Thought of the Day !!

[Mary] will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21 (NRSV)

This verse is but a piece of the conversation that the angel of the Lord had with Joseph when Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant. The angel is telling Joseph to name the child Jesus, which means "God saves".

It's the gift of salvation that comes at Christmas. This gift of salvation is the gift of second chances. We all need second chances from time to time. We're sinful people who have had a tendency to put ourselves first throughout the history of humanity. And so God gives us the gift of Jesus...the gift of salvation...and we receive a second chance at being right with God.

Wouldn't it be great if we could have second chances in everything? Wouldn't it be great if we could turn back the clock and redo things? Think about what you would do if you had the chance to go back in time before you said something that hurt someone or did something that angered someone or made any kind of mistake. Given the chance, would you do the same thing all over again...make the same mistake?

Any sane person would try to correct the mistake. Don't you agree?

Well, God gives us second chances daily. And even though we can't actually go back in time and change what we did or said, we can still begin anew with God each day. So what will we do with our second chances? Will we continue to live the way we did before getting saved? Will we continue to make the same mistakes over and over? Will we continue to satisfy ourselves instead of God? Or will we change to be who God wants us to be?

Tomorrow is New Year's Day. Many will make resolutions tomorrow. Some will be kept. Many will be broken before January is over. What I will suggest is to make a daily resolution to make the most of our second chances. Some days we will fail. Other days we will succeed. But let us never give up trying to be the people that God created us to be. Lets be a people who are grateful for the second chances that we've been given and live accordingly.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.'When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
Matthew 2:1-4

According to theologian Soren Kierkegaard, "The three kings had only a rumor to go by. But it moved them to make that long journey. The scribes were much better informed, much better versed. They sat and studied the Scriptures like so many dons, but it did not make them move."

The possibility of meeting Jesus led the wise men to do something. They took action. The scribes, on the other hand, knew tradition and had studied the scriptures. They believed that they had enough, so they took no action.

The question for us is this. Will the possibility of meeting Jesus lead us to action (action that may take us to unfamiliar or unsettling places or situations)? Or are we satisfied with where we are?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Are wives supposed to be submissive to husbands?

There are different scriptures that speak about the wives being submissive to husbands. Paul speaks about it his letter to the Corinthians. It comes back up in 1 Peter. But I am reading through Titus today and this verse made me think.

"These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God."
Titus 2:5 (NLT)

As I thought about this verse, these thoughts came to mind.

What if we think of submissiveness as having the desire to please instead of the obligation to obey? This would mean that a wife would want to do what her husband wanted her to do. Would it not be true that a wife should have this for her husband?

What if we assume that this is written to women because of the time period and how women were looked upon? Could it be that God would have us write today the same such command to the husbands? Should a husband not also have a great desire to please a wife in any way possible (with the exception of ways that lead to sin). Would this not be the makeup of a great relationship? Can you imagine how many fewer divorces there would be if both husband and wife took this submissiveness to mean desire to please instead of obligation to obey?

I'm not trying to rewrite scripture and make these passages mean something that they were not meant to. I do take into account that they were written in a time where in many cases women were not seen as important as men. And they may have meant for the women of the day to be obedient so as not to cause disturbances. But I just wonder that in the whole scheme of things, wouldn't it be better if both husbands and wives placed the other party before themselves? If we would place God first and then the wife (or husband) next in the relationship, then I believe we'd be living the way God would have us.

Just my two cents worth. What'cha think?

In the love of Christ,
greg

A Cup of Coffee

As I was deleting forwards I came across this one with a personal message to me from a friend from a past church. I had not heard it before and liked it. I promise it won't end with "send this to 10 people". :)

SOURCE UNKNOWN:
A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective
careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor.
The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of
work and life in general.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and
soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of
cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive,
some quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help themselves to some
fresh coffee.

When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the
old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address
the small gathering. ''You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking
cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones.
While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourselves,
that is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems!"

He continued, "Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the
coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink.
What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you
instinctively went for the best cups. Then you began eyeing each other's
cups.

"Now consider this: Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in
society are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain life,
and the type of cup we have does not truly define nor change the quality
of the life we live. Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to
enjoy the coffee that God has provided us. God brews the coffee, but he
does not supply the cups. Enjoy your coffee!"

The happiest people don't have the best of everything - they just
make the best of everything they have. So, please remember: Live simply,
love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.
And, the richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who
needs the least.

Thought of the Day !!

(Joseph) took with him Mary, his fiancé, who was obviously pregnant by this time. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.
Luke 2:5-7 (NLT)

Most of us has heard the story of the birth of Jesus over and over again. How the shepherds saw an angel proclaim the birth, how some wise men saw a star, how there was no room in an inn, how Mary pondered the happenings of the night in her heart. Yes, many a stage has been filled with children acting out the first Christmas and many shelves, countertops and even yards have displayed nativity scenes.

We do know the story (If you don't, look to Luke 2), but what about those who came to see the baby? Did they know what to expect? Think about the shepherds. They came to the place where the Savior of the world was born. And even though they were told that he would be wrapped in "swaddling clothes", or strips of cloth, I wonder if they were surprised.

I wonder if the shepherds, and later the wise men, were surprised to see what they had heard was a King residing in peasants' care. I wonder if they were surprised to see that a stable, and later an ordinary house, was where this king resided. I wonder if they thought that they might have the wrong address.

No, I think not. After all, they had been told. And even more importantly, I imagine that when they saw the baby, they just knew. My only reasoning for this is that when we meet Jesus, we know that there's something different about him. He attracts and pulls us to him. There's no mistaking the one person in the world that will love you more than anyone else in the world.

He may have been a fragile baby in a cold stable lying in a hay-filled manger, but he was something special. And even now, we are drawn to him. May he bless you this Christmas as you are attracted to the manger. And may we all share the gift that God shared with us so many years ago. The gift of love. Merry Christmas.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought / Question of the day !!

This is a time for singing. What is your favorite Christmas carol? Mine has long been "Do you hear what I hear?" How about this? Wherever you go today, sing, hum or whistle a cheerful Christmas tune. Maybe it will catch on. Others may find the joy of Christmas and begin singing themselves. It's hard to sing Christmas music and be down or in a bad mood. We might just bring a little cheer to this world today, and that is the gift you can give your Lord this day. Merry Christmas everyone!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Said the night wind to the little lamb,
"Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite,
With a tail as big as a kite."

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
"Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the the sea,
With a voice as big as the the sea."

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
"Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king,
Do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold--
Let us bring him silver and gold,
Let us bring him silver and gold."

Said the king to the people everywhere,
"Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere,
Listen to what I say!
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light,
He will bring us goodness and light."

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !! / Question of the Day ??

After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished
Luke 2:17-18 (NLT)

It's instinctive: When something good happens to you, you tell others. That's what the shepherds did. They witnessed something great and just had to share it with all those whom they saw. Are we as good as the shepherds when it comes to sharing what God has shown us? There's just a few more days till Christmas. Why don't we imitate the shepherds and see just how many people we can share the Good News of the birth of Christ with?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
Luke 2:15 (NLT)

The shepherds eagerly went to Bethlehem to meet Jesus. We can meet Him, too. Any time we read the Bible...any time we go to church...any time we pray...any time we place our selves somewhere other than first, we can meet Jesus. But it's up to us to go to him. How eager are you to meet Jesus this Christmas?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Emmanuel" (meaning, God is with us).
Matthew 1:23 (NLT)

God is with us. He came into the world in the usual way...that is if you are an ordinary child, but not the Savior of the world. God is with us. He chose to walk in our shoes, to experience what we experience, to laugh, to cry, to joke, to bleed. He chose to be among us and that makes him one who truly knows us. This proves his love for us. Lets prove our love for Him this Christmas by being with Him. Let's worship Him by coming together and also by taking Him to others this year.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

There are still those today walking in darkness even though the light came at Christmas over 2000 years ago. For those of us who have the light of Christ shining in us, it is our task this Christmas to be a beacon.

How might we let others know that the light of Christ that came down once and walked among us is still alive in us? Maybe we could share the birth story with a child or simply say "Merry Christmas" to someone today. Who knows, a little bit of Christmas cheer or giving or just plain old love this year may make a difference in someone whose life is dark this season. What do you say? Will you join me in creating an attitude of Christmas? An attitude of LOVE!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

[Jesus says,] "So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life -- whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are."
Matthew 6:25-26 (NLT)

Wouldn't it be great to be able to come to a point in our lives where nothing worried us? I know I'm not there. I worry myself silly sometimes. I think I get it from my grandmother. She always worried; not about money or clothes or food to eat. She worried about me. She was always asking if I'd been eating or if I had enough money. And of course then she'd hand me some money to make sure I had enough cash for gas.

Yeah, my grandmother did what a lot of good grandparents and parents do. She worried about me. And today I worry. I don't worry about about money or food or drink or clothes. Life really does consist of more than those things. I worry about making good decisions. I worry about missing a possible ministry opportunity. I worry about Michelle when she drives four hours home.

So I guess what I'm saying is that it's hard not to worry. But I think Jesus was more concerned with us having an understanding that God takes care of us. He loves us so much that He provides plenty in this world for all to be fed and clothed.

We may never completely quit worrying about everything. But the simple understanding that God is in ultimate control and that He will provide for those who love Him and submit to His ways should keep us from worrying ourselves to death. And without that worry, we can be better stewards of the gifts that He gives us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Psalms 73:28

I agree. It is good to be near God. It helps me get through my day. Being near God helps me make better decisions that affect my life and the lives of others. Having Jesus beside me in the miraculous form of the Holy Spirit sooths my tempers, calms my fears, increases my opportunities of happiness and makes me a better all around person. Yes, it is good to be near God today.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Emmanuel" (meaning, God is with us).
Matthew 1:23 (NLT)

"It's impossible! It's ludicrous to believe that a virgin could give birth to a child! There must be some mistake because there's no way that Mary was a virgin. It's just not possible!"

I wonder how many people have said something like this before. This is a controversial issue among non-believers. It truly is a human impossibility for someone who's never had sex to actually have a baby. But God can make anything possible. If He created Adam from dust and Eve from Adam, isn't it possible that he could make a young girl named Mary pregnant with His Son?

To understand this, we must simply have faith. There's no way that we'll ever be able to physically prove the Immaculate Conception. On the other hand, we don't have to. What's important is that this son that would be referred to as Emmanuel was not Joseph's son. He was the Son of God. If we don't believe this, then the crucifixion of Jesus was nothing more than a cruel death of another man. And the resurrection never occurred. On the other hand, if this is the true Son of God, fully human and at the same time fully divine, His death and resurrection really do mean something for us.

You probably have already come to grips with the fact that Mary was a virgin. You probably already believe that Jesus was the Son of God whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. But many people today (quite possibly many that you will pass by today) do not. How might we respond to those who do not believe?

Let us pass along the true gifts of Christmas this year to others who might not believe. Whether they agree with us or not, let us share the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ. If they still do not believe. That is alright. Maybe we can plant seeds of belief in others that one day will take root. The best gift you can give a non-believer this Christmas is Christlike love as you share with him/her what Christ has shared with you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

'This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'
Zechariah 7:9-10 (NIV)

As we go about our day, lets ask ourselves, "Am I being just, merciful and compassionate to all those I meet today? Have I any evil feelings in my heart towards anybody else?"

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.
Micah 5:2 (NLT)

Our District Superintendent taught us a little about the Christmas stories this past Sunday at our Hanging of the Greens service. He has been to the Holy Land many times and has even led trips and taught over there. It was an honor to have him share some of his vast wisdom with us.

One of the things that he shared was that some of our traditional thoughts about the scene in Bethlehem may not be correct. For instance, how many of us were taught that there were three wise men? The Bible does not tell us how many came, only how many gifts were given. Even though I already knew this, and knew that they were not there at the birth, he taught me something I didn't know. He said that our traditional manger scene may not look like any of our nativity scenes. Well, I expected him to say that instead of a wooden stable, they were in a cave. But he stretched my imagination even farther.

Another possible scenario for what happened that night in Bethlehem is that the people never went to an inn as we think of it. We think of an inn as a "motel" type place. But in fact, the word in Greek is not the same word used in the story of the Good Samaritan where the man is brought to an inn to recuperate. The word possibly could be better translated guest house or guest room. It might be that they came to David's relatives' home where there was no room for them in the upper room (or guest room) because of all the other relatives staying there that night.

One reason for this interpretation is that in this time, hospitality was a way of life. If you had someone (especially a relative) come to town and you didn't open your house up to them, you would be shamed. But another reason for this interpretation is the size of Bethlehem. The scripture from Micah makes the claim that Bethlehem is "only a small village." This was true. It was most likely too small to have an inn like we think of Joseph and Mary being turned away from. Inns were typically in bigger towns at crossroads or major thoroughfares.

But no matter how small or insignificant the village was, and no matter where in this village it happened, and no matter who was there, the main point to the birth story is that God sent His Son as a gift for us on Christmas.

Sometimes we may feel small and insignificant, or even unimportant at times. The good folk of Bethlehem may have felt that way. This could be the reason for Micah telling them of how great their little town would become. Remember that God loves to use small things to build great things. He can, and will will do amazing things with your life. So never think of yourself as insignificant. Look what God did with a little town like Bethlehem and know He can do even greater things with you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?
James 2:19-20 (NLT)

It's not that we have to do good deeds (or Christian acts) to be saved. There's not enough good acts in the world to make us worthy of what God is offering to us free of charge. Instead, to be saved we must have faith in God's Son Jesus, therefore making him our Lord and Savior. But when we do this, our good works will naturally follow. And if they don't, we need to question our faith. This is because true faith produces good deeds.

So set your faith in Christ as Lord and Savior and find yourself becoming a better person by the natural giving of yourself.

In the love of Christ,
greg