Thought of the Day !!

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
                                                  1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NLT)

There are a variety of gifts, and not all of us will have the same gifts.  For instance, I can't draw anything other than those three dimensional box cubes when I'm doodling.  I simply don't have the gift.  But I can type pretty well and fairly fast.  Some, however can't type a lick, and they hunt and peck at the keyboard in front of them.  But put a drawing pencil or paintbrush in their hands…and stand back.  The magic comes pouring out of them.

But whether it's typing or drawing, common sense or book sense…whether it's the gift of healing or the gift of teaching…speaking in tongues or interpreting them…no matter what the gifts are, they come from the same God.  And they're given to us through His same Holy Spirit.  

So seek out your gifts in the upcoming year.  Know that they come from your Father in Heaven through the power of the Holy Spirit.  And then use them to glorify the One who gave them to you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

After being asked which of the Commandments was the first, or most important, Jesus answered in this way:

The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength".  The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself".  There is no other commandment greater than these.
                                                                                   Mark 12:29-31 (NRSV)

These two Commandments go together.  When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we cannot help but have a desire to please Him.  And when we have a desire to please Him, we will love each other.  Otherwise our love is more for ourselves than God. 

This kind of love is a first class kind of love.  If you've ever been on an airplane maybe you've been lucky enough to fly first class (not me).  In first class you get preferential treatment.  Your seat is bigger.  You're served first.  In other words, your doted on more than than the other passengers.  It's this kind of love that we're to give to God and to others.  Yet so often God gets the time left over after what's going on in our lives just as if He were in coach.  And our neighbor gets love only if it's convenient or doesn't get in our way.

Let us begin the New Year by giving a first class kind of love to God and neighbor.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

(The shepherds) ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph.  And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.

                                                                                            Luke 2:16-17

 

An angel of the Lord had appeared to the shepherds and told them the good news of great joy for the people everywhere.  The news was of a child that would change the world.  He would be called the Son of the Most High...the Son of God even.  This child would be the most powerful being ever to live, yet he would be born in a cold and lowly place.  This would be his choice though.  You see, Jesus would not be the kind of Savior that distanced himself from those he saved.  Instead, he came to us and lived among us so that he could do what we do, see things from out point of view, and feel the same pains and joy that we experience.  This is a truly loving Messiah.  And this is the Messiah that the shepherds went around telling everyone about. 

 

I wonder if the people thought that they were crazy.  Maybe they believed these guys to have been spending too much time alone with the sheep.  But there was surely one person that believed.  Mary not only believed, but she pondered all the things said in her heart.

 

Believable or not, these were the first evangelists of the Good news.  They were the first ones used by God to spread the gospel of Jesus.  And for that the world should be thankful.  For we should use them as an example.  We've been given the good news, and now it's time to share it with others. 

Let this Christmas be about something more than presents...more than parties...more than Santa.  Lets put away all bickering and complaining so that we may forgive and love and find the peace and hope of our Savior's birth this year.

 

MERRY 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 to 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, which makes Him special.  It makes our God one who truly knows who we are and what we're going through.  This proves His love for us. 

 

Lets prove our love for Him this Christmas by being with Him.  Let's worship God by coming together in love and peace this year.  Let's worship God by taking Him to others this year.  Let's worship God by remembering the baby that was born in a manger this year.  Let's worship God by extending mercy and forgiveness to each other this year.  Let's worship God by placing more importance on Jesus than on Santa this year.  Let's just worship God this Christmas.

 

Christmas is just around the corner now.  How will you worship the Creator of the season this year?

 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.  And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

                                           1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 (NIV)

Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica.  He is praising them for their faithfulness to Jesus even in spite of the suffering that it produced for them.  In this praise he remembers how it all started.  They "became imitators of (Paul's group) and of the Lord."

Paul is not bragging and saying "Look at me!  Imitate me!"  Instead he understands that he has to not only tell others how to live in Christ Jesus, but also show them.  Ultimately he wants them to imitate the Lord because then they will be imitating what is perfect and true.  But in his teaching he had to show them his best imitation of the Lord as well.

How many people look at you and imitate you?  How many people look at you and decide that they don't want to imitate you?  As Christians we should be doing our best to imitate Christ before others so that they will see Him in us and learn to imitate Him as well.

This Christmas let us see how well we can show others what Christians are supposed to be like.  Non-believers see so much that is wrong with us.  Let us show them (not just tell them) that by grace we are forgiven for those faults and by repentance we come to imitate the one true perfect gift of Christmas, Christ Himself.

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

"For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."
                                                   James 4:14b (ESV)

We all have trials that we go through in this world.  There are temptations that we struggle with and pains that come about because of our own doing.  Many people will wonder if it's really worth it.  Many will give up on life or love or ever finding true happiness.  This is a sad reality.  It's sad mostly because there are things in this world, God-given things that can be used to lift us up.  There really are places of joy to be found for those who are hurting or just plain miserable.  There are people out there that care, even though sometimes we're hard to find because we don't show it well.

As wonderful as God made this world, with all it's beauty, with all our potential, there is a time that is coming where this old world will pass away and a new "perfect" world will arise.  And when it seems that the bad things of this world are holding you down, set your eyes to the future.  In the Book of James we read that "For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."  You may think this life will never end.  But in comparison to eternity in Heaven where there are no more tears, pain, struggles, and most importantly sin, this life is but a mist that lasts but a little while.

Don't give up on today or you'll miss so much.  But when life gets you down, remember that what lies ahead is far better than what lies behind.  May God bless you and keep you and bring you happiness in this world and the next.

In the love of Christ,
greg

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 have 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 !!

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
                                                               Romans 12:4-5 (NIV)
  
Whenever I read this verse I think about how we all have different gifts and how we each have an important function as a different part of the body of Christ.  But as I read it this morning I noticed the last part of the verse that reads "and each member belongs to all the others."

We belong to God the Father, who created us.  We belong to Jesus the Son, who saves us.  We belong to the Holy Spirit, who lives with us.  But do you realize what it means to belong to each other?  We have a responsibility to each other.  This means we must not take other Christians for granted.  We must do things that would lift each other up and not tear each other down.  For when we speak or do harmful things to other Christians, we harm the body that we are a part of, therefore harming ourselves.

Let us live today as though we belong to each other.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

                                                  Luke 2:7 (ESV)

Thinking back to that glorious night I'm reminded by this verse that the inn was all full up.  There was no room for Mary and Joseph.  I wonder how the innkeeper felt about turning them away. 

Actually, the biblical account never mentions an innkeeper.  What we've learned about him (or her) has come mainly from Christmas plays, often where children come to a door and turn the couple away.  The line normally goes something like "I'm sorry but there's no room for you."  But I wonder what really happened that night.

The innkeeper might have been tired.  He might have been too busy to notice that Mary was pregnant.  He might have simply not cared.  Could it be that out of frustration he barked at Joseph "Get out! Can't you see I can't fit one more person in this place!" and then slammed the door?  Or might he have been more kind and compassionate.  Could it be that he did take notice of Mary's condition and is the one who found the only spot left in town for them to spend their day and night?

Noted theologian William Barclay assumes he found them the stable and suggests that he did them a favor.  If he'd brought them into the inn there would have been overcrowding and busyness and noise all around.  So Barclay claims that even though the stable was not the perfect setting for a child to come into the world, it was at least quiet and private.

Back to the innkeeper though.  The thing I wonder about him was his attitude.  Was he a grouch, a grinch, a scrooge?  Or was he caring and compassionate?  This Christmas season we have the same choice to make.  Will we be grouchy because we're worn out or too busy.  Will we think only about ourselves and how things affect us?  Or will we take notice of the little things that are important, like a pregnant girl on a donkey.  Well, maybe not a girl and donkey, but maybe a child in need, a family with too little money to care for their kids, a person who is homeless or hungry, an elderly person forgotten at Christmas, or to just smile at people this Christmas.

May we show the world this year that Christ is still with us in the little things.  And may we find joy in sharing those things with all whom we meet.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, "God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said."
                                                              Luke 1:42-45 (NLT)

Three times Elizabeth tells Mary she or her baby is blessed.  But just what does this mean?  We thank God for our blessings.  We thank Him for the good things we’ve received and those good things going on in our lives.  We associate blessings with comfort and ease…with good times (and they certainly can be).

But Mary’s blessing had nothing to do with security or well-being.  As a matter of fact, hardships would continue to follow her because of her blessing.  She would flee for her and her baby's life to Egypt, have to worry about those plotting against her son and end up seeing him crucified like a common criminal. 

Her blessedness came not from an easy life, but from being a part of God’s plan.  She was blessed because God chose her, and because she believed that He would do what He said He would do.  She was blessed because she was chosen to bear the Messiah…the Savior of the world.

We can all live out our lives in relative ease, especially when compared to others living in slums all over the world.  But if we want to experience the true blessings of God we will seek our callings from God and then do just as Jesus taught his disciples to do.  We will “deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow.”

The world…and sadly…some preachers out there…teach that blessings come in security, fame, wealth and other things we can gain in this world.  But Jesus teaches us that blessed are not those who have it all, but those who are meek, humble, merciful, who mourn and who suffer for his sake.

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 some 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

Reflection from Ben Watson, Tight End for the New Orleans Saints, about Ferguson

While I was preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision.  After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. Here are my thoughts:

I'M ANGRY because the stories of injustice that have been passed down for generations seem to be continuing before our very eyes.

I'M FRUSTRATED because pop culture, music and movies glorify these types of police citizen altercations and promote an invincible attitude that continues to get young men killed in real life, away from safety movie sets and music studios.

I'M FEARFUL because in the back of my mind I know that although I'm a law abiding citizen I could still be looked upon as a "threat" to those who don't know me. So, I will continue to have to go the extra mile to earn the benefit of the doubt.

I'M EMBARRASSED because the looting, violent protests and law breaking only confirm and in the minds of many, validate the stereotypes and thus the inferior treatment.

I'M SAD because another young life was lost from his family.  The racial divide has widened, a community is in shambles, accusations, insensitivity hurt and hatred are boiling over and we may never know the truth about what happened that day.

I'M SYMPATHETIC because I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened. Maybe Darren Wilson acted within his rights and duty as an officer of the law and killed Michael Brown in self-defense like any of us would in the circumstance. Now, he has to fear the backlash against himself and his loved ones when he was only doing his job. What a horrible thing to endure. OR, maybe he provoked Michael and ignited the series of events that led to him eventually murdering the young man to prove a point.

I'M OFFENDED because of the insulting comments I've seen that are not only insensitive but dismissive to the painful experiences of others.

I'M CONFUSED because I don't know why it's so hard to obey a policeman. You will not win!!! And I don't know why some policemen abuse their power. Power is a responsibility, not a weapon to brandish and lord over the populace.

I'M INTROSPECTIVE because sometimes I want to take "our" side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it's us against them. Sometimes I'm just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And that's not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? That's not right.

I'M HOPELESS because I've lived long enough to expect things like this to continue to happen. I'm not surprised and at some point my little children are going to inherit the weight of being a minority and all that it entails.

I'M HOPEFUL because I know that while we still have race issues in America, we enjoy a much different normal than those of our parents and grandparents. I see it in my personal relationships with teammates, friends and mentors. And it's a beautiful thing.

I'M ENCOURAGED because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope.

Thought of the Day !!

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
                                                       Acts 8:30-31 (NIV)

In reading our bibles we come to know more about Christ through the pages of His Holy Word.  We not only learn more about Him, but we get to know Him as well.  But I would imagine that you, like me, have been reading at some time and found something you didn't understand.  That's only normal.  I tell new Christians to read their bibles and don't worry about everything that they don't understand because in time more and more will be opened to them. 

So how do we come to understand Scripture better?  We can use commentaries, which are other's understanding of what we read.  These are used a lot in sermon preparation to get other people's take on what will be preached on.  But another way that is very important is studying our bibles together.  In doing this, we learn from others as we offer them a fresh new look at things.

Are you in a Bible Study, Small Group, Sunday School or other gathering where the Bible is being read and discussed?  Do you meet with a friend and/or friends to talk about verses of Scripture?  Do you encourage one another to study God's Word?

I encourage everyone to seek ways of learning and being formed by God's Word this week.  Do this in private, and do it with others.  Over time we will all grow spiritually if we hold fast to these disciplines.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The Pharisees were indignant. "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?" they asked his disciples. When he heard this, Jesus replied, "Healthy people don't need a doctor--sick people do." Then he added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: `I want you to be merciful; I don't want your sacrifices.' For I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough."

                                                Matthew 9:11-13 (NLT)

 

John Wesley took scriptures like this to heart as he said that our mission was to seek out the least, the last and the lost.  For is that not exactly what Jesus did?  Is that not exactly what the Church is called to do in Jesus' absence?

We either want to seek out the least, the last and the lost, or we don't want to get dirty.  There is really no in between here.  The dirtiest man that ever lived was Jesus.  Yes, I did say Jesus.  We think more about how Jesus was perfectly sinless and how he makes us clean.  But to make us clean he had to first get his hands dirty and come to us where we were.  And after he does this, he asks that we be willing to do the same. 

 

We can all get caught up in our comfort zones where life is safe and we know how to handle everything that's going on around us.  But the truth is that when we do this, we become like the Pharisees in many ways.  It's time to come out of our comfort zones and do ministry...real ministry.  That may mean going to the places where there are people who are sick in sin.  It may mean inviting people who are different to our churches.  It may mean welcoming people who are different.  It may actually mean that we become a different kind of people ourselves; the kind of people who are more open and welcoming to all God's children.  Oh what a difference that would make in God's kingdom. 

 

Are you ready to make a difference for Christ?  If so, allow him to use you somewhere or somehow today that you might not normally want to be used.  And if you don't feel that calling today, wait patiently and pray about it.  God will find a place to use you.  I suspect He already has it picked out.  He's just waiting for your willingness to allow Him to work through you.

 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And now these three remain, faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.

                                                     1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

Technically we are in the Advent season where we look forward to the celebration of the birth of Christ and His Second Coming.  But unofficially, I believe the Christmas season begins the day after Christmas (even if the stores try to advertise it as early as Halloween).  So with this in mind, I wonder how many of us have bought our Christmas presents yet.  I know that I've shared three things with my mother that I'm hoping Santa will bring me (even if it does say from mom and dad on the package, haha).

But how many of us have thought about what we will give Jesus this year for Christmas?

In yesterday's sermon I took the Wise Men (who actually came after Christmas) and showed that they brought four gifts to Jesus.  We all know of the three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  But the first thing that they did when they arrived at the house was bow down and worship Jesus.  Take every opportunity to worship him this Christmas season.  Then they gave their three traditional gifts that were perfect for a king.

It got me wondering about what the perfect gifts for our King this Christmas would be.  Then it hit me.  The same three things that God has given us that are so important to our own lives can be given back to Jesus this year.  First there is faith.  This is the most basic of all gifts for Jesus.  Without it there is no reason to give.  Having faith not only for salvation, but also that Jesus is there for us and that He listens and cares and will help in times of trouble will put a smile on His face this Christmas.  Our faith in Him means that He will be the one that we will lean on.

The second is much like the first.  Let us place our hope in Him instead of ourselves.  He will be the one who will get us through this life and into the next one, not ourselves.  He is the one that wants us to hope for great things through Him.  Doing this will also bring a smile to our Savior's face.

The last, and most important gift is love.  How do we give the gift of love to Jesus?  We do that by sharing it with others the Christmas season.  If we share it like Jesus has always done then it will be sacrificial.  This means it will put others first.  It means we will care about those who care about us as well as those who don't.  It means we will share with family as well as strangers.  It means we will share with those who have, but most importantly, those who do not.

Giving these three gifts back to Jesus this Christmas will surely make Him happy and bring about a Merry Christmas.

In the love of Christ,
greg