Thought of the Day !!

The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
Luke 2:20 (NLT)

The shepherds had heard from the Angel of the Lord. They had seen the baby Jesus themselves. They understood that he was the one to save their people. And they glorified and praised God.

Let this be our reaction to Jesus this Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a blessed 2010.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:7 (NIV)

There are a lot of people in the world today that still have no room for Jesus. Some of these come as no surprise to us. We expect this out of the Scrooges of the world or the evil dictators or even the peaceful atheists. But what if I were to say that many Christians, while finding an hour a week to go to church, actually have no room in them for Jesus either?

When people don't live out what they proclaim on Sunday morning, then they evidently have little room. When all folks think about are themselves, there's no room in their hearts.

Let us all become the kind of innkeepers that have a "Vacancy" sign up when it comes to Jesus. Lets not only let him in, but share him wherever we go. You and I are what's important to Jesus. And it has to hurt when any of us don't find room for him in our lives.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The angel went to [Mary] and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Luke 1:28 (NIV)

Mary was really just a child. She was not powerful or famous, but instead ordinary. But most importantly, she was highly favored by God. And the Lord was with her.

Of course, this didn't keep her from going through some very difficult times. Can you imagine what the people said about her when they found out she was pregnant and not wed? Actually, she could have been stoned to death if Joseph had chosen that route. Can you imagine how rough it was on her to be "very" pregnant and ride a donkey cross-country to Bethlehem? For us guys, we can never know that. But we've all seen "very pregnant" women and have heard what they endured without the help of bouncing up and down on a donkey. How about how hard it had to be to see her eldest son being tortured and finally crucified?

How about you? Are you going through any difficult times at this moment? Christmas is coming and it's the most joyous time of the year...for many. For some, though, it's the hardest. Depression sets in for one reason or another. If there is anything (big or small) that is troubling you this season, remember this. Just as the Lord was with Mary...so is He with you. He loves you, for you are highly favored by Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

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.
Isaiah 9:6

Let us rejoice and call Him our Lord and Savior! He has come to be all these things and will come again riding on the clouds one day to fulfill all the hopes and dreams of His followers. How's that for good news?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Show respect for everyone. Love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God. Show respect for the king.

1 Peter 2:17 (NLT)

It's often said that people have to earn other people's respect. But why is this? Does this go along with the Golden Rule to do unto others as you would have them do unto you? I mean don't we want others to respect us. I know I want people to respect me enough to let me know when they'll be late or won't show for an appointment. This is respect of my time. And I believe I owe it to others. None of us should have to earn that.

There's also respect in regards to others' feelings. Should we not all have a certain respect for others by not saying things that might hurt their feelings? What about respect for their property...their beliefs...their possessions...and so on.

Respect is not something people should necessarily have to earn. It's a gift. And it's one you can give everyone you meet. Who is someone you've not shown proper respect to? How can you change that today?

In the love of Christ,
greg

God is with Us by Casting Crowns

SongLyrics.com
God Is With Us

Thought of the Day !!

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV)

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus." We may not be able to see the physical body of our Lord and Savior, but when we fix our eyes on him, we have him out in front of us. He is first in our minds and hearts, being ahead of us and not behind us. This makes him our priority. How many times during a day's time might we find our eyes fixed on ourselves instead of Jesus?

Our life is a journey. Even though some of us wake up one day and wonder where it all went, the journey is long and can be filled with difficulties. Jesus never promised us a rose garden. As a matter of fact, he commands us to do things like take up crosses and suffer for him. He knew all along that the life of a Christian in an unchristian world would not be easy.

But Jesus also makes statements like "Carry your burdens to me." He is the one whom we can turn to when the road gets long and weary. He is the one who can bring us a peace that allows us to get through tough times. He is the one who brings the promise of a future.

So let us keep Jesus first and foremost in our minds and hearts. This can be helped by simply talking to him throughout the day. It can also be helped by studying God's Word about him. And as we keep Jesus before us and our struggles behind us, we "will not grow weary and lose heart."

May God bless you today with His love, His patience, His peace.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And as (Jesus) sat at dinner in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard this, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."
Mark 2:15-17 (NRSV)

What if I were to say many of us might not like to have Jesus over as our dinner guest? Would you think me insane? Would you say, "Of course Jesus would be welcome in my house and at my table anytime!"

And hopefully that would be true. But the underlying assumption that lies beneath the question of whether or not Jesus is wanted at our table is that he wouldn't be alone. Wherever he went, he drew a crowd. And in this crowd could be found everything from high falootin' folks with PhD's to lepers who barely knew who Moses was. There would be politicians and widows; old men and children; honest dealers and thieves.

Can we believe it would be any different today? Doesn't Jesus still attract a whole host of folks including the ones who are sick and in need? The NLT translation uses these words to describe the Pharisees remarks about Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, "Why does he eat with such scum?" And if he were to come into your home, don't you think he would ask if they were welcome as well?

Would you say no to the Savior? Of course not. So what would you say to them if they showed up alone? Would we eat with, be considerate to, put up with, share part of our time with, even clean up after what the Pharisees deemed as "scum".

Do we really want Jesus coming over to dinner tonight?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

...during the time of high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'"
Luke 3:2-4 (NRSV)

John was called by God to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord Jesus. Preparation is needed for the important things of our lives. We prepare for careers by going to college or training in some sort of way. Athletes prepare for games by practicing. A young man may ask the question over and over in his mind and in many different ways before he pops the question and proposes to someone.

And then there’s Christmas. We prepare for Christmas now with shopping, baking, decorating, etc. But how should we prepare for what lies at the center of Christmas? How must we prepare for Jesus? We do it the same way that John taught the people of his day…by repenting…or turning away from sin and turning to God.

Billy Graham once said, "We're suffering from only one disease in the world. Our basic problem is not a race problem. Our basic problem is not a poverty problem. Our basic problem is not a war problem. Our basic problem is a heart problem. We need to get the heart changed, the heart transformed." This is repentance...a changed heart.

Repentance is our way of preparing for Jesus this holiday season. Repentance means literally to turn around. We’ve discussed repentance before. You’ve learned about it in Sunday School and church. But knowing what repentance means and actually living it out in our lives are two totally different things.

Let's give the gift of repentance to God this year for Christmas.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.
Proverbs 12:22 (NIV)

God knows when you are lying. And He wants none of it.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
Revelation 2:2 (TNIV)

I am reading about the seven churches in Revelation right now. The first is Ephesus. And the letter that Jesus has John send begins with the words above.

William Barclay notes that Jesus "praises their toil (hard work)" and that in the original Greek the word means to work by giving it all we have. He also suggests that the word endurance (perseverance) means that we not only endure/persevere, but that we do so with glory.

We can be Christians who endure hardships, but do so bitterly. We can be the kind of people who persevere through different types of suffering, but live to complain about them. Or we can be the kind of people who have "courageous gallantry which accepts suffering and hardship and turns them in to grace and glory" according to Barclay.

Which do you want be today?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"Christianity is not shown by the words we say, the music we listen to, or the clothes we wear. It is shown by the way that we treat each other." - Rev. Andy Stoddard

This is a quote I got from a friend of mine yesterday and felt it went with yesterday's "Thought of the Day !!" based on the Golden Rule. Think about this thought today and ask yourself it you are living it out to it's fullest.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

Remember, Jesus didn't say, "Do to others as they have done to you". He wants us to do to others as we wish they would to do to us. This would erase revenge and spiteful acts. And this would increase the act of loving our neighbor, as well as our enemy - two more acts that Jesus commands of us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.
Matthew 3:1-2 (NLT)

Many of us find it easy turning to God. We turn to God when we're in trouble. We turn to Him when we're depressed. We turn to Him when we're hurting. We turn to Him when we're scared. Yes, for many of us, it's not too difficult turning to God.

But what about that first part of the message that John was preaching? He didn't tell us to turn to God when we need His help. He said to "Repent of [our] sins and [then] turn to God." How many of us use God as a tool to fix things, and when they're fixed, put Him back in the shed? This is not what God is looking for. He's looking for people to turn their lives around (repent means to turn around). And in so doing we turn from our sinful selves to Him.

When we do this we turn to Him in times of trouble. We turn to Him in times of joy. We even turn to Him in times of disobedience. And in all the times, He shares, teaches, responds, but most importantly loves.

Repent of whatever it is in your life that you have not turned over to God. That could be your Christmas present to Him this year.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

[Mary said,] "For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me. His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who fear him."
Luke 1:49-50

God's mercy and love goes on from generation to generation. It never lessons. How have you been shown His love this year? How can you share it with others that need it most this Christmas?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God's mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:1-3 (NLT)

Do you know that you know that you know that you know...that you are going to Heaven? Without a shadow of a doubt, do you know that Christ died for you? Yes, even you?

If so, this is called assurance. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is this assurance. It's the assurance of things hoped for. It is the conviction of things not seen.

If we don't have this assurance, then we need to take a closer look at our faith. That's just exactly what John Wesley had to do.

In 1738 John Wesley wrote down in his journal that he felt his heart strangely warmed. It was then that he found assurance for the first time. He was already a priest in the Anglican church. You might think that he should have already had this assurance by then. But he didn't.

Here are his words:
"In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

Wesley received assurance from God. So, how do we receive this assurance? There are two simple steps. First – (The Bible says) ask and it shall be given. Second – be willing to receive it (and what comes with it).

If you have doubts or do not feel that Jesus is with you every step of every day, then ask for this assurance. Pray about it, and then go searching for it in Scripture. I fear that many of us today hear Scripture read to us on Sunday mornings and that is it. If you want to have a close personal relationship with Christ and the assurance that comes with it, you must live with prayer and Scripture.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.
Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

Today we can be proud and boast about ourselves or humble not bringing attention to ourselves. We can complain about others or be patient with them. Which do you think Jesus would do?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.
1 John 1:9 (NLT)

I read somewhere that God didn't care about excuses. All He wants is to forgive. When we have sin in our lives we can find ourselves feeling guilty and so it's more difficult for us to face God. So confess what's wrong in your life and ask for God's help. He would much rather forgive you than punish you. That's because our God is a loving God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, it means that He is the one who rules our lives. He becomes our center instead of ourselves. By God's grace, we change in that respect. All aspects of our lives may not immediately change. There very well could be many things about our past lives that we have a hard time giving up, or simply don't want to stop. This happens when people have accepted God's grace but are still clinging on to their old lives.

We have to choose though. Jesus teaches that we cannot serve two masters. Only one can come first. Does that mean that once we become Christians, God expects us to quit all our sinful behavior cold turkey? I believe that God knows how hard it is for us. And all He expects us to do is try to live for Him instead of ourselves. When we do that, and ask for His help, He will help us work things out. He's not looking for perfection out of us all at once. He is, however, expecting us to try. His grace will be sufficient when we fail. And He will guide us to perfection in time.

If your claim is to be a Christian, but your life is the same as before, maybe you should re-evaluate your claim. Remember, Christian means to be Christ-like. Are you really making your best effort to become Christ-like in ALL aspects of your life?

In the love of Christ,
greg