THE ALL-KNOWING FATHER

"Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows."

Matthew 10:28-31

TODAY’S DEVO LINK

Youth for Christ - 12/29/06

As I get older, there are more and more hairs in the sink or the comb and fewer on my head for God to keep up with. Yet and still He knows the number. God is aware of the details of our lives and concerned about what concerns us. In the big picture of life, the number of hairs on my head is no big deal. I can trust that if God knows the little things, how much more will He be aware, concerned about and involved in the big issues of my life.

As we come to a close of 2006 there are precious memories … sad moments … great accomplishments … things left undone … acts of mercy … regretted sins. This year, as are most years, has been a mixed bag of the good and the bad … the joys and the sorrows. The one thing we know for sure is that God knows how the scales were balanced for you and for me. He controls those scales and will not put more on us than be can bear (1st Corinthians 10:13).

We can only look back at 2006 and there is nothing in the past we can change. We can only look forward to 2007 with the hope and commitment, under the Lord’s control, to do more good than evil … experience more joy than sorrow.

From that perspective I say to you, “Happy New Year!”

SIMPLY FOLLOW THE MODEL

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

InTouch Ministries - 12/28/06

OK. Today is a day of confession. Meditation or prayer time is not one of the things that come easily for me. I struggle with carving out the time, getting secluded and being still. The phone rang as I was typing that last sentence and I just had to answer it. That’s a perfect example of my struggle.

Check out Dr. Stanley’s devotion on meditation and follow the model he describes. Who is the model? Jesus himself. Jesus took the time, found the place and became still when He spent time communing with His Father.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Note: Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife, Gennia.

IN THE MIDST OF DESPAIR … HOPE

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this happened to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us).”

Matthew 1:21-23

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

Our Daily Bread - 12/27/06

For some, Christmas can be a time of depression in contrast to the joy, gaiety and celebration going on all around them. If this is you, let me offer a word of encouragement.

God is still bigger than any circumstance you may be going through!

Whatever your circumstance may be (and I would never dare to make light of it), there is hope. It can be found in the name God gave His Son, “…Immanuel…”

“God is with us…” through whatever we are going and He is still in control. When your hope is in the sovereign LORD … when you trust Him with your circumstances … there is no need to despair. Our big God can handle whatever you are facing.

p.s. Don’t spend the holidays down in the dumps. Comment, if you need to talk and/or need prayer.

LISTEN TO THE ANGEL

(From the movie "The Nativity Story")

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

TODAY’S DEVO LINK

Youth for Christ - 12/22/06

Both Mary (Luke 1:26-27) and Joseph (Matthew 1:20) were visited by “an angel of the Lord”. Wisely, they listened and obeyed.

Your spirit will tell you whether the angel who speaks to you is good or evil … an angel of the Lord or one of Satan’s fallen angels. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your listening and help you to respond as Mary and Joseph did.

Angel we have heard on high,
Singing sweetly through the night.
And the mountain in reply,
Echoing their brave delight.
Glo-ri-a, in excelsis Deo.
Glo-ri-a, in excelsis Deo.

COME, LORD JESUS

He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.

Revelation 22:20-21

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

InTouch Ministries - 12/21/06

Christmas is coming! It is just a few days away.

The excitement of the holidays is awesome. We gather for fun and family. We eat, drink and are merry. We celebrate that Jesus has come into this lost world to save humankind from their sins.

As we celebrate each year, the day when Jesus comes again draws nearer and nearer. Scripture tells us to be ready for His return and to share the message of God’s plan with an urgency that indicates His return could be today.

Our Christmas celebrations will seem pale compared to the celebration when Jesus returns. “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

A PARENT’S GIFT

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.

2nd Timothy 1:5-7

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

Our Daily Bread - 12/20/06

It is Christmas time and that often brings out the pencils and paper and the Christmas ‘list’ is written. The question is asked, “What do you have on your Christmas list this year?”

As a parent (or grandparent for that matter), the greatest gift you can give your children and grandchildren is your faith. Christmas comes once a year and we enjoy the excitement of the season. The excitement of a spiritual foundation can be experienced 365 days a year.

Teach your children the Holy Scriptures. Live before them a life modeled after our Savior.

“Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.” – Proverbs 22:6

VIRGIN BIRTH

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Luke 1: 26b-28

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

My Utmost for His Highest - 12/19/06

How important is the virgin birth to the Christmas story and God’s overall plan for the salvation of mankind?

For God’s Son, Jesus Christ, to be qualified to be the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world, He had to be a Lamb without blemish. The only way for this to be accomplished, His life, from conception to the Cross, had to be sinless. We are all born in sin. The sin nature is passed from generation to generation through the seed of man. Not so with Jesus. There was no sin nature and therefore no sin in Him because no man was involved in His birth.

God chose “…a virgin named Mary…” to carry out His perfect plan for the perfect sacrifice. Jesus Christ’s conception was divine. The Holy Spirit came upon Mary (Luke 1:35) and God’s plan was set in motion.

Don’t whisk by the virgin birth as you share the Christmas story. This detail is of utmost importance!

BUSINESS DURING THE HOLIDAYS

… Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time. 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 2:4-7

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

Upper Room - 12/18/06

On that first Christmas, the inn keeper was doing a booming business because of the census which had been ordered by the Roman emperor, Augustus. Today, the holidays are critical times for many businesses. I spoke to one business owner who shared with me that seventy-five percent of their annual business is done during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Being successful during the holidays makes or breaks their year. At the other end of the spectrum are businesses whose products or services are not related to holiday celebrations. They have to survive the holidays until folks stop traveling or celebrating and ‘get back to normal’. Either situation can be cause for anxious days.

The Apostle Peter wrote, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” This Christmas, no matter whether your business is positively or negatively affected by the season, cast your cares on Jesus. There is nothing He doesn’t want to hear from you about, including your business.

And now that you are no longer anxious, focus on the fact that Jesus is the reason for the season.

BABY ON A MISSION

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.” All of this happened to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us).”

Matthew 1:20-23

TODAY’S DEVO LINK

Youth for Christ - 12/15/06

Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus, is not about pretty lights, delightful food, shopping, or giving and receiving gifts. It is about a baby, the Christ child, being sent by God on the mission to “…save his people from their sins.”

From conception in the womb of the virgin, the Cross of Jesus Christ was in view. When the angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream, he communicated the mission. As we celebrate Christmas, let us also keep the Cross in view. Be prepared to communicate to those who need to hear the mission statement that the baby whom we celebrate carried out His mission two thousand years ago and is still saving His people today.

FULFILLED

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them. I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God’s law will remain until its purpose is achieved. So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:17-19

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

InTouch Ministries - 12/14/06

“I am a New Testament saint.”

“We are a New Testament church.”

Have you ever heard similar declarations? Is there buried, under the surface of these statements, the agenda that I shouldn’t be concerned about those Old Testament regulations? I can embrace those that are comfortable for me, for my family, for my culture. Those that seem politically incorrect or out of step with modern society, I can ignore.

God forbid this kind of attitude! Jesus said, “…I came to fulfill…” the Law.

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let’s remember why He said He was born. Include a personal/spiritual attitude check in your celebration this year. Is your attitude toward all of God’s Word in line with Jesus’ purpose for coming?

DON’T BE GREEDY

Then he said, “Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own.” … “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all? Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Luke 12:15, 20-21

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

Our Daily Bread - 12/13/06

Greed is a sin.

Having money or gaining material possessions in itself is not sinful. You cross the line with God when you place these earthly things ahead of your relationship with Him. Today’s scripture verses are taken from Jesus’ parable about the rich fool. He had a problem with greed. He put all his focus on what he could store in his barns. The rich fool could only focus on this life … on what it would take to ‘…eat, drink and be merry.’

This is the modern day problem of the ‘work-a-holic’. Many a marriage has been ruined because one partner is more focused on the dollar than on the marriage relationship. How much more true is this of the peril greed presents to our relationship with God!

Satan has many traps. Jesus say, “Beware! Don’t be greedy…”

TO BE ONE IN CHRIST

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are—I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.”

John 17:20-23

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

My Utmost for His Highest - 12/12/06

It is a great and wonderful mystery how the Holy Spirit can develop our character traits, molding us into the person God has planned for us to be; change our appearance, we become the image of God to the world; and yet we retain all our individuality. What a boring world it would be if we all acted just alike, looked just alike and all had the same personality.

God gives us differences – race, culture, size, shape, gender – and still calls us to be one in Him. We can be one in Christ because He has given us, along with all our individuality and personality, God’s glory. That glory is what moves us daily from individual imperfections to our unified perfection in Christ.

CHRIST IN ME

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Psalm 51:10-12

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

Upper Room - 12/11/06

Just a few days ago, we looked at the scripture passage from today’s devotion (Colossians 3:12-15) and focused on the character traits of the believer. Today let’s look at our appearance. As we develop the character traits of the believer our appearance to the world will change. No, our waist won’t get slimmer, legs won’t get longer or hair won’t get straighter/curlier (whatever your preference). As the Holy Spirit changes you on the inside, giving you a clean heart, a right spirit, a life filled with joy, you will look different. That is because the world will be seeing less and less of the you in you and more and more of the Christ in you.

John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” – (John 3:30).

Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to develop your character and change your appearance into the image of Christ?

GET YOUR PRAISE ON

Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

Acts 16:25-25

TODAY’S DEVO LINK

Youth for Christ - 12/08/06

There is no more perfect time to ‘get your praise on’ than when life gets tough. That’s what Paul and Silas were doing. They had been locked up because of their faith in Jesus Christ. When things were very dark surrounding them – the scripture says it was midnight – they decided it was time to ‘get their praise on’.

In the midnight of your circumstances, I recommend Paul and Silas’s action plan. They began to pray and sing hymns to God. The next time things get really tough, ‘get your praise on’. Try having a praise party instead of a pity party, expecting the LORD to open doors for you … to unchain you from your tough situation.

THE WORLD’S CHRISTMAS

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

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

InTouch Ministries - 12/07/06

The world has taken the celebration of what happened in the manger and turned it into what happens in the mall.

I must admit that I love Christmas with all its holiday decorations, the winter chill, and the rich smells that come out of the kitchen. I love to see my grandchildren’s keys light up when they get to open their presents. There is not an ounce of scrooge in me.

It would not be hard for me to step across the line and be guilty of what the Apostle John warns us about in today’s scripture. It requires spiritual strength and maturity to enjoy the celebration of Christmas in our material culture and keep its real meaning in focus. Our focus must never leave the birth of the Christ child. We can properly enjoy Christmas only in the light of the star of Bethlehem.

Is your celebration wrapped up in the packages from the mall or in the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger?

CHARACTER TRAITS OF THE BELIEVER

Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Colossians 3:12-15

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

Our Daily Bread - 12/06/06

The Apostle Paul often uses lists in his letters to reveal God’s message to the readers. In Galatians 5:22-23, for example, we find the fruit of the Spirit list. Here in his letter to the church at Colosse, Paul lists those character traits that the believer must put on (“…clothe yourselves…”) in order to resemble the image of the Creator (Col.: 3:10).

• Tenderhearted mercy
• Kindness
• Humility
• Gentleness
• Patience
• Forgiving
• Loving
• Live in peace
• Thankful
  

Take a look in the mirror. What do you see in your reflection? In your character, does the world see the image of God?

OT LAW ... NT TRUTH

Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Or don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1st Corinthians 6:18-20

Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people.

Leviticus 18:29

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

My Utmost for His Highest - 12/05/06

In the Old Testament book of Law, Leviticus, we find a long list of practices which God says are detestable. In Leviticus 18, Moses records the immoral sexual practices which are an abomination to God.

As New Testament believers, the Christian needs to not make light of the severity of these practices because of there effect on “the temple of the Holy Spirit.” Surely none of these practices are beyond the grace of our LORD or more powerful than His shed blood to cleanse. That is, however, not an excuse to continue these “detestable things.” The Christian and the Church must be ready to embrace the sinner with the love of Jesus Christ without losing hold of the truth of the entire canon of God’s Word.

CHRISTMAS GIVING

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Matthew 25:37-40

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK

Upper Room Ministries - 12/04/06

During the Christmas season we are often presented with opportunities to give to the needy. Whether it’s toy drives for needy children, food for those in homeless shelter or gift bags for those in prisons and group homes, doors are opened … opportunities are presented … to give something that can make a difference for eternity.

As you have opportunity to reach out to those the LORD referred to as “the least of these my brothers and sisters”, give them the greatest gift of all time. Share with them your faith. Tell them your story. Let them know what Jesus has done for you and assure them that His grace and mercy is available to them as well.

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ … God’s greatest gift of all time. It is the gift that will keep on giving for eternity as you share it with others who don’t know God’s Son. Will you give this gift to someone this Christmas season?

WHEN THE PRESSURE IS ON

God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. Then each of you will control your body and live in holiness and honor—not in lustful passion as the pagans do, in their ignorance of God and his ways. Never cheat a Christian brother in this matter by taking his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives. Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human rules but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

1st Thessalonians 4:3-8

TODAY’S DEVO LINK

Youth for Christ - 12/01/06

Living as a wholesome and pure teenager can be very difficult. For that matter, living for Christ as a single person, no matter what your age, has tremendous challenges. Maybe the greatest challenge is what to do when you are in a relationship with someone and the pressure is on to take the relationship to the next level … you know … to have sex. Maybe the pressure is coming from the one you are in the relationship with or maybe it is coming from your own desires. No question … this is tough! Sex outside of marriage is one of Satan’s greatest schemes and all the consequences, beyond the immediate pleasure, are bad.

Don’t fall in Satan’s trap. “God has called us (you) to be holy, not to live impure lives.” When you succumb to Satan’s lure, in fact, you are “… rejecting God…”

Note: Please forward this link to all the youth in your address book and encourage them to tune in to the Gospel Pearls devo every Friday for a youth oriented message.