Beginning Anew

New Year’s Day provides the opportunity to begin anew.  Some people make New Year’s resolutions.  These are good, but many people find that those resolutions soon fall by the wayside.  With unfulfilled resolutions there is usually a sense of defeat and maybe even a little sadness. In this New Year let’s make our lives count in an even more significant way.  So you may ask, “how can I make my life count in a significant way?”  Consider the following suggestions:

1)    Make sure your life points to God.  This is the challenge the Apostle Paul made when he said, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31). Sharing good words and actions that are pleasing to God will put us on track for being a difference maker.

2)    Aim for godliness.  When keeping God central in our mind, we will grow spiritually and be an encouragement to others. The Apostle Paul tells us, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). Speech most effectively expresses what is inside a person and when that speech mirrors God’s character, positive change can be effective.

3)    Live to draw people to God.  When we live as a reflection of God’s light and show concern by loving people, they will be able to see the glory of Christ in us and be drawn to Him.  The Bible tells us, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).  The ultimate goal is not to accomplish good deeds, but to help people take one step closer to the Lord.

Use this New Year as an opportunity to begin anew.  Make it your goal to focus on thinking, speaking, and acting in accordance with God’s name, and constantly letting the indwelling Christ be reflected to those around you.  The Bible reminds us, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (II Corinthians 5:17, NLT).

Christmas Giving

At Christmas time you will probably experience love, joy, peace, music, excitement, anticipation, decorations, and greetings.  However, what is experienced, far more than anything else, is the act of giving.  We give gifts to those we love and appreciate, and of course, giving brings joy, excitement, and anticipation. Examining the Biblical Christmas Story reveals many elements of giving.

First, God gave.  The act of giving at Christmas began with the wonderful gift of God’s son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  This giving is explained in John’s gospel which says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  God gave his son.

Second, the Angel gave.  The angel that appeared to the shepherds on the Judean hillside gave the great news of the birth of Jesus Christ.  The gospel of Luke tells us, “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:9-11).  The angel gave good news.

Third, the Shepherds gave.  After hearing the good news, we are told that the shepherds “Hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them” (Luke 2:16-18).  Then the shepherds gave by spreading the word about the birth of the Savior.  The shepherds gave words of inspiration.

Fourth, the Magi gave.  Not only did the Magi come from the east, but they came with a purpose – to worship the Savior and to present him gifts.  Scripture says, “They saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Matthew 2;11).  The Magi gave gifts and worship.

As we give gifts to family and friends this year, let’s take time to think about Jesus, who should be the focus of our giving.  He is the reason that we celebrate Christmas.  He is the gift that was given.  Through Him we have been offered eternal life.  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  And, this wonderful gift can be ours by believing in Christ and personally receiving him into our lives. “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

Thanks for God's Love

There are many things for which we can give thanks.  Take time to read this entire list and think about them as you read them.  The subject of thanks could be: family, health, freedom, life, strength, dexterity, joy, happiness, home, food, safety, worship, instruction, help, friends, air, sun, rain, mountains, trees, flowers, gardens, sky, stars, breath, life, laughter, sight, hearing, taste, feeling, the Bible, godly examples, grass, animals, birds, water, clouds, rainbows, lightening, thunder, fish, oceans, sand, light, atmosphere, temperature, doctors, hospitals, emergency personnel, moonlight, nighttime. Even though this is a long list, many things could be added to it. 

One psalm from the Bible identifies something that God provides for us.  In the 26 verses of Psalm 136 the phrase, “his love endures forever” is expressed 26 times – once in each verse.  This thought suggests four things that the psalmist wanted everyone to know about God.

1)      First, “His” – The Source.  At the beginning of this phrase the psalmist directly identified that God was the foundation of the love for which he was thankful.  The gospel of John identifies the person, character, and the work of the love of God when it says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  The psalmist publicly expressed thanks to God as the source of love, and the action of love that God had revealed to him.

2)     Next, “Love” – The Focus.  The love of God was expressed sacrificially when Jesus died on the cross, thereby paying the penalty of our sin.  In John’s epistle he says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (I John 3:16).  So, the psalmist was grateful for the way God’s expressed his love through Jesus, His son.

3)    Then “Endures” – The Extent.  The love that God shares is a lasting love.  In the book of Lamentations, the writer explains God’s love this way: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).  Similarly, Jeremiah says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).  These expressions reveal the magnitude of God’s love for mankind.

4)     Finally, “Forever” – The Duration.  The extent of God’s love goes on and on.  It has no interval of time when it discontinues. The psalmist said, “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:5).  This quality of God’s love never wears out. The psalmist was grateful for this kind of love, and we should be too.

Think about these questions: (1) Have you experienced God’s love?  (2) Are you glad God loves you?  (3) Have you taken time to thank God for his love?  (4) Are you grateful that God’s love endures forever?  As you think about God’s love take time today to give thanks to God for the love that he has shown to you.

Being Different

Being different can be thought of as either bad or good.  Many people do not want to be viewed as different because that word often places them in the "bad" category and at the center of attention.  When someone is different, they are often considered weird, out of place, not fitting in, or inferior.  Believe it or not, God wants Christians to be different – but in a positive way.  Think about this: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2). Notice these things about being different in a positive way:

1)      Non-Conformity.  The text says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.”  When a person conforms to the thinking and living of the people of the world, they often “go with the flow” either by saying things that are not good or acting in ungodly ways.

2)      Life Change.  This verse identifies a change when it says, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  The mind is where change needs to begin.  To renew the mind, one must be saturated with, and functioning under the authority of the written Word — the Bible

3)      A Spiritual Difference.  This phrase points to a specific kind of difference - “what God’s will is.”  A godly, different person is one who is in step with God by filling their mind with God’s Word, and by listening to, learning from, and following God's commands. The will of God is lived-out when a person turns from existing like the world suggests and changing his or her thoughts to what God says.

4)      Difference Maker.  A clear declaration is pronounced by the expression “in view of God’s mercy.”  What is changed is being different in a positive, godly way.  God’s mercy is extended to everyone who believes in Christ and receives Him as Savior.  When they submit to God’s involvement, that means that they are ready to “offer [their] bodies as a living sacrifice[s]  To give everything that a person is and has to God is reflected in how that person lives his or her life.

Are you different?  Are you different in a good, godly way?  Have you determined to stop following the actions and attitudes of the world?  Has your life been transformed?  Do you realize that you are the recipient of God’s mercy and that you need to present your body as a living sacrifice to God?  Let’s be different together.

Are You Growing?

Why talk about growth when the Fall and Winter seasons of the year are close at hand?  Depending on the temperature, tree root growth takes place in the winter. Many plant seeds rely on the winter temperatures because moisture freezes the seeds and expands them so they can break their hard shell and sprout in the spring. Other plants need a time of hibernation. In general, growth refers to an increase, expansion, or maturing that happens over time.  If there is no growth in plant, animal or human life, there is great concern because without growth there is stagnation, decrease and ineffectiveness.  On the other hand, growth suggests life, vitality, increase, and effectiveness.  The Bible points out that there needs to be spiritual growth in the life of a believer.  For example, a Christian is instructed to:

1)     “Grow up into him [Christ]” (Ephesians 4:15).  We need to make sure that Christ is the focus of our spiritual growth.

2)     “Grow up in your salvation” (I Peter 2:2). Once a person receives Christ by faith, they need to feed on the Word of God (the Bible) for proper growth.

3)    “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). Inactivity will never advance spiritual growth.  There must be continuous study to know Christ better and understand how to progress in the Christian life.

An axiom says that where there is growth, there is life – at least where there is healthy growth there is healthy life.  Our spiritual growth takes place in many ways, but to see progressive growth on a regular basis we must be wise in what we do to encourage our growth.  Some good questions we need to ask ourselves about our spiritual growth:

1) Am I spending time reading, reflecting and studying the Bible?

2) Do I find myself thinking about ways to help people as I serve the Lord?

3) Do I live my life in such a way that it is a godly example for others?

4) Do my actions please God and help others grow spiritually?

Maybe it is time that each of us take time for personal examination to make sure we are growing in a manner that pleases the Lord.

Using Time Wisely

Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are upon us.  I trust that you have had a great time enjoying the warm weather and the beautiful colors that abound in the summertime.  But summer is almost over.  Well, at least it is already 2/3 over with just the month of August to go. Fall is right around the corner and soon children will head back to school.  I am sure you have heard comments such as: “Time sure flies” and “Where has the time gone?”  Yes, these comments seem to be true.  Maybe that is why the Apostle Paul decided to share important insights about time with the people to whom he was writing.  He said, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). In these verses Paul suggests several things:

1)      Pay attention to how you live.  The challenge to “Be very careful” suggests the importance of being alert and cautious about how we act and live.  Wise thought needs to be given to the way we live because time does pass quickly and if we are not sensbile we can live in ways that do not please God.

2)      Be wise in the use of time.  The comparison of “Not as unwise but as wise” becomes a word to the careful person since we can so easily waste our time by letting it escape without accomplishing anything worthwhile or godly.

3)      Make sure to do what is important. The idea of “Making the most of every opportunity” suggests that we ought to seriously consider using our time to focus on things that are positive, purposeful, and productive.  Our activities should benefit God’s kingdom and help people bring glory to God.

4)      Recognize that foolish endeavors can easily emerge. The phrase “Because the days are evil” helps us realize that there is wickedness all around us which can so easily draw us and others into involvement in things which do not please God.

People want, desire, collect, and yes, even demand “things.”  However, once things are accumulated it usually does not take long to discover that those things do not provide satisfaction.  What people need is a right relationship with God.  When people become rightly related to God through personal faith and trust in His Son Jesus Christ, they discover real purpose in living.  With a right relationship with God people will delight in doing things right as well as in doing the right things. When we do things that are right, our actions and attitudes please God.  God is delighted and glorified when we pay attention to the time that He has graciously given to us.  Ask yourself: Am I spending time in God’s Word?  Am I investing my life in people?  Am I allowing God’s Spirit to direct me in living my life for God?  Time does pass quickly.  Let’s use our time wisely.

Signers of the Declaration

Have you ever wondered what kind of people signed the Declaration of Independence or what happened to them?  This important document was signed by 56 men who were soft-spoken, wealthy, and educated.  However, by signing their names to the document they put their lives and the lives of their families in jeopardy.  Having their names on that manuscript meant that they valued liberty more than their own safety. Some of these men were soldiers in the war and died from the wounds they sustained. Some were captured and tortured, and others had their homes ransacked and burned. A few were driven from their homes and lived in forests and caves and some family members were dispersed and never found again. 

These men agreed to the following statement: “For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”  Together they had a firm trust that the hand of God would rest on them despite anything that may happen to them.  They were confident that physical and spiritual freedom was of great value – “If the Son [of God] sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).  And they were assured that they needed a firm trust in God – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

These men knew that the document they signed would have a lasting impact on all Americans for years to come.  As a result of their bravery, today you and I have much for which to be thankful to God.  We should be grateful for the forefathers of our country who put their lives on the line when they took quill in hand and signed their name on this document.  And we should give thanks to God for the unlimited blessings he has provided for us in this great country of ours.