Memories!

Luke 2: 19

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

That first Christmas must have been overwhelming for Mary, as she considered all that God had done.

I pray that’s the way it will be for you this Christmas.

Consider all that God has done in your life up to this point, and treasure them.

Today is a time for making memories.

Mary established a treasure chest in her heart.

Maybe when the hustle and bustle dies down sometime today—take time to establish your own treasure chest.

Then take time to thank God for all He has done—and all that He plans to do.

May this Christmas season, be a real blessing to you, and to those you love….

Good News!

Luke 2: 10

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

 

God’s message of the birth of Jesus, came to common, ordinary people.

Shepherds had the lowliest occupation of their time.

 

Listen to what the angel told the shepherds…

He told them…. “Do not be afraid.”

Really? The presence of angels usually meant one thing—judgment!

 

But this angel brought a message of reassurance.

Do you need reassurance today? Then read the Christmas story in the Bible.

Maybe those spine tingles will come back again, when you consider that God did this for you.

 

The birth of Jesus was good news of great joy.

I know so many people, that need good news of great jot this Christmas.

 

The Savior has come.

There is nothing in the world worth fretting over anymore.

 

Redemption was now possible and is possible, by the shed blood of the perfect Lamb of God.

When we consider this—nothing should ever spoil one of our days—ever again…

The only thing that matters!

John 14: 15 – 17

"If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.

The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.”

 

What is basically easy for me to understand about the Word of God, isn’t as easy to understand for others.

If I really love Jesus—then I’m going to do whatever He asks me to do.

 

Some folks think their opinion really matters for something—when in fact, it doesn’t.

The only thing that matters in this life—is to obey God, so we can have access into the next life He promises.

 

Sounds pretty simple—doesn’t it?

For some yes—for others, not so much.

 

My daughter-in-love, Ashley, shared this with me last light, and it really seems to make perfect sense.

“Truth sounds like hate—to those who hate truth.”

 

The person who hates truth, does not have the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of Truth leads and guides and counsels—and for the person who understands truth, there is usually a positive response.

 

Some people neither see the truth—or understand it.

What a lonely, negative place that must be…

Solid Predictions!

2 Peter 3: 3 – 4

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.

They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised?

 

The Nostradamus predictions are out for 2014.

If you haven’t noticed them, the fate of Israel remains somewhat unclear, but the predictions suggest Israel may be assailed from all sides.

Like that’s a real surprise. And once again—Nostradamus predicts the end of the world, in 2014.

 

Jesus made some predictions of His own—many of which people flat out ignore.

Jesus is coming again—make no mistake about that.

 

God’s Word says that many people will scoff such an idea.

If you tune into the evening news, you’ll hear scoffers abound.

 

Those are the same people who appear to be following their own evil desires.

“Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?”

Maybe in 2014—one never knows.

 

This much I do know, Jesus said we should ready ourselves for His return.

How’s that working for you? What daily preparations are you making?

 

One thing we can be sure of, when Jesus returns, some people will be caught off guard and flat footed.

Talk about having a bad day…

Hungry?

Luke 6: 21

“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.”

 

We hunger for a lot of things.

When I was a kid, my Mom would often ask us… “What sounds good for dinner tonight?”

 

She would ask us that question, because she knew we didn’t want to keep eating the same old thing.

For our Christmas Eve tradition, we’re all allowed to pick our favorite hors d’oeuvres—the one that we’re really hungry for, and Debbie prepares it.

 

What are you hungry for this morning?

Instead of picking up that sweet role and a hot cup of Starbucks, why not pick up your Bible instead?

 

Spending a few minutes each day with our living God, is the only thing in this life that truly satisfies.

Jesus said so.

 

I many countries this morning, people hunger for just a bite to eat, just to stay alive.

There are Christians in the world everywhere today, who are doing the same thing—only spiritually.

 

People who will continue to ignore God, will find themselves in a starvation mode today.

Hungering for God—the unchanging God, is to the delve into the riches of His Word.

 

“O Lord our God, may it be so, that we would all hunger for You each day.

It is then—and only then, that we will be truly satisfied. Amen.”

Death Row!

Luke 24: 5

"Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

 

Church attendance statistics  for the United States, suggest that only 18% of all people in this country, attend church on a regular basis.

Most U.S. Pastors say, that nearly 60% of registered church members, are inactive. So are we really one nation under God?

 

Yet if we polled those same people, most would say they’re going to heaven when they die.

So, something just doesn’t seem to add up.

 

British Pastor Leonard Ravenhill is quoted as saying…

“Someone asked me, “Do you pray for the dead?” I said, “No, I preach to them!” I think every pew in every church is death row.

Think about that! They’re dead! They sing about God; they talk about God, but they’re dead! They have no living relationship (with God).”

 

And yet as I write these words, I’m convinced that some people will be offended by these remarks that I offer today.

But maybe it’s not the message at all, but the facts that keep people harboring offenses.

Maybe the truth would actually set us free, if we repented and became alive again.

 

The role of a Pastor/Preacher, is to sound the alarm of warning.

The church that’s supposed to be leading/inviting people to faith in Christ, currently has dreadful success in numbers—not that church is a numbers game.

 

Could the church be dead today?

Do we sing about God—and talk about God—and know all the popular Christian lingo, but in the end, is there real fruit being produced?

I’ll let you answer that question on your own.

 

One thing’s for sure—all of this will be sorted out when Jesus returns.

Maybe we should turn our offensive energy, into Kingdom fruit instead

True Worship!

Revelation 4: 8

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings.

Day and night they never stop saying: "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE Lord GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COME.

A.W. Tozier was quoted as saying…

“My fear is that too many professing Christians down here,  are resting far too often between their efforts of praising and glorifying the living God”

I wonder if Tozier was on to something?

He actually died 50 years ago, and if he could say that about the state of the church culture then—when would he say about it now?

There are people in the church, who get uncomfortable with someone lifting a surrendered hand in praise during a worship service.

Make no mistake about that—there will be a lot of that going on in Heaven!

You’d be surprised at how many people who won’t sing during a worship service—or do it half heartedly.

I also find it amazing, at how many death bed spiritual experiences there are, from people who were never very interested in God while they lived here on earth.

I wonder what God is going to say to the person, who wasn’t one bit interested in true worship here on earth?

If worshipping God is boring here on earth—what do we think it’s going to be like in the presence of God in Heaven?

The folks that think that everything will change at the hour of death, probably have miscalculated ever so slightly.

Chances are, that if we’re not at all excited about worshipping God now—we probably won’t be too excited about it on our death bed either…