.

If I had not added the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves to the tomatoes the aroma would not have been so enjoyable.  Smelling stewed tomatoes isn’t very exciting.  So, I was thinking about my life and realized that sometimes the fruit of the Spirit isn’t growing so well in my life. I’m just simmering along like stewed tomatoes without the spices!  How’s your aroma?

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2)