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, counter tops 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 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 history of putting ourselves first. 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?

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 we accepted Christ? 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?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought 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 !!

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 !!

Mary responded,
"Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
Luke 1:46-48 (NLT)

I wonder if this song had been bubbling up in Mary since she got the news that she was going to be the mother of God's Son? I wonder if she was about to explode to share this praise of her God with someone? After the angel Gabriel shares the good news about Jesus with her, she goes to her relative Elizabeth's house and lets loose with a song of praise.

Her praise is not just an outward thing. It comes from deep within. She states that her soul praises (or magnifies) the Lord.

Our praise to God must not only be lip service. You know what it’s like when someone’s trying to butter you up don’t you? Or maybe you’ve done it before. A person wants something and so they act real nice and shower someone with praises to get what he/she wants. Mary’s praise of God is not like that. It comes from deep down. In other words, she really means it.

When was the last time you burst out with a song of praise to God? It doesn't have to be sung, it can be prayed, spoken, or even shouted out to the heavens. Let’s sing praises to God in His sanctuary. Let’s offer praises to Jesus before our holiday meals. Let’s praise the Holy Spirit's name in our family get-togethers, sharing how great He is with family and friends. Let’s praise the name of our Lord in checkout lines, gas stations, parties and everywhere we go.

Show others you’re not embarrassed of the name of Jesus this year as you praise His name. I think He’d like that gift this Christmas.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

Do you ever get weary, tired, worn out or burned out? Has your schedule ever been so hectic that you feel like you’re meeting yourself coming and going? Do you feel like you’re running on empty, or ever feel burdened to the point of exhaustion?

Some of you have been caregivers – whether to a family member, or to someone else – and you know what it takes out of a person to be on call continually…to sit at the hospital and wait night and day. There are a lot of things in life that can bring us to a point of feeling that our burdens are weighing us down.

In addition to all of these other pressures, sometimes we add to our emotional stress by taking frequent guilt trips because we’ve failed to live up to standards or ideals we’ve either set for ourselves, or allowed others to set for us. Perhaps we even imagine that God must be so disappointed in us because we’ve failed in so many areas.

Jesus knew what it was like to be weary, burdened, rejected, and ridiculed. He knew what it was to feel like He was on the outside looking in. It is likely that Jesus grew up labeled as an illegitimate child. He knew what it was like having people against him or who claimed to be his follower of friend only to leave when things didn't go their way. So when he spoke these words about having heavy burdens, He knew what the people then…and now are going through.

This Christmas season may be difficult for you. Maybe you've lost a loved one this year or are feeling alone. Maybe you're dealing with guilt or something altogether different, but just as emotionally straining. Jesus wants to help you through these difficult times. He never promises to make every bad thing go away, but He does promise to be there with us. Take those burdens to Him and believe that He will make sure you receive some rest.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NIV)

These instructions that come from the Torah (or the law, or first five books of our Old Testament) are written for the Israelites. But when we read them today, we can add to the commandments of God the stories of biblical heroes and the life-giving instructions of the New Testament.

Think about the commandments of God today and about how Jesus lived out his life on earth; how he treated others; what he taught; who he was in general. Then talk about your favorite stories or sayings in the bible with your family or friends. Share these stories that are meaningful to you with others and ask them to share theirs with you. Before you know it, the Good News is being spread and the Kingdom is being expanded.

All around our country today people will be talking about their weekends, sports, top new stories, high gas prices, the stock markets and much more. They'll gather around water coolers, school hallways, front yards and many other places. And they will chat about one thing or another.

Let today be a day of remembrance of what you've learned from God and a sharing of that with as many as possible.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
James 2:14-18 (NIV)

Think of it this way. Of all the people in the world that you have known, who would you say had or has the most faith? How do you know? Is it because they claim it, or because they live it?

Lets look at it from another person's perspective. Who had the most faith ever? Jesus! What if Jesus walked around all his life and claimed to have faith in God the Father, but never showed it with his deeds?

My last question in this. Are you claiming to have faith, or are you living your faith?

Have a faith-filled day.

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 !!

And "don't sin by letting anger gain control over you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.
Ephesians 4:26-27 (NLT)

The problem with anger is that if it goes unchecked, it can fester and lead to other sins such as unforgiveness, getting even and lying. At it's worst, it can become hate. And hate is only good when you hate what is evil. I would assume though that most people we get mad at are not evil people. Often times they are the ones we love the most. And that is why we shouldn't let the sun go down while we are angry. Or put another way, we shouldn't allow ourselves to stay angry for a long period of time because we are called to love one another, not sin against one another.

Being angry is no way to go through the day. It doesn't do any good for others. It doesn't do any good for you. Either talk to the person you are angry with, or get over it. But don't allow the devil to use your being mad at someone to tempt you into other sins that go along with anger.

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 !!

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Psalm 103:1-2 (NIV)

We should begin each day with praise for God. It doesn't matter how bad things are going, if you can find something to be thankful about and praise God for it, things will be at least somewhat easier to handle.

Looking at the Psalm, it tells us not to forget all God's benefits. What are His benefits to you? What can you praise Him for today?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Don't lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your good example.
1 Peter 5:3 (NLT)

Could it be that this would not apply to everyone? Could there be some of you out there that might say that I'm at the lowest level in my job and I have no kids so I must not have anyone assigned to my care?

If you think that there is no person or persons assigned to your care, then you are mistaken. Some of us will have kids and others will have people working under them. But even if you take these people out of the equation, you still have people assigned to your care. God will bring people into your life for you to influence, not by force, but by example.

How many people have you influenced lately by the words you have spoken and the way they've seen you live your life? Are they learning good lessons or poor ones?

Let us all be encouraged to teach those whom we meet this week lessons of forgiveness, of humility, of goodness, and especially of love.

In the love of Christ,
greg