Bible

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THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR

(Matthew 6:9-13)    This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hollowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Jesus taught this prayer to his Disciples.  It is amazingly comprehensive.  It starts out with the way we should address God.  “Our Father” clarifies that God wants a personal and relational interaction with us.  Then Jesus leads us into the praise and recognition that God is holy. 

Does watching world news lead you to despair?  “Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is the best prayer we can offer for the devastation we hear from news reports.  We find comfort in God’s will.  We trust in him for all things.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”  This covers not just our food but the provisions we will need for the day.  Jesus told us to not worry about tomorrow.  Today has enough for us to deal with, so we pray for today.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”  I prefer the word sins over debts; it seems to be more pointed.  God has every right to demand justice and claim revenge over us for our sins.  Instead, he sent his son to pay the debt for our sins.  Justice has been served.  In his grace and mercy, he forgave our sins and forgot his claim to revenge.  Now he expects us to do the same for those who sin against us.  Jesus paid the price for their sins as well as ours.  We need to surrender our claim for justice and revenge to the Lord and forgive those who sin against us.

Forgiving others is difficult.  As in all things we need Jesus’ help to overcome our flesh.  The importance of forgiving others cannot be overemphasized.  After his prayer, Jesus said, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14&15).  Forgiveness, difficult as it may be, is required of God’s children.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”  We have a weakness called our sinful nature.  Jesus ends the prayer by asking for God’s help to overcome our weakness. We seek God’s protection from the one who would tempt us.  

Jesus’ prayer is a personal pray for God’s children.  It is not meant to be the only prayer.  We also pray for the sick, lost souls, and many other important things that we want to bring before our Father in heaven.  This prayer covers our daily need to connect with our heavenly Father, and it sets the tone for the day.  Starting our day the way Jesus taught us to pray will definitely improve each day of the year for us.  Living the way Jesus’ prayer directs us will definitely make 2023 more successful.  Praying for and trusting in God’s will, trusting in God’s daily provision, actively forgiving others, and asking for God’s help and protection will go a long way towards that success. 

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CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS

With the advent of Christmas we celebrate the greatest event that ever happened on the earth.  God entered time and took on human flesh.  He spent time as one of us.  He walked beside us, and with his eventual death and resurrection, brought new and eternal life for all who would receive him.  This is worthy of celebration.  No other event on earth has stirred the hearts of men to such joyous celebration.  People all-over the world celebrate this wondrous occasion.

 Our joining together in celebration helps us focus on something grander than our individual lives; something more real than the temporal.  Celebration sets a mood of happiness and oneness.  I remember singing in a community choir at Christmas.  Our hearts were lifted as we performed traditional Christmas music.  We experienced oneness of joy.

The angels celebrated that first night when Jesus was born, and mankind has ever since had the opportunity to celebrate with them.  As we continue the celebration of Jesus’ birth, we acknowledge the wonder of God’s plan for our salvation.  That glorious night of Jesus’ birth was the beginning of God’s renewal of his creation.

                   A promise has been fulfilled

                   A reclamation for all the earth,

                   A virgin has brought forth child

                   A most miraculous birth.

                   A prophesy from ancient times

                   A hope that’s now achieved,

                   A salvation realized

                   A redemption for Adam’s seed.

God bless you, and have a Merry Christmas celebration!

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RECEIVING BLESSINGS FROM OTHERS

(Romans 15:2 MSG) Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”

I have a large tree in my front yard.  In the fall the leaves of this tree turn yellow, orange and red.  It is quite beautiful.  Usually the leaves fall between the last two weeks of November the first few weeks of December giving me a nice period of time to pick them up.  This year was different.

November was unseasonably cold this year leading to a surprise event. The colder weather prepares the leaves to break loose from the tree and fall to the earth more quickly.  Sunday and Monday of this week, a strong northwestern wind presented itself. Within twenty-four hours, ninety present of those beautiful leaves fell to the ground.  Four weeks of work turn into a one day experience. The good news, I was blessed with unanticipated help.  As I faced my overwhelming task, three Good Samaritans passed by. 

The first was a young man delivering a package to my neighbor.  He stopped to verify the address, and I pointed him to the right house.  On the way back to his truck, he stopped and offered to help me.  He stayed long enough to load a large bag with leaves.  I thanked him, and he replied that he used to pick up leaves with his grandfather.  He smiled and said he enjoyed helping me.

It takes many weeks to dispose of so many leaves.  I can only fill up one lawn waste can per week which would have taken me more than a month.  Then the second Good Samaritan came by. I don’t know who this was, so they remain anonymous.  When I went into the house for a coffee break, I left two large bags of leaves lying in the driveway.  When I returned one of those bags was gone.  I can only assume that a neighbor came by and took one home to put in his lawn waste can.    

The third Good Samaritan was my neighbor from across the street.  He noticed me laboring there in my front yard and offered his green can for me to fill.  He probably would have stayed to help me fill it, but he had broken his wrist and it was covered with a large brace. Now getting rid of the leaves will happen in just a couple of weeks thanks to my neighbors.

Three people, out of the kindness of their hearts, made my arduous task less difficult and more enjoyable. Their acts of kindness blessed my heart.  With their simple acts of kindness, they embodied our scripture from Romans. 

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THE REASON FOR THANKSGIVING

(Ephesians 1:7-10 MSG) Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people – free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds.  And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!  He thought of everything, providing for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making.  He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

So here in America, we have a day set aside for thankfulness.  What a great idea!  Americans have much to be thankful for – such as our freedom.  This freedom has been bought and maintain at a great price. We are thankful for all those who have sacrificed for our country.  Yet there is an eternal freedom that has been afforded us by the sacrifice of just one.  This freedom is offered to all who live on the earth.

Our scripture from Ephesians begins with this statement, “Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people…”  I don’t mean to trivialize the freedom we have in America, but I do want to emphasize the magnitude of what God has done.  All of mankind has been given the opportunity of being forgiven for their sins and to have eternal life. We in America and every other person on the earth can experience this freedom no matter what their circumstances.

Though I have many things that give me reason to be thankful, the foundation of my gratitude rest in Jesus Christ and him crucified.  All that I have and hold dear are because he redeemed me and gave me freedom from my sins. Jesus is my reason for being thankful.  I have a family and friends that I am privileged to enjoy here in this life, and I have the comfort in knowing they will be with me in eternity.  I am eternally thankful to my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ.

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ANGER

(Ephesians 4:26) “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Anger is an emotion and not necessarily a sin.  God can’t sin, but he gets angry. Most everyone can attest to the fact that anger is dangerous and can potentially lead to sin. Other emotions like love for instance can affect our reasoning ability.  Love can make us silly and whimsical, while anger can make us aggressive and violent.  Our enemy is prowling around looking for an opportunity to lead us into sin (see 1Peter 5:8).  Our anger looks like an invitation.

Anger can cause us to think, say, or do things we would never do under normal conditions.  So when anger arises, it should be a red light of warning.  I have many times allowed my anger to get out of control, most often with disastrous results.  Now when I recognize myself getting angry, the caution flag comes up, and the battle for control is on.

You’ve probably heard people say count to ten before you react.  That’s great advice, but I frequently need more time. The Apostle Paul teaches us to take every thought captive (see 2Corintians 10:5).  He goes on to say in that verse to make those thoughts obedient to Christ. That in itself is a challenge, yet it is a great reminder of where the strength to take those thoughts captive comes from. Anger is a strong emotion, and we need help to control it.  Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to help us. 

We could do a whole seminar on the subject of anger, however today we are just touching on the task of controlling it.  Being angry, controlling that anger, and avoiding letting that anger become sin, affords good results like peaceful relationships, less stress, and returning to loving one another.  These are things worth fighting for.  We need to do the battle, and win the victory of obedience to Christ.  In the long run I know we’ll be glad we did.

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THE SECOND DEATH

(Revelation 21:8) But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  This is the second death.

Last week I wrote about the future of the children of God.  God has planned wonderful things for his children.  Those who refuse God’s invitation to forgiveness and eternal life will not be so fortunate.  The scripture for this week points to the second death.

Thoughts of the second death lead to a jumble of concerns and visions.  It’s hard to imagine the horror that this will be.  I know people who are running down that wide road to destruction.  It makes me want to carry a sign that reads, “THE END IS NEAR – BEWARE OF THE SECOND DEATH”.  I don’t think a sign would be very affective.  I can hear people saying, “Did you see the nut on the street corner with the big sign?”  However, this scripture does add urgency to my prayer life.

  Sometimes I get lax in my prayer time, but reading this scripture has stirred me to a greater resolve.  I think that prayer is the most effective way to reach those who have not accepted the salvation God has provided through his son Jesus.  I want to always be ready to share my faith, but I know that my words would not reach the heart of the listener, unless the Father is drawing them.  Salvation is a miraculous act of God, so lifting up a person through prayer is the foundational beginning for reaching the unsaved. 

The children of God have such a wonderful future.  There is always room for new brothers and sisters to join us.  Let’s be diligent praying for our friends, family members, neighbors, and those God has put on our heart, so we can be servants in his plan of redemption. Remember, our God desires that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9).

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METAMORPHOSIS

(Revelation 21:1-3)Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

As I read this passage of scripture, I thought, what a beautiful picture of our future, and I noted that what remains of the old creation are the creator and his children.  We his children will be changed into our eternal existence, and be with our God.

God has given many examples in creation to teach his children.  I love the life of the butterfly as an example of change.  The butterfly starts out as a caterpillar, but a change is coming.  Through a process that God set in motion the caterpillar will become a very different creature.  The change called metamorphosis takes the lowly caterpillar and produces a beautiful butterfly.

God is always with us as we continue our caterpillar existence here on the earth, but remember a metamorphosis is coming.  We have a beautiful, eternal future.  God is always with us, and we have glimpses of his presence from time to time.  In the new heaven and earth he will set his dwelling place among us.  We’ll have the delight of his presence forever.  Take time to contemplate the words of this scripture.  No matter what you might be facing, a smile is likely to arise from deep within you.

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DECEITFULNESS OF WEALTH

When Jesus was explaining the parable of the sower to his disciples (Matthew 13:18-23 NIV) he used this phrase, “the deceitfulness of wealth”.  In Matthew 13:22 Jesus said, “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word making it unfruitful.”  This phrase caught my attention as I read through the passage, and I thought it worth a more in-depth look. 

I frequently like to refer to The Message to expand my understanding of a passage.  Here’s how verse 22 reads, “The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it.”  The words deceitfulness and illusions both give indication of something that is not really there.  Here in America, I believe the deceitfulness and the illusions of wealth hinder us from fully participating in God’s kingdom.  Perhaps it is our greatest deception.

I remember, when my youngest daughter returned from a mission’s trip to Mexico, she was deeply impressed by how happy the people were in the village where she stayed.  She said to me, “Dad they live in shacks and have nothing, yet they are always cheerful and happy.”  It was a great experience for her.  She had the opportunity to realize that material wealth doesn’t bring happiness. 

As we head into the holiday season, let us not fall victim to the deceitfulness of wealth.  The holidays should be more about God’s love and faithfulness.  There is a mounting excitement as we gather together for Thanksgiving and then the celebration of God coming to earth.  In these moments, there is light to be found.  Don’t let the darkness of striving for wealth cause you to miss the light of God’s love.

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THE PITFALL OF GREED

(Luke 12:15) Then he said to them, “Watch out!  Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Jesus follows this statement of caution with the parable of the foolish rich man (verses 16-20).  He tells of a rich man whose fields yielded an unexpectedly abundant harvest.  His barns were inadequate to handle the harvest, so he tore them down and built bigger ones.  Here he is thinking he’s got it made, but his time was up, and he died that very night. 

Jesus concludes the parable in verse 21, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.  The message translates this verse, “That’s what happens when you fill your barn with self and not with God.”  Jesus often directs his teaching to the matter of focusing on material wealth rather than God. He knows our weaknesses, and how easily we can fall into the pitfall of greed.

Our culture is filled with the “I need more syndrome”.  We are continually trying to fill the bottomless pit of want.  Solomon warns us in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.” Jesus wants us to pursue the life that comes from trusting God with our needs.  Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

God offers us a better way.  By focusing our lives on him and trusting him with our needs, we can avoid the merry-go-round of greed.  We will be disappointed by spending our lives accumulating wealth and material possessions.  There is never enough to satisfy.  God’s way brings satisfaction.

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BE MERCIFUL

(Jude 22-23) Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

The Church, the Body of Christ, has throughout the ages frequently missed the basic tenet of being merciful.    On the other hand the Church has been an instrument of mercy in society since its beginning.  It’s been a mixed bag.

 In Luke 6:35-36 Jesus says, “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”  God has shown us mercy, and he desires us to be merciful.  I believe our ability to be merciful depends on our ability to receive mercy.  Humility is the key.

To receive mercy, I must first recognize my need for mercy.  When I know that I have sinned against God, there is then the recognition of the debt I owe to God.  Secondly, I need to humble myself and become aware that there is nothing I can do to repay this debt.  God is willing and has made the way to grant me mercy by forgiving my debt.  I don’t have to work for it.  It’s free.  That is hard for me because in my pride I want to do something to earn forgiveness.  However, by holding on to this idea of earning forgiveness, I will never even understand mercy.

Now you can see why it’s a mixed bag for the Church.  Our pride often gets in the way.  In Matthew 9:13 Jesus says to the Pharisees, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’  And again in 12:7, “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.”  The Pharisees were caught up in a ritual of sacrifice that fed their pride allowing them to condemn others rather than show them mercy.  They were trying to pay their debt to God on their own merit.  They were blinded by pride and did not understand mercy.   Therefore, they could not extend mercy. 

Mercy proceeds from a humble, forgiving heart.  This is God’s nature, and his heart toward us.  By surrendering my will to God and allowing myself to be forgiven, I take the first step in understanding mercy.  I feel the burden of gilt lifted and the exhilaration of being free.  But, I must remember that I’m free and not fall prey to the lie that I must do something for this freedom.  That lie feeds my pride.  I must remain humble. Then in humble gratitude, I live under God’s mercy.  A life that is continually bathed in mercy emanates mercy.