Using God's Gifts

Each year, in the month leading up to Christmas, my wife can often be found in the kitchen baking Christmas cookies. She loves to bake. And those of us who have tasted her yummy yuletide treats love that she does.

Today's story is about how one of her cookies, lovingly called a date pie, led to a moment of compassion and prayer with a friend.

Before I retired my wife used to plate up some of her Christmas treats for me to take to work. My coworkers loved them. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, instead of traditional 'Good morning' greetings, I would hear, "When's your wife sending in those cookies?" Ah, the power of the stomach.

One co-worker in particular loved my wife's date pies. So much so that, after I retired, I always stopped in to make sure she got some. This year, my wife's Christmas cookies served as a door opener to a deeper conversation with that friend.

Do you believe that God orchestrates meetings for the good of His children and for His ultimate glory? I sure do. I have witnessed His doing this far too many times to think otherwise.

That day at work, all of the people that I had planned to talk to were somehow too busy. Hmm. Except for the one God wanted me to talk to.

We must always be open to a sudden change in plans. Perhaps God has something wonderful in store!

You know, if my wife hadn't used her gift of baking those cookies, would I even have had an opportunity for a conversation about God and to pray with my friend? God knows. But my wife used one of her gifts to bless others.

"As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." - 1 Peter 4:10

What is YOUR gift? And how will you use it for God's glory?

Birth Pangs

Does it seem to you like things are getting more and more crazy lately? There have been wars, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, massive snow storms, mass migrations, diseases, drought, increase violence, corruption, fraud . . . and that was just 2022!

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains." - Matthew 24: 6-8

Birth pangs? As a guy I'm not going to try to explain in detail what 'birth pangs' are but I DO know that they increase in frequency and severity the closer a mom gets to delivering her baby.

In the passage above, Jesus was telling His disciples about the time that He would return to earth. That time is coming soon.

There are those who don't believe any of 'this end times stuff.' Even professing Christians tend to roll their eyes when the subject is broached. That's too bad.

Jesus also said this.

"These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me." - Matthew 15:8

This is a very frustrating time for those who believe the words of Jesus. We see loved ones totally ignoring scripture. There are pastors in certain denominations that don't teach about the time of the end. Why not? I don't know. It's in the Bible!

It appears that contractions have started in this world. If we want to ignore them, that's up to the individual. But the baby's going to be delivered no matter what.

“Why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” - Acts 1:11

We can turn off the news and ignore all the signs but Jesus is coming and we cannot stop Him from delivering us out of this world. So rejoice!

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” - Luke 21:28

Our Every Day Gift

One day soon Christians will no longer be celebrating Christmas. Why? Because we will be rejoicing in the presence of our King - Jesus. Everyday.

There will be no giving of gifts to one another in heaven. Will we have anything to give anyway? Besides our love, devotion and adoration towards God? 

There will be no decorated tree to gather around. No lights to hang up. No cards to send out. Instead we will gather around His throne and greet one another in love as we come together in His eternal light.

We might still sing some of our Christmas carols though, like Hark The Herald Angels Sing and Angels From The Realms Of Glory might be heard. Just not Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer or Jingle Bells.

And only in this self-centered world do we "celebrate" the birth of our Savior by giving gifts to one another instead of The Reason for the season - Jesus.

What kind of gifts does Jesus want us to give to each other? Any "earthly gifts" we give should be the ones Jesus told us to give, everyday - to look after the poor and the widowed, to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, and to love one another, as He loves us.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13: 34-35

Let us begin today, living our lives the way Jesus wants us to live - to love each other, unconditionally, and without thought of self. If we do that one thing, we will be demonstrating our love, honor and obedience to our King.

Let us love - every minute of every day - and give all the honor, glory and praise to God. Amen.

Be Still and Know

"Be still and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10

What a perfect message for Christmas, and for the world we live in today.

Think about that verse for a moment. It's really two commands. First, God wants us to BE STILL. Stillness can be found in two ways – lack of motion and silence. We need to quit running around all over the place, and then turn off all the noise that’s filling your heads – phones, television, and the news. Then listen intently in the silence.

The second part of the verse requires a little work. We need to KNOW that God is God. How do we do that? We must KNOW who God is. To do that we must read the Bible, understand it, and all of its implications. Going to church helps. Having conversations about God with knowledgeable friends or family members also contributes. But knowing “the truth” is essential. And Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Simply 'believing' in God is not enough. As James wrote, "Even the demons believe." We must KNOW God - His characteristics, His promises, His commandments and His nature.

THEN, when we are still, that knowledge of who God is brings peace and calm into our lives, rather than anxiety, frustration and panic. So, that is my prayer for us this Christmas - that we would find the time to be still, and to come to know God more. Then, and only then, will we truly KNOW peace.

Thank you for reading and sharing my stories. May you have a blessed Christmas with family and friends.

I will leave you with this prayer. As you read it, be still . . . and know.

"May The Lord bless you and keep you. May The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you, The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace." - Numbers 6:24-26

Reunited

Have you ever watched on of those videos where a soldier returns home to surprise their loved ones? I love those! They never fail to bring a tear to my eye.

Videos like that remind me of the story of The Prodigal Son in Luke 15.

"I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." - Luke 15:18-20

Who in your life would you like to see return to God? A sister or brother? A parent maybe, or a child. The list of the lost, unfortunately, seems to be growing instead of shrinking these days.

If you read the whole story of The Prodigal Son there are five words that are key to any return or repentance - "when he came to himself." A person must realized that they have sinned against a holy God before The Father will embrace them and welcome them home. 

So, let that be our prayer. That our lost loved ones would realize their 'lostness,' repent, and come running into our arms. What a Christmas gift that would be! But more importantly, may they also run into the arms of Christ.

"You were right! I HAVE sinned against God."

Let the hugging and kissing begin!

Reunited - Peaches and Herb

Soldiers Returning Home Video

Tending The Fire

The weather forecast for the coming week looks cold. That means we will be having some nice, hot fires in our fireplace.

We can usually get the indoor temps into the mid-seventies, but in order to do that we need to keep the fire going.

If we don't keep putting wood on the fire that nice warm fire will go out and my wife and I will grow cold. That's not good.

Our faith can leave us feeling the same way if we don't keep at it and keep fanning those spiritual flames.

I have been reading the Bible a lot lately. And I have been fasting from my usual diet of news programs as well. Here's what I've learned.

My anxiety level is down. It was low to begin with but the reassurances found in God's Word really do bring peace of mind.

My confidence in God has inceased. I had a level of trust already but the increased knowledge of the scriptures makes me feel more secure in my beliefs.

My compassion for others has increased. Again, I had empathy for others who were hurting already, but compassion increases when we read and see how compassionate Jesus was to the poor and to the sick.

To sum up, reading God's word is a like consuming fire. The more we read the more we are reminded of how great of God is. And we can rest in the knowledge that He loves and cares for us. Why? Because it says so.

"Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” - Hebrews 12:28-29

It's not even 10° this morning where we live, bit my wife and I will be nice and warm. Why? Because we have built a fire and will ten it to keep us warm. We must do the same with our faith. If we keep it burning, we will be just fine.

The Unexpected Gift

I love my wife, but there is someone that I love more. His name is Jesus. Why? Because of His grace and mercy. Today's story is a real life example of what His love is truly like. A gift.

We got a half a foot of snow dumped on us over the past few days. Neither my wife nor I wanted to venture out to the mailbox to see if we had received any Christmas cards but I relented and went out to check.

When I opened the mailbox I found a package inside. I guessed that my wife had ordered something for one of our grandkids and hurriedly brought the mail inside.

My wife was in the kitchen so I took off my gloves and set the package, etc. on the counter. That's when my fingers told me what was inside. It felt like a golf disc. You know, a Frisbee.

My wife must have gotten me a Christmas gift. So I quickly handed it to her, pretending that I didn't know what was inside. Just as quickly though, she handed it back.

"I didn't order anything. Besides, it's addressed to you."

I hadn't ordered anything either but it definitely was addressed to me and it definitely felt like a golf disc inside.

So, grabbing a pair of scissors from the drawer and opened the package. It was a golf disc, a card, and a 2023 calendar.

What!?! This sure was a surprise! Why would someone do this!? Yes, it's Christmas time, but why and who?

The package came from Innova Discs in California. Hmm. I did order some custom hot-stamped discs from them this year. Maybe I got on a Christmas list somewhere? I don't know. But this? They didn't owe me anything.

Then something totally different occurred to me. Here I was, staring at a perfect example of God's grace and love. 

None of us is deserving of ANY gifts from God. We are ALL sinners and God hates sin. Why then would God offer us salvation? Why would He ever forgive us our sins?

The answer is both simple and complex. It's His amazing love and grace.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

So, today I know two things. One, a golf disc can fit inside our mailbox. And two, God's love for us is amazing.

God's love is unwarranted, undeserving, surprising, full of grace and mercy, abundant, and without measure.

There is a package awaiting anyone who seeks God's favor and forgiveness.

Hint: Open the package.

Holly Teaches

During the Christmas season, greens and reds seem to be everywhere. Christmas trees, wreaths, and cookies all sport the festive colors of the season. But none of those bring us their colors naturally like holly does.

Today's story is brought to you by God, and the holly plant that He created. It's an interesting story about their amazing natural defense system. 

Here's a picture of two leaves - one smooth and one all pointed and prickly. Both came from the same plant. A holly plant.

Rabbits and deer nibble on the plant's leaves during the winter. In the spring the new growth changes and becomes armed with sharp spines to protect the plant.

The smooth leaves are up high and out of reach. The prickly ones are down low where they get easily consumed.

We humans can put up 'sharp prickly defenses' of our own if we get attacked and picked on by others. Only we don't change our outward appearance. We change internally.

Jesus can help us with our emotional pain. The secret to accessing the cure is simply to trust Him with it. If we trust in Jesus, that pain retreats and we gain peace in its place. Only then can we change - for the good.

If you find yourself hurting this Christmas season and have a case of the 'pricklies,' trust in Christ and ask Him to take over your aching heart. Then you can have that smooth and peaceful Christmas you were hoping for.

Try to spend time focused on 'things above' where you are out of reach from the things of the world below. And try not to get consumed by the things that bring you down. And rejoice!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

The Illusion of Choice

At the beginning of the 2022 film Matrix Resurrections, two characters meet - Bugs (pictured above) and Morpheus. Morpheus is presented with a choice in the film, or so it seems. And then Bugs says this:

"Choice is an illusion. You already know what you have to do." That was an interesting statement, I thought . . . and it got me thinking.

The Bible tells us that we were chosen by God 'before the creation of the world.'

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment - to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." - Ephesians 1:4-10

If we were already chosen by God, wasn't it then just a matter of our coming to realize it? Was our 'choice' meerly an illusion?

Enter the Holy Spirit. Literally. He enters us and our eyes become opened. We can see things that others cannot. We can tell truth from lies, justice from injustice. It's why we feel so uncomfortable here on earth. So...out of place. It's because we are. This is no longer our home.

The Eagles, in their 1979 classic Hotel California, said, "we are all just prisoners here of our own device." How true.

The picture above was taken when the Bugs character in the movie first came to believe that the life she was living was just an illusion. That there was something bigger, beyond the life she was living.

Have YOU had a moment like that in YOUR life? You KNOW there has got to be more than just waking up and going to work, day after day after day. That's because there IS more.

Here's a question for all of us: If God has indeed chosen us as the Bible says, why? What does God want us to do? Are we living our lives for Him? To bring glory to God? No? Maybe we should get started with that. Like tonight.

Tonight - Tobymac 

A Prayer of Despair

In the Book of Habakkuk there is a prayer that seemingly could have been offered with today's headlines in mind. A prayer of despair.

"How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.

Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted." - Habukkuk 1:2-4

Doesn't that sound like a cry for the world we are living in today? The prophet goes on complaining in his prayer but then the Lord answers him with this little tease of something yet to come.

“Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." - Habakkuk 1:5

Although God was telling His prophet that He was going to be doing something back during that Old Testament time, I believe that God is also going to be doing something 'utterly amazing' in our day as well. And it's going to be happening soon. This is God speaking to Habakkuk:

"For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." - Habakkuk 2:3

At the end of the book Habakkuk ultimately prays a prayer of thanksgiving. We should be praying this same prayer today as we watch the prophetic news unfold before us,  and as we wait for The Lord.

"Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." - Habakkuk 3:2

Charles Dickens once wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Today, I would like to modify those words in light of God's impending wrath on this fallen world.

"It was the worst of times, then it was the best of times."

Jesus has promised to return. He told us we would see 'signs' of His soon return. The signs are visible all around us now. Today. Can The Lord's return be far off?

The Caduceus Lie

The medical community has a 'caduceus' as its symbol - two snakes spiraling upward around a staff with some wings at the top. It was created in honor of Hermes, a Greek god, and his 'magical' staff. Yeah, well here's a better idea.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever  believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

The serpent in the wilderness? What was that?

"Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” - Numbers 21:8

God's people had sinned, again, so He sent serpents among them who began biting and killing them as a punishment for their disobedience. The serpent on the pole was a foreshadowing of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus referred to Moses's serpent on a pole when He was talking about His own death. The serpent, synonymous with sin and death, was a perfect example of Jesus, who became sin as He died on 'a pole,' the cross, that all who looked to Him would be saved.

The medical profession does good work, but they've got nothing on Jesus - the best healer in the business!

The Parable of The Pine

We had some pretty strong winds blow through here last week. I didn't expect they'd be bringing a life lesson along with them but they did.

My wife and I built our house in a pine plantation 40+years ago. The trees on our lot were much smaller then. Today most of them stand 70-80 feet tall. And boy, do they dance when the wind picks up.

We can learn a few things from pine trees. They provide valuable lessons for anyone trying to survive in the world we live in today.

First, there's safety in numbers. A clump of pines can survive a storm because are together, supporting one another. A tall, single-standing pine doesn't last long in a storm.

Another thing about pines, especially red pines like the ones we live in, is that most of their 'life,' all the green branches, are at the top of the tree. The lowest braches are either dead or dying. That's because only the branches that are in the sun thrive and survive.

All trees grow upwards, towards the sun. No tree seeks out the darkness. That's because darkness kills. Light is life.

You and I are just like those trees in many ways. Trying to go it alone in this world is tough. Family and friends provide support for us. Your local church is a great place for support and encouragement for those who are struggling.

And consider the branches. That's us! Only those who are in The Light, in The Son, can receive salvation and eternal life. The rest just die and fall off. We are to grow upwardly and thereby be closer to God and The Son.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

One more thing about trees in general. They exist to grow. They grow by being fed, watered and by being in the sun. We are the same.

We exist to glorify God and grow spiritually in our faith. We grow by being fed the Word of God, by drinking in the life-giving water of Jesus Christ and drawing closer to Him.

God wishes that none would perish but some will unwittingly choose to do so. Stand strong. Stand together. And be that light in this world as He is the light in ours.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." - 1 John 1:7

Good Morning Gill

Today's story is about perspective and discernment. It's about how we tend to see things through our own 'fishbowl' rather than seeking out the actual truth.

Consider little Gill here looking out at Bill Murray from the comfort of his own little fishbowl. Gill probably thinks the big face is a god - always providing food, clean water and a place to live. The truth is often far different from the reality we might perceive.

Each of us encounters life through our own eyes. We are basically a movie camera, filming everything we see, for our own unique movie. It's only when we consider other perspectives, other viewpoints, that we can comprehend a bigger picture.

How do we know Christianity is true? Did we just inherit our faith from mom and dad? Or did we research it, examine other faiths,  and THEN determine it to be true?

Paul wrote two letters to the church in Corinth. The second one contains a key passage. Speaking about the Pharisees and pre-Christ Jews, who were still stuck in THEIR world view, Paul wrote this:

"But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:14-18

Basically, our minds too were blind to the truth until we placed our faith in Jesus. Only then is the 'veil' taken away and we become transformed.

Have you placed your hope and trust in Jesus? And here's the key: Have you been changed after doing so? Has the veil been removed from your life to reveal the truth? I sure hope so. Otherwise you will be spending the rest of eternity inside your own little fishbowl wondering how come the water is getting cloudy and the food has stopped falling from heaven.

Good morning Gill - What About Bob