Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
27 Only [be sure to] lead your lives in a manner [that will be] worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I do come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit [and one purpose], with one [a]mind striving side by side [as if in combat] for the faith of the gospel. 28 And in no way be alarmed or intimidated [in anything] by your opponents, for such [constancy and fearlessness on your part] is a [clear] sign [a proof and a seal] for them of [their impending] destruction, but [a clear sign] for you of deliverance and salvation, and that too, from God. 29 For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake, not only to believe and confidently trust in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 [and so you are] experiencing the same [kind of] conflict which [b]you saw me endure, and which you hear to be mine now.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Here, Apostle Paul focuses on how we represent the gospel in our lives. This is a personal challenge on how we reflect and defend the faith of the Gospel (v28).
While Paul is chained to a Roman soldier, he saw this as our primary purpose as God’s believers here and now. This idea builds up to Philippians 2:15 writing:
‘that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked, and perverse generation,among whom you shine as lights in the world’
In this 21st century technology dependent age, we need to raise our awareness level and realize that as believers, we are on full satellite display to the world.
How we reflect the gospel is important.
Is our ‘conduct’… ‘worthy of the gospel of Christ’? (1:27).
I like this poem:
You are writing a Gospel,
A chapter each day,
By the deeds that you do
And the words that you say.
Men read what you write,
Whether faithful or true:
Just what is the Gospel
According to you?
(source unknown)
The best Christian witnessing material, whether tracts or YouTube links are no substitute for your own Biblically correct witness, by the way you live your life.
In a number of places Apostle Paul continually reminded the church:
‘walk worthy of the Lord’ (Col 1:10)
‘walk worthy of your calling’ (Eph 4:1)
This representation can also be carried into Christian unity.
Paul writes our public behaviors must stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, (Philippians 1:27)
Our unity (one faith, one Gospel, one God, one mind) should be wrapped up in our purpose (The faith of the gospel).
Jesus final prayer for the church before His betrayal solidifies this lesson.
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:20-21)
Is this what we are actually, authentically, genuinely ‘striving together’ towards?
The way we dress, the way we smile or scowl, the way we carry ourselves, the tone and content of our speech… Every day, we are always making statements to all of those around us about what really matters and what life truly consists of.
For Christians, such statements should be in harmony with the gospel.
So Paul called the Philippians to close the gap between their beliefs and their behavior—between the creed they professed and the conduct they displayed.
Christ’s call to us today is no different. Even so, however mature we are in our faith and however much we close the gap, there always remains more to do.
Paul’s phrase “let your manner of life” comes from the Greek verb politeuesthe, which the NIV translates as “conduct yourselves.”
The root of this word comes from polis, which means “city,” and gives us other words like police and politics.
In a very real sense, Paul is concerned with Christian citizenship and conduct.
As we understand ourselves to be members of the city of God, we learn what it means to live as strangers and ambassadors in that other city, the city of man.
When we close the gap between belief and behavior and actions, others will get a foretaste of heaven through their interactions with us.
So what kind of statement should our actions make?
Simply this: the gospel of Christ is a gospel of love.
We see this in the words of John: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:10-11).
In other words, just as God loves us, so we should love God and those around us—even those whom we, or others, tend to see as unlovely or unlovable—should do it with hope and joy! This message of love is the challenge that Paul gives us.
Not merely in the words you say, Not only in the deeds confessed, But in the most unconscious way Is Christ expressed.[1]
1 Attributed to Beatrice Cleland, “Indwelt,” in, for instance, Our Aim: A Monthly Record of the Aborigines Inland Mission of Australia 68, no. 7 (17 March, 1955), p 1.
Isaiah 64:6-7 The Message
Can We Be Saved?
64 1-7 Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and descend, make the mountains shudder at your presence— As when a forest catches fire, as when fire makes a pot to boil— To shock your enemies into facing you, make the nations shake in their boots! You did terrible things we never expected, descended and made the mountains shudder at your presence. Since before time began no one has ever imagined, No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who happily do what is right, who keep a good memory of the way you work. But how angry you’ve been with us! We’ve sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved? We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves— sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind. No one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you Because you’ve turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins.
Pray, about how you will dress today, when you will smile, when you will scowl, how you will carry yourself today, the tone and content of your speech today.
What kind of statements are you making to the world?
Let them be ones that are worthy of the gospel of love.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …..
Praying ….
Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Salvation in Death.
16 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You. 2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord; I have nothing good besides You.” 3 As for the [d]saints who are on the earth, [e]They are the majestic ones; all my delight is in them. 4 [f]The pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. 6 The measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; Indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has advised me; Indeed, my [g]mind instructs me in the night. 8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 10 For You will not abandon my soul to [h]Sheol; You will not [i]allow Your [j]Holy One to [k]undergo decay. 11 You will make known to me the way of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
29 Give unto Jehovah, ye sons of the mighty ones, give unto Jehovah glory and strength;
2 Give unto Jehovah the glory of his name; worship Jehovah in holy splendour.
3 The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth,—Jehovah upon great waters.
4 The voice of Jehovah is powerful; the voice of Jehovah is full of majesty.
5 The voice of Jehovah breaketh cedars; yea, Jehovah breaketh the cedars of Lebanon:
6 And he maketh them to skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young buffalo.
7 The voice of Jehovah cleaveth out flames of fire.
8 The voice of Jehovah shaketh the wilderness; Jehovah shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve, and layeth bare the forests; and in his temple doth every one say, Glory!
10 Jehovah sitteth upon the flood; yea, Jehovah sitteth as king for ever.
11 Jehovah will give strength unto his people; Jehovah will bless his people with peace.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The Voice of the Lord
3 The voice of the Lord is on the waters; The God of glory thunders, The Lord is over [a]many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful, The voice of the Lord is majestic. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; Yes, the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon in pieces. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord divides [b]flames of fire. 8 The voice of the Lord [c]shakes the wilderness; The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
The voice of the Lord features prominently in the Bible, from “Let there be . . . !” in Genesis 1 to “I am coming soon!” in Revelation 22.
Like any voice, the voice of the Lord can whisper or shout.
In 1 Kings 19, a gentle voice consoles the prophet Elijah, whose spirit is in turmoil.
Psalm 29 describes a roaring voice that rips forests apart.
The voice of the Lord speaks to Jesus when he is baptized.
It says, “You are my Son, whom I love” (Mark 1:11).
That’s an echo of Psalm 2 and Isaiah 42.
And it assigns a destiny to Jesus. He will be a king who rules as a servant.
Jesus embraces that destiny in obedient, faithful trust.
In Psalm 29 the powerful voice of the Lord breaks cedars in pieces, “twists the oaks,” and “strips the forests bare.”
Following the voice that calls to him, Jesus himself will be stripped bare and twisted.
He will be broken in pieces on a tree.
Crowned with thorns, he will be God’s suffering servant, the Savior of the world.
The voice of the Lord still speaks.
If we listen carefully, we can hear it.
From the cross the voice of the Lord whispers, “This is what power looks like.”
This statement also holds with God. His body of work is all around us, giving us a glimpse of His true nature and character.
1. The Galaxy Put on Full Display God’s Wisdom
Looking up at the heavens, we can’t help but be amazed and dumbfounded by how massive, intricate, majestic, and awesome our universe is.
So mind-blowing that even Albert Einstein, who doubted the very existence of God, couldn’t fathom that this vast universe, the way it’s created with such sharp precision and with all its endless number of milky ways and galaxies, could come into being by accident.
You see– the slightest miscalculation can throw the whole solar system into utter chaos, endangering everyone’s lives here on earth.
It’s no wonder, Einstein, with all his qualms and doubts about God, was once quoted as saying that there must be an Intelligent Being behind its creation.
Considering God’s wisdom, His precision and meticulous way with which He carries out tasks, should anyone then be vilified for having any skepticism or mistrusting God’s ability to manage our lives, trusting Him to take complete control of our future?
The way He masterfully brought forth everything into existence, down to the tiniest details, goes to show that we have no reason to doubt, nothing to fear.
We can entrust everything to His care, and breathe easy knowing that He’s all too powerful, wise, dependable, and trustworthy.
2. The Cyclical Nature of the Seasons Shows That God Wants Us to Rely on Him
The changing of seasons is a humbling reminder our lives are also governed by the cyclical seasons of life.
Just as a proud tree shoots out its green leaves and shiny fruits in spring, the autumn season, however, can then decimate everything it produces, losing everything in the process.
If you’ve passed by a naked tree stripped to its last leaf, you know what I mean.
God wants us to realize that difficult seasons don’t last if we continue to rely on Him, seeking His guidance in everything we do, so even during the driest spell of our lives, we will remain standing.
Just like that naked tree in the meadow, seemingly worn out and withered as it struggles to weather the autumn and winter seasons, it will remain undeterred because it knows and realizes God will bring its big comeback come the spring.
3. The Ants Show That God Abhors Laziness
Before the rain comes, I would often notice an army of tiny ants going out and about, carrying anything they can grab onto, shouldering morsels of food twice their size, and dumping their loot inside the tiniest holes no one can enter.
They are preparing for the rainy days ahead.
That’s why I am not at all surprised God Himself used the ants’ diligence, resourcefulness, perseverance as an example for people to follow and emulate.
God Himself is hardworking.
Didn’t He work for six full days and ‘rest’ only on the seventh day?
We’re not saying that we ought to work 6 days a week.
It only shows that we too are created for good work, we’re not brought into this world to couch away in laziness but use our God-given talents to contribute to its growth advancing God’s kingdom here on earth, both in small and big ways.
4. God Shows His Relentless Spirit in Nature
God is simply relentless.
If there’s one thing I’ve realized about a side of God I didn’t notice before, it is His utterly relentless nature.
You can see God’s relentless nature in the way a butterfly rips itself out of its chrysalis after months of brutal, silent fight.
In the way ants carry morsels of food twice their weight for weeks or for even months, the way a seed pushes through dirt and mud to flower, refusing to die.
Reading, studying, the Scripture, we would realize once God puts His heart into something, He is relentless.
He will make sure whatever He sets His heart on, He will accomplish it in His own time, His heart’s desires will inevitably come to fruition.
Did He not declare a long time ago that He would bring the Jewish people back to their homeland? True enough, despite those thousands of hard years of exile across many different nations, Jewish nation still ended up returning to Israel.
This happened despite the Jews’ refusal to go back to the land.
Can we blame them?
Israel, before their return to Eretz Israel, was mostly desert, it was infested with malaria-causing mosquitoes. Marshes and swamps were poorly drained before their arrival, turning many areas into a breeding ground for a type of mosquito, Anopheles, which is responsible for the spread of malaria disease in the region.
It’s a desert country where even a cactus struggled to thrive, according to Mark Twain, something he had noted in his diary during his visit to the land in 1867.
But God is relentless.
Whatever He set out to do, He brings to life.
A barren desert for more than two thousand years, the land has once again reverted back into what it was known for, land of milk and honey, land of many grazing cows and flourishing havens of fruits, veggies, and flowers of all kinds, a few years after the Jewish people had cultivated the fields and settled in their homeland.
“But you, mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home.” Ezekiel 36:8 NIV
And He is relentless in His pursuit of you.
Moment by moment, day after day, year after year, He is shaping you into the kind of person He aspires you to be.
He shapes your character through life experiences, the people He sends into your pathway, the souls He meant for you to meet.
That is why we’re confident that “ He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 NIV
5. God’s Gentleness Is Visible in Nature
Whether it be a soft rain falling into the meadow, a mother swan guiding her young, a gentle stream flowing over rocks, a mother bird feeding her babies 100 times a day, dandelion seeds drifting in the wind, or the random kindness of strangers–we can observe, we feel a smile on our faces at God’s gentle nature.
Atheists and even some Christians often describe God in the Old Testament as wrathful and vengeful, exacting severe, insufferable punishment against those who defied His commands.
Truth is, some Christians even think that the God of the Old Testament seems different from the God of the New Testament.
It appears as if God has a contrasting character.
Wrathful as a lion in the Old Testament, gentle as a dove in the New Testament.
If we were to scrutinize the reason behind God’s wrath in the Old Testament, we would inevitably realize those gravest circumstances compelling Him to exact a severe judgment against His people.
Before punishing a person, group of people, or a nation, God would send out repeated warnings not for days or months but for years, even decades, before executing judgment.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah came about due to the rampant sexual immorality and other immoral acts that ran rampant throughout those cities.
God was merciful and gracious enough to send His prophets throughout the years to warn people about the impending catastrophe that would befall them if they would not turn away from their misbehaviors to repent of their many sins.
Yet, time and again, for decades, the inhabitants remained defiant, stubbornly rebellious.
And when the judgment was about to be carried out, did not God agree with Moses’ proposal several times as the latter pleaded with God to seek out those few righteous people, grant them mercy, and spare the city from His wrath?
In the end, those 10 righteous people in the land were allowed to leave and live.
And Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, but only after decades of warning.
God is not wrathful.
He is a God of justice. That is His nature, and as such, He carries out what only a just God is drawn to do: to exact judgment when dire circumstances demand it.
Being intimate with God isn’t just about carving out time to spend with Him in prayer; it’s about cultivating a deeper personal relationship with Him.
It’s also about knowing God for who He is.
And we can do so by observing His wonderful works around; nature has a way of revealing God’s heart.
The more we know Him, the more our love for Him is engraved deeply in our sin stone hardened hearts, enabling us to be transformed into kinder, gentler souls.
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”1 John 2:3-6 NKJV
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …
Praying ….
Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible
The Works and the Word of God.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices like a strong person to run his course. 6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the [c]other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold; Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be innocent, And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
1 In the beginning Elohim created hashomayim (the heavens, Himel) and haaretz (the earth).
2 And the earth was tohu vavohu (without form, and void); and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Ruach Elohim was hovering upon the face of the waters.
3 And Elohim said, Let there be light: and there was light [Tehillim 33:6,9].
4 And Elohim saw the light, that it was tov (good); and Elohim divided the ohr (light) from the choshech (darkness).
5 And Elohim called the light Yom (Day), and the darkness He called Lailah (Night). And the erev (evening) and the boker (morning) were Yom Echad (Day One, the First Day, Mk 16:2).
6 And Elohim said, Let there be a raki’a (expanse, dome, firmament) in the midst of the mayim (waters), and let it divide the mayim from the mayim.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In the Bible we have God’s great story of the world from its beginning to its end.
This story includes not only mind numbing complexity and wondrous beauty but also great tragedy and sorrow.
One of the golden threads woven into this story focuses on the world’s true King. Who is this King, and what does true kingship look like on the earth?
In the Bible’s opening verses we can hear God speaking.
In the ancient world, no one could make things happen the way a king could by just speaking.
If the king said, “Let there be a banquet,” the obedient servants jumped into action. “Your wish is our command,” they would say.
In Genesis, God speaks as King, and the cosmos itself springs into being.
God can even make something out of nothing!
Light and darkness, day and night, water and sky, sun and moon, vegetation and creatures.
Whole arenas of life are formed and filled.
And the King says, “It is good.”
This Creator King builds by speaking, and his lordship over all things is put on display.
Ancient kings in their earthly kingdoms would build temples, palaces, and vast gardens. Creator King has spoken, built the marvelous temple-palace-garden complex that is creation, the whole universe, including our own earthly home.
The world in which we “live and move and have our being” exists because our King continues to speak and uphold its existence (Colossians 1:16-17). Amazing!
Appreciate this thought: There is, was will never a time when God did not exist. Before there was time, before there was anything at all, there was always God.
Hebrews 13:8 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
8 Jesus Christ, yesterday, and to day; and the same for ever.
And since His nature is unchanging, so He has also always existed in the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen!
When we are reading the Bible, we discover each member of the Holy Trinity was involved in creation: God the Father took the initiative, God the Holy Spirit is described as “hovering over” the proceedings, and God the Son was the agent of creation in all that was made (Genesis 1:2-3; John 1:3).
“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small”[1]should leave us in awe; they were all fashioned by God’s command.
1 Cecil F. Alexander, “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (1848).
And He is not only the Creator of all; He is also the King, the Lord of all that He has created. All of nature is quite literally, by, in His hands, under His control.
As we visually try to picture waves crashing against ancient shorelines, it’s wonderfully encouraging to know each one is there as a direct result of God’s sovereign rule. He hasn’t stepped away from His creation, nor will He ever.
It’s so vitally important to remember God is also transcendent. He is sitting on His throne, above, beyond, fully unique and distinct from all that He has made.
This is what distinguishes Christianity from pantheism.
It is the idea that the natural world is a manifestation of God and therefore literally every single thing is somehow a part of Him.
With this belief, we dare not kill a fly, step on an ant – those insects are divine.
Similarly, we should not chop down a tree or eat meat, because these too are “parts of God.”
Teachings like these are mistaken and misguided and tend to lead to idolatry.
Scripture makes it crystal clear that time and time again that people will choose to worship “the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).
When we see a great painting, we rightly admire and enjoy the painting, and then we praise the painter. All of creation is God’s canvas, and all of it speaks of “his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature” (v 20).
Only God is to be worshiped, for creation exists by His power and for His glory.
His existence knows no beginning or end, and He will reign forever.
He is the King.
Today, exalt Him as He alone deserves.
Go for a walk or look out of the window and sing praises to Him as you see His beauty displayed in what He has made.
Humble yourselves! Praise Him, Honor Him, Glorify Him, Worship Him, as He continues to rule over His creation, and for holding you in His sovereign hand.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …
Praying ….
Psalm 23 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
23 On the first day of the week, a psalm for David. The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof: the world, and all they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas; and hath prepared it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 The innocent in hands, and clean of heart, who hath not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbour.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Saviour.
6 This is the generation of them that seek him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob.
7 Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of Glory shall enter in.
8 Who is this King of Glory? the Lord who is strong and mighty: the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of Glory shall enter in.
10 Who is this King of Glory? the Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Somehow the body of Christ seems to think that if we are humble we should never desire or even confess the desire to be great. Why is this? Is it because we think or have been taught that to desire such a bold thing is sinful or carnal?
So often in the body of Christ some teacher or pastor says something that the audience thinks is brilliant because it’s provocative or new without knowing whether what was said was biblically sound or not.
Sometimes it’s a simple thing and other times it a deep idea that fascinates people’s interest.
All too often a solid ministry has gone off the rails biblically because some pastor or teacher has an unhealthy appetite for being on the cutting edge of some “New Concept” to wow their audience.
They keep trying to have provocative “New” ideas, resolutions to gain a greater audience or notoriety versus helping people become better followers of Jesus.
Now mind you, some of what the body of Christ has believed for hundreds of years could be wrong and therefore, challenging such ideas with the scriptures may sound original and provocative but in truth it is returning to the original intent God had all along.
Scripture is always our bottom line as believers in terms of how we evaluate new and old teachings in the body of Christ, not our own feelings or desires.
Luke 1:26-30 Complete Jewish Bible
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gavri’el was sent by God to a city in the Galil called Natzeret, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Yosef, of the house of David; the virgin’s name was Miryam. 28 Approaching her, the angel said, “Shalom, favored lady! Adonai is with you!” 29 She was deeply troubled by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Miryam, for you have found favor with God.
In one moment of time, young Mary’s life was forever changed.
As the angel of the Lord spoke about her future, Mary went from an obscure Jewish teenager to the hand-selected mother of the long-awaited Messiah.
Everything changed when she understood her destiny.
Mary didn’t know power or popularity, wealth or fame; we don’t even know her last name.
Yet she was favored by God, chosen above all the women throughout time to bring the fullness and greatness of God’s salvation and healing into this world.
It’s the kind of salvation needed by both paupers and presidents, rich and poor, black, white, known and obscure.
And such healing would become the spark of life in the darkness of dead men’s souls, and bridge the great divide between our lost humanity and a loving God.
Yet her journey was not without difficulty as she had to deal with practical facts:
not fully understanding God’s plan, judgmental people speaking lies about her, her own doubts and fears, and trusting God to vindicate and protect her.
Mary’s story was a trial of faith.
Yet she made it through and so can we.
Because like Mary, we are all, in our own God-ordained way, called to bring something indelibly, extraordinary (the Glory of God) straight into the world.
Matthew 5:14-16 Amplified Bible
14 “You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.
But to do so, we must learn from Mary’s experience.
1. Commit to Personal Righteousness
“Personal righteousness” refers to a commitment by believers to live consistent with God’s high calling to carry His light into a lost world.
We must commit to display integrity, purity, honor, respect and holiness. Our lives should be examples for others to emulate – not perfect lives without fault, failure or division, but lives consistent with being on mission for God Himself.
We must hold grace, not as an excuse to sin, but as a motivating force to live honorably before God.
We should neither become judgmental nor a stumbling block unto those who desperately need Christ’s forgiveness.
Personal righteousness is a long drawn out battle that we commit to fight in order to be model examples of God’s love that helps lead people to salvation.
And I believe “personal righteousness” was a significant factor in Mary’s selection to bear the Messiah for mankind:
Luke 1:26-34 Amplified Bible
Jesus’ Birth Foretold
26 Now in the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin [a]betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, the angel said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly perplexed at what he said, and kept carefully considering what kind of greeting this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Listen carefully: you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and eminent and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin and have no intimacy with any man?”
These verses imply that Mary, who was divinely chosen for this extraordinary task, was chosen partly because of her commitment to personal righteousness.
In fact, the Word makes it clear that there is a connection between personal righteousness and God’s decision to entrust great responsibilities to people.
This also directly, decisively, implies our inattention to lackluster personal righteousness limits the effectiveness of their individual in their success.
Hebrews 12:1-3 The Message
Discipline in a Long-Distance Race
12 1-3 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
Anything less than focused commitment to personal righteousness will become a weight that stands in the way of our God-given assignment.
I am convinced if we would fight as vehemently for personal righteousness as we do for social righteousness, or pointing out the sins of the world, we would steadily, but also inevitably, impact the world in much more profound ways!
2. Be Available
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 The Message
26-31 Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”
Translation – you don’t have to be great to do great things for God!
Mediocrity is just as acceptable, is just as highly valued by God.
What does being a mediocre mean?
The definition of mediocre is “of ordinary quality,” “merely adequate,” and “average.” Another word that shares the same root is mediocracy, which means “government run by mediocre people” — an all-too-common, daily condition.
Definitions of mediocre. adjective. moderate to inferior in quality.
Notice here what Mary says of herself:
Luke 1:46-55 Authorized (King James) Version
46 And Mary said,
My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54 He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55 as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
“Low estate” means someone who is low in rank, considered vile, or who is humiliated.
It describes a person who is down and out, rejected, despised, overlooked or simply not popular!
Although it can’t be proven, some people believe Mary was the least in her father’s house, as if she were under some particular contempt and disgrace among her family – like the Cinderella of ancient Israel.
Regardless, it is clear that Mary felt there was nothing extraordinary about Mary! Yet, God chose her.
Why?
The Word demonstrates she made herself available to God; to be used by Him to carry out His extraordinary mission.
She was willing to make room, in her life and in her womb, for God to use her.
But I would guess if we took a hard look at our busy schedules, most of us would mirror Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus rather Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Luke 10:41-42 Amplified Bible
41 But the Lord replied to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered and anxious about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part [that which is to her advantage], which will not be taken away from her.”
Translation – your schedule is packed too full to focus on the things that matter most in life.
At times, our lives get so cluttered, so over-burdened that we don’t have time or mental space to be available for God to use in any significant way.
If that resonates with you, it’s time to reorganize and reprioritize some things; we must intentionally make ourselves available so that we are able to carry out anything He asks.
3. Understand the Purpose of Favor
One of the most memorable words of the angel’s announcement was “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you…” (Luke 1:28).
Many times, we misunderstand favor in our society.
God’s favor is not all about blessing, good breaks and open doors in order to increase personal or social status.
Rather the purpose of divine favor is to allow us to accomplish what God needs done in our lives.
– Joseph found favor with Potiphar,
found favor in prison, and found favor with Pharaoh…because his purpose was to serve as Prime Minister over Egypt in a time of great famine.
– Young David found favor in the eyes of the prophet Samuel, and God touched David’s sling shot with favor to defeat the giant Goliath in battle…because his purpose was to serve as King of Israel.
– Daniel found favor in the courts of the wicked King Nebuchadnezzar…because his purpose was to serve as the prophet of the LORD to the nations.
– Esther found favor in the eyes of the King of Persia…because her purpose was to serve as an intercessor to save her people from destruction.
Favor is not as much for our person, as it is for our purpose.
Even so, when we commit ourselves to God, that favor does positively affect our lives in many forms.
4. Be Willing to Risk Everything
Think of what Mary risked to bring the salvation of God into the world.
Imagine dinner conversation with her parents. Or the angry, hushed argument raging between her parents and Joseph’s parents. Imagine what it felt like to walk to the marketplace, sit in synagogue or look into Joseph’s wounded eyes.
For Mary to fulfill her God-given assignment, she had to release control, risk it all: her reputation, family and friends, her financial security – even her life.
In the culture of that day, she could have been stoned to death for adultery while betrothed to Joseph.
Whatever God entrusts you to bring into the world, regardless of influence, be aware there will be a hefty personal cost.
Jesus did not try to hide this aspect of being His disciple.
Matthew 16:24-27 Amplified Bible
Discipleship Is Costly
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. 25 For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory and majesty of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each one in accordance with what he has done.
How was Mary able to accept the high price and high calling of bringing and too, raising the Son of God into the world?
Luke 1:38 Amplified Bible
38 Then Mary said, “[a]Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel left her.
One of the greatest challenges for many of us, especially in Western society, is seeing ourselves as God’s servants.
We forget as believers, we have willingly given our lives over to Christ, and we are no longer our own; rather, we have been bought with an irreplaceable price.
The Christ who created us and redeemed us from death now has the right to direct our lives and our actions in it, regardless of perceived risk to our plans, social standing or financial well-being.
From God’s perspective every person who impacts the world in a significant way for God understands this truth.
For example, you’ll observe Paul in his epistles constantly reaffirms his continuous submission to Christ.
Romans 1:1-4 Amplified Bible
The Gospel Exalted
1 Paul, a [a]bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative), set apart for [preaching] the [b]gospel of God [the good news of salvation], 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the sacred Scriptures— 3 [the good news] regarding His Son, who, as to the flesh [His human nature], was born a descendant of David [to fulfill the covenant promises], 4 and [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated to be the Son of God with power [in a triumphant and miraculous way] by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
A “bondservant” was someone who had been purchased as a slave.
At the time appointed for them to be set free, they elected to stay with their master for life and serve them, because of love.
Ultimately, that’s what it takes to bring divine greatness to the world in an impactful way.
It requires we love Jesus so much that, even though we must reprioritize things in our lives to reflect His character, intentionally make room in our schedules to answer His call at any time, and be courageous enough to step out in faith well beyond our comfort zones.
We devote our lives and everything we do to serving Him as our master.
It may seem impossible now, but nothing is impossible with God!
He is greater than our human limitations, and He can, moment by moment summon us, prepare and position us for every good thing He has planned.
Psalm 62:5-8 New Living Translation
5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. 7 My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. 8 O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
The disarming song of Psalm 62 gives us a beautiful invitation: “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
In a mysterious way, being vulnerable and pouring out our hearts opens us up to receive the rock-solid foundation that God’s loving character provides us.
We may not be able to control what happens in our lives, but we always have the invitation to rely fully on God.
No matter what, even if we feel as if we could be toppled, we will not be shaken.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Praying …….
Psalm 46 The Message
46 1-3 God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city, this sacred haunt of the Most High. God lives here, the streets are safe, God at your service from crack of dawn. Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten, but Earth does anything he says.
7 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, Bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”
11 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
13 Who among you is wise and intelligent? Let him by his good conduct show his [good] deeds with the gentleness and humility of true wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant, and [as a result] be in defiance of the truth. 15 This [superficial] wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly (secular), natural (unspiritual), and even demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder [unrest, rebellion] and every evil thing and morally degrading practice.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
From the Manger to the Cross: Live Well, Live Wisely or ….
According to 1 Kings 3 in the Bible, King Solomon was told by God that he could ask for anything he wanted, blank check signed by God, and he would receive it.
Instead of asking for a long life, riches, popularity, or power, Solomon asked for wisdom. He understood that the “wisdom that comes from heaven” is the one thing we need more than anything else if we are to be what God wants us to be.
According to our reading in James for today, wisdom is not some intellectual gift that makes us intelligent.
True wisdom does not come from an high I.Q. or from high scores on college entrance exams.
It’s easy to confuse wisdom and intelligence.
If someone has all the right answers and too an encyclopedic knowledge of seemingly every subject, and particularly of Bible verses, we may be big time prone to automatically assume that they are wise—and they very well could be.
But equally, they may well not be, for raw intellectual ability and the capacity to retain such a vast magnitude of facts doesn’t necessarily equate with wisdom.
In his epistle, James links wisdom not with knowledge but with good conduct and meekness.
The one who is wise in God’s sight acts in a way that accords with the humility (Philippians 2:3-4), gentleness (Ephesians 4:2), and joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16) that God asks of His people.
God, who needs no counselor (Romans 11:34), doesn’t need us either to impress Him with what we know.
God tells us what draws His appreciative gaze is the man or woman, girl, boy, who is “humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2).
James has a memorable phrase for this approach to ourselves and to life: “the meekness of wisdom.”
A genuinely wise person knows how much they don’t know.
They know that however much they know, it’s only a tiny portion of the total vastness of the knowledge that God has.
Intelligence marked by wisdom will not become polluted by showy displays of verbosity or railroad others with intellectual vigor.
Instead, it will be marked by a humility that always aims to build others up with whatever we have—being physical, intellectual, spiritual, emotional strength.
Wisdom echoes the prophet Isaiah, who acknowledged, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary” (Isaiah 50:4).
The truly wise maintain a high view of God, a sober view of themselves, and a generous view of other people.
How do I know if I have a high view of God?
If I am constantly aware of just how much I depend on Him for everything.
How will I know if I have a sober view of myself?
I am aware of my own shortcomings and understand all I have is only what I have received from God—if I am in the habit of pointing away from myself instead of toward myself.
How do I know if I have a generous view of other people?
If I am routinely building them up instead of cutting them down.
This is the sort of wisdom which pleases God, which the world so desperately needs from us—a gentle wisdom demonstrating itself in good conduct and in consistent meekness.
How does this challenge you?
How will you pursue living with this true wisdom today?
True wisdom is a gift from God, given to help us live life as God expects us to.
It is the kind of wisdom which literally affects every area of our everyday lives.
Says James, “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
This is the wisdom each one of us needs. Putting our faith into practice, hearing God’s Word and doing it, beginning with asking God for his wisdom (James 1:5).
Without it, we cannot be what God wants us to be.
Ask God today and every day to fill you with his wisdom.
Pray for the presence of the Holy Spirit to help you experience “the wisdom that comes from heaven.”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit
Praying ….
Description of a Citizen of Zion.
A Psalm of David.
15 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent? Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill? 2 He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness, And speaks and holds truth in his heart. 3 He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4 In his eyes an evil person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder]. He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit]; 5 He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite], And does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father and then we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and you do not know Me yet, Philip, nor recognize clearly who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you I do not say on My own initiative or authority, but the Father, abiding continually in Me, does His works [His attesting miracles and acts of power].
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
When have we felt closest to God? When have we felt most distant from God?
You might be doing “all the right things”—attending worship, reading the Bible, praying, studying, helping others—yet God still doesn’t seem very close.
Maybe we have felt this way in a crisis—or even in the midst of daily routines.
We just wish that God would show us unequivocally who he is and he is active.
Philip seems to show that sentiment, saying, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
But Jesus appeared surprised by this; saying, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?”
Jesus had revealed the Father throughout his entire ministry!
Jesus “is himself God and . . . has made him known”(John 1:18).
He taught that he is “equal with God” (John 5:18).
He also said, “I and the Father are one”(John 10:30).
Jesus makes “I am” statements, using the Lord’s special name “I am who I am”(Exodus 3:13-15).
He had walked on water, fed many thousands, spoke, stilled the storms, and had raised people from the dead.
That night, Jesus also ate his last supper with his disciples, telling them he would soon die and rise again (John 13).
Yet Philip still desperately wanted more revelation!
Would it really be enough?
John 14:8-10 Christian Standard Bible
Jesus Reveals the Father
8 “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who lives in me does his works.
One day in an art class, the teacher was going around the various paintings to look at what the children were doing, she asked a boy what it was he was painting.
The small boy said to her, “I’m painting a picture of God.”
“But we don’t know what God looks like,” the teacher replied.
“Well,” said the boy, “come back when I’ve finished and you’ll find out!”
With the birth of the infant Lord Jesus in Bethlehem, God took a brush and painted on the largest canvas of history what He Himself was really like.
Hebrews 1:1-4 New King James Version
God’s Supreme Revelation
1 God, who [a]at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the [b]worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had [c]by Himself [d] purged [e]our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
When Christ appeared, He rendered obsolete all previous guesses about God’s nature, and He rendered arrogant all subsequent ones.
The writer to the Hebrews put it this way:
“At many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2).
In other words, through the prophets of old, God had spoken a multifaceted and varied word, weaving His character and His nature all through the pages of the Old Testament.
But in Bethlehem, God spoke in a personified Word.
The long-awaited Messiah, the Light of the nations, appeared—and in that tiny little baby, God made manifest His reality.
Just think: in that Bethlehem manger lay God… wiggling His toes!
The baby that nursed at the breast of Mary and was rocked to sleep in the arms of Joseph was God, and He remains God.
Is it any wonder that the shepherds went out and spread the word?
Is it any wonder that the wise men of His day bowed in worship before Him?
Jesus came to make the Father known.
May our hearts be so humbled by the incarnation that we come to know God personally, not merely intellectually.
Like the shepherds, we have the message of Christ’s advent to share with our society.
As we spread the good news of Jesus’ coming as the Messiah, as the one who is God and has come to make God known, pray that the wisdom of our world may bow before His glory.
Do you know Jesus as your Lord?
Our Lord’s Words to Philip seem to drip with discouragement.
Certainly Philip should have known better.
From reading this portion of John’s narrative, it appears John strongly believed it should be the natural wish of man in every age for some extraordinary vision, revelation of the Father – for an earnest desire for further light – a yearning for the miraculous. “Let us see the Father.”
Philip’s plea here reveals not only the weakness of his faith but the lack of his grasping, understanding, actualizing, the gospel way of making God known.
Jesus came to flesh out the Father for our eyes to see and subsequently as His 21st century followers we are covenanted to flesh out Jesus for the world to see.
To see with bodily eyes is one thing yet to see with eyes of faith is quite another.
Then—praise God—you have seen, and believe in His Father as Thomas stated.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …
Praying …..
Psalm 19 English Standard Version
The Law of the Lord Is Perfect
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above[a] proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice[b] goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,[c] reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules[d] of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom[a] you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in all righteousness, 17 that the man of God[b] may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Church, let me ask you a serious question which has echoed across centuries, whispered in classrooms, the subject of many sermons, scholarly papers, and shouted in debates and studies, whispered in hearts during nights of doubt:
“What is the best proof that the Bible and Christianity are real?”
Some will point to archaeological discoveries, research—yes, the stones cry out.
Some point towards high %age of fulfilled prophecy—yes, God keeps His Word.
Some point directly to the historical resurrection—yes, the tomb is still empty.
But the greatest proof … the most unshakeable evidence…
is a Person—Jesus Christ Himself—revealed in Scripture and living, residing in, His redeemed people by the power of the Holy Spirit. (John 14:23)
Christianity is not merely a set of ideas.
It is the revelation of the living God who speaks, saves, transforms, and reigns.
And today, from Scripture, I want to show you:
Why the Bible is trustworthy
Why Christianity is true
Why Jesus Christ is the ultimate proof
Why you must respond to His call today
Let’s begin with our key passage.
2 TIMOTHY 3:16–17 (NLT): “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
POINT 1 — THE BIBLE IS SUPERNATURALLY INSPIRED
Paul writes to Timothy from a Roman prison cell.
His execution is approaching.
This is his final letter.
And of all the things he could say, he says: “Timothy, the Scriptures are God-breathed.”
The Greek phrase is theopneustos—literally God-breathed.
Not human-improved.
Not spiritually-inspired poetry.
But breathed out from the very mouth of God.
At this time, Timothy had:
The Old Testament Scriptures
The apostolic teaching (much of which became the New Testament)
Paul is declaring: All of it is the Word of God.
2 Peter 1:20–21 (NLT): “Above all, you must realise that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”
The phrase “moved by the Holy Spirit” in Greek is pheromenoi—meaning “carried along”, “propelled”, like a ship moved by the wind.
The Bible is not man reaching up to God.
The Bible is God reaching down to man.
Dr. John Piper wrote: “The Scriptures are the place where God has chosen to reveal Himself with final authority.”
Yes—if the Bible is God’s own revelation, it is the final word on truth.
Not culture. Not opinion. Not feeling. Not politics. God Himself has spoken.
If Scripture is God-breathed:
We must read it daily.
We must obey it fully.
We must trust its authority above the world’s voices.
When you open your Bibles, you are breathing in the very breath of God.
POINT 2 — TRANSFORMING POWER OF JESUS IS PROOF CHRISTIANITY IS REAL
Do you want to know the greatest evidence Christianity is true?
Dead sinners come to life. Lost people are found. Broken people are restored.
Christ still lives, still saves, still changes, still redeems.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT): “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
Word Study
Greek for “new person” is kaine ktisis — meaning not “improved”, not “renovated”, but new in nature and quality.
Only the living Christ can do that.
The Watchmaker
A man once doubted Christianity.
He said, “I’ll believe in God when I see Him.”
His pastor held up a watch.
“Do you believe this watch has a maker?”
“Of course,” said the man.
“Though you’ve never seen him?”
“Yes, because the watch exists.”
Then the pastor said: “And when I see a man whose life was broken, enslaved by sin, restored by Christ, walking in grace and holiness—that is evidence of the Master Watchmaker working in lives today.”
John 20:24-29
Changed lives are undeniable evidence.
Tim Keller wrote: “The gospel is not just the ABC of the Christian life; it is the A to Z. It transforms everything.”
The evidence that the Bible is true is not merely intellectual—it is observable. A transformed heart is a miracle only God can perform.
POINT 3 — THE RESURRECTION IS HISTORICAL, RELIABLE, AND UNDENIABLE
If Jesus is alive, Christianity is true.
If Jesus is not alive, Christianity collapses.
1 Corinthians 15:3–6 (NLT): “Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time…”
Paul is writing within 20–25 years of the resurrection.
Many eyewitnesses were still alive.
If resurrection were false, Christianity would never have survived. Acts 5:33-42
Word Study
“Raised” is Greek egegertai — perfect tense, meaning: “He was raised… and remains alive.”
Every apostle died refusing to deny the resurrection.
The tomb was empty.
No body was ever found.
Women were the first witnesses (not something you’d fabricate in that culture).
Chuck Colson, involved in the Watergate scandal, said:
“Twelve men kept a lie for two weeks? The disciples kept the truth for a lifetime, even under the very real threat of death. People don’t die for a lie they created.”
Charles Stanley wrote: “The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the chief proof that He is exactly who He claimed to be.”
The empty tomb isn’t just a historical event—it is the heartbeat of Christianity.
A dead Savior cannot save. But a risen Savior transforms eternity.
POINT 4 — THE BIBLE’S FULFILLED PROPHECY PROVES ITS DIVINE ORIGIN
Isaiah 46:9–10 (NLT): “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.”
Only God can declare the future with exacting precision.
Examples of fulfilled prophecy:
Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) — fulfilled in Luke 2.
He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12–13) — fulfilled in Matthew 26:15.
He would die by crucifixion centuries before it was invented (Psalm 22).
Word Study
Hebrew “declare” in Isaiah 46:10 is nagad — “to announce with certainty”.
Reverend Dr. R.T. Kendall: “Fulfilled prophecy is God’s signature upon history.”
Yes!
It is the handwriting of God across time, verifying His Word and revealing His power.
If God kept every prophecy, He will keep His promises to you:
He will forgive those who repent.
He will save those who trust in Christ.
He will return for His people.
POINT 5 — THE GOSPEL IS THE ULTIMATE PROOF
Romans 1:16 (NLT):
“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.”
The Gospel is not advice.
It is not good ideas.
It is not religious inspiration.
It is power. Greek word: dynamis — where we get “dynamite”.
The Gospel breaks chains, shatters darkness, and transforms eternity.
Max Lucado: “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way.”
That is the Gospel’s proof.
God does not simply accept us—He transforms us through Christ’s saving power.
THE GOSPEL PRESENTATION — THE HEART OF THE MESSAGE
Church, listen carefully:
Christ really lived.
Christ really died.
Christ really rose again.
Christ really saves.
Here is the Gospel:
We have all sinned (Romans 3:23).
Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).
Jesus came to die in our place (Isaiah 53:5–6).
He rose again (1 Corinthians 15:4).
Salvation is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8–9).
We must repent and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9–10).
You do not need to earn salvation.
You cannot buy salvation.
You cannot achieve salvation.
You can only receive it through Christ.
CALL TO ACTION — A RESPONSE OF FAITH AND OBEDIENCE:
Because the Bible is true…
Because Jesus is alive…
Because Christianity is real…
You must respond.
Believer:
Return to Scripture daily.
Build your life on God’s Word.
Share the Gospel with urgency.
Obey Christ wholeheartedly.
Unbeliever or unsure listener:
Today is the day of salvation.
Not tomorrow.
Not “one day”.
Today.
Jesus is calling you.
He loves you.
He came for you.
He died for you.
He rose for you.
He will forgive you.
But you must repent. (Job 42:1-6, Psalm 51, Mark 1:15, Acts 2:38, Romans 10:9-13,
Turn from sin.
Turn to Christ.
Trust Him as your Savior and Lord.
INVITATION TO SALVATION:
If you want to give your life to Christ today, pray from your heart:
“Lord Jesus, I admit I am a sinner.
I believe You died for my sins and rose again.
I turn from my sin and trust You alone as my Lord and Savior.
Make me new.
Fill me with Your Spirit.
Help me follow You.
Amen.”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Praying ….
The Works and the Word of God.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices like a strong person to run his course. 6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the [c]other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold; Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be innocent, And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 New American Standard Bible
The Order of Resurrection
20 But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man death came, by a Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in [a]Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that [b]this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Scripture abounds with examples of what I call the Divine Adversative.
This is about God directly intervening to reverse the effects of our sin.
We note the example of this in the resurrection of Jesus.
Christ’s resurrection has reversed everything!
Life conquered death, good conquered evil, and love conquered all.
As Paul explains, if Christianity is no more than a “feel-good” faith that helps us behave better in this life, we’re pathetically hopeless.
If that is the case, then we have no help from God in this life and no hope for the next, if there is life after death.
So it would be better to abandon all hope for ourselves as well as for those who have already died.
All of this would mean the resurrection is merely a figment of desperate faith.
But then comes this thunderous Divine Adversative: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
Hallelujah! We have a hope that extends from our life here on earth to eternity itself. Rather than being defeated by the curse of sin and death, “in Christ all will be made alive,” just as Christ himself is alive for eternity.
All of our hope—and indeed all of our life—is certain, because God said, “But Christ!”
1 Corinthians 15:14 is referred to as “the lynchpin of the gospel.” As Paul writes, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
Without the resurrection, we have nothing on which to build our faith.
All we have is a famous person who taught noble ideas about life and an ethical system on which to build our society.
But that’s just for this life. Without the resurrection, we have no hope for surviving death. And if that’s the case, then why bother believing in Jesus?
Paul goes on, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.”
And in the first sermon of the New Testament church, Peter preached, “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we all are witnesses of it” (Acts 2:32).
Paul wrote that the resurrected Jesus “appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time.”
We are called not only to profess our faith that Jesus was raised but also to understand that this is the lynchpin of our faith.
Everything hangs together on Christ’s resurrection!
You and I Can Face Tomorrow
Every once in a while, someone comes along and claims that we don’t need to believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We can still be Christians without the miraculous or supernatural elements of the Christian faith, they say.
But the tragedy for them and for anyone who follows such a claim is that the implications of there being no resurrection don’t just make the Christian life difficult; they make it immeasurably ridiculous.
If there is no resurrection, Paul pointed out, then those who have died trusting Jesus have utterly perished, and there is no hope of ever seeing them again.
If we try to live a Christian life without the resurrection, then “we are of all people most to be pitied.”
In fact, Paul says, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’” (1 Corinthians 15:32).
If we don’t believe in the resurrection, then we ought to buy into all the clichés that so many say (but few truly believe)— “This life is what you make it” and “He who dies with the most toys wins!”
Enticing as such platitudes may be, we all have a sneaking suspicion that death is not the end.
God has put eternity into our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11), and there is no scraping it out—no matter what force of rational skepticism or what indulgent hedonism we may apply to it. We know, by design, that there is more to life than life itself.
We also know that tomorrow, and in every tomorrow, there will be sadness, pain, loss, fear, and disappointment.
How can anyone cope?
Without the resurrection, we can’t.
That is why Paul reminded the Ephesians before being brought near to Christ, they had “no hope” and were “without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).
“But Christ has been raised.”
And those five words make all the difference, not only to eternal life but also to life today.
If you take God at His word and trust Him in faith, then there is never any reason for hopelessness.
You have “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
No matter what difficulties await you—and today, and tomorrow, there will be some—you will always have “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (v 4).
“Because he lives, I can face tomorrow,” goes the song.[1]
So can you—and you can do so with joy.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit ….
Praying ….
Psalm 145 Complete Jewish Bible
145 (0) Praise. By David:
(1) I will praise you to the heights, my God, the king; I will bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you; I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is Adonai and greatly to be praised; his greatness is beyond all searching out. 4 Each generation will praise your works to the next and proclaim your mighty acts. 5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of your majesty and on the story of your wonders. 6 People will speak of your awesome power, and I will tell of your great deeds. 7 They will gush forth the fame of your abounding goodness, and they will sing of your righteousness. 8 Adonai is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and great in grace. 9 Adonai is good to all; his compassion rests on all his creatures. 10 All your creatures will thank you, Adonai, and your faithful servants will bless you. 11 They will speak of the glory of your kingship, and they will tell about your might; 12 to let everyone know of your mighty acts and the glorious majesty of your kingship. 13 Your kingship is an everlasting kingship, your reign continues through all generations. 14 Adonai supports all who fall and lifts up all who are bent over. 15 The eyes of all are looking to you; you give them their food at the right time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17 Adonai is righteous in all his ways, full of grace in all he does. 18 Adonai is close to all who call on him, to all who sincerely call on him. 19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20 Adonai protects all who love him, but all the wicked he destroys. 21 My mouth will proclaim the praise of Adonai; all people will bless his holy name forever and ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 but if ye forgive not men of their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Foundational biblical truths found in The Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace.
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Today we are going to look at: Where there is injury, pardon.
Have you ever been injured by someone?
Have you ever caused injury to someone?
Injury:
Words spoken. Failed relationships. Life circumstances – minimal to horrific.
Injury is everywhere. In the church, in the world. At work. In marriages. In families. It is very easy to take offense and to cause offense. We don’t easily let go of our offenses. We keep that someone in jail so to speak. The incident locked tight in our heart. Injury is common, pardoning is not.
Here are a few common responses when we have been injured.
Where there is injury let me – have at it.
Where there is injury, let me pardon and then let them pay.
Where there is injury, let me major on the minors.
Where there is injury, let me always have the last word.
Where there is injury, let me always be right.
Knowing that these responses are not very Jesus – like:
What does Jesus have to say about this?
Matthew 6: 9-15
“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10) your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11) Give us today our daily bread. 12) Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14) For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15) But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Sobering stuff.
We are asking in this prayer for Jesus to pardon us just as much as we choose to pardon those who have injured us. No more. No less.
For us it is about settling accounts.
Being right.
For Jesus it is about pardoning.
Being reconciled.
Matthew 18: 21-22“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’
Seventy-seven means times without number.
No limit how many times we are to pardon, forgive those who have injured us.
It is clear that Jesus means business.
There is no wiggle room when it comes to pardoning.
The cool part about that challenge is that Jesus didn’t just tell us to do it but He modeled it for us.
The ultimate act of forgiveness was going to the cross for all of us.
The ultimate pardon.
When He hung on the cross, He said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23:34
Is it more important to you to be right than to reconcile?
Is it more important to you to hold onto your grudges and injuries than it is to be pardoning?
To hold on to your offenses rather than pardon?
To hold that person in the jail of your heart?
Not far from dying, in a condition of unspeakable sufferings, we have Jesus’ spoken words about pardoning as well as His model, yet as we stand here today with our injuries and the memories of injuries that we have afflicted on others.
We may end up looking like the elder son in the Prodigal story.
Let’s look at the Rembrandt painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son.”
Let’s put a face on this.
The elder son was angry, cold hearted, unforgiving. He was one that kept his heart locked tight. Kept his younger brother locked in the jail of his hard heart.
We don’t know what happened to the elder son. Scary.
He would rather be right in his own thinking, to hang on to his offenses than trying to welcome home and forgive his brother.
BEING RIGHT VS. BEING RECONCILED.
Remember: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
We are asking for Jesus to pardon us just as much as we are willing to pardon all those who have injured us.
“Search us, Help us Lord to stop settling accounts, stop holding our offenders prisoners in our jails and to pardon out of obedience to You and Your word.”
PRAYER: “Lord, show us where we are hanging on at all costs as if our very lives would utterly crumble to being right and are unwilling to be reconciling.” “Show us areas where we have been injured and have chosen to carry the grudge until…that person comes to us and apologizes.” “Show us where we have now hardened our hearts to receive forgiveness from You, there by passing up the attempts of the Father to love up on us.”
Our Kingdom Living for What Purpose? God’s Kingdom to Come ….
Matthew 6:9-10 Authorized (King James) Version
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
From simple to complex, most of us face many, many choices each day.
What clothes will I wear?
What will I have for breakfast?
What route will I take to work?
What do I need at the store?
Which projects, which tasks will I focus on?
There is one choice, however, far more important than all the others:
Which kingdom will I serve?
How will I spend my money, time; on what efforts—the kingdom of God or the kingdom or domain or country or community or family that I am dwelling in?
Jesus teaches us to pray, “Father . . . your kingdom come.”
As we pray these words, we are making a true commitment to living God’s way.
“Your kingdom come” means, first of all,
“Rule over me! Master my soul. Make me a loyal citizen of your kingdom.”
It means,
“Lord, rule in my whole life, master me such a way my deepest desire is to walk only with you. May your principles and ways be the only air that I breathe.”
“Your kingdom come” also means God’s Kingdom alone.
“Help me to see your kingdom advance in the people around me—my family, friends, classmates, coworkers, and neighbors, to foster a love and a depth of integrity, truth and highest respect for thy kingdom, living in them as well.”
This also means seeing churches, High Schools, institutions and organizations align with the principles of God’s kingdom. And as the Lord’s kingdom comes, any forces that dare to revolt against him will be overwhelmed and shattered.
4 But when [in God’s plan] the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the [regulations of the] Law, 5 so that He might redeem and liberate those who were under the Law, that we [who believe] might be adopted as sons [as God’s children with all rights as fully grown members of a family]. 6 And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, [a]“Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave (bond-servant), but a son; and if a son, then also an heir through [the gracious act of] God [through Christ].
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Contrary to the festive and joyous and uplifting songs of the season, sadly sometimes, for some, Christmas doesn’t feel merry or worth celebrating.
You listen and say to yourself,
“But, Christmas time doesn’t feel that way. This year Christmas doesn’t feel merry at all!”
I’ve never heard anyone say it, but have felt it profoundly:
“I just don’t feel Christmas-y.”
This feeling can mean so many things:
I’m not feeling the emotions that are supposed to go along with this holiday.
I don’t feel worthy to participate in the celebrations and gifts.
I hurt, but Christmas doesn’t have room for my pain with its bright lights and happy songs.
God is not going to listen to my crying, nor touch my tears, care about my soul.
Maybe your heart aches, too.
We struggle under the weight of brokenness, grief, acute chronic debilitating health illness, or even sin, carrying the effects of the fall around like a blanket.
We miss loved ones!
Maybe the engagement ring we’ve been hoping for (and the young man to go with it) still hasn’t shown up.
Our arms are still empty and our heart cries out for our distant family.
Maybe our marriage is struggling and there isn’t “peace on earth” in our home.
This could be our first year without a parent, spouse, or child because of death or relational collapse.
Maybe our beloved has been deployed by the armed forces and cannot be home for the holidays.
We, or someone we love, may have been diagnosed with a devastating disability or debilitating illness.
Maybe a history of abuse, addiction, injury, or trauma colors over the bright lights of mirth.
MAYBE it’s “just” hormones leaving you feeling grumpy and not in the mood for lights, tinsel, and Christmas festivities, delicious cookies, and the turkey’s.
My friends and readership, I have no idea the trials you face this year as you put up decorations, consume copious amounts of sugar, choose the perfect present, drink eggnog or whatever or however your cultural traditions celebrate .
But, I want you to know you are not alone.
And you are not outcast, because you don’t feel “Merry and Bright.”
God hears you loud and clear!
Psalm 40 The Message
40 1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened. He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud. He stood me up on a solid rock to make sure I wouldn’t slip. He taught me how to sing the latest God-song, a praise-song to our God. More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God
1. Remember, Christmas is especially for the heart that doesn’t feel merry.
The ache of our souls dims the glitter and glamor of the season, allowing the light of the Savior to shine through.
Suffering requires us to pray constantly, feel our need for Savior in fresh ways.
If (or when) we don’t feel worthy of the specialness and gifts that come in the holiday season, the truth of the Gospel becomes more real.
I desperately need my Savior.
I need someone to heal the brokenness wracked by the fall. I need someone to to trust, walk with me as I navigate my pain, helping me carry these burdens.
The celebration of Jesus’ birth is undeniably beautiful because He is beautiful.
My weakness, frailty, and woundedness cannot harm the message of the love, hope and joy this season brings. Instead, the fact that Christmas wont always feel merry, allows me to look again at the wonder of Emmanuel, God with us.
Nothing in me brought about Christmas, and nothing in me detracts from God’s greatest heaven sent experience gifted to us, born with all its angelic splendor.
Luke 2:8-18 English Standard Version
The Shepherds and the Angels
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 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. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”[a]
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
In those Christmas moments where we don’t feel merry, God has gives us hope.
Our joy and affection for Him can grow stronger in this time of year, even if we feel ostracized from the merriment that’s supposed to be the daily experience.
2. When Christmas does not feel merry, accept the reality of brokenness.
Your ache this Christmas stems from the brokenness. We feel the weight of fractured relationships, abuse, addiction, trauma, death, loss, uncertainty, illness, caregiver overload, and exhaustion. We live in a sin-scarred world.
You were created for paradise.
Our souls know we were not created for a broken world.
We long for Eden intensely, especially when hearing refrains of “peace on earth, goodwill toward men” drift through the air.
The deep desire of your soul for connection, safety, love, and peace point to a greater reality. Jesus does not intend to leave his people in a place of ruin and suffering from all the recurring visions of unsightly wreckage all around us.
Yet, for many, such visions of ugliness and the measures of pain and difficulty are our day-to-day realities. This is why we need Emmanuel – God with us.
Our desperate need for redemption and salvation began in the beginning, at the Fall (Genesis 2-3), when everything completely unraveled in an instant, tearing away true life in God alone from the souls of Adam and Eve (thereby all of us).
Yet, in that moment, God answered, promising a Messiah, a Savior who would soon come to reorder the world, and to create everything anew.
Isaiah 61:1-7 English Standard Version
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;[a] he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;[b] 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.[c] 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; 6 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. 7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.
Jesus’ birth answers the groans of all creation, ours included (Romans 8:19-23).
He saw all the pain, and grief and suffering resulting from the brokenness of sin, and came to start the process of restoration.
That which is broken will be restored, the wounded healed.
The problem of sin, brokenness, suffering, and injustice solved once and for all.
Results of His coming leaves believers in Him in the oft-time uncomfortable already-not-yet, where we have the final promises of restoration but do not yet see it playing out completely in our lives, hearts, and circumstances.
So, in the difficulties of each season, we cling to God’s gift of our Savior who came to save us bringing His always faithful promises to bring us life anew.
Galatians 4:4-7 English Standard Version
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Our souls yearn for the glorious destiny He is planning for us, while we wait.
Look directly at your pain and suffering (no matter how “trivial” it seems).
Psalm 139:23-24 Amplified Bible
23 Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
To bask in the comfort of Jesus anytime of the year, Pray! Allow yourself to acknowledge the brokenness of the world and your own soul. Don’t gloss over the pain, throwing tinsel and glitter till it shines. Be honest with yourself.
Call hurt what it is – name it. Examine the hurt. Allow (or force) yourself to stop (Psalm 46:10) long enough to acknowledge what you are feeling and why.
For many, our natural tendency is to gloss over our suffering and sin.
Perhaps, a coat of royal icing, glitter will distract us from the pain underneath.
If we occupy ourselves with Hallmark movies and caroling, maybe we won’t feel the ache so deep, so heavy in our hearts.
Maybe we can enjoy the festivities without having to look beneath the surface.
Yet, we can only walk in truth when we acknowledge our pain, suffering, hurt, and brokenness.
Denial only serves, keeps us, separated from God, and thereby, from the truth of the Gospel.
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”
24 The earth [b]is the Lord’s, and the fullness of it, The world, and those who dwell in it. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the streams and the rivers. 3 Who may ascend onto the [c]mountain of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to what is false, Nor has sworn [oaths] deceitfully. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation (description) of those who diligently seek Him and require Him as their greatest need, Who seek Your face, even [as did] Jacob. Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is [He then] this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory [who rules over all creation with His heavenly armies]. Selah.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 