Category: Happy New Year!

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In Darkness, We Await A New Dawning!

For December 19, 2021
Seven-hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Isaiah writes these prophetic words,

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

Before Christ, the world groped in darkness; doomed to spend eternity separated from God. But this announcement would signal a new day for those of us without affiliation with Israel’s Covenant God.

At the time of Jesus’ birth, most people were oblivious to His low-profile birth in a secluded Bethlehem manger. For the shepherds’ testimony of the Heavenly Host declaring: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14 NKJV), was its first report.

Yet today, our world has grown even more dark and civility deficient, leaving us wondering how even young children can conduct vicious murder without conscience. Our fallen world rejects the notion of inherent, personal sin producing our most evil tendencies like:

    • Pride, selfishness, and dishonesty in our dealings with God, others, and ourselves.
    • A lifestyle that embraces disobedience, rebellion, and sexual immorality consistently.
    • Rejection of the biblical truth that our loving, benevolent Creator—God is real. Instead, our “reality” is only what we see, feel, touch, taste, and smell. Only our subjective, empirical knowledge is real or relevant.
    • Our sin-darkened mind conjures evil acts that we do to exploit or harm people.

The world awaited the birth of Jesus Christ, who would embody the grace and love of God. He became our Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace to reconcile us to God. Moreover, Jesus, the Son of God became the Lamb of God; our sin-less substitute to appease the wrath of God.

Through Jesus Christ, have become the redeemed recipients of God’s mercy, through faith, who have a different outlook and lifestyle because:

    • His precious blood washed away our sins. As a result, God has forgiven us and we are no longer bound by guilt, fear, doubt, or shame.
    • The Holy Spirit, who lives inside us, produces the fruits of noble Christian character and conduct.
    • We have the mind of Christ, which influences our godly thoughts, words, and actions as we encounter others either in public and private settings.

Because of God’s incomparable Christmas gift to the entire world, we are new creatures. Here, God transforms us so that we no longer “live like the world” around us. Instead, we mirror the spiritual and moral image of Jesus Christ, for God’s glory and our collective benefit.

As His blessed benefactors, Jesus qualifies us to have a joyously abundant life now, and then spend a glorious eternity with Him as our Keeper, Friend, and God forever. Herein lies our greatest benefit. Won’t you trust in Him today?

What a Wonderful Savior!

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Peace On Earth And Goodwill Towards Men!

For December 12, 2021
Many social causes clamor for our attention today. Many offer a peace and love though social change. I can remember an age when popular songs promised of a new world where peace and love would reign supreme in the hearts of people everywhere.

Perhaps these ideals are to help us cope with hatred and conflict we experience daily around the world. Or perhaps it is our way of conjuring up a mental place where we can celebrate peace and serenity as our constant standard of living.

Due to our human frailty, the promise of world peace—although appealing—can never be a lasting human proposition. Our sin and selfishness tend to skew our peace and love towards self-service or quid pro quo behavior.

I praise God for the angel who announced to the shepherds nearly two-thousand years ago, “For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Then, with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host began praising God and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!1

The Lord is not willing that anyone should perish. Instead, He desires that all of us become the beneficiaries of His grace so that we can live in harmony with Him forever in Heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ tells us,

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.2

True peace can only be found in the Prince of Peace—Jesus Christ. For only He can change human hearts in ways that allow us to peacefully live in peace with God and with one another, just as He promises in John 14:27 (NKJV),

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The Lord is faithful, and He continues to provide us with His everlasting peace, which never ceases to satisfy the deep longings of the human soul. Won’t you surrender to Him and experience His everlasting peace and goodwill?

What a wonderful Savior!

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What A Wonderful Savior!

For January 24, 2021
Our Lord’s last evening on earth has always fascinated me as I wonder what He may have been thinking and feeling, or what the Disciples may have been thinking and feeling. In the Book of Romans, there is a commentary on our Lord’s actions that yet is beyond belief,

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But, God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6—8 NIV).

The first Adam’s disobedience introduced sin into God’s perfect world, which resulted in our spiritual and physical deaths. Spiritual death or sin, which separates us from God, happened instantaneously while physical death came gradually. In other words, Adam did not die instantaneously, as Genesis 5:5 records indicate he died at 930 years of age.

In essence, God created us to be holy (sinless) beings to live forever in His perfect world. But because of Adam’s disobedience, our world is full of sadness, sin, pain, disease, trouble, and death. Thus as the Bible teaches, all of us will sin, and all of us will die.3

In addition, since we are sinners by nature, our “good deeds” are sin-polluted. A splendid illustration would be how years ago when men wore white dress shirts. Carrying a fountain pen in the shirt breast pocket was a common practice. Unfortunately however, the ink pen leaked often so that the slightest ink spot on the white shirt ruined the shirt—completely.

As the ink spot polluted the shirt, sin pollutes our righteousness. On our best day, we are yet depraved, and our righteousness is worthless before a holy God—who is not sin polluted—and we fail when we try to compare our righteousness (filthy rags) to His,

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind (Isaiah 64:6 NLT).

However, this is not the case with Jesus Christ. He was without sin and fully aware His death would redeem all fallen humanity from sin and restore us to a loving, eternal fellowship with God,

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18-19 NKJV).

It is truly unbelievable how Jesus freely chose to offer Himself to redeem the entire world whether Jew, Gentile, rich, poor, believer or non-believer. All of us can vicariously receive the full benefit of His perfect sacrifice—without preference or distinction.

No longer do Satan, sin, and death bind us. From the moment we accept God’s gift of grace and love that covers our sin forever through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; from that day forward, our faith in His perfect, work determines our righteousness (or lack thereof) before our Heavenly Father.

Ultimately, we will all have to stand before our Maker for our thoughts, words, and actions performed in this life. My question is: Why not stand before Him in His righteousness freely given in Christ? Otherwise, we stand in our pride and self-righteousness to our own eternal peril as Proverbs 16:18 (NIV) implies, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

It is truly inconceivable how—based on our fallen human nature—Jesus would choose to redeem those people who love Him as well as those who hate Him equally. His amazing grace, abundant mercy, and enduring, all-encompassing love remains available to everyone everywhere; to those who choose to believe in Him, and even to those who choose not to believe in Him.

However, only those of us who respond positively, by accepting Him as our personal Lord and Savior, will ever experience the abundant life He promises for us today and receive the eternal life He promises for us tomorrow.

What a Wonderful Savior!

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Look Up…Jesus Is Coming!

For January 17, 2021
Although we live in a world of specialization and fragmentation, it’s amazing how so many of us take the Lord for granted by trying to compartmentalize His access to and influence over every aspect of our human interactions. To some, God has been confined to the church—locked inside four walls—used only at designated worship times.

Far too many of us act as if we do not require His services. We are in full control of our lives, this world, and the lives of others. Unfortunately, these deluded people have bought into the flawed notion they are “the creator” while God is “the created.” Pompously and self-righteously, they think, speak, and act in ways that are detrimental to the wellbeing of others. What a pity.

Human beings are not God. Case in point, try stopping earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes; try stopping the sun or moon from emitting light; try stopping the rain from falling or the wind from blowing.

Similarly, we came into this world naked, and we will leave it in the same manner. In addition, we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we will not carry anything out of it.4 Moreover, we did not create the galaxies or the earth, and although it is our home at this time, it is not our final destination.

It is essential that we realize the brevity of life, so that we can grow in His wisdom (Psalm 90:12).  We who trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior understand the critical importance of living for Him daily. Especially since He has promised us everlasting communion through the Spirit and has promised to return for us soon,

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am (John 14:1-3 NLT).

Of the circumstances surrounding His glorious return, Jesus makes this observation,

When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building—until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed (Luke 17:26—30 NLT).

Sound familiar? Jesus also adds the following observation regarding tragic days preceding His glorious return,

Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven. And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near (Luke 21:10—11, 25—28 NLT).

Human beings are temporal and finite while God is eternal and almighty. Our death is certain, and we will see Him face-to-face. For some, this will be a time for judgement, accountability, and eternal punishment in Hell. But for His precious children, we will experience His complete grandeur and splendor in Heaven forever in the company of departed loved ones, and those precious saints who have gone before us. Until then, we continue to walk by faith, and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

We are merely transient pilgrims traveling through this world quickly. For some, our pilgrimage will be thirty, forty, or fifty years or less while others of us will far exceed the seventy-year benchmark set in Psalm 90:10. Whatever time we have, as Job 14:5 tells us, the Lord has established end of life boundaries beyond which none of us can pass.

With our humble, reverent, and sincere faith in Jesus Christ, we are certain to experience the pinnacle of His redemptive work—glorification—where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest (Job 3:17). There, we will experience God’s holy, eternal presence fully. Free from sin, pain, and disease, and we will see Him “as He is” and are like Him (1 John 3:2).

Therefore, whether we depart this earth in death, or we depart when He returns for us, our time on earth is short. Now is the time to live for Him, giving Him access to every area of our human interaction—especially since we must give account for it all. Look up…Jesus is coming and very soon!

What a Wonderful Savior!

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Then Pie Is My Favorite Dessert!

For January 10, 2021
Over the past two months, much pie has been consumed during the truncated Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. For many of us, losing the weight we’ve gained from the various meals and celebrations—even though modified—is a perennial New Year’s resolution. Pie is a culprit! Although it is customary to have pie or any dessert following the meal, I tend to have it with the meal to be enjoyed simultaneously!

Speaking of pie, there are those who characterize the Christian faith as merely a “pie-in-the-sky” religion. To these people, all we Christians have is eternal bliss in Heaven. But we have nothing to look forward to receiving in this life. For them, God is dead and the Christian faith is irrelevant.

I beg to differ, because our Christian faith produces a life of abundance (John 10:10), which begins the moment we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and it continues for all eternity. In fact, we who embrace the Christian faith have considerable treasures to gain in this life and the next,

The incentive to win is in the glorious perspective we have because we are “looking unto Jesus.” “Looking away from all else, looking at that which fills the heart.” We are going to run, not because of the prize at the end and not because so many illustrious saints have run the course in the past and have been gloriously crowned, but because the vision of Jesus thrills the soul.5

One of our most treasured possessions—given exclusively to Christians—is the gift of the Holy Spirit. He inhabits and keeps us through the good times of bliss as well as those unfortunate times of uncertainty. He never leaves or forsakes us; cheering our hearts with unspeakable love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control as Galatians 5:22—23 teaches.

Did someone say peace of mind? We Christians are blessed to have the Holy Spirit provide incredible peace of mind—even during uncertain moments—that provides us with comfort and fulfillment that never ends.

This alone, makes our Christian life more valuable than any commodity on the earth, and it certainly makes the Christian life worth living “in real-time” in 2021 as Jesus teaches,

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be (Matthew 6:19—21 NLT).

The joy He sustains within us is never whimsical. It is always at work within us to remind us of how the Lord supplies us with His incredible goodness and mercy every day.

As the Almighty God in Spirit, He is fully capable of purifying, revealing, strengthening, encouraging, and keeping us throughout our life’s journey. He is much more than just our Comforter who “seals” our redemption and secures our heavenly home. He gives us eternal life, direction, purpose, and meaning.

He secures our eternal life in Heaven where there is no more pain, sorrow, or disease and where all our wants, needs, and desires are satisfied in their fullest measure. There, we will thrive in the holy presence of our Lord, along with our departed loved ones, and those precious Saints who have gone before us in a blessed, sinless state of perfect innocence, peace, tranquility, and safety forever.

If all these are pie-in-the-sky, then pie is my favorite dessert. How about you?

What a Wonderful Savior!

 

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