I Will Go In The Strength Of The Lord

We shouldn't allow the road to 2013 -- stalked by global instability -- to cloud our spirit with fear. When Christ spoke of the last days in Matthew 24, He told his disciples, "See that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass."

I believe we are living in the last days. I believe that message is for us, God's children. The best way to face the future is in  the strength of The Lord. Lynda Randle sings about it.

I will go in the strength of The Lord

Because I know no other way.

I will go in the strength of The Lord

There are mountains I have to face

As I journey through this life,

There is no other way I know.

Than to go in the strength of The Lord.

Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon The Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.

Worry? Who, Me?

What do we worry about? Going over the cliff? The National Debt? Health? Here are some statistics about worrying.

• 40% of what we worry about never happens
• 30% of what we worry about can't be changed (i.e. people's criticism of us)
• 12% are about past decisions
• 10% are about our health
• 8% are legitimate concerns

Wouldn't it be great if we could pack our worries in a box, duck tape it, and mail them to a problem solver, never to worry again. I know someone who gives peace to worry warts.

Philippians 4:6,7 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Whatever your worry, God's peace can sustain you. Take your burdens to The Lord and leave them there.

Show Me The Way

Last January I hoisted the bar of accomplishment for 2012, sure to accomplish life-changing perfection. I may have lost a few pounds, but most of my goals gave way to procrastination.

Brakes are tapped, and this year is dawdling toward stagnation. However, I've learned something about laying the best of plans. Earthly mortals have flaws, and life takes twisted turns.

It's good to plan, but it's better to trust God every day to show you the way -- His path. It's better to search God's Word for His purpose for your life, and to follow His lead. 

Psalm 119:105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

King of kings Incognito

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords traveled from heaven to earth incognito. Born in a barn, growing up as a carpenter, and dying on the cross, He lacked the pomp and circumstance expected of royalty. That's why His own people rejected Him.

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

We see the true nature of Jesus in His ministry. Jeff Swart said it well.

• When I see Jesus associating with known sinners -- I know that there is a loving God
• When I see Jesus praying for those who crucified Him -- I know there is a forgiving God
• When I read the words of truth spoken by Jesus -- I know there is a God of all truth
• When I see the holy life our Lord lived -- I know there is a holy God
• When I see Jesus turning the water to wine, walking on the water, calming the storm, restoring sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, causing the lame to walk, the mute to speak, and raising the dead -- I know there is an omnipotent God

Jesus Had to Become Man

Jesus' favorite term for Himself was the "Son of Man".

Jesus had to become Man. 

• To perfectly fulfill the Law of God
• To live a sinless life so that He would be the perfect sacrifice for sin
• To die on the cross in the place of every single man, woman, boy, and girl that would ever inhabit this planet.
• To suffer the punishment that we rightfully deserve as the penalty for our sins
• To defeat sin, Satan, death, and hell
• To be our high priest

Because God became one of us, He understands us, can relate to us, and can better minister to us.

Hebrews 2:18 Because He himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

The purpose of the Incarnation was for God to identify Himself with mankind.

And God Became Flesh

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore The Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Christmas is the celebration of the incarnation -- God becoming flesh, revealing Himself to us, identifying with us, giving Himself for us.

JESUS WAS:

• Born in a stable, not a mansion, that He might identify with the homeless of our world.
• Born in Bethlehem, the house of bread, not in Athens, that He might identify with the hungry masses.
• Grew up in the home of a carpenter rather than the home of Caesar, that He might identify with the working class.
• Born a Jew and not a Greek, that He might identify with the oppressed, the despised, and the rejected.
• Born and reared at the crossroads of the world that touches Asia, Africa, and Europe, because He belonged to the whole world.
• Died on a cross and not in a hospital, that He might identify with suffering of the world.

Why Was Jesus Born

On the very first Christmas, earth was not aware of what was transpiring in heaven. As an innumerable company of Angels were waiting to worship the newborn king, a farewell was going on in heaven between God the Father and God the Son.

Hebrews 10:4-7 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body has thou prepared me . . .  Then said I, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. 

God prepared a body for Christ that would be the divine instrument to bring God to men and men to God. And so Jesus Christ bid farewell to the Father to begin a journey that was to end thirty-three years later on a cross.

Bethlehem happened so Calvery could happen.

Why was Jesus born? Jesus came to be our substitute, our salvation's Author, our sanctifier, our Satan's conqueror, and our sympathetic High Priest.

Glory to God in the highest!

(From a message by Jeff Swart)

The Greatest Gift

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. You make your wish list, never sure of what you'll find after ripping off the paper. Ah, the anticipation of unwrapping the unknown.

I want to tell you about a gift that is different than any placed under a tree. It takes a lifetime to unwrap -- ever giving. Though it has enormous value, it is free. It saves people from their sins. It's instant. This gift is received upon repentance of sin and accepting Christ as your personal Saviour. It makes you a child of God. forever.

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS, for He shall save his people from their sins. 

The gift of Jesus Christ gives eternal life. Thank you, Lord, for my salvation.

The Innkeeper missed Christmas

When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem they found the city overflowing with people who had come to register for the census. Because the inns were full, they had no place to stay.

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The innkeeper missed Christmas because he was too busy caring for the guests. He really wasn't hostle toward Mary and Joseph or unloving or unsympathetic or indifferent. He was just too busy. 

Many people today are so busy living their lives that they don't consider eternity. This is especially true during the Christmas season. They buy presents for one another, go to parties, prepare meals, travel to the homes of loved ones, etc. But they forget to worship the King.

Don't miss the real meaning of Christmas because you are so preoccupied with the good that you neglect the best. 

Little Things About Christmas

God chose little people, places, things, and tasks to bring about the miraculous birth of the Son of God.

The angels did not appear to noble men of authority, but to simple shepherds -- little people.

A social wealthy woman was not chosen to be the mother of the Christ child. Mary, a simple godly virgin of Nazareth, received that honor. 

The King of kings and Lord of lords was not born in a sterile hospital maternity ward. When Jesus came into this world God chose a little town called Bethlehem and a cold, damp, and smelly stable. Scripture doesn't mention a midwife, so Mary and Joseph probably delivered Baby Jesus. His bassinet was an animal feeding trough. 

1 Corinthians 1:27,29 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. . . . That no flesh should glory in his presence. 

Little is much when God is in it. 

Spreading The Good News

The shepherds knew what to look for: a newborn Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. They found Him and worshipped Him, marveling at God's grace and goodness and the miracle He had wrought for them.

Luke 2:16,17 And they came with haste and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child.

These shepherds are good examples for us today. They received by faith the message God sent them and then responded with immediate obedience.

After finding the Baby, they reported the good news to others, glorifying and praising God. Then they humbly returned to their duties, new men going back to the same old job.

Telling others about the Saviour is a solemn obligation as well as a great privilege, and we who are believers must be faithful.

God Sent a Saviour

Here is the "good news" delivered to the shepherds. God sent a Saviour to meet man's greatest need. It was a message of peace to a world that had always known war. 

Luke 2:14  Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, "While the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief, and envy. He cannot give peace of heart for which man yearns more than even for outward peace."

Life was difficult at that time, just as it is today. Taxes were high, unemployment was high, and morals were slipping. Roman law, Greek philosophy, and even Jewish religion could not meet the needs of men's hearts.

Then God sent His son.

The Petrified Shepherds

Looking after a flock of sheep is a hard task that requires a lot of experience, skill and know-how. When things were quiet, the shepherds may have swapped stories or talked about their families. One particular night the sky lit up. All of a sudden an angel of the Lord stood there and the glory of the Lord shone around them. 

"What the . . .!"  Scripture says they were sore afraid. I think they were petrified.

Luke 2:10-11 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ The Lord.

The shepherds knew about David and rejoiced in the birth for their long awaited Messiah. A praise service broke out, and a multitude of the heavenly host joined them.  “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men,”  Oh, the joy!


When things calmed down, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and worshipped the Holy Baby.


Can you imagine a shepherd returning home that night?  “Woman, you won’t believe what happened. I saw the Messiah.”

He Was Seeking For Me

I tend to think everyone gets giddy like me at Christmas, but in an imperfect -- sometimes ugly -- world, it's not always the case. Whatever your circumstances may be, all you need for Christmas is the peace that only Jesus can give.

One of my most touching Christmases was when I was diagnosed with breast cancer a week before singing in our Christmas cantata at church. The lyrics moved to a song that made me forget about the cancer. Realizing that Jesus was born to search for me, I blubbered through the entire song.

He was seeking for me; Jesus was seeking for me.

Tho' I knew Him not, still He loved me and was seeking for me ....

He was reaching for me, but I rejected His touch.

Instead I reached for other things I thought meant so much;

Things of value in earth's market, I had sought all of them;

But all the time I was seeking, I was seeking for Him.

So I reached out to Jesus, crying Lord hear my plea.

For I want You to have all of me.

Then out of darkness I saw His light of love

Giving me a brand new start.

O praise The Lord, Jesus found me

When I gave Him all my heart.

The First Announcement

The first announcement of the Messiah's birth was given by an angel to some anonymous shepherds.

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ The Lord.

Why shepherds? Why not to priests or scribes? Shepherds were really outcasts in Israel. Their work not only made them ceremonially unclean, but it kept them away from the temple for weeks at a time so that they couldn't be made clean.

God doesn't call the rich and mighty; He calls the poor and the lowly.

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty  . . . .  29. That no flesh should glory in His presence.

The Messiah came to be both the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God, sacrificed for the sins of the world. It was fitting that the good news about God's Shepherd and Lamb be given first to humble shepherds.

Jesus, a Speechless Baby

How amazed the angels must have been when they saw the Creator born as a creature, the Word coming as a speechless baby.

2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

The best response from our hearts at Christmas is wonder and worship that God would send His precious Son into poverty to offer us salvation.

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh . . . 

John 3:16,17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Jesus, my Savior, to Bethlehem come

Laid in a manger to sorrow and shame

Oh, it was wonderful, blest be His Name

Seeking for me -- Seeking for me

E. E. Hasty

Mary Was The First One to Carry The Gospel

Somebody wrote a song entitled Mary Was The First One to Carry The Gospel. 

Great with child, it surely was an uncomfortable journey to Bethlehem, but Mary rejoiced in doing the will of God. When I was great with child, I could hardly get out of a chair much less ride a donkey on a road trip. No doubt she was glad to get away from the wagging tongues in Nazareth.

Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

We should worship God for who He eternally was. is, and shall be. We rejoice at Christmas because Jesus became flesh, a babe, to dwell among men and become our Redeemer. 

Living He loved me, dying, He saved me,

Buried, He carried my sins far away;

Rising, He justified freely forever.

One day He's coming -- O glorious day.

Who is This Baby Jesus and Where Did He Come From?

The coming of the Redeemer was inherent in the covenants God made with His people, and it was promised by the prophets. Jewish history prepared the way for Christ's birth. God in His providence ruled to accomplish His great purpose in bringing His Son into the world.

The earthly blood line of Jesus came as God had promised (Luke 1:69). He would be a Jew from the tribe of Judah, the family of David, born in David's city, Bethlehem. Both Mary and Joseph belonged to David's blood line.

The Gospel of Matthew gives us the human and divine heredity of Jesus. It was necessary for Him to enter this world by an earthly mother, but not of an earthly father. By a miracle of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary, a virgin (Luke 1:26-38).

Jesus Christ, being eternal God (John 1:1-3,14), existed before Mary and Joseph or any of his earthly ancestors.

John 1:4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Walk in the light, beautiful light,

Come where the dewdrops of mercy shine bright.

Shine all around us by day and by night,

Jesus, the light of the world.

G. Elderkin

That Holy Thing

Every detail of the birth of Jesus was prophesied in manuscripts 400 - 1000 years before the glorious event in Bethlehem, the lineage, the place, the young virgin, and more.

God covered all the bases for the Jewel of Heaven to be born among men. He sent the angel Gabriel to tell Mary that she was chosen to be the earthly mother of the Son of the Highest, One who would sit on the throne of David, whose kingdom would be forever.

This troubled Mary. "But how can this be? I know not a man."

Luke 1:35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Can you imagine Mary's awe and worship as she took it all in?

As we celebrate Christmas this month, may we not forget the purpose of Jesus' birth. He was born to die on a cruel cross, a sacrifice for our sins, for our redemption.

The death, burial, and resurrection is the "good news".

God's Will For Your Life

Ephesians 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of The Lord is.

I didn't always know God's will for my life. At times it was frustrating. But I learned that if God saved me, He had a purpose for me, and I should discover that purpose. I should plan my life accordingly.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

God reveals His plan through His word, His Spirit in our hearts, and the working of circumstances. The Christian can walk carefully and accurately because he knows what God wants him to do.

Like the builder following the blueprint, he accomplishes what the architect planned.

If you don't know God's plan for your life, ask Him to show you. If you do know, do it with all your heart.

Asking, Believing, and Receiving

Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

So how should we ask? Lord, gimme this and that and the other? No. We should prayerfully recognize our helplessness and dependence on God. We should trust.

We should ask with a purpose. The church should ask for a downpouring of the Spirit, for uprising of the saints, and to reach the lost. 

The individual Christian should ask for a filing of the Spirit, a burden for the lost, and have faith in God's promises. We should ask patiently and believe in the purpose, power, and promises of God. 

What are the results of our prayer of faith? -- a cleansed heart, purged conscience, joy and peace, restored health, and answers to problems.

How should we respond to answered prayer? Acknowledge God by praise and thanks. Surrender to His service.

Prayer is the key to heaven, but faith unlocks the door.

Jesus, The Light of The World

Jesus is the Light of life and the Light of the world. Satan is the power of darkness. People love either the light or the darkness, and this love controls their actions.

Satan strives to keep people in the darkness, because darkness means death and hell, while light means life and heaven.

Jesus came to His world, the one He created, but His own people rejected Him. He gave them every opportunity to grasp the truth. Sinners today need not commit those same blunders. 

John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Anyone who receives Christ will be born again and enter the family of God.

The Light is still shinning. Have you received Him?

The Divine Christ

We can safely rely upon God's promises. No one ever yet trusted Him in vain. We find this precious truth expressed almost everywhere in the Scriptures. We need to know that faithfulness is an essential part of the Divine character. This is the basis of our confidence in Him.

Its one thing to accept the faithfulness of God as a Divine truth; its quite another to act upon it. God has given us many great and precious promises.

2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Do we really believe that scripture? Not every time. But more often I delighted in fulfilled promises, big and small answered prayers. And I like that God gives assurance and peace while we're waiting.

Keep the faith. 

Considering Christ's Pre-Existence

How tragic the Pharisees, religious experts of the Jewish Law, didn't know their own Messiah as He stood before them. Jesus boldly made claims to deity. He would judge. He was sent by God. His Father was always with Him. He did what pleased His Father.

"Who are you?"

"I am exactly what I said."

"Where is your father?" They wanted him to say Joseph. When He said his origin was not of this world, they became angry. They couldn't accept the pre-existence of Christ before the world.

"We are Abraham's seed."

"Before Abraham was, I Am." That made them so angry they grabbed rocks to throw at Him, but He escaped.

If Christ didn't exist from eternity, there would be no trinity -- only the Father and the Spirit. There would be no redemption. Jesus would be a man just like us.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Verse 14 of John 1 says The Word became flesh and dwelt among men.

Our God has no beginning and no end. That's why we have eternal life and a place in Heaven. 

How's Your Gratitude?

You would think all ten lepers -- instantly healed -- would've ran to Jesus and thank Him for a new start in life, but only one did so. The man, a Samaritan, must've shouted, "Glory to God!" and fell at His feet with praise and thanks.

By coming to Jesus, the man received something greater than physical healing. He was also saved from his sins. Jesus said, "Your faith has saved you."

Oh, it's wonderful to experience the miracle of physical healing, but its even more wonderful to experience the miracle of salvation.

Before we judge the other nine too harshly, how is our own gratitude? How often do we take our blessings for granted?

Psalm 107:8 Oh that men would praise The Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men.

Every child of God should cultivate the grace of gratitude. It not only opens the heart to further blessings, but glorifies and pleases the Father.

Greatest Worship Service Ever

We worship Jesus Christ because of who He is. He is not in the manger, in Jerusalem, on the cross, or in the tomb. He is ascended and exalted in Heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father.

What an encouragement to suffering Christians, to know that their Saviour has defeated every enemy and is now controlling events from the throne. He too suffered, but God turned His suffering into glory.

The Apostle John describes an awesome worship around the throne in Revelation 5. It begins when Jesus the Lamb of God takes the book (scroll) from his Father's hand, because only He is worthy.

Revelation 5:11-13  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders . . . Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. 

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them heard I saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Get Out of The Boat

Athletes stretch to develop muscles, enduring the pain. Consider the spiritual aspect of stretching your faith. It comes in many different forms.

We stretch our faith when we allow Christ to save us, follow Him in baptism, have a daily Bible study -- just us and God -- and also committing to tithes and offerings. Here's how Peter stretched his faith.

Matthew 14:28,29 . . . Lord, if it be thee, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

Its time for us to stretch our faith and get out of the boat like Peter did. It's time to get out of our comfort zone and abandon our security blanket. 

Though Peter began to sink, Jesus rescused him and used him on the day of Pentecost to preach a powerful message. Over 3,000 souls were saved. Our faith must be exercised. Jesus wants to use us for His glory. Afraid of failure, we may be reluctant to get out of the boat. 

What is it that Jesus has put in your life, but you won't get out of the boat?

Jesus is out of the boat. That's where you face your doubts and fears. You will develop more faith than you ever imagined when you get out of the boat.

A Deer Hunter's Predicament (guest post by Chris Davis, my son)

Thursday morning I just happened to be awake in the deer stand and a doe came by at 9:20. An hour later she is gutted, loaded on the 4-wheeler, and we are headed back to camp. I have her skinned in pretty short order.

I start taking her apart, beginning with the shoulders. Those come right off, just hardly touching them with the knife. My normal routine is to remove the hind quarters, then the tenderlions, and then the back straps. But for some reason I decide to go for the tenderlions. 

As I'm reaching in to retrieve those little jewels, the deer, of course, is spinning, and, with my mind still on the election I guess, I slide my surgically sharp knife right across the top of my hand. Had it not scraped the bare bone, I may have never felt it.

Now I'm leaving my own blood trail to the seat of my truck where I thought I had an extra towel, but it was not there. I strip down to my tee-shirt and get it off. That is my pressure rag.

So here I am, about 6 miles away from the house, all by myself at camp with a deer partially quartered and a cut -- I don't quite know how bad yet, but I know it is to the bone. And, I have given no thought to carry a first aid kit. (Lesson learned).

I take the shirt off my hand, and I am relieved to see there is no gushing of blood, just a good ooze when I make a fist. Sure enough, there is my white knuckle bone. So what do I do? Do I call for help? Do I drive off, leaving the deer hanging? Who do I call? Only a few people know how to get to me.

I decide, after some time had passed with the pressure applied, that I could just wrap my hand good and tight with the tee-shirt I have now cut in half, and finish the deer.

With my wrapped hand, I manage to get the deer finished. I don't call my wife until now, because I know she would freak out and demand I leave the deer and everything and get home. I call and tell her the situation and ask her to go buy some ice before I get there to put on the deer meat. I tell her to call the doc's office, because I will definitely need to be sewed up. Thank God we did not have to spend the day in the ER. The doc sewed it up in no time, and we had time left over to eat out.

It could have been a lot worse. Six stiches later my hand looks like a baseball.

Things can happen out of nowhere. Be careful.

Judas, The Ultimate Traitor

Sitting at the Passover meal with His disciples, Judas knew exactly what he was about to do and so did Jesus.

That same night just after Jesus' agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas led a huge mob to capture Him. Some of them carried swards, some staves, and some clubs. Why such a large mob to arrest one man?

Judas had been with Jesus long enough to know what kind of power He had. Didn't he also know that Jesus could've called ten thousand angels to slew the lot of them? They didn't capture Jesus, He went willingly. 

The traitor identified Christ with a kiss. How appalling! And Jesus even called him "friend".  Later Judas returned the blood money and then killed himself.

You can sit in a pew week after week and be accepted into the fellowship, but if you have not been born again -- accepted Jesus as your personal Savour -- you will not go to heaven no matter how good you are.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

When you stand before God, He will not ask what you did, but what you did with His son. 

This Little Light of Mine

There is, for our universe, only one sun, and it is the center and the source of life. There is also but one God who is the center of all and the source of all life.

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

To follow The Lord Jesus means to believe on Him, to trust Him; and the results are life and light. The unsaved are walking in darkness because they love darkness.

One of the major messages of the Godpel is that spiritual light is now shining, but people cannot comprehend it -- they try to put it out. But they need The Lord. Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world, pointing unbelievers to Him.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine; let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Thanksgiving at The Watson House

Today I thought of Daddy bringing home a huge dead turkey, feathers and all, and Mama making pumpkin pies, dressing, and the works. 

Before some of the older children left home, we rubbed elbows around the Thanksgiving Day table. You had to be brave to fork a piece of turkey from the platter, lest you get forked.

Another thing, sometimes I trod to the out-house just to have piece and quiet. I don't mean to complain. I'm thankful for all my brothers and sisters. And then there was the time when we got home from church and my older brother Clarence was missing. Daddy drove back and found him asleep on a pew.

I'm thankful for my upbringing. Too many families today pass their unbelief in God to their children, thus the blistering effect on our society. People need The Lord.

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 

Did all those church services make us perfect? No, but that's where we learned about Jesus, and what a difference it made in my life. 

First Love

In Revelation Two, Jesus accused the busy, separated, sacrificing church of Ephesus of abandoning their first love. Their works, labor, and patience were not motivated by a love for Christ.

What is "first love"? Its the devotion to Christ that so often characterizes the new believer -- fervent, personal, excited, and telling others. Its the "honeymoon love". 

"First love" can be restored. First, we must remember (literally keep on remembering) what we have lost and cultivate a desire to regain that close communication once again. 

Then we must repent -- change our minds -- and confess our sins to The Lord. We must restore the original fellowship that was broken by our sin and neglect. For the believer, this means prayer, Bible reading and meditation, obedient service, and worship.  

X-Ray of a Church

Only the Head of the church, Jesus Christ, can accurately inspect each church and know its true condition because He sees the internals, not only the externals. He gives each of the seven churches in Revelation an X-ray of its condition. But Jesus is also speaking to us.

Revelation 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches . . .

Churches are made up of individuals, and it is individuals who determine the spiritual life of the assembly. Before Christ judges the world, He must judge His own people (1 Peter 4:17).

In Revelation 2, the church at Ephesus enjoyed pastors like Paul, Timothy, and the Apostle John himself. But The Lord reminded them that He was in control of the ministry, placing them where He pleased.

How easy it is for a church to become proud and forget that pastors and teachers are God's gifts who may be taken away at any time. Some churches need to be cautioned to worship The Lord and not their pastor. 

The Book of Revelation

I smiled this morning to find the Book of Revelation the next reading on my journey through the New Testament. Matthew through Jude blessed me immensely. The awesome drama of Christ's earthly ministry, his parables, love, and sacrifice drew me close to God. The missionary work of Paul and his letters to the churches fed my spirit with instruction, hope and praise.

Though I read it many times, I'm excited about studying the great Revelation. I've learned to pause and ask God to enlighten me as I read. When Jesus asked John to write down what he saw and heard, He wanted us to read it two thousand years later. In fact, Jesus promised to bless the readers.

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.

Written to seven local churches in Asia, the book is not only prophecy with symbols, but it is also about the glory of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God -- the beginning and end of our faith.

Don't let this wicked world depress you. Prayerfully study this exciting Book. At the end, we win.

The History of Christ -- Truth or Fiction

The Word of God is not only inspired, but is also a history book documented by facts. Jesus really walked on this earth. His virgin birth in Bethleham really happened. His crucifixion at Jerusalem was ordered by Governor Pontius Pilot.

Some people thought Jesus was John the Baptist or Elias. Others thought He was Jeremiah or one of the old prophets.

"But who do you say I am?" Jesus asked his disciples. Simon Peter gave the correct answer. "Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God."

Jesus wants to hear your answer. Do you really know His magestic power full of grace and glory? Are you willing to tell others about Him?

What does God the Father say about Jesus?

Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name;

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth;

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

My God is real for I can feel Him in my soul. 

Eyes Still On The Eastern Sky

Albert Brumley wrote about the rapture -- being caught up -- when he penned "I'll Fly Away". The world will never fully understand that song. 

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet The Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with The Lord.

What a meeting that will be! Christians will receive glorified bodies, like the glorified body of Christ. Believers who have died are planted like a seed in the ground and will become a flower from that seed during the resurrection (Phil 3:20-21; 1 Cor 15:47-58). Their soul that went to be with The Lord at death will be united with their body at resurrection.

On earth, we have walked with Christ by faith, but in the air we shall see Him as He is. Hallelujah!

Sadly, those who have never believed on Christ as their personal will miss this meeting.

The Nature of God

If we are united to God through faith in Christ, we share His nature -- love. Love for our neighbors is a true test of unity. 

The greatest expression of God's love to us is in the death of His Son.

Romans 5:8,9 But God commendeth himself to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 

We are not saved by loving Christ. We are saved by believing in Him. That's when the Holy Spirit enables God's love nature in us to love one another. 

Love heads the top of God's priority list.

Do Christians Sin?

Every form of life has its enemies. Insects hide from hungry birds, and birds avoid hungry cats and dogs. Even human beings have to dodge automobiles and fight off germs.

The Christian's enemy is sin. The Apostle John warned his brethren about the desires of the flesh and the pride of life.

It bothers some people, especially young Christians, that believers sin. They forget that the old physical nature fights against the new nature which we receive when we are born again (Gal. 5:16-26).

No amount of self-discipline, man-made rules or regulations can control this old nature. Only the Holy Spirit of God can enable us to "put to death" the old nature and produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Romans 8:12,13 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Times, Talents, and Treasures

The parable of the man giving his servants talents to invest is a message of surrender for all believers. Traveling to a far country, their lord expects a return on his investment when he returns.

One servant took his five talents and doubled them. Another doubled his two, but the third one buried his only one.

God gives us time, talents, and treasures to glorify Him. He wants 100% return on His investment. The Bible says He won't put more on us than what we can handle. It all belongs to Him.

Psalm 24:1 The earth's is the Lord's and the fulness thereof: the world and they that dwell therein.

When the lord returns, the first two servants are awarded for their obedience. The third servant gives a flimsy excuse about burying his talent. God calls him wicked and slothful (lazy) and gives his to him that had ten. God adds to those who willingly do the most.

Do we bury our talent and say, "Lord, I can't sing or talk like someone else."? The Lord already knows what you can and can't do.

We serve God because we love Him, not because of what He gives us. 

Where there is life, there must be growth.

. . . The new birth is not the end; it is the beginning. God gives His children all that they need to live godly lives, but His children must apply themselves and be diligent to use the "means of grace" He has provided.

Peter lists seven characteristics of the godly life (2 Peter 1:5-7): Virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. We develop one quality as we exercise another. 

2 Peter 1:8 For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Godliness is intensely practical. Godly people make right and noble decissions. They don't take the easy path simply to avoid pain or trial. They do what is right because it is the will of God.

The Agony of Gethesame

For Christ, Gethsemane is a place of agony. At the end of the day, Jesus, alone and talking to His Father, prepares Himself for the cross. His sorrow is great because He is about to take on sin. To a Holy God, that is depressing.

Though His body would feel the beating, them pulling out His beard, thorns in His skull, nails in His hands and feet, and the gash in His side, the sorrow and depression was about the One who knew no sin, taking on the sins of mankind. He prayed one hour with a heavy heart.

Mark 14:36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt.

The cup of His Father -- 'Daddy', he called Him --  was His Father turning away from the sin while He is on the Cross. It breaks His heart. 

To the Son of God, all sin is wretched, putrid, and repulsive; yet Jesus is willing to make the sacrifice for our redemption.

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

If that isn't love, the ocean is dry

There's no stars in the sky, and the sparrow can't fly

If that isn't love, then heaven's a myth

There's no feeling like this if that isn't love.

Dottie Rambo

Being A Christian

. . . all about being Christ-like. We are in Him. His life becomes ours. "I am dead, yet I live."

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

God loved us first when we were unlovable. Through this love we see Him for what He truly is, and it unites us. When someone is born into the family of God, they should grow spiritually. We come together to worship, to nourish our spiritual bodies. There is potential for our lives. We are to feast upon God. That's what true Christians do.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. 

There is more to being a Christian in love and life only. We are to be baptized as He asks. We are to trust and obey. Stay in God's Word. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach us the truth in scripture.

Believing on the Invisible

The one thing which makes our Lord the most unusual person in heaven and earth is the way He captures the love and devotion of multitudes though they have never seen Him. 

1 Peter 1:8,9 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believe, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

We know Him through the Bible, the Spirit, and personal experience. We need not see Him to know Him as Savior, Shepherd, Keeper, and Guide.

He appointed us His witnesses, lights, salt, and ambassadors. If we don't witness, who will? If we don't let our light shine, people will remain in darkness. If we don't use our influence for good, evil will prevail.

How much do we really love our Lord and Savior?

So Let's Talk About Being Sober

1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer.

In Chapter Four, Peter gave Ten Commandments to his readers to keep them in balance concerning the Lord's return.

1. Be sober -- v. 7
2. Watch with prayer -- v. 7
3. Have fervent love -- v. 8
4. Use hospitality -- v. 9
5. Minister your spiritual gifts -- vv. 10-11
6. Think it not strange -- v. 12
7. Rejoice -- v. 13
8. Do not be ashamed -- vv. 15-16
9. Glorify God -- v. 19
10. Commit yourself to God -- v. 19

So, let's talk about being sober. If we are sober-minded, we will be intellectually sound and not off on a tangent because of some "new" interpretation of the Scriptures. We will also face things realistically and be free from delusions.

The sober-minded saint will have a purposeful life and not be drifting, and he will exercise restraint and not be impulsive. He will have "sound judgment" not only about doctrinal matters, but also about the practical affairs of life.

In a world that is susceptible to wild thinking, the church must be sober-minded.

Victory in Jesus

1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him

Forty days after His resurrection, our Lord ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, the place of exaltation. He is ministering to the church as High Priest and Advocate. He is preparing a place for His people and will one day come to receive them to Himself.

Christ's complete victory over all angels and authorities and powers refers to the evil hosts of Satan. The unfallen angels were always subject to Christ.

As Christians, we do not fight FOR victory, but FROM victgory -- the mighty victory that our Lord Jesus Christ won for us in His death, resurrection, and ascension.

O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood
He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due him.
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.

Eugene Bartlet 1939

Those who delight, meditate, and seek to obey

. . . God's Word will experience God's direction and blessing in their lives. The Word reveals God's mind, so we should learn it; God's heart, so we should love it; and God's will, so we should live it. Our whole being  -- mind, will, and heart -- should be controlled by the Word of God.

Psalm 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.

When I was sixteen I heard a man's voice beside the gurney I lay on under bright lights, awaiting emergency surgery. "Don't worry, everything is going to be all right," He said. A sweet spirit soothed my fears. Whether it was God or His angel, it was real. I sat up and looked around the room, but saw no one until the surgeon, anesthesist, and nurses came in. Later I learned how close I brushed death.  

Everything that God is and does is characterized by

. . . His glory. "Glory" is not a separate attribute or characteristic of God, such as His holiness, wisdom, or mercy. He is glorious in wisdom and power, so that everything He thinks and does is marked by glory.

He reveals His glory in creation, in His dealings with the people of Israel, and especially in His plan of salvation for lost sinners.

1 Peter 1:24-25 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away; But the word of The Lord endureth for ever . . . 

When we were born the first time, we were not born for glory. Whatever feeble glory man has will eventually fade and disappear; but the glory of The Lord is eternal. Believers are born again to glorify God. The works of man done for the glory of God will last and be rewarded. 

Psalm 108:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth.

Though God Slay Me, Yet I'll Trust Him

James 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of The Lord; that The Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy.

We consider "blessed" as those who have persevered. But you cannot persevere unless there is a trial in your life. There can be no victories without battles; there can be no peaks without valleys. If you want the blessing, you must be prepared to carry the burden and fight the battle.

God has to balance privileges with responsibilities, blessings with burdens, or else you and I will become spoiled, pampered children. 

When do blessings come? In the midst of trials as the three Hebrew children experienced in the fiery furnace.

Remember, Job didn't know what was going on behind the scenes between God and Satan. First God humbles him. He loses his wealth, children, and health. Then God honors him, giving him twice as much as he had before. 

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him ...  Can we say that?

What's this Lordship thing?

A new Christian may think the future will be  wonderful, but then they run into this "Lordship" thing.

God has a call on every believer's life, not just the preacher, and all should be in His Word, studying to be fit for the kingdom of God. That's our training ground Monday through Saturday. 

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

We need to give God permission to be Lord of our lives. If we don't, we are operating in our own wisdom. We need to get out of the driver's seat and give Jesus the keys. He is capable. Partial surrender is no surrender.

What do you lose when you totally surrender to God, and what do you gain? We lose everything and gain everything. That's a good deal.

Why don't we give Him permission to be Lord of our life? We have to get rid of our pride, but we are getting something back we can be proud of: His righteousness.

Is He truly your Lord or do you just call Him that? Have you given His Lordship permission?

Give God your tongue...

The tongue is a little member, but it has great power. 

Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

God can use our tongues to direct others into the way of life and to delight them in the trials of life. The following words can transform your life.

"Please and "Thank you." When you use these three words you are treating others like people and not things. You're showing appreciation.

"I'm sorry." These two words have a way of breaking down walls and building bridges.

"I love you." Too many people read romance into these words, but they go much deeper than that. As Christians, we should love the brethren and our enemies. This statement can carry tremendous power.

"I'm praying for you." And be sure that you are. When you talk to God about people, then you can talk to people about God.

Give God your tongue and your heart each day and ask Him to use you to be a blessing to others.

Mama said someone left a box of groceries

. . .  on their doorstep during the great depression. They never knew who. She also said jobs were scarce and people struggled to survive. Desperate, Aunt Ruth and Uncle Joe moved in with them for awhile. I wasn't born yet, but I can imagine a covey of hungry kids running through the house. Songs like God Will Take Care of You, I Need Thee Every Hour, and Great Is Thy Faithfulness gave them something to lean on.

Today, we take things for granted. If I have to chose, you can have my toys and games, my television and computer. Take my dishwasher and air conditioner, my automobile and fortune and fame. Withhold food, swelling my belly. You can have it all, but give me Jesus.

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold;

I'd rather be His than have riches untold;

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands;

I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;

He's sweeter than honey from out of the comb.

He's all that my hungering spirit needs;

I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

Rhea F. Miller 

How to Have Victory in Trials

There are four essentials for victory in trials:

1. A joyful attitude
2. An understanding mind
3. A surrendered will
4. A heart that wants to believe

James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations: knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Outlook determines outcome, and attitude determines action. God tells us to expect trials. The believer who expects his Christian life to be easy is in for a shock. Jesus warned his disciples. "In the world ye shall have tribulation" (John 16:33). Paul told his converts that "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).

Some trials come simply because we are human -- sickness, accidents, disappointments, even tragedies. Other trials come because we are Christians.

When we face the trials of life, we must evaluate them in the light of what God is doing for us. This explains why the dedicated Christian can have joy in the midst of trials: he/she lives for the things that matter most.

While Jesus and His disciples eat at the house of Simon

. . . the leper, a woman suddenly joins them. Actually, Mary is out of order. This culture does not allow women in groups of men. But she is so overwhelmed with Jesus that she must express her love in a unique way.

Breaking an Alabaster box containing ointment of spikenard, a very expensive perfume, Mary pours it on the head of Jesus, and the Jews make a big fuss. She pours the rest, mingled with her tears, on His feet and wipes them with her long hair.

Judas, the self righteous traitor, said the perfume should have been sold and the money given to the poor ($10-$15 thousand in our money). 

Mark 14:6,7 And Jesus said, let her alone; why trouble ye her?  She hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will, ye may do them good; but me, ye have not always.

Mary broke the bottle to give all she had. Sometimes Jesus breaks us so He can have all of us. 

What about you? Are you showing your love for Jesus with all you have? 

A new Christian may think the future will be wonderful,

. . . but then they run into this "Lordship" thing.

God has a call on every believer's life, not just the preacher, and all should be in His Word, studying to be fit for the kingdom of God. That's our training ground Monday through Saturday. 

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

We need to give God permission to be Lord of our lives. If we don't, we are operating in our own wisdom. We need to get out of the driver's seat and give Jesus the keys. He is capable. Partial surrender is no surrender.

What do you lose when you totally surrender to God, and what do you gain? We lose everything and gain everything. That's a good deal.

Why don't we give Him permission to be Lord of our life? We have to get rid of our pride, but we are getting something back we can be proud of: His righteousness.

Is He truly your Lord or do you just call Him that? Have you given His Lordship permission?

Growing up in a large family, we made do

. . .  with what we had. My folks didn't buy chips or cookies or ice cream. If we got hungry between meals or after school, we ate mustard and sugar sandwiches. We blended sugar, cocoa, and milk, called it gooey and spread it on saltine crackers. We didn't get a phone until I was pre-teen. 

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. 

Contentment cannot come from material things, for they can never satisfy the heart. Only God can do that. Be on your guard for all kinds of greed.

A man's life doesn't consist of his abundant possessions. When we have God, we have all we need. The material things of life can decay or be stolen, but God will never leave us or forsake us.

This promise was made to Joshua when he succeeded Moses, and it is fulfilled to us in Jesus Christ.

Athletes wear training weights to help them prepare

. . .  for events. No athlete would actually participate wearing the weights. It would slow them down. What are weights in your life that should be removed? It’s everything that hinders your spiritual progress. A winning athlete doesn’t choose between the good and bad; he chooses between the better and the best.

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

The sin(s) that so easily entangle us my be the sin of unbelief. It was unbelief that kept Israel out of the Promised Land, and it is unbelief that hinders us from entering into our spiritual inheritance in Christ.

We must ask Jesus to show us our sins so we can lay them aside. Looking at the faith heroes in the previous chapter we see perfect examples of what God can do with our lives if we let Him.

True Bible faith is not blind optimism

. . . or a manufactured “hope-so” feeling. True Bible faith is confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

This faith operates quite simply. God speaks and we hear His Word. We trust His Word and act on it. The circumstances may be impossible, and the consequences frightening and unknown, but we obey God’s Word just the same and believe Him to do what is right and what is best.

The world fails to realize that faith is only as good as its object, and the object of our faith is God. Faith is to a Christian what a foundation is to a house: it gives confidence and assurance that he will stand. Faith is an inward conviction that what God has promised, He will perform.

When they stepped out by faith, people laughed at the great men and women noted in Hebrews Chapter Eleven. But God was with them and enabled them to succeed to His glory.

Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

When the flesh of Jesus tore on the cross,

. . . and His life sacrificed, God tore the veil separating the holy of hollies in the Jewish Temple where only the high priest could enter. This symbolized the new and living way now open for all who believe.

Because we have a living high priest, we have an open invitation to enter the presence of God every moment of each day. What a tremendous privilege!

Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.

20. By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

21. And having an high priest over the house of God;

22. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

God could have created the entire universe

. . . in an instant, yet, He preferred to do it over a period of six days. He could have delivered Israel from Egypt in a moment, yet, He preferred to invest eighty years in training Moses. He could have sent the Saviour much sooner, but He waited until the fullness of the time was come.

You may or may not know God's plan, purpose or timeline for your life, but if you let him, He will make you a vessel of honor.

Romans 12:1,2 I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Have Thine own way, Lord

Have Thine own way.

Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after Thy will

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is God's love letter

. . . to us. He loves the world and each of us individually. As a father loves his children, He protects us. The Agape love of God goes deeper than man can fathom, and it can't be measured. We can never use it up.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God loved us when we were unlovable -- spiritually dead. A great gulf separated us, and His love reached across, giving us a path to him.

When God looked down and saw me, a wretched sinner, He said, "I love you. Will you accept my gift of salvation? I will clean you up. I will give you a new life." Praise God, He did.

God sacrificed His very jewel of heaven. Whether you feel loved or not, or you think you are not worthy, He loves you any way. As God loves us and we love him, we have love for each other.

You can't earn God's love, you accept it. Because of grace and love, you can hold the very hand of the one that was nailed to the tree.

Did you ever analyze and calculate a venture

. . . or problem and arrive at a brilliant solution you felt good about?  Planning is a good thing.

Sometimes "fix-everything-people' take on a project that should be prayed over, and then they say,  "Here's the plan, Lord. Let's run with it." Woah! Wait a minute. God might have a different perspective, one with a spiritual impact. 

Isaiah 55:8,9  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith The Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

The best of plans are fickle without God's input. The older I get, the more I say, "Lord, I really don't know what I'm doing, even though I think I do. I need your help."

Proverbs 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. 

One of the six recorded songs

. . . waiting to be played at my funeral is about Jesus walking with me. When Jake Hess sings I Have Never Walked Alone, emotions tug at the mountains and valleys -- especially the valleys -- seasoning my memory.

Jesus was there the times I whispered, "I just don't know what to do." He was there when I skipped church five years. He walked me back. He was there with comfort and assurance when cancer jammed my path. He was there at every twist in the road, holding my hand, leading the way.

I thank God for a good life, blessed with a great family and many sweet church fellowships over the years. I hope I live much longer with an alert mind. Whatever happens, I know one thing for sure. I will never walk alone. 

Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.