RESOLUTION FOR THE NEW YEAR

No temple could be seen in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations of the earth will walk in its light, and the rulers of the world will come and bring their glory to it. Its gates never close at the end of day because there is no night. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter—no one who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
 
Revelation 21:22-27
 
As we approach the moment when the calendar changes from 2005 to 2006, by tradition, many of us think about what or where we can improve in the New Year. As believers in the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ, it is appropriate (may I say a product of our new nature), to strive to be better tomorrow than we were yesterday. I challenge you to make your personal improvement resolution and stick to it.
 
That being done, I ask, what resolution will you make for the Kingdom? Will you resolve to share the love of Jesus Christ with those who don’t know Him so that names will be added to ‘the Lamb’s Book of Life’? Will you set a goal and make it a priority to lead someone to Christ in 2006? Babbie Mason sings a song titled, “Each One, Reach One”. If every believer in Jesus Christ led just one person to the Lord in 2006, what a tremendous impact that would be in Kingdom building. Of course, the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) for the believer is to offer the gospel not to just one but to every one.

FINISH THE RACE

As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return.
 
2nd Timothy 4:6-8
 
The longer the race, the more difficult the finish.
 
Many long years ago, I ran track in high school. We had to practice long and hard in preparation for race day. Our coach pushed us and pushed us and when we didn’t think we could take it any more, he pushed us some more. Practice was always more difficult than the track meet itself. Coach knew that those hard practices would pay off. If you ran in the sprints, you had to be prepared to run your race multiple times; the middle distances maybe only a couple heats; and the long distance runners a single race. I found that even with hard practice, finishing well in the longer races was always more difficult.
 
The Christian’s life is like a marathon. We don’t know the length of our service for Christ, but we should prepare to run the race all the way and finish well. Daily practice (Bible study, meditation, praise and prayer) will enable you to proclaim like the Apostle Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.”
 
Prepare yourself for a gold medal finish!

RIGHTEOUSNESS, JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS

For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to him. Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.
 
Proverbs 2:6-11
 
When we have studied and gained godly wisdom, the Proverbs writer tells us in chapter 2, verse 9, “Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time.” Too often, the world is turning its back on these three godly principles but God tells us to seek them out in every situation.
 
1.   There is right and wrong. It doesn’t say politically correct, socially acceptable or commonly practiced. For every situation, there is a right path to take and the only way to know this is to have God’s word buried in your heart.

2.   God is a just God. Within His justice there are penalties or consequences for sin. As we learn His ways and follow His example, we too come to understand when justice is being carried out or needs to be administered. Walking a just path can be difficult. Every parent who administers tough love to a wayward child understands this and it is heart-breaking. Imagine how it broke God’s heart when He sent His Son to die for our sin.

3.   God is always fair and we must be as well. Judgment day is being held back until all of God’s creation has the opportunity to accept or reject His love. That is the ultimate in fairness. As (in the words of Jabez) our territory is enlarged, we must be diligent in our Godlike fairness and equality.
 
Only “knowledge and understanding” of God’s word will enable you to stay on the paths of righteousness, justice and fairness.

THE BATTLE WITH SECRET SIN

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)
 
Romans 8:5-9
 
To gain an understanding of the title Oswald Chamber’s devotional book – “My Utmost for His Highest” – read today’s (12/27) devotional. We will never be able to give our utmost until we win the battle with secret sin.
 
I was challenged in a talk once with the question, “Where do your idle thoughts go?” You may be winning the sin battle when you are in public but are you surrendering to sin in your private life? That’s where most of us fall … when nobody is looking … when we are away from home … when nobody around us knows our name or our face … when no one can see what we are doing. Are you stealing on the job (either materials or time)? Are you being unfaithful in your marriage? Are you allowing evil to enter your body through your eyes, your ears or your mouth (pornography, bad jokes, alcohol or drugs)?
 
To win the battle with secret sin, you must not be “controlled by your sinful nature”. You must surrender to the control of the “Spirit of God living in you”. When your sin nature has controlled an area of your life for a long time, the battle to surrender to the Spirit of God can be long and difficult but only when this battle is won can you give your utmost for His Highest.

THE BLESSING

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Instruct Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: ‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’
 
Numbers 6:22-26
 
I pray this blessing for you and your family and that your Christmas celebration was a joy-filled occasion. Gennia and I were blessed to be able to see most of our immediate families. A world wind trip to Atlanta covered all but two of our children and grandchildren. The Christmas day drive home covered our parents and in-laws. AND cell phones enabled us to talk almost everyone else.
 
The blessings of this day, added to the blessings we have experienced throughout this year (often due to many of you) remind us of the ultimate and unmatched blessing – the gift of God in His Son Jesus Christ. We have so much to rejoice about and it all begins with Jesus!

ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH

That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!”
 
Luke 2:8-12
 
Angels we have heard on high,
Singing sweetly through the night,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their brave delight.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
 
When the angels appeared to the shepherds, bringing them the Christmas message, their first reaction was fright. After calming their fears, the angels delivered the message of the good news: “The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem…”  This was an amazing announcement to them. They ran to the place where the angels told them they would find the baby. There they found Mary, Joseph and the Christ child, just as they had been told. What was their response? “The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.” (Luke 2:20)
 
What a transition in just a few hours. It started with the arrival of messengers who frightened them. They heard the good news.  They saw the baby in the manger. They were filled with praise and gave God the glory.
 
Has the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ touched your life in this way?
 
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, the new-born King.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the time when the woman in labor gives birth to her son. Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land. And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD’S strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. Then his people will live there undisturbed, for he will be highly honored all around the world. And he will be the source of our peace.
 
Micah 5:2-5a
 
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light –
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
 
The prophet Micah foretold, hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, that the One who is “the source of our peace”, the One who is “highly honored all around the world”, would come from the little town of Bethlehem. Scholars who admit they don’t have all the information try to cast doubt on this truth from scripture. I would rather listen to the words from the all-knowing God and believe that He is wise enough, powerful enough, to fulfill His prophetic words.
 
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in – be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our LORD Emmanuel!

A Christmas Blessing for You

From our family to yours!

Willie and Gennia

JOY TO THE WORLD

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!
 
Isaiah 9:6-7
 
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.
 
So much of the world is filled with pain, not joy. This speaks to the tremendous need in the world for the baby Jesus … for the true spirit of Christmas.
 
His royal position was prophesied by Isaiah long before Jesus was born. That truth only becomes real in you when you invite the King into your heart. The world around you will only see the King when you allow Him to live and shine through you.
 
Joy to the world! The Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

CHRISTMAS WITHOUT CHRIST ... NOT!

Dear brothers and sisters, when I first came to you I didn’t use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God’s message. For I decided to concentrate only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. I did not use wise and persuasive speeches, but the Holy Spirit was powerful among you. I did this so that you might trust the power of God rather than human wisdom.
 
1st Corinthians 2:1-5
 
Who are we if we allow the world to take Christ out of Christmas? In the name of political correctness, not being offensive to those who have different beliefs or come from different cultures, we abandon our tradition … our celebration … our faith. I am a strong advocate of respecting the rights, the beliefs, and the cultures of others. I just don’t believe as Christians, we have to give up our faith to do that. I do believe that the most loving, the most compassionate, the most honoring thing we can do for non-believers is to share our faith, not hide it.
 
Who are we if we take Christ out of Christmas? Are you ready to take Christ out of your name? ”…It was there at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.” – Acts 11:26b. If we take Christ out of our name – Christian – who are we?
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

GET AHEAD OF THE GAME

“Be strong and courageous, for you will lead my people to possess all the land I swore to give their ancestors. Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. I command you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
 
Joshua 1:6-9
 
At the beginning of each New Year, we often commit to making changes in our lives. We want to exercise more, change our eating, start a new service project or self-improvement program. I am told that it only takes three days to set a new pattern of behavior in our lives. For example, in just three days our bodies will adjust to the change of daylight savings time.
 
It is often suggested that you set aside a time, your quiet time, to read God’s Word each day. Don’t wait until the New Year to set this pattern in your life. Why don’t you get into this daily practice during the approaching Christmas holiday season? It’s a great time to break out of the old routine and begin afresh. You could begin by reading the accounts of the birth of Christ in the gospels according to Matthew and Luke. You can use what you read to enliven your families Christmas celebrations.
 
Get ahead of the game. Set the pattern in your life of daily Bible reading now and when the New Year rolls in, this practice will already be in place.

GO TELL IT

Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly. As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
 
Matthew 1:18-21
 
Down in a lonely manger the humble Christ was born,
And God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn.
 
Sharing gifts and goodies and good times during the Christmas holidays is a wonderful thing. In all the festivities, take the time to share the Christmas story of God sending His Son for our salvation.
 
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ was born.

A FATHER'S LEGACY

I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So you must never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for Christ. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the proclamation of the Good News.
 
2nd Timothy 1:5-8
 
Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Where were Timothy’s father and grandfather?”
 
Praise God for mothers and grandmothers who live the life of faith before their children.  Nothing wrong there! Too often men place a priority on being the bread winner, the outdoorsman, the athlete and/or the leader-enforcer. Nothing wrong there either as long as their faith is interwoven into all those activities. The problem comes when men don’t take their God-given role as the spiritual leader in the home. They leave matters of faith to their helpmates.
 
Brothers, don’t let your life legacy be void of a faith legacy for your children.

COMING HOME

He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor fear the dangers of the day,
nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.
 
Psalm 91:4-7
 
“The first 100 from the 4,000-member Mississippi National Guard's 155th Brigade Combat Team returned from Iraq.” –The Clarion Ledger, 12/11/2005
 
The families whose loved ones are coming home are filled with joy. Many prayers have been said for these soldiers and the others who are in harms way for our nation in Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations around the world. God has kept them protected. He has been faithful to His promise and by His sovereign plan, made it possible for them to be reunited with their families.
 
We also remember those who have fallen in battle and are confident that those who had a personal relationship with the LORD also received a coming home celebration. It was in their heavenly home. We don’t understand why one survives and another dies but in it all we know that the LORD is sovereign. Though one dies, as a believer in Jesus Christ, he or she does not perish.
 
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

ANSWERED PRAYER

Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. They had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and now they were both very old… Zechariah was in the sanctuary when an angel of the Lord appeared, standing to the right of the incense altar. Zechariah was overwhelmed with fear. But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! For God has heard your prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son! And you are to name him John.
 
Luke 1:6-7, 11-13
 
As Luke reports the facts surrounding the birth of Jesus, he starts with what happened to Zechariah and Elizabeth. He says, “It all begins with…” (Luke 1:5). The conception of John (the Baptizer), the one who would be the forerunner in alerting the people to the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Messiah, is where it all begins.
 
God hears the prayers of this priest. He is in the temple praying because his turn has come about to intercede to the LORD on behalf of the people. Part of his intercession is to pray for his own barren wife. The LORD dispatched His angel to let Zechariah know his prayer has been heard and answered. “Elizabeth will bear you a son!”
 
Let us be people who pray for others, expecting God to answer. Zechariah and Elizabeth were praying for a child. God answered. Israel was praying for the promised Messiah. God answered. Let our prayers, during this Christmas season and always, be grounded in the faith that God hears and answers our prayers.
 
Prayer Focus: If you know of a couple struggling with fertility issues, share the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth with them and pray for God to bless their womb.

CHRISTMAS FRUIT

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father.”
 
John 15:5-8
 
One of the joyful memories I have of Christmas past is the harvest of fruit we kids would get on Christmas morning. Our stockings would be filled with apples and oranges and tangerines. In addition to the fruit there would be some pecans, walnuts and maybe even some hard candy. Those stockings gave us as much a thrill as the presents under the tree.
 
Jesus calls His true disciples to stay very close, attached to Him, so that we may gather a bountiful harvest of fruit. It won’t be apples and oranges we get excited about. It will be saints. It will be more true disciples to carry on the work of Kingdom building. It will be lost souls who put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
 
As we stay connected to Jesus and produce much fruit, it brings great glory to the Father. And for us, there is a reward greater than any fruits, nuts or hard candy. There is, “the fruit of the Spirit”. There is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22)

What Christmas Means ...

This Christmas, let your question be, "Am I loving God, His creatures, His creation as much as He has shown His love to me?"

This sign can be spotted on a country road in Mississippi. If you spot it too, let me know.

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

And I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and unroll it?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. Then I wept because no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll and read it. But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has conquered. He is worthy to open the scroll and break its seven seals.”

Genesis 5:1-5

“Coming to a theater near you today.”

It is not often that we have an opportunity to say that about a film and not be concerned about the content, either language or sexuality or blood and gore. “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, based on the novel by C.S. Lewis, will challenge you with a story of the struggle between good and evil. Let us pray that this movie will have a tremendous impact on the hearts of viewers, young and old. Hopefully we will be saying:

“Coming to a heart near you today!”

O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
 
Luke 2:13-15
 
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
Come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels:
 
The shepherds in the fields that night received the report of the angels and heard the praise of the heavenly host. They were moved from fright to faith by the message they heard. That’s what God’s Word will do. It will move you from uncertainty to certainty. It will change your insecurity to blessed assurance. It will provide the answers to your hearts inquiries. It will take that empty place in your soul and fill it with Holy Spirit food. It will give spiritual power to the spiritually weak. It will transform the doubting _________ (you fill in your name) to a disciple of great faith.
 
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

SILENT NIGHT

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.
 
Luke 2:6-7
 
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little LORD Jesus laid down His sweet Head;
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little LORD Jesus, asleep on the hay.
 
He didn’t choose a mansion, a castle, a magnificent temple or even a five star hotel. He chose a lowly manger as the birthplace for His Son. Let this fact remind us that love was not sent just for the rich and famous (though it is available to them too). There is a line to another song that says God’s grace reaches to the highest mountain and flows to the lowest valley. God’s love was also sent to the ‘least of these’ (Matt. 25:40).
 
Be near me, LORD Jesus, I ask Thee to stay,
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.

REMEMBERING THE COVENANT

And God said, “I am giving you a sign as evidence of my eternal covenant with you and all living creatures. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my permanent promise to you and to all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will be seen in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with everything that lives. Never again will there be a flood that will destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this is the sign of my covenant with all the creatures of the earth.”

Genesis 9:12-17

This has been a year when we have seen natural disasters of phenomenal proportions. Tsunami and Katrina and the earthquakes in Pakistan and Iran have dominated our news and become staples in our conversation. Without denying the magnitude of the devastation, it doesn’t compare to the flood in the days of Noah. God has not gone back on His “eternal covenant”. He has not destroyed all life. The rainbow still appears in the clouds (I saw a rare morning rainbow one day last week).

While the covenant remains, our opportunity remains to love God with all our hearts and to love each other as we love ourselves. Our opportunity remains to share the gospel message … to tell the story of God with us, the hope of glory. Our opportunity remains to tell a lost world about the birth of a baby in a manger, about the heavenly host who heralded His coming, about the star that shone in the sky. Our opportunity remains to tell everyone we meet the Jesus story. As God has been faithful to His eternal covenant, we should be faithful to tell the His story.

IT'S NOT HARD

Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.
 
James 1:27
 
I met several young teenage girls yesterday afternoon. They were well behaved, polite, nice looking and had very sweet spirits. I don’t know their stories and it is not important that I do. What is important was that they and the many others like them not be forgotten. These girls are residents of an orphanage here in Jackson, MS and a very committed and Spirit-filled group of young ladies made arrangements to bring them the message of the season and some Christmas cheer.
 
All around us are similar opportunities. It is not hard to find someone who needs a blessing and needs to hear the real story of Christmas … the love of God through the giving of His Son Jesus Christ. Will you purpose in your heart to share this message with someone in need during this Christmas season?

TWO-FACED

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation: “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. And also buy white garments so you will not be shamed by your nakedness. And buy ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I am the one who corrects and disciplines everyone I love. Be diligent and turn from your indifference.

Revelation 3:14-19

What is it to be two-faced from a spiritual perspective? How about the person who acts one way on Sunday morning and another way the remainder of the week? Maybe it is the man whose language in the football stands and in the choir stand is completely different. Or the lady who speaks words of encouragement in her small group and words of gossip about those other ladies as soon as she can get to her telephone. A two-faced person is a saint in the light but a devil in the dark. God says, “I wish you were one or the other!.”

STRICT OBBEDIENCE

Then the LORD told Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
 
Genesis 12:1-4
 
Abraham is listed in the Hall of Fame of Faith (Hebrews 11), not the Hall of Fame of Obedience. Little acts of disobedience do make a difference. “… and Lot went with him.” He was just one relative. No big deal. God told Abram, “Leave your … relatives…” When we fail to strictly obey, God’s perfect plan is affected. We find Abram and Lot together for just a little while. Soon they part companies and Lot chooses to live in the plains and pitches his tent toward Sodom (Gen. 13:12). The family of God’s chosen people are introduced to the sin of Sodom.  Little acts of disobedience do make a difference.
 
They also make bigger acts of disobedience easier to choose. Abraham’s big act, the plan to help God achieve His promise to make Abraham into a great nation, resulted in the birth of Ishmael by they slave woman Hagar. Abraham and Sarah give birth to Isaac, through whom it was God’s plan to fulfill His promise. The sons (and eventually the mothers) can’t live together in harmony. From this disharmony is born what we see today as the Arab/Israeli conflict. Little acts of disobedience do make a difference.
 
Purpose in your heart today to strictly obey God’s Word.

GRACE

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:8-10

Grace … God’s “special favor” … “a gift from God.”

As the calendar turns and we enter the final month of the year, if they are not already, our thoughts turn to Christmas. It is that season of giving gifts. Enjoy yourself … express your love for one another, in the exchanging of gifts, cards, meals, parties, stories out of tradition and times of worship.

The greatest expression of love is found in the gift of God’s grace. In Christmas … in all our seasonal activity … let us not lose focus on God’s gift. He sent His Son as a baby born in a manger to a virgin girl named Mary. His angel instructed the earthly father, Joseph, to call Him Immanuel, God with us. The heavenly host sang “glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men” – (Luke 2:14).

Grace … God’s “special favor” … “a gift from God.”

Prayer Request: Christmas will be a difficult time this year for the many evacuees from the hurricanes. Pray for them and pray for God to lead you to “…the good things he planned…” for you to do for them.

THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME

“Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me. All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me.”
 
John 16:12-15
 
On the day of Pentecost, which took place seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, the promised Holy Spirit came (Acts 2). The believers present in Jerusalem when He came were filled by the Holy Spirit and spoke in languages, other than the own, as a sign to those from many different lands that God was present. They were amazed when they heard the truth of the gospel in their native language. Peter preached and many – about three thousand – believed.
 
Ever since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has been at work in believers, guiding them, “into all truth.”  Yes, there are still occasions of miraculous signs and wonders. As in the days of the early church, there are some for whom an amazing event is necessary for them to believe the truth. I observe and I think that many however, just open their hearts to the Holy Spirit, receive His filling, and are guided, “into all truth.” Jesus didn’t say the Holy Spirit will come and perform signs and wonders. He said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.”
 
Have you heard and believed the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you allowing the present Holy Spirit to work in you, “revealing to you whatever he receives from me” - (Jesus)?

PRAYER SIGNALS

Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words as I boldly explain God’s secret plan that the Good News is for the Gentiles, too. I am in chains now for preaching this message as God’s ambassador. But pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
 
Ephesians 6:18-20
 
Ambulance sirens … flashing emergency lights … tornado horns … news bulletins … even emails. All these can be signals to pray. If your phone does not normally ring at 2:00 a.m., that disturbing wake-up can be a signal to pray. You may have others that are unique to your family, work or play.
 
The Apostle Paul encourages us to “Pray at all times and on every occasion…”  Whenever you receive one of your prayer signals, whisper a word to the LORD, even if you don’t know the details of the situation. That’s why Paul finishes his call to pray with the phrase “in the power of the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit will properly lead you to utter the right words when you surrender your prayer to His power.
 
Let the Holy Spirit to be one of your prayer signals. No lights or sirens, just that feeling deep inside that you need to pray. Do not quench the Spirit. “Stay alert…” Respond to that feeling in your gut and pray!

ALWAYS BE THANKFUL

Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
 
1st Thessalonians 5:16-18
 
Thanksgiving Day is over. The meal has been devoured. The traditional football games (Dallas and Detroit lost) are over. Families are returning home or preparing to jump into the shopping mall madness. Do you think its OK now to stop being thankful?
 
The Apostle Paul says no. We are to “… always be thankful…”  When our team loses (or has a whole losing season), when the traffic is bad, when there are no good parking spaces at the mall and the shoppers are not courteous, “… always be thankful…”

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
 
Philippians 4:6-7
 
Take time during this Thanksgiving holiday break to count your blessings. What has the LORD done for you? When we take an inventory (not just take God’s every day blessings for granted), we find much that we have to be thankful for.
 
As you take your inventory, pay close attention to what the blessing is in those circumstances which you find it difficult to be thankful. Yes, all things do work together for the good of the believer. Sometimes it’s hard to see but it’s there.

WORKING WITH A PURPOSE

You slaves must obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Obey them willingly because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites who can get away with evil.
 
Colossians 3:22-25
 
The terminology of the time and culture was slaves and masters. Every time I run across this in scripture, I have to consciously remind myself that slavery of Bible days was not the same cruel vehicle that infected the United States in the 1600-1800s. I have to relate these relationships to the employee/employer relationships of today. When I do that, I am able to hear what God is saying to me without the distraction of the evils of modern society. Satan would want me to miss the point.
 
Whatever our work or profession, we are to use our God given skills to the best of our ability. We are to set it in our hearts to perform at the top of our game. Giving our best brings honor to the LORD and for that there will be a reward. The purpose of our hard and cheerful work ethic is not to gain the reward but rather to reflect glory on the God who gives us our abilities. We can trust God for the promise of our inheritance.

THE SHALLOW THINGS

“A student is not greater than the teacher. A servant is not greater than the master. The student shares the teacher’s fate. The servant shares the master’s fate. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, how much more will it happen to you, the members of the household! But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything will be revealed; all that is secret will be made public.
 
Matthew 10:24-26
 
Oswald Chambers’ challenges us today regarding the shallow things vs. the profound things. John the Baptist said, “…after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry…” – Matthew 3:11. You can’t get much shallower than that.
 
Does our pride get in the way when menial tasks, shallow things, are required to carry out God’s plan? I can lead the song service but when it’s time to clean up after the meal, it’s time for me to get to the next thing on my important schedule. I can teach the lesson but where am I when it’s time to take out the trash? I know the Roman Road, I can lead a person through the plan of salvation, but when it comes to arranging the tables and chairs, someone else can do that.
 
Are we too proud for the shallow things or is our testimony, “I would be honored to carry the Master’s sandals”?

Habitat for Humanity - Metro Jackson News Flash

Each year, Gail Pittman designs a Christmas Ornament based on the home front of a new Habitat for Humanity home built in Jackson, MS. The proceeds from the sale of these ornaments support the building of another new home, another step along the journey to eliminate poverty housing. Give a gift that really keeps on giving!

Gail Pittman Christmas Ornament

FOR THE GOOD OF OTHERS

Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.
 
1st Corinthians 12:4-7
 
Let us do introspection today. Let’s look in the mirror and see what answers we get based on the Apostle Paul’s statement to the early church.
 
What is your spiritual gift? What gift has the Holy Spirit given you?
 
What kinds of service is your church providing? Are those services bringing honor and glory to the LORD (or to the church; to some individual; to you)?
 
How is God working in your life? What work is God doing in the lives of others through you?
 
What spiritual gift are you using, service you are giving, work you are performing to benefit the entire church?
 
One more level I want to take this introspection.  1st Corinthians 12:7 says, “…helping the entire church.” Don’t think of the church as the building where you go on Sunday but rather the Body of Christ. Think of it as all the saints … believers everywhere. How do you use your spiritual gift in Kingdom Building? What are you doing which effects the Body of Christ … the church universal?
 
After you have completed your introspection, this Thanksgiving week, pause to give God thanks for how He is using you to carry out His plan for His creation!

Mount Helm Missionary Baptist Church traces its origins to 1835 at First Baptist Church of Jackson, where the first members, who were enslaved blacks, met in the basement while white slave owners worshiped in the sanctuary upstairs.

For the complete story about Mount Helm's 170th Anniversary celebration, click on:

Mount Helm

My grandfather is one of the former pastors of Mount Helm.

MOUNTAIN INTO THE SEA

Then Jesus told them, “I assure you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and it will happen. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
 
Matthew 21:21-22
 
If you have ever had the opportunity to drive through the mountains, you may have been as awestruck as I have been. The Rocky Mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Smoky Mountains are magnificent. I never could imagine the need to have them tossed into the sea.
 
What about those mountains in our lives? Is there a mountain of loneliness, low self esteem, bitterness, anger, or hate? What about a mountain of sin or unforgiveness of self or others? Is there a mountain of stress on your job or maybe even in your home? Marital problems, kids in trouble, financial woes, unemployment – the list goes on and on of potential mountains. Maybe you are in a season of grief and the weight of that grief feels like a mountain on your shoulders.
 
Jesus says by faith you can ask God to move that mountain and cast it into the sea. “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

THE PRAYER OF FAITH

If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.
 
James 1:5-8
 
Note from yesterday’s thought that James continues to speak of wisdom in terms of action, “…know what God wants you to do…”, rather than intelligence.
 
The prayer of faith is a prayer where complete confidence is placed in our loving and sovereign LORD. We are praying to the God who is omnipotent – He is able to do whatever we ask. He is omnipresent – He is present and involved in our circumstance. He is omniscient – He knows the outcome, the future. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the author and the finisher. His character is just – He will do no wrong. His character is love – He has done everything you need for all eternity. He has given you the Son.
 
You can pray in faith, knowing that the LORD will answer.

CONTRAST IN WISDOM

But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don’t brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere.
 
James 3:14-17
 
I don’t know about you but when I think about wisdom my mind usually goes toward some evaluation of intelligence. In the Apostle James epistle wisdom is related to character traits. Those whose character exhibits jealousy and selfishness are deemed unwise. Those with Godly wisdom exhibit the character traits of purity, gentleness, self sacrifice, peacemaker, equality and sincerity. They are “full of mercy and good deeds.”
 
When you look at wisdom in this way, good grades, college degrees, high IQ’s and super intelligence (none of which are bad in themselves), aren’t even a consideration. Wisdom is about your action, not about how you think.

THE MATURITY SCALE

You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. And a person who is living on milk isn’t very far along in the Christian life and doesn’t know much about doing what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right.
 
Hebrews 5:12-14
 
As I make a personal inspection of where I am on the Christian maturity scale, there are two things I know for sure. First, looking back on my life I am confident that I have moved beyond milk. The second thing I am sure of is that I have not reached the maturity level which Oswald Chamber’s calls being “so totally surrendered to God that we are not even aware of being used by Him.”
 
Our goal, as saints, should be to be so totally committed, so totally surrendered, so totally dependant on God that when He is using us, it is not by our well thought out plan but rather by the Spirit-filled life we unconsciously live day after day. The more time we spend communing with God, through worship, prayer, study, devotion, meditation and praise, the more we will become available for unconscious service.

THOUGHTS ON ADOPTION

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God’s very own children, adopted into his family—calling him “Father, dear Father.” For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we will share his treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
 
Romans 8:14-17
 
What is your reaction when you learn that a person is adopted? Do you feel like an adopted child is on some different level than a natural child? You may have never consciously thought about it but in your subconscious is there an attitude of a second class relationship if an adoption is involved?
 
The grandfather in today’s devotion seems to have taken on the proper attitude. Listen to his words; “… as surely as my adopted grandson is now my own…” Let us be careful not to place a second class judgment on the relationship of adoptive parents and children.
 
As a believer, we would never place a second class attitude or judgment on our relationship with God, our heavenly Father. We are “adopted into his family.” We are His children, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, and with our fellow believers in the Body of Christ. We are heirs to all the promises God has given His children. Eternal life is ours … eternity with Jesus is our future. We are “God’s very own children.”

SOME THINGS NEED REMEMBERING

I plan to keep on reminding you of these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth. Yes, I believe I should keep on reminding you of these things as long as I live. But the Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that my days here on earth are numbered and I am soon to die. So I will work hard to make these things clear to you. I want you to remember them long after I am gone.
 
2nd Peter 1:12-15
 
On this Veteran’s Day, it is important to remember those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy the freedom we have. They have laid down their lives for you and me. They have lost limbs or sustained other debilitating injuries. They have given up days, months, even years from their families so our families can enjoy each other.
 
Our prayer today is a prayer of thanksgiving for veterans, living and deceased, who have faithfully served our nation.

FULLY CONFIDENT

God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies.
 
2nd Corinthians 5:5-10
 
The lawyer who prepares well, gathering all the facts; studying all the case law; effectively deposing all the witnesses; can walk into court fully confident of the outcome of a trial. Yet, trials do not always go as planned and outcomes are not assured.
 
It is not like that for the believer. God has prepared believers for judgment day. He sent Jesus Christ to Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty for our sin debt. As a reminder of the blessed assurance we have in Jesus, God has given us the Holy Spirit, the guarantor of His promise. That is why we can live each day pleasing Him, fully confident of the outcome on judgment day.
 
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story; this is my song –
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story; this is my song –
Praising my Savior all the day long.

By Fannie Crosby and Phoebe Knapp.

A BEAUTIFUL CHARACTER

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
 
Galatians 5:22-26
 
That sweet, firm peach that you select at the grocery store did not start like that. It did not instantly appear in its final form. There was a period of growth and development, hanging from the branch of the tree. What started as the bud of the peach blossom had to experience some change before becoming the fruit we enjoy.
 
As infants, our character also required development. The same is true for our Christian character. The believer doesn’t instantly have mature fruits of the Spirit. Our love, joy, peace, etc. must develop. The Holy Spirit works on us in this process. I can remember my quick temper as a youth. While I still lose it on occasion, it is not like it used to be. The Holy Spirit is continually helping develop self-control.
 
As the Spirit works on your fruit, never forget how necessary it is to remain on the vine. Jesus said, ““Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5. Our development of a beautiful character is dependent upon the vine (Jesus) as the source and the one who tends the vineyard (the Holy Spirit) as the controlling helper.

KEEP WATCH

Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.
 
1st John 2:15-17
 
I woke up this morning with an irritation in my left eye. As hard as I tried, I could not find anything in the eye. I flushed it, over and over. I even had my wife look. She could not see anything there but I knew. I could feel the irritation. It took a trip to the ophthalmologist to find a tiny hair imbedded in the tissue of the eye. My eye is still irritated and very sensitive to light. (Note: This is why today’s Gospel Pearl is soooo late.)
 
God calls us to watch out for what we allow to control our senses. These senses, these windows to the body, are to be carefully guarded. The evils of the world will try to invade the temple of the Holy Spirit by way of our senses. What do we let come in through our eyes … the TV shows and movies we watch; the emails we read; the websites we surf; the catalogs we browse and greed through? What do we let come in through our ears … the music we listen to; the talk shows; the gossip on the telephone? What do we let come in through our mouth … the drink; the smoke; the drug?
 
My struggle today with my sight, this wonderful gift from God, reminds me that we should guard closely how we use His precious gifts. Keep watch and give God the glory!

Embracing Diversity

So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians—you are one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and now all the promises God gave to him belong to you.
 
Galatians 3:26-29
 
There is something unique about confinement. I recently saw it when I visited the prison. In the devotion for today (Upper Room – 11/7/05) we hear about the same thing I observed in the prison. When we are forced to spend time together we find that deep down, we are not all that different. Those differences are even less apparent when we are filled with the Spirit of God and His love blows us over like “a mighty windstorm in the skies” – (Acts 2:2). Yes, by the way, there was diversity at Pentecost.
 
Have you ever heard a report from the believer returning from a mission trip? Same thing … when those who are different are embraced with the love of Jesus Christ, lives are forever changed. More often than not, it is the missionary who is most overwhelmed by the oneness of Spirit.
 
Why shouldn’t we embrace diversity in our every day lives, not just in prison ministry, nursing homes or on the mission field? The same Spirit is at work in our neighborhoods, our work places, our schools and our churches. If we would allow the Spirit to work in and through us, our differences will disappear within the family of God … the Body of Christ. “For you are all Christians—you are one in Christ Jesus” – Gal. 3:28.

TRUSTING GOD, NO MATTER WHAT!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.
Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn your back on evil. Then you will gain renewed health and vitality.
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with the finest wine.
 
Proverbs 3:5-10
 
No matter how tragic the circumstance or difficult the situation, the wisdom writer implores us to “Trust in the LORD…”  When something happens like the incident reviewed in today’s devo (electrocution during a baptismal service), our response is to question. What is God up to with this?
 
Dr. James Dobson, renowned Christian family counselor, authored the book “Holding on to your faith even … WHEN GOD DOESN’T MAKE SENSE”. In the book, Dr. Dobson encourages the believer to avoid “the betrayal barrier,” the sense that God is abandoning them amidst the storms of life. At the end of the first chapter he says, “Of this you can be certain: Jehovah, King of kings and Lord of lords, is not pacing the corridors of heaven in confusion over the problems in your life! He hung the worlds in space. He can handle the burdens that weighed you down, and he cares about you deeply. For a point of beginning He says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).”
 
Faith is trusting God, no matter what!

LIVING YOUR CONVICTIONS

But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief official for permission to eat other things instead. Now God had given the chief official great respect for Daniel.
 
Daniel 1:8-9
 
I love those old sayings, especially the ones which line up with God’s Word. How about this one?
 
“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”
 
Daniel knew that the One True God would not be pleased if he ate food which had been offered on the altar of idol gods. He knew The Law which had been given to Moses and ruled the Jewish religious practices. Daniel had head knowledge but taking the stand not to be defiled moved beyond knowledge. This was conviction. Daniel was fully committed to his faith, to his God. Daniel would not fall for the choicest meats and the finest wines because Daniel put God first.
 
Where will you have the opportunity today to make up your mind to live your faith convictions? I pray you will have the strength of Daniel. When you do, others around you will respect you, just as they did Daniel.  It may open the door for your sharing the reason for the faith that is in you.

HANGING WITH THE WRONG CROWD

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
 
Luke 19:1-4

What parent isn’t concerned about the friends their children choose to be with? What teenager hasn’t heard the warning from ‘over reacting’ parents to be careful about the crowd you hang out with? When we have the opportunity to minister in prison, we often deal with gang members and talk to them about the choice they make for associates, both inside and outside, will determine their future.
 
The crowd was blocking Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus. He made the decision to leave the crowd and go where he could get a better view.
 
Is there a crowd which blocks you from living the Christian life? Is it the buddies you hang with after work or on weekends? Is it the girlfriends you make those trips to the mall with? Do you have an all consuming crowd at work; at play; at home; or even at church which is keeping you from an intimate personal relationship with Jesus? He wants to call you out of the crowd and spend time with you.
 
Are you willing to take a close look at the crowd in your life and decide how you can better spend quality time (worship, study, meditation, praise, prayer) with Jesus?

Wrong View of Suffering and Tragedy

Five different times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled many weary miles. I have faced danger from flooded rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the stormy seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be Christians but are not. I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food. Often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm…. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1st Corinthians 11:24-27; 12:9-10

A question that we all probably have asked … Why do bad things happen to good people? When tragedy strikes, we just don’t understand. We may never get a full understanding but we can come into the knowledge that God is sovereign and God has a plan. The Apostle Paul got to that point. He understood that his suffering was for the purpose of the furtherance of Christ.

When trails and sufferings come, hold on to the confidence that God will use your faith in the trial for the good of the Kingdom. Trust that God is with you, keeping His promise to never leave you or forsake you. At your weakest moment, depend on the power of Christ (He has already won the victory) to carry you.