And I say also unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matt. 16:18

Recently driving on a back-woods road in South Carolina, I spotted a church and a sign in front. I just had to stop and take a picture.

“CHURCH CLOSED, Stay Safe”

“Stay safe?” Maybe it should have said “Stay Connected.” After all, what really is a church? It is a lot more than a building.

I recalled how one night a number of years ago I was speaking in a small town in north Florida, as they were celebrating the opening of their new church building. It seems that the former one had burned to the ground and they had to re-build. I asked. “When did your church burn down?” Quickly, he answered, “Oh the church never burned down, it was just the building.”

The church consists of God’s people. It is the assembly of believers in Jesus Christ. The physical buildings facilitate the fellowship, worship, and ministry of God’s people, but it is not the church. … It is based on the Greek word of ecclesia, which is referring to the gathering or assembly.

The early Christian church was persecuted. Christians did not congregate in large physical buildings, but met in secret in the homes of other Christians. The early Quakers, as a matter of principle, refused to call the buildings where they met “churches,” since the biblical word church referred to people, not a building. The Quakers instead called a building designed for Christian worship a “steeple house.”

We all learned about closed churches during the pandemic isolation. Our church building was locked, but our church never missed a beat. How about yours?

Acts 2:42 could be considered a purpose statement for the church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” According to this verse, the purposes/activities of the church should be 1) teaching biblical doctrine, 2) providing a place of fellowship for believers, 3) observing the Lord’s supper, and 4) praying……. And you don’t need a building to do that.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

In Dr. David Jeremiah’s book, Forward, subtitled, Discovering God’s Presence and Purpose in Your Tomorrow, he offers 10 steps to help us move forward spiritually, and in life.

The ten words are explained in detail in each chapter.

1. Dream: Seize Your Tomorrow Today

2. Pray: Consult with Your Creator

3. Choose: Diminish Your Distractions

4. Focus: Make Your One Thing the Main Thing

5. Risk: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

6. Pursue: Chase Your Dream

7. Believe: Get Your Mind Right

8. Invest: Outlive Your Life

9. Finish: You’re Not Done Until You’re Done

10. Celebrate: Turn Your Forward into Forever

— o —

My mind is like my Internet browser – 19 tabs are open, three are frozen and I have no idea where the music is coming from !!!!!! This is me: Beverley. Anonymous

— o —

Christianity is not about our commitment to an ideal, dedication to a religion, or devotion to a philosophy. It’s about loyalty to a person: The Lord Jesus Christ.

— o —

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.

The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration. The Minimalist

— o —

In America, faith-based groups contribute more than $316 billion in savings to the US economy every year. In addition, congregations, religious institutions, and faith-based businesses contribute roughly $1.2 trillion of socio-economic value to the country, which is the equivalent of the world’s fifteenth largest national economy.

I bring these statistics up, however, not as an opportunity to congratulate ourselves for a job well done but rather to show just a small taste of the potential we have to bless our country and our community by serving others in the name of Jesus. Jim Denison

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around. WILLIE NELSON

It can feel lonely to stand for Biblical morality in our radically secular culture. Jim Denison

When what should be first place in our lives gets misplaced, before long it will be replaced. Ken Whitten

If you want to be more like Jesus, try giving help in both time and treasure without telling anyone about it. Jesus has answered your silent prayers for a long time and does not seek to take any credit for it…see the power that brings when you do the same. Dwight Short

“Blessed is the man who listens to me,“BLESSED IS THE MAN…WHO”

Watching daily at my gates,

Waiting at the posts of my doors.”

—Proverbs 8:34

“Today’s Special” is from former Youth Minister Mike Atkinson, now of “Mikey’s Funnies” fame:

“A dentist was about to leave his office with his golf bag on his shoulder, when the phone rang.

“Doctor,” the caller said, “I have a terrible toothache. Can I stop by your office in a few minutes?”

“Sorry,” replied the dentist, “but I have a previous appointment to fill eighteen cavities this afternoon.”

For those of us here in WAY upstate New York who have endured this week’s snow storm followed by wind storm followed by descending temperatures – all in less than 4 days – playing golf is just the cure. Can’t wait!

Until then, the above verse is found in Proverbs Chapter 8. This chapter is an unique one, and without reading the first couple of verses of the chapter, verse 34 makes no sense. I was in a Bible study shortly after I was saved. I remember now even 50 years later the many disfigurations, as it were, that the teacher was doing with this passage. But the introductory verses set the tone of the passage.

“Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice?

She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet.” Verses 1,2

I love this kind of language! We learn much from these verses, teachings that will help us tremendously in both our understanding and application of verse 34.

First, the topic of this chapter is the wisdom of God! She is presented very personally, as someone to whom we should listen. Notice the “her” and the “She” of these two verses. The author (perhaps Solomon, who wrote most of Proverbs) has personalized “wisdom” as a feminine persona. And did you notice the location of “Wisdom”? She is on the top of a high hill, besides the way where the paths meet!

Where is she? Why, she is at a CROSSROADS! She is at the point where every man, woman, boy and girl who is living or who has ever lived has stopped. She is at the place where a choice of direction must be made!

We’ve all been there – perhaps many years ago when most of us were making a career choice. Or perhaps recently when many of us have to make decisions concerning living quarters.

Or like us, when I retired from the pastorate. We sought the Lord’s leading for at least two special things: first, a place to worship; and second, a place to live. We were amazed how the Lord provided both! The first is in a small town much like the places I served as pastor for over 30 years, and it is not that far from where we live. And the second? In the providence, amazement, and perhaps even humor of the Lord – we live in the SAME apartment in which we lived when I retired after 20 years from my first pastorate, an apartment from which we had moved 10 years earlier to move to our second pastorate! Funny – in the room which was to become once more my den, there were the EXACT screw holes in the wall for the brackets for my book shelves. Isn’t God good!

And look with me at verses 22 and 23:

“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.

I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth.”

What is the author saying? That wisdom not only is more than likely found at the crossroads of life; SHE was at the foundation of the world! She was there since EVERLASTING! From the BEGINNING! Before there was an EARTH!

What does that mean for us? It means that even before the beginning of time, before the creation of the world, wisdom was there to meet the greatest need that each of God’s human beings hunger for. AND WHAT CAN THAT BE?

Turn with me to Ecclesiastes 3:11, in the NKJV please:

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”

What does that mean, “He has put eternity in their hearts”?

I am dependent upon Bible scholars way more smart than I! This is the fruit of their scholarship: God has placed within each of our hearts an hunger…an hunger for substance, for truth. Why, an hunger for God Himself! The entire book of Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s tale of seeking satisfaction in STUFF. And he finds at the end of each of his searches the same thing: emptiness {“vanity and vexation of spirit” – literally, a “blowing in the wind”). And then Chapter 12 comes, when he proclaims the end of his search is but the new beginning of his life:

“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them:”

The writer is nearing death. He describes what it is like to die in that emptiness, a reality facing all of us…UNLESS we obey Solomon’s final warning:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

So…what does that have to do with Proverbs 8:34? That verse is a kind of testimony to the hunger of our heart. Our heart is searching for substance, for truth, in reality yes, in the big picture it is searching for God Himself. The amazing thing is that at that same crossroads, GOD IS THERE, TOO! For He is hungry for us, for our fellowship, for our communion, and for fresh glory being brought to Him from our trust in His work at Calvary through the Son!

And then? Verse 34 tells me how to live! I am blessed – happy, NOT by circumstances but by the Lord Himself!

And then I do what?

I “listen to me”. I listen to the one who is at the crossroads of my heart. I listen to the one who wants to create substance in my life. I listen to the one who has prepared a way for me to live, to really LIVE, for God and for the glory of His Son! I listen to His Word and allow it to make changes – the changes of God through His Spirit – in my heart and life. I listen to the operation of that “still small voice”, like Elijah of old heard, to direct me to the path that He wants for this day, this hour.

I “listen to me”.

Then I “Watch[ing] daily at my gates”.

I am “watching” – the idea of being alert, having my gaze fixed upon. And I am having my gaze fixed upon DAILY. What does that mean? It means that this is a JOURNEY! It is not simply a “once for all time” experience! It is a sojourn, a walking with God, a being alert to the operation of the Spirit in my life. And how often am I watching? Why, DAILY! This sojourn has to be a continuous watch, a continuous fixing upon, a continuous routine in my joy of the Lord! And did you notice the where? “

AT MY GATES”. The “gates” was the place where in Old Testament times at least 3 main things happened. First, as in Job of old, the elders of the land would meet there to listen and to dispense their wisdom. Second, it was the place where decisions for the day were made. And finally, as in Ruth with her Boaz, it was the place where transactions for life were made. The gates were a very important – if not THE most important – place where city life occurred. It was at the gates of wisdom where this sojourner’s heart was to be watching DAILY.

Finally, while I am LISTEN-ing to wisdom, while I am WATCH-ing daily at her gates, I am to be “WAIT[-ing] at the posts of her [“my”] doors”. Now this is where this stewardship gets to be fun! The key to this is to discern where “my doors” are! For it is there that I am to be waiting at the posts! What does this mean?

“My doors” is an intimate term for one’s HOME! While I am listening, while I am watching daily, I am to be waiting at wisdom’s doors! I am to be as close to wisdom as I can be! I am to be listening, watching, and waiting at her home, at the very posts that hold up the front door of her house! And where for the Christian will that be? Why, that is two-fold, of course, It will be IN the written Word of God where I find wisdom. Daily! AND second, it will be BY the operation of the Holy Spirit whereby I apply wisdom to my life.

Ok, let’s wrap this up! Tell me then, IF I am obedient to this passage, what will happen? What’s in it for me?

What happens when I

* LISTEN to wisdom…

* WATCH daily at her gates…, and

* WAIT at the posts of her doors?

Tell me again what the verse says?

BLESSED IS THE MAN!

Tell me again…is that what your heart is hungry for…SUBSTANCE?

And when you find her, you will be…BLESSED!

If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear… fire will test each one’s work… If anyone’s work… endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NKJV

All of us have choices. How we will invest our talents and resources. What we will do with our time. What are our priorities?

Focusing on immediate circumstances, it can seem easiest to focus on our current needs and desires. Not worrying about eternal consequences, or even tomorrow. Filled with this attitude, many simply seek escapes, to accumulate assets and indulge in short-term pleasures. To pursue personal fame and fortune, regardless how temporary it might be.

But the Bible reminds us that a day will come when everything we do will be tested by fire. Some work will survive, but some will be burned. The Bible calls this “wood, hay, and stubble.” These are the temporary things that can seem important and desirable in the moment but, ultimately, which don’t last. In fact, they can distract us and distort our attitudes and perspectives.

How long does currency last? The life expectancy of a circulating coin is 30 years, while paper money usually only lasts for 18 months and then it is shredded and no longer of any value. On my desk is a glass dome full of shredded currency. Once it was very valuable and bought many things and now it is worthless.

I keep the money dome on my desk to remind myself and to remind clients how worthless things that we buy for pleasure or to impress others can become worthless and often quickly.

glass dome

Several years ago, I was sailing into the harbor in Philadelphia. We cruised past a nautical junkyard then there she was, The S.S. United States, once the fasted transatlantic passenger afloat. And there she was, right in front of my eyes…… partly torn apart and covered in rust, tilting slightly to port. How sad, but a reminder that thing of value that people sacrifice for to acquire, ultimately turn to wood, hay and stubble as they rust and rot away.

The moral of the lesson? Put your time and money not into things that please yourself and impress others, but in the less tangible, like faith and family……… things and relationships that last and go good both for you and for others.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

It is a staggering and grievous fact: an estimated 62 million abortions have occurred in the US since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in 1973. This number is equivalent to the populations of Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Oregon, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Utah, Iowa, Nevada, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kansas, New Mexico, Nebraska, Idaho, West Virginia, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, Vermont, and Wyoming—combined.

I am passionately convinced on biblical, biological, logical, and legal grounds that life begins at conception and abortion is therefore the taking of an innocent human life. I am therefore praying for an end to the tragedy of abortion in America and am profoundly grateful to all who are working sacrificially to that end.

As reported by multiple news outlets, the Portland, Oregon, city council has recently enacted a “groundbreaking policy that provides bereavement leave for employees who undergo an abortion. Perhaps even those who chose abortion realized that they have taken a human life, not theirs to take.

Pray for an end to elective abortion in America.

— o —

Oxford Economics reports that the “misery index”, an economic indicator used to measure the average person’s economic well-being, has grown to recession-like levels.

— o —

reunion in heaven

When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

The things of this world are not big enough to satisfy. Ken Whitten

Whether you like it or not, you are an influence to someone—for good or for bad. Dan Shock

We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives. JOHN F. KENNEDY

Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement. WILL ROGERS

Christianity is not about what we get, but about what we give. Brandon Hughes

God created us for a purpose. Mike Ash

If you don’t love yourself, nobody will. Not only that, you won’t be good at loving anyone else. Loving starts with the self. WAYNE DYER

With God, all things are possible. Without God, all things are permissible.

If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” THOMAS EDISON

Biblical morality has been replaced by the sexual revolution. Daniel Henderson

***

Selected portions of Thoughts on Life can also be read at TheLife.com.

Who can ever forget the old TV show, “Hogan’s Heroes”? The show aired from 1965-1971. My dad really loved the character, Sgt. Schultz, the dimwitted officer who was responsible for overseeing the prisoners of war of their camp, Stalag 13. Sgt. Schultz would often be confronted either by his Colonel or by one of the multi-national prisoners. His standard reply would be, remember? “I know NOTHING, NOTHING!”.

In my morning devotions today I was reading Psalm 101:3 which says, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.” This psalm, written by King David, gives what I call the believer’s “I Will’s”:

* “I will sing of mercy and justice” (verse 1a)

* “To You, O Lord, I will sing praises” (verse 1b)

* “I will behave wisely in a perfect way” (verse 2a)

* “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart” (verse 2c)

* “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes” (verse 3a)

* “I will not know wickedness” (verse 4b)

In the midst of this is Verse 3a, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes.” This is an HUGE proclamation of faith for the king! It is more than an hope-so thought. Rather, it is a promise of a lifestyle, a promise made between the king and his King, the Lord Himself. And since we have that promise in Scripture, wouldn’t it be a good idea for each of us to make that promise as well!

So the word “nothing” caught me by surprise. I looked up in my “biblegateway.com” computer program and was overwhelmed by what I found! The word “nothing” appears some 281 times in the Bible! It appears 261 times in the Old Testament. It appears another 120 times in the New. Most of the verses are not so familiar; however, many of them are ones that each of us may have memorized for a Vacation Bible School or Sunday School!

How about you? Let’s check some out!

The FIRST use of the word “nothing” in the Good Book is found in Genesis 11:6. The Lord is looking down upon the land of Shinar, where a tower was being built which purpose was for man to seemingly reach all the way to heaven! This is His response to what He was observing: “And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.’” We know the rest of the story, don’t we? The Lord caused the languages of all the people to be confused. And the tower would be called “Babel”, that is, “confusion”. Such is what would be called Babylon. The key to this whole story is a people who desired to eliminate the Lord from their lives, much less from their world. Is that not a warning for us today?

I was pleasantly surprised to find familiar verses with a most unfamiliar word, “nothing”. Do you remember Nehemiah 8:10? The Governor, Nehemiah, and Ezra the priest were instructing the people as to where their true Hope is. Their hope was not in those who provided for their re-building the walls of Jerusalem. Their hope was not in the people who gave of themselves to do the work. Where then was their hope? The verse says it well. Do you remember singing the last part? Here we go: “Then he [Nehemiah] said to them [the people], “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” The last eight words are a most familiar chorus in many of our worship sessions. But the use of the word “nothing” shows a fellowship which believed in true ministry, true care. Nehemiah was reminding the people that true love sees all people the way the Lord does! And then the chorus lets them know where their true strength comes from! Are you singing yet?

In Nehemiah Chapter 9, one of the longest prayers in the Bible, in verse 21 Nehemiah reminds the people of what their ancestors enjoyed on the behalf of future generations – the very people who were listening to Nehemiah’s prayer. He said, “Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; They lacked nothing; Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.” These are truths that we might not have known unless they were uttered in prayer. Let’s try something today. For those of us who are over 40 years old, let’s look back upon the previous 40 years. Has God been faithful to us, to you? Are there ways that, in glancing back upon 4 decades, that we have neglected to return thanks to the Lord as Nehemiah is doing now? The people in the wilderness lacked nothing. Couldn’t that be said of us, too?

One more obscure Old Testament classic. But first, let me tell you the story of Keith! He was a good friend, a good brother in Christ. And like me, he loved to go to antique stores. (Well, in my wife’s and my almost 49 years of marriage, we had to come to an agreement on vacations: we are allowed to go to only ONE antique store per day. Well, again, we’ve stayed pretty close to that pledge!). But back to Keith. At the time of our rich friendship before Keith went Home to Jesus, he would love to go to a local antique store. And when I would visit Keith, what would be the topic of conversation? “You should see what I got at the store today! I paid [this much] but I know from the books that it is worth way MORE!”

And the verse? I now call this “Keith’s Verse”. Proverbs 20:14, “‘It is good for nothing,’ cries the buyer; But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.”

Now wasn’t that FUN?

Let’s look at a couple of verses from the New Testament!

Does not this sound familiar? From Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing will be impossible.” OK, OK! We just got through the Christmas season. Ok, Bible scholars – who said this and why? Hint, hint! No, it wasn’t John the Baptist. And it wasn’t Zacharias, Elizabeth, or Mary. [I guessed wrong, by the way]. It was indeed the Angel of the Lord, Gabriel! And yes, he WAS talking with Mary. And yes, the issue was what the God of the impossible can do! He can have a lady who was past the age of childbearing to get pregnant and deliver the one who would be called “John the Baptist”, the forerunner of the Savior. And then He can have a teenage girl get pregnant without any human intervention. Yes, Mary. How would you respond to this announcement by the angel Gabriel? In verse 38 “Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.’” Her theology would “blow apart” the false teaching of one of the largest religions of our day. Her personal statement of faith asserts herself as a “maidservant”, an “handmaid”, one who served the One SHE loved and one who submitted herself to the One Whose Word she followed. And dear people – such a statement of faith should belong to each of us! Does it you?

How about the cross? Luke 23:9 is a most familiar passage, but did you remember the word “nothing” in it? “Then he [Herod] questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.” Isaiah 53:7b gave us the introduction to this vivid period in the passion of the Savior, “He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” When faced with earthly incrimination, He said nothing. But when faced with any opposition to His Deity, He was quick to respond in return. What a wonderful Savior!

John 15:5 is a familiar verse in the section of the Gospel of John where the Savior is telling of His intimacy with His followers. He said, ““I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” The believer’s intimacy with the Lord Jesus rests upon “abiding” (or “dwelling” or “sojourning”) on a daily basis with Him. Did you catch the Savior’s promise? IF we so abide, the believer will bear fruit for Him. But then He adds a reality that might not have been seen: without the Lord Jesus, the believer cannot accomplish anything of eternal value. In fact, he can do NOTHING.

Finally, one of the more famous verses in the New Testament, much less in the Bible, is found in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God…”. It is in the middle of a most amazing section of this Pauline epistle. Verse 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Verse 7: “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Don’t you just love the Word of God? “Be anxious for NOTHING”. “REJOICE in the Lord…”. “…the PEACE of God…will guard your hearts and minds…”. What is he saying? The believer can be ANXIOUS for NOTHINGGGGGGG because of the One in Whom he abides! Are you enjoying that intimacy? Today?

NOTHING! Sgt. Schultz may have known NOTHING, but the believer in Christ has the privilege of entering into a closeness with his Savior! Have I? Have you?

For the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, just as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea. Joshua 4:23

God’s chosen people, long captive in Egypt escaped when God parted the waters of the Red Sea. After forty years in the wilderness, Moses saw the Promised Land, but died before he could cross over into it. Joshua took over, sent in the spies, prepared to enter the land and God took over.

The crossing over the Jordan is no less significant than the parting of the Red Sea. Robert J. Morgan’s latest book The Jordan River Rules, sets forth, backed by the Book of Joshua, the rules God used for the crossing, and they are the same rules we can and should use in our lives today

REALIZE GOD MEANS FOR YOU TO MOVE FORWARD: God leads us in stages and as we move through the stages of life, some involve mourning, but they all involve morning. Each day is a new day in our lives. You are not a has-been, rather you are a will-be. God is the one who knows the way through your wilderness and into your promised land. He leads us in steps and the only way to move forward is to put your foot down.

SAY NO TO DISCOURAGEMENT AND YES TO STRENGTH: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for God is with you wherever you go. Nothing is more agonizing than anxiety. Don’t let your fears be stronger than your faith. Don’t overestimate your problems and underestimate your God. When you succumb to discouragement, you pull down those around you.

STEP UP TO THE MOMENT: Prepare spiritually and submit to the perfect will of God. All is available to the person who is available to all there is on God.

FIND SOMEONE TO HELP ALONG THE WAY: The gift of kindness may start as a small ripple that over time can turn into a tidal wave affecting the lives of many. Our deeds echo into the future, even beyond our own span of days.

EXPECT GOD TO GUIDE YOU WHERE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE: The future is not uncertain to God. He knows tomorrow as well as He knows yesterday, and He delights in leading us. Make the most of tomorrows sunshine or shadows.

PREPARE TODAY FOR TOMORROW’S WONDERS: Make sure your habits match your calling.

TRUST GOD TO TURN PROBLEMS INTO PATHWAYS: God can turn barriers into breakthroughs, an opening through every obstacle, a pathway through every problem. He will do far more than we can ever imagine. Trust Him to part the waters as you press forward to the future.

BUILD A MONUMENT: I could have never charted my own life’s path or understood the end from the beginning, but those who follow after me should know what Christ has done in my life. Our greatest contribution to others may come after we are dead. Don’t underestimate how the next stage of your life will influence generations yet unborn. Find a way to preserve a testimony.

ENCIRCLE OBSTACLES WITH BIBLICAL FAITH AND SHOUT THE VICTORY: If you are bearing the strain of a load too heavy, a pain too hurtful, a project too big or an obstacle too rigid, remember that you are not in charge. God is! What keeps you awake at night? That’s your Jericho. Victory is not found in pushing through your own schemes, but in cooperating with what God intends to accomplish in His own way and in His own time. Encircle your obstacles with power, with prayer, with promises, with perseverance and with praise.

When you arrive, shout the victory and give God the credit.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Several years ago Discipleship Journal conducted a survey of its readers asking them to share temptations that caused them the greatest spiritual concern.

Here are the top 9 ranked in order of their readers’ responses.

1. Materialism

2. Pride

3. Self-centeredness

4. Laziness

5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness

6. (Tie) Sexual lust

7. Envy

8. Gluttony

9. Lying

— o —

Around 385,000 babies are born each day worldwide. On November 14, Analia Acevedo Castañeda was one of them. She was, however, the only one I know of to be born on an airplane.

Her mother went into premature labor an hour into their flight heading home to North Carolina from Mexico. A nurse on board helped her for more than three hours until the plane landed at the Atlanta International Airport. First responders then found the mother lying on the floor in the back of the plane and decided to deliver the baby there. When she was born, one of the flight attendants took the microphone to announce, “We have a baby girl.”

If the mother had chosen abortion, her “baby girl” would have become a “fetus” and her life would have ended in a legally protected act. If, however, her mother had been murdered and the unborn child had died, that child would have been recognized as a legal victim as well.

Whether the “baby girl” was murdered with her mother, her mother aborted her, or her mother gave birth to her, nothing whatsoever about Analia herself would have changed.

Herein lies the tragic contradiction inherent in Roe v. Wade and the abortion license it grants.

— o —

Son: Dad, can I use the lawn mower to make some money?

Dad: Of course!

Dad later: Well did you make any money?

Son: Yes, a lot.

Dad: How?

Son: I sold it.

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

The Lord is near—and He is willing and able to take my burdens and carry them for me. Dan Shock

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. John F. Kennedy

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping-stones to success. DALE CARNEGIE

It is one thing to know of God, and quite another thing to know God. Florida Marketplace Ministries

Every family has secrets until a Sunday School teacher asks a group of kids if they have any prayer requests.

Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.

“Scars….A sign that you had been hurt. A sign that you had healed,” observed American novelist and poet, Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves. THOMAS EDISON

***

By Semi-Retired Pastor Jeremy Stopford

Have you ever read a verse – and I trust y’all have read MANY verses! – and said to yourself, “HEY! I’ve seen this somewhere else in the Bible!”. Well, that recently happened to me!

I found the passage “SERVE THE LORD WITH” in several verses.

Let me encourage you to become familiar with “biblegateway.com”. This is an amazing web site. Once you get there, look on the left side of the page for “READ THE BIBLE”. Click that and you will be given several choices. The one you want is “ADVANCED SEARCH”. That is where the fun begins! When you fill in your blanks among several choices, then click the amazing choice which says “LOOK UP THE PASSAGE”. Perhaps you’ve discovered MANY verses. Perhaps you’ve found but a few. Have fun!

Curiosity didn’t kill THIS cat! I went to “biblegateway.com” and did all the above, punching in the four words, “SERVE THE LORD WITH”. Much to my surprise, there are only THREE verses containing those four words in order. Here they are:

#1 Serve the Lord with ALL YOUR HEART 1 Sam. 12:20

#2 Serve the Lord with FEAR Psalm 2:11

#3 Serve the Lord with GLADNESS Psalm 100:2

Let’s look at each one. The FIRST is found in 1 Samuel 12:20. The entire verse reads:

“Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.”

I encourage you to read the entire chapter of 1 Samuel 12. It is a turning point in Israel’s history! In verse 2, Samuel begins to review his life before the people of Israel. I found fascinating his words, “I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.” He is rehearsing the reality of a life lived for the Lord! Do you remember his beginning? In Chapters 1-2, his mother DEDICATES her son Samuel to the Lord! She GIVES HIM to the Lord! That means she gave him to the current priest at the temple where he would serve for the rest of his life. Wow! Would YOU dedicate your life for the remainder of YOUR days to the Lord?

Samuel is reminded that his sons were not as holy as he; in fact, even the people of Israel recognized this. So at the request of the people, he anointed Saul as their first king. But please note very carefully his words in verse 12. When an enemy came against them, they sought a king just like the other nations around them. But what did Samuel remind them of BEFORE they chose a king? Verse 12 includes “And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ WHEN THE LORD YOUR GOD WAS YOUR KING. They settled for. Did you catch that? They already had a King – the Lord God! They had no need of any other king (SMALL “k”) when they already had The King (LARGE “K”).

So in the middle of that warning, Samuel graciously gives two encouragers:

#1. Serve the Lord WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART! God doesn’t want half-hearted servants! And then…

#2. I will never cease to pray for you! Listen to Samuel’s words in verse 23: “far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.” What a servant’s heart! And if that weren’t enough, he then repeats #1 in verse 24: “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart”. Good direction for long-term servants of the King of kings.

The SECOND is found in PSALM 2:11, which reads, “Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.”

This, too, is an amazing chapter. In fact, I would dare say that THIS chapter is the key to the heart of the world system today. “Huh? How can you say that? How can you say that ONE chapter in particular in the Old Testament, much less the wonderful psalms, can affect life as it is taking place literally thousands of years after this chapter was written?”

Well then, look with me at verses 2 and 3:

2 “The kings of the earth set themselves,
 and the rulers take counsel together,
 against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

3  “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
 and cast away Their cords from us.”

Does anything in these 2 verses look strikingly familiar? Let me count the ways!

#1. The higher ups of this world have united together against the Lord AND His Anointed. “His Anointed” is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. So the kings and rulers of the world have decided that they have no use for the Lord and for His Lordship of their lives – much less of the lives over whom the Lord has wisely placed them (see Romans 13!).

#2. And don’t faint! He uses the Lord and His Anointed’s words against them! Look at verse 3 again. “LET US break Their bonds…cast away Their cords”. In Genesis 1:26 where the description is given of the creation of man, Moses writes, “Then God said, LET US make man in OUR image, according to OUR likeness.”

Yet by the time man gets to Genesis 11, what is MAN say who is trying to create a tower to reach the heavens?

“LET US make bricks…”. (Verse 3)

“LET US build ourselves a city…” (Verse 4a)

“LET US make a name for ourselves…” (Verse 4b)

Yet by Verse 7 the One Who is really in charge, the Lord Himself, says:

“LET US go down and there confuse their language…”

So we get to Psalm 2, and the psalmist is now in the roll of a prophet. The author King David (according to Acts 4:25-26) gives the heart of the spirit of all ages when he writes the heart of the leadership of the world: “LET US break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.” (Psalm 2:3).

Into that age long scenario comes The Son’s rehearsing of His Father’s words, verse 7:

“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son.

Today I have begotten You.”

OK! So WHEN does this take place? When does the Father declare that His Son is the ONE AND ONLY ONE?

Go to Acts 13:33 for the AMAZING fulfillment of Psalm 2:7!!!!!!

“God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son. Today I have begotten You.’

Key Phrase: “HE HAS RAISED UP JESUS”!!! So the Father declared His Son “the One and Only One” at the point of His resurrection from the dead! What day was that? You bet – EASTER SUNDAY!!!

So into that setting comes verse 11, ““Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” The people of the world system say that the world should serve themselves. The Lord reminds them Whom they should serve: they should serve HIM! And “with fear” – not being afraid, but with an holy respect. Serve Him with fear. And rejoice with trembling – a phrase the Lord uses throughout Scripture. For example, check out Isaiah 66:2, where the Lord observes, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who TREMBLES at My Word.” Good verse!

Finally, the THIRD use is found in “The Old Hundredth”, Psalm 100:2: “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.”

This psalm is often entitled, “A Psalm of Thanksgiving”. It guides the servants of the Lord well: “A joyful shout [“noise”, KJV]…Serve…Come…Know…Enter…For the Lord is good…”.

Let’s look at each one briefly:

* Make a joyful shout!

* Serve the Lord with gladness!

* Come before His presence with singing!

* Know that the Lord is God!

* Enter His gates with thanksgiving!

* For the Lord is good!

These are all the center not only of true thanksgiving, but also of true worship! In the middle of verse 3, the unnamed psalmist reminds the worshipper that he did not create himself – rather the Lord Himself is his creator. His creation alone is sufficient reason to worship Him. We are His sheep by virtue of His creation. In later books of Scripture, we would be reminded that we are His own by virtue of our trust in His purchase at the cross.

Further, in verse 5 the psalmist reminds his reader of the exclusive worthiness of the Lord’s worship: He is good! His mercy is everlasting! His truth endures to all generations! Wow!

So into all this comes verse 2: “Serve the Lord with gladness…”. And why wouldn’t one? If God alone is worthy of our worship, then our heart’s attitude should be one of gladness!

So let’s put these all together:

“Serve the Lord with all of your heart,” for He is your ETERNAL KING!

“Serve the Lord with fear,” for He is your RESURRECTED KING!

“Serve the Lord with gladness,” for He is your WORSHIPPED KING!

Is this how you will be serving the Lord from now on?

Is He YOUR Eternal, Resurrected, and Worshiped King?

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:22

I am an estate planning lawyer and I write wills for a living. The purpose of a will is to create a legal document that provides for the distribution of your assets to your designated beneficiaries after you die, and we all will.

My clients focus on the valuable, the visible and the prized. I have seen families deteriorate over the distribution of assets. It’s all about the money and often it is squandered shortly after receipt.

Think about it. How many people will even know that you existed three generations after your death, even your lineal descendants?

One of the best things we can do is to leave a legacy rather than a lot of money to those who outlive and follow us. Give what you have to worthy charities which will enhance the lives of others and explain to your descendants why you did. Maybe the lessons learned will enhance their lives more than the money would.

I was doing some family research to find where I came from and how went before me. I discovered a several times great grandfather and in the public records, I found his will and it recited that he had few things of this world to leave to anyone, the one thing he did have was his faith in Jesus Christ, which he left to those who would follow him. That’s my inheritance and my family!

A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, favor is better than silver and gold. (Proverbs 22:1). That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children (c).

In our wills, we have a statement of faith that spells out the Gospel. When we die, those wills will be deposited in the public records and will be a public record forever. Maybe generations from now, those who follow us can pull up our wills on the Internet and realize what their forebearers believed about Jesus and maybe their lives will be changed for the good and that’s much better than inheriting silver and gold.

Someone should always know what Christ has done in your life. Your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or friends should know your story and how God led you, blessed you and used you. You should leave a testimony behind.

Perhaps your greatest ministry will occur after you are dead. We’ll leave behind all the work we have done, the tasks we have completed, the words we have said and written, the people we’ve touched, the causes we’ve supported, the lives we’ve changed, the children we’ve raised, the church we’ve sustained, the missionaries we’ve sent into the fields and the funds we’ve invested in the Kingdom. It all has a ripple effect until Christ returns.

The Almighty has a unique plan for each of us that involves leaving a legacy with an echo chamber that will reverberate until Christ returns. Don’t underestimate how the next stage of your life will influence generations yet unborn. Find a way to preserve a testimony which can be monumental.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

JESUS:

1. Jesus shows up at the most unexpected times and places.

2. Jesus came to bring heaven to earth.

3. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.

4. Jesus came from the unloved (Matthew)

5. Jesus came from the unloved, for the unlovable

6. Jesus came in a stable for the unstable

— o —

God does not hide Himself in times of trouble. He grieves as we grieve (cf. John 11:35) and walks with us through the “waters,” “rivers,” and “fire” of our broken world (Isaiah 43:2). Because “the Lᴏʀᴅ is near to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18), you and I can claim the fact that “the Lᴏʀᴅ is near to all who call on him” (Psalm 145:18). Jim Denison

— o —

In John Mason’s fine little book, Conquering An Enemy Called Average, he suggests 34 things you really need to have and none of them are material. Here are 13.

▪ Do you have enough of what really matters?

▪ Have faith enough to please God.

▪ Have gratitude enough to say “thank you” for the small things.

▪ Have strength enough to battle obstacles and overcome them.

▪ Have peace enough to pass all understanding.

▪ Have honesty enough to never have to remember what you said.

▪ Have character enough to do in the light what you would do in the dark.

▪ Have wisdom enough to fear God and obey Him.

▪ Have mercy enough to forgive and forget.

▪ Have compassion enough to be moved by the needs of others.

▪ Have direction enough to know when and where you want to go.

▪ Have generosity enough to give before being asked.

▪ Have trust enough to know God will direct your steps.

▪ Have perseverance enough to run the entire race that is set out before you.

May you have enough of those things that really matter in life.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

There’s a difference between what God supports and what He reports. Andrew Evans

When you consider things like the stars, our affairs don’t seem to matter very much, do they? VIRGINIA WOOLF

What is concealed in the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament and what is contained in the Old Testament is explained in the Old Testament. Pastor Rob Taylor

If someone discovers something rather than being told, they remember it much longer. Cary Gaylord.

I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them. JOHN STUART MILL

Wisdom outweighs any wealth. SOPHOCLES

You Do Not Need to Be Extraordinary to Be Happy. From my own experience, I can tell you that the pursuit of an extraordinary life is tiring. And unfortunately, it does not guarantee a life of happiness at the end of it. Tavian Jean-Pierre

Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

The gifts we have been given are not for our own glory, but for God’s. Dan Shock

Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous. ALBERT EINSTEIN

“OUR GOD AND KING” (John 1:48-49)

Looking back on this year…

Looking ahead to the next

By Semi-Retired Pastor Jeremy Stopford

May I have your permission to end the year with a cute story? This was sent to me by one of my relatives. How would she know that I collect, well, “stories”? Perhaps you’ve heard it before:

The Atheist and The Bear

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods. “What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals”, he said to himself.

As he continued walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes. Turning to look, he saw a 7 foot Bear charging towards him.

He ran as fast as he could up the path. Looking over his shoulder he saw that the bear was closing in on him. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run even faster.

He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear raising his paw to take a swipe at him.

At that instant the atheist cried out, “Oh my God!”

Time stopped.

The bear froze.

The forest was silent.

It was then that a bright light shone upon the man and a voice from heaven asked, “You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others I don’t exist and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?”

The atheist looked directly into the light. “It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps, could you make the BEAR a Christian?”

“Very well”, said the Voice. The light went out, and the sounds of the forest resumed.

And then the bear lowered his paw, bowed his head and spoke: “Lord, bless this food which I am about to receive and for which I am truly thankful, Amen.”

2021. A most interesting year, no? Some of us enjoyed having Covid-19. (And while I’m here, THANK YOU to all of you who prayed for my wife and for me recently! Almost 5 weeks from start to “finish”. My pulmonologist has told me that it will take months, maybe years, for my left lung to heal. Did I mention, thanks for praying!!!)

And here we are nearing the end of the year this week. Have you discovered as we have here in central New York that God is still on the Throne? That He is still building His church? And the gates of hell will not prevail against it? Let me give a SHOUT OUT to the dear folks at Smyrna (NY) Baptist Church. Since our pastor “retired” in July, one of our deacons who happens to be a retired pastor (um…ME!) has had the joy of conducting services on the Sundays we don’t have “supply speakers”. Until…November 21. After I contracted Covid-19 and all the joys that come with it, the people of the church showed their true roots: they took over all the services through the end of the year! And even while I hope to be back in the pulpit this coming Sunday, they want me to “take it easy”. They will do EVERYTHING ELSE but the preaching. Wow! They have discovered: they are the church.

All that to point to our verses (and surrounding verses) for this week from John Chapter 1:

48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you,

when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

49 Nathanael answered and said to Him,

“Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

The text is looking at the salvation experience of Nathanael. The tv show “The Chosen” takes a suggested look into the background of the above incident. Like many of us, Nathanael was having a “fig tree” experience. Huh? In “The Chosen”, the film shows Nathanael under a fig tree enjoying what little shade it provided. He was complaining. To God. (NO! You’ve never done that, right?). He was accusing God of abandoning him, of not…SEEING HIM. Of not caring for what he was going through, even though at a young age he had trusted God to be the only Savior. But where was He when he really, REALLY needed Him?

The next scene shows Philip sharing with Nathanael how overjoyed Philip was for finding the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth – to which Nathanael gives the classic line, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”. Philip says what WE should say: “COME AND SEE.” To introduce someone to the Savior necessitates a firm mindset which says, “I must plant the seed of the Word. My job is to invite. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:7: “So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” The Spirit of God will change the heart – He’s the only One Who can! It is at this point that Nathanael is introduced to the Savior. The Savior responds, “Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no deceit”. Nathanael asks the Lord Jesus how He knows Nathanael. In The Chosen, the scene becomes even more poignant: Jesus says “I saw you under the fig tree.” Remember? Nathanael was ALONE, no one within miles. Yet in His omnipresence (“all-present”) and His omniscience (“all-knowing”), the Lord Jesus saw Nathanael, heard his words, and, more importantly, heard his heart. Confronted with the eternal nature of the Savior, Nathanael proclaims, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”. A simple “WOW” would be appropriate here!

Let’s make some observations. First, the Savior – along with His Spirit and His Word – likes to work from the head to the heart:

* Jesus is about to “recruit” His first disciples. He had spent the previous night in prayer (Luke 6:12). Do we? Should we? Answer that for yourself!

* Jesus picked only those whose hearts were about to be changed for life – yes, even Judas!

* John introduces us to 2 phrases that are good evangelistic tools:

#1. “COME AND SEE” (verse 39 – Jesus speaking; v. 46 – Philip speaking). The Lord Jesus specializes in words of invitation! Check out Matthew 11:28 and Revelation 22:17!

#2. “FOLLOW ME” (verse 43) – a word of decision.

A word of decision begins with what the listener/seeker KNOWS and then takes him to what he DOESN’T KNOW:

* Jesus is a fulfillment of the Scriptures (1:45)

* Jesus is omniscient and omnipresent (1:48). See also Psalm 139:1-18.

* Jesus is God and King (1:49)

A word of decision continues with a lifetime of decision to daily surrender to the Savior:

* A lifetime commitment (Matt. 4:19,20)

* A change of occupational focus (Matt. 9:9; see also Col. 3:22-23)

* From a temporary to an eternal view (Matt. 10:38-39)

* A renouncing of the world’s priorities! (Luke 9:57-62)

And this is just the foundation! Are you at that foundation? Have you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your God and the King of your life?

Secondly, while the Savior is working from the head to the heart, WE are carried along to work from the heart to the life:

* OK! OK! Here’s where “the rubber meets the road”!

* Too many of us STOP here. “I’ve come to the cross. I’m ‘safe for eternity’. That’s all that matters.” LOOK AT THE TEXT!

#1. The Christian life is a RELATIONSHIP not a religion (verse 50)

#2. The Christian life is an EXPERIENCE not a dull life (verse 51; John 10:10)

LET’S MAKE THIS PERSONAL:

#1. From the head to the heart: Do you know Jesus as GOD and KING of your life?

#2. From the heart to the life: Is your life a RELATIONSHIP with Christ and an EXPERIENCE with Him on display?

As we close 2021, may each of us take what time we have left in this year to check our hearts like Nathanael did. May we like him exclaim, “JESUS – MY GOD AND MY KING!”

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 1 Peter 2:24

We are hours away from the coming of 2022 and 2021 will be forever gone. It’s a time to look to the future, to make plans and decide what we want to get or achieve in the new year, but maybe it is a time to think about what we are going to give in the coming year.

Recently, I was driving on The Post Road that runs along the Hudson River from New York City to Rensselear. Established in 1669, it was an extension of what is now known as Broadway in the city and is named for the prime route for postal delivery.

What is unique is in the early days people didn’t put postal stamps on the mail, but rather the recipient paid the postage when their mail was received. The price depended on the length of the delivery. All along The Post Road there mile markers are used to determine the amount of the postage. I had to stop and take a picture.

Then I thought ….. this is the story of salvation. Before Jesus, we bore the penalty of our sin, but He came to save us from that. He put the “salvation stamps” on our personal envelope so that we didn’t have to pay for ourselves.

We don’t earn salvation. It is a gift. 1 Peter 2:23-25. He received every kind of suffering before he died for my sins. The message of the cross is foolishness to the world, but to us it is the power of God. Follow Jesus and turn your back on the world. Through His death on the tree, Jesus brought us and paid the price and gave us freedom, deliverance, forgiveness, righteousness, and hope.

Too often our culture is focused on what they have, money, cars, homes, collections and Investments. This attitude of having affects and infects Christians when they allow the world’s value system to drive them instead of spiritual values.

In this coming year, remember what’s important is not what we have or want, but what we have and what we give.

And it’s not about what we can afford, because we have the greatest gift of all and Jesus paid the price in full.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Depression in America has reached epidemic levels, increasing by 450 percent since 1987. Five times as many people are taking antidepressants now as then.

— o —

Apps for Bible reading have been removed from the Apple store in mainland China.

— o —

According to the World Economic Forum, religion contributes about $1.2 trillion dollars of socio-economic value to the US economy. This is more than the global annual revenues of the world’s top ten tech companies—including Apple, Amazon, and Google—and more than 50 percent larger than the global annual revenues of America’s six largest oil and gas companies. It seems clear that, despite rising secular opposition and vitriol, religion is good for society.

— o —

In the 2004 Berkshire Hathaway annual stockholders’ meeting Warren Buffett was fielding audience questions. Justin Fong, a teenager from California asked the billionaire what advice he would give a young person on how to be successful. Buffett’s response?

“It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.”

The Oracle of Omaha’s advice reminds us of an oracle from the wise man in Proverbs 13:20. “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

— o —

Florida is home to the Fountain of Youth; so, maybe that’s why the growth of the state’s aging population is booming. By 2030, people 65 and older will account for 57% of the population in Florida

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Would you walk a mile to share the Gospel? What about two miles? How far would you go to share the Gospel? For openers, how about walking across the street to your neighbor’s house and share the Gospel there? Dwight Short

God is working in you because you are His workmanship. May we yield to His touch. Dan Shock

When you want to use comparisons to help you understand how you stand with the Lord, don’t look around at your fellow believers, look upward toward Jesus and you will never get too over confident in your own self-worth. Dwight Short

Worry is a sin because God forbids it. Jim Cymbala

Because of Jesus, the child of God need never fear death. Florida Marketplace Ministry

Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.

The moment I come under the influence of something then I am no longer free. Dan Shock

No one glides into godliness. Edgar Aponte

A Christmas Message from Luke Chapters 1-2

It was the night of the children’s Christmas play and little Johnny was upset because he didn’t get the part of Joseph. He was assigned the part of the inn keeper.

Because he was still bitter, when Joseph and Mary arrived at the inn to ask if there was room, little Johnny threw the play by saying, “Sure, come on in!”

Joseph was at first taken aback, but with quick wit, stepped in, looked around and said, “This place is a dump. I’d rather stay in the barn.”

Ah Christmas is upon us once again! Canned music throughout downtown. Sales! Sales! Sales! Baking cookies. Buying the RIGHT presents for everyone, even if you know they are simply EXPECTING a present and don’t really care what they get. There is ALMOST something tugging in the heart that wishes it were all over. Until…

Until you read “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19). There is a poignant scene in “The Chosen Christmas” which aired last week. Mary and Joseph have traveled all the way to Bethlehem. No room at the inn, of course. They head to the stable. Joseph shovels aside the manure while Mary prepares a nice bed in the feed troth for the coming newborn. And then? They rehearse. Rehearse what? They rehearse all the words that the Lord told each of them through His angel. They want to be sure they are obedient to His Word.

So what things do you think Mary pondered in HER heart? What would YOU have pondered if an angel of the LORD came to you with “out of your comfort zone” news? Let’s check it out!

“Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” (Luke 1:28) were the first words of interruption to Mary’s world. Interruptions! You gotta love them! A phone call – which isn’t so bad anymore now that you know the from WHOM a call is coming before you answer it. A doctor’s call saying “you need to get to my office as soon as possible.” The passing of a loved one or friend. Just last weekend my father-in-law called early Saturday morning to let us know that his 85 year old roommate in the nursing home had died in his sleep during the night.

The interruption – on Whom was Mary’s heart FIXED?

Interruptions! Mary and Joseph would both have their interruptions in those early days of what would be her pregnancy with Jesus. And what was her response to the news that she was to give birth to the Messiah? Let’s read it together: “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34). This is not a question of unbelief! This is a word of humility, a word of her integrity. The angel would say to her, “that Holy One Who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” And Mary’s response? “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let is be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38). And then in what has become known as “Mary’s Magnifcat” she declares her faith in her unborn Savior: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46-47).

Her heart’s faith and trust was fixed upon her Savior – her Son!

We now enter familiar Christmas territory: “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.” (Luke 2:9). Remember verse 19? “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” The Message translates it this way: “Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself.” What was the object of her pondering, her reviewing over and over and over? Remember Luke 2:10? “Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for BEHOLD I bring you good tidings of great joy which will bee to ALL people.’” All people! No divisions of races? No divisions of religions?

This reminds me of the lady who walked up to the counter at the post office and asked for Christmas stamps. The clerk said, “What denominations?” She said, “Has it come to that? Oh all right! 40 Baptists and 10 Catholics!”.

The glorying – on Whom was Mary’s heart PONDERING?

Read on! “Christ the Lord!” (v. 11) – her focus would be on her SON and HIS Lordship!

“Swaddling cloths” (v. 12) – wrapped, God becoming the Man/servant, wrapped in cloths which were normally used for the first born lamb which was to be sacrificed at the temple!

“Has come to pass” (v. 15) – just how MANY prophecies and promises were fulfilled at the birth of her Son?

“This child” (v. 17) – the center of the story is…JESUS!

Mary’s pondering was her glorying in her own Son!

On whom is YOUR heart pondering? Remember the Message: “holding them dear, deep within herself.” Do you know WHY your heart should be pondering on the Lord Jesus? Because without Him your heart is empty and pondering the need rather than the solution – Jesus!

Then there is the marveling – on Whom was Mary’s heart LISTENING?

In the midst of Mary’s pondering came an interesting gentleman named Simeon (Luke 2:25ff), a most obscure figure during the days of the birth of Christ. At the temple, at the baby’s “dedication service” (with its Scripturally ordained sacrifices), out of the blue comes a man named Simeon, who the Word says is “a devout man, waiting for the Consolation of Israel”. And importantly, the Word adds, “and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” (Luke 2:25). Under the authority of the Holy Spirit, Simeon picks up the Baby, blesses God, and then gives some amazing insights into the nature and character of Mary’s newborn Son:

* He is the Messiah! (Luke 2:26, “the Christ” = “the Anointed One, Messiah”)

* He is “your Salvation” (Luke 2:30)

* He is “for all peoples” (Luke 2:31-32)

In his prayer, Simeon says that at last he can go to his death in peace, “according to Your Word.” This is KEY! How was he to learn more about this Baby before him? By reading the Word of God! How was Mary to learn more about her Baby before her? By reading the Word of God! Ahem. Ahem. How are we to learn more about this Baby before us? By reading the Word of God! LISTEN to the Word!

Finally there is the purposing – on Whom was Mary’s heart PURPOSED?

Dr. Luke’s classic passage of Luke 1-2 mentions one more incident in the life of the “Child” Jesus. When He was 12 years old, He got “lost” among the teachers of the temple, teaching and questioning with an other-worldly authority which would be a major part of His future earthly ministry. Upon finding Him in the temple after His 3 day disappearance, Mary asked Him, “Son, why have You done this to us?”. To that our Savior replied with His youthful eternal insight, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:48-49).

They all went home, and from then on the Lord Jesus was subject to His earthly parents. But Mary knew, she KNEW, that it would not be long before her Messiah would show Himself to His people and to the world. What did she do? She “kept all these things in her heart.” (v. 51). Her heart was purposed, fixed, on her Son’s obedience to them and to His servanthood. This is an huge reminder that even though 12 years had passed since His birth, God’s purposes had not.

We may at times think that God is slow – but the Bible says He is longsuffering! His purposes will come to pass in His time!

So let’s each ask ourselves:

* Are the interruptions in your life meaningless, or do they point to Jesus?

* Is the object of your life meaningless, or is it Jesus?

* Is your heart listening to that which leaves you empty, or are you listening to God’s Word which tells of Jesus?

* Have you lost heart that God cares, or are you focused on God’s purposes always being fulfilled, even in your life?

The doctor was trying to calm his nervous young patient. “And I see the wind in your ears, the storm in your throat, and Barney in your heart.”

“Oh NO, Doc. Barney is on my underwear – JESUS is in my heart!”

This Christmas, is Jesus in YOUR heart?