Friday - December 29, 2006 The ball will be dropping in New York City in just a few days. The year 2006 will change into 2007. The year is called a.d., ado dominai, the year of our Lord. For all of the people trying to erase God from society, what will they do with the year? I guess it is possible to remove words from a coin or dollar bill. They might be successful in some areas, but how do you remove the year of our Lord from the entire world? There are just some things which tell about Jesus that would be next to impossible to get rid of. Christmas is still celebrated worldwide. Whether the world wants to admit it or not, Jesus is a part of history and our life today as well. Why fight it? Why not just accept the fact that Jesus is the center of history and wants to be the center of every person's life too. Once you are born again, you see the futility of fighting Jesus in every day life. If you fight Him now you will stand before Him in judgment one day. If you accept Him today, one day you will live, rule and reign with Him forever. It's a simple choice, a win-win situation.
Thursday - December 28, 2006 December 21 has passed and daylight is now beginning to last a little longer. Although it's only about a minute a day, it is nice to have more daytime heading in the right direction. In Tulsa, the sun is not up until after seven in the morning and it is dark by 5:15 in the evening. I wonder if you are supposed to praise God less in the wintertime than in the summer. If you are to praise Him from the rising of the sun to the going down of it, your praise life would be diminished in the winter. But if you stop to think about it, the sun is always up somewhere. So, I guess God is to be praised at all times. So, I will stop thinking about my praise only when I can see daylight and begin to think about praise in heaven. If angels and saints can praise God at all times in heaven, I should be able to do the same on earth. I will then bless the Lord at all times. His praise will continually be in my mouth. I will rejoice in the Lord always. How about you?
Wednesday - December 27, 2006 During the Christmas Eve service, I saw many friends from out of town I had not seen in years. It sure was good to see them and find out they are still serving God and volunteering in churches across the country. On this earth we have to leave each other at times for many reasons. Heaven will be a wonderful place where we will see friends and never have to leave them. But it is also nice to have friends on earth even though we do not see them whenever we want to. There was a time when Loretta and I prayed for some close friends and God answered our prayer. Maybe you are in that same position, wondering if you have any real close friends or not. That is a prayer God will gladly answer. He will send you friends who will love you for exactly who you are. Put your trust in God right now and ask Him in faith. Make yourself friendly to others if you are no already. Then watch God bring someone into your life.
Tuesday - December 26, 2006 My New Years resolution for 2007 is to be more thankful. Why don't you join me in making this a greater year for gratitude to God? David said in Psalm 100, "Be thankful unto Him, and bless His holy name." David told us thankfulness and blessing is a choice. We don't have to feel like blessing God, praising Him, or being thankful. We can choose to do so. I have found in life that I may not feel like giving God praise, but if I choose to do so, pretty soon I will feel like praising. Most of the time the choice to praise God comes before the feeling. When it comes right down to it, it is a choice to feel sad, depressed or lonely. Why not choose to change the spiritual atmosphere by thanking God for all He has done and all He will do?
Monday - December 25, 2006 Christmas has arrived. May the center of your Christmas activities be the Lord Jesus. I am praying for you to be able to lead some of your relatives and friends to the Lord this year around the dinner table, watching the football games, or in conversation after the meal. I know you have many family members you have been praying for through the years and it seems like each year it is difficult for them to hear what you have to say. I pray for this year to be different. You will be able to share your testimony with open hearts instead of closed. They have gone through hardships and faced their own mortality. They will be willing to listen this year. I am looking forward to hearing your testimonies after Christmas is over.
Friday - December 22, 2006 Our house happens to be on the route of a Christmas light tour. We have limousines and trolleys coming through our neighborhood each night. All along our block are lighted roofs, trees, shrubs, driveways and sidewalks. Some neighbors have reindeer and Santas in their yards. The ones who come by in limos get a good look at the lights, but I wonder about those in the helicopters. People pay a lot of money to see Christmas lights from straight up in the air. What could they possibly see from that high up? What is interesting about Christmas lights is the detail. That has to be seen straight on. I am sure a limo ride costs enough money. I am sure a helicopter ride would cost more. Maybe the thrill is just in the ride. I don't know, but I am not about to pay to find out. If I take a helicopter ride, I want it to be over the Grand Canyon or Maui. Let me really be wowed. I know this blog is not very spiritual, but every now and then I have one of those days. Today is one of them. Perhaps I will put a long blank in this message. _____________________________________. You can fill in your own spiritual meaning!
Thursday - December 21, 2006 Do you think the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan will stop for Christmas day this year? That has always been an interesting turn of events through the years. When I was growing up I remember many times hearing of the fighting ceasing for one day, on Christmas. It makes me think of the word "reconciliation" found many times in the writing of Paul. Jesus came to reconcile man to God through His death, burial and resurrection. The word means to make peace between warring parties. Jesus did not stop the war for one day, but for eternity. God is no longer at war with man. That's a great thought for this Christmas season. The angels did announce peace on the earth at the birth of Jesus. Man can offer a temporary peace. God offers eternal peace. Man's peace has to be negotiated and agreed upon. God's is a free gift. Have you received God's peace? Have your friends, relatives and fellow workers? Why not tell them the good news. The war is over. Peace is yours for the taking.
Wednesday - December 20, 2006 I wonder what terrorists think about Christmas. They seem to be intent on wiping out Jews and Christians from the earth. I am sure they must not like a holiday named "Christmas" which means a celebration of Christ. Whether or not people have personal faith in Jesus, at least once a year they stop to think about spiritual things during this holiday season. I know the being who backs terrorism, Satan. I know he does not like Christmas. When he heard of the birth of Jesus, he filled the heart of Herod to kill the children in hopes of killing Messiah. Well, it did not work then and it will not work now. Jesus and Christians will survive and terrorists will not. That's a nice thought for Christmas. It should help you to sleep soundly despite the 6:00 news!
Tuesday - December 19, 2006 Whatever happened to all the good Christmas movies? Many of the newer movies are on television today, but so few of the classics are on any more. Are people afraid we might hear too much about Jesus, the baby in the manger, and not enough about Santa? I am glad there has been an uprising in our nation for the past couple of years about the true meaning of Christmas. It is good to hear about stores who are again displaying signs saying "Merry Christmas." I am glad they are called "Christmas" trees and "Christmas" cards again. How about a new move to see classic movies about Christmas back on television? It is nice to have DVD's of "A Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street." Oh yes, a little bit of "Charlie Brown Christmas" would be good too, but a new generation needs to see the stories we grew up on about the true meaning of Christmas. Maybe Hollywood is beginning to see the light with movies like "The Nativity" being produced. Holiday "magic" is wonderful, but it will never replace the supernatural-the miracle of a babe born of a virgin sent to earth to die for mankind so man can receive the gift of eternal life!
Monday - December 18, 2006 This past Sunday was our Christmas production. It was a great event to say the least. Not only was the message of the production good, the people had a wonderful time of fellowship after. They stayed around for quite awhile eating food and meeting each other. The message of the production was "Christmas Letters". With all the letters in the production, the best letters were saved for last, the ones God has sent to us through His great letter, the Word of God. The message of Christmas is that the God of the universe, the earth, and all nations became personal the day Jesus was born. He not only was born, but went home to live in a house. He went to the store with Joseph and Mary. He went on a trip to Egypt and at each week went to the synagogue. God lived with a family-the family of Joseph and Mary. He wants to do the same with you and your family. He does not want to be the God we visit at times, but the God who lives in our home, goes to work with us, travels with us and goes to church. God said he wanted to walk in us and live in us. How about acknowledging God this Christmas as more than your Savior? He is your best friend.
Friday - December 8, 2006 I watched a TV special one night on the Australian boomerang. It is not a toy, but a weapon. When it is thrown accurately, it strikes its prey (usually a bird) and then returns to the one who threw it. God has a boomerang. It is His word. Isaiah tells us that God's Word does not return to Him void, but accomplishes what it was sent to do. When God speaks His Word, it enters the earth, brings healing, restoration, deliverance and salvation and returns to God Who sent it. God has given us His Word too. We speak it as God does, and it goes from our mouth to accomplish our desires in prayer. God's Word returns to us in testimonies and praise reports of God's power in the lives of other people. When is the last time you sent out God's Word, His boomerang, to change a world overcome by Satan's power? Use the Word today to change someone's life and bring glory to God.
Thursday - December 7, 2006 In Psalm 8 David blessed the Lord and was in awe of His grace when he considered the stars. How often do we walk past the beauty of God's creation and do not consider God's work in our lives and God's attention to every detail of our circumstances. If God can care for the universe and keep it running so smoothly, if planets can exist, move and not run into each other, God can keep our troubles at the right distance so we do not crash and burn against any of them. If God cares for flowers, birds, animals and the rest of nature, He will surely take care of us. Don't drive past the beauties of God's creation today and not thank Him for taking care of you. God cares for you more than anything else He has made.
Wednesday - December 6, 2006 David told the Lord that he would not fear even if a host of the enemy were camped outside his door waiting to take him. This should be our cry too. We often seem to be outnumbered by the trials and troubles of life and those who speak even against us at the office, work or other places in life. This type of praise against the hosts of the world can only come if we realize we have them outnumbered. Like the prophet's servant who had his eyes opened to the hosts of angels surrounding his master, Elisha, we need to realize there are more that be with us than those who be with them. We cannot always experience discerning of spirits and actually see the angels around us, but we can see them through the eye of faith knowing the Word tell us our angels are encamped around us. Take a new look at your situation and rejoice for the number of those who are for you.
Tuesday - December 5, 2006 We are all familiar with the scripture telling us to praise the Lord from the rising of the sun to the going down of it. This tells us we are to praise the Lord throughout the day. There should never be a time we do not praise the Lord. We magnify His name during the good times and bad. But the sun is also a constant. It is always there. I like to think of the sun as reflecting the praises of God which come from the heavens. The stars are said to praise Him and we know that angels are always praising and magnifying God. This is something which never changes. All I am saying is there is always praise going to God whether it is coming from our lips or not. Why should we be outdone by planets, stars, trees, rivers, rocks or angels? None of those are redeemed. God's greatest satisfaction comes from us, His redeemed, when we praise Him. God will always be praised, but He wants His children to praise Him most of all. Let's begin our increase of praise today.
Monday - December 4, 2006 I remember a song from a number of years ago about the snow. It was compared to the grace of God, the way it covered the ground and made everything look beautiful. No matter how ugly the ground was, rocky or dirty, the snow made everything white and soft, the grace of God that covered our sins. It has just snowed for quite a while in Tulsa and the ground is covered with snow. I am glad that song is not true. God's grace does not cover sins, but completely removes them. Underneath the snow, the ground and rocks are still there. They can be seen as the snow melts. Jesus grace has forgiven and taken my sins from me. There is nothing under the grace of God. I am a new creation and joyful because of it. Now, that's something to rejoice about.
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