Holiness

        I was sick last Sunday and so spent the morning listening to a sermon online from one of the local churches in my area. The Pastor spoke about the need for change in the lives of believers and basically said that we need to be more like the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do. He compared our actions to those of the world at the beginning of almost every year. We look at different things that we want to do beginning on January 1^st in order to be a better person. For the world, they want to lose weight, exercise more, take up a new hobby and a host of other things for a better life. Pastor Hopkins focused in one on thing and it was personal holiness. Second Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

         We may all have desires to improve in many different areas in our lives and they are all probably good and beneficial. If you had only one thing that you could do for the coming year, what would it be? Do you love the Word of God more than food? Pastor Hopkins developed his message by speaking about Job who at one point finally states that he loves the word of God even more than food. It doesn't take you too long even on the computer to find out that the world is full of people that hate almost everything around them. Now, I am speaking about professing believers and not the people of the world. You can expect unbelievers to be hateful, but certainly not from those of the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. People have their own agenda and a list of things that they are going to fight for no matter what even though it damages other believers around them. So, what's the answer? Pastor Hopkins, using Job's desire for the Word of God more than food, went to the verse for today. This is one of my favorite verses as the word “transform” only occurs here and in Romans 12:1-2 and on the references for the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ. If transformation is going to occur, how do we do it? Where can we possibly behold the glory of the Lord and thereby be changed? The answer is in the Word of God. Job loved the Word of God more than food. That meant that he wanted to know and live in the Word of God. It should be no different for us. As one preacher once said, we should love the word of God so much and be in the Word of God so much that when we are cut, we bleed Bible. If we are going to be more like the Lord Jesus Christ, then we are going to have to know Him and how He lived and how He responded. Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Have you wept over your city? There was a prominent group around in my early life which had the motto: “To Know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same.” In order to “know Him” we are going to have to be in His Word. It is good that we want to exercise more, eat less, be kind to our fine feathered friends and such but the more important issue is to be holy which is to be separated from the things of the world and separated to God in all that we do. Peter made the statement in First Peter 1:15-16, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” We should perhaps be asking the question, “What do we want to improve on in the years to come?” Praise God today that He is in the life transforming business.

Time is Running Out!

         Sooner or later, things come to an end. We quite often don't know when that will occur with many things, but other things are quite obvious. My cup of coffee comes to an end when the last drop is consumed. It is then, empty. It was obvious to me when I wrote the date for tomorrow's devotion, that the end of the year was fast approaching. I usually write the devotions a day ahead which at least gives me twenty four hours to come up with what would be an encouragement in your and in my life. After midnight on Tuesday, the year 2019 will be in the past and only memories will remain. We will have started a new year. While making a quick scan of Facebook, I came across a quote that said, “Eternity is a long time to be wrong.” For some, we have perhaps gone the whole year thinking about doing something and in the end just flat not getting it done. Sweeping the kitchen floor may be one of those things and the consequences may not be as severe as some other things mainly, making a decision for the Lord Jesus Christ to be your personal Savior. You may have been to church to hear your Christmas sermon and to be challenged and then thought about the message and soon it disappeared. It was put off for a more convenient time. James 4:13-14 says, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

          James brings every decision into the present light. Either we do it or we don't. We try to make the right decision based on the evidence that we have at the moment. We look out the window and see if it is raining and if it is, we take an umbrella. If the temperature is below a certain point, we take a jacket or something heavier to keep us warm. Some decisions are easy while others take a little more thinking. You don't decide to take the umbrella when you are a mile from home and walking in the rain. You usually do it before you leave the house. Just as the final hours of 2019 are coming to a close, so are the opportunities to make the decision for Christ. James compares our life to the wisp of vapor that comes out of a tea kettle. It is here one moment and then gone forever. I can see rain falling, I can read the thermometer and so my decisions are based upon that information when I walk out the door. You probably have a Bible handy but that doesn't necessarily make you a Christian. It just means you own a Bible. Have you made the decision to follow the Lord Jesus Christ or are you still thinking about it? Just as the year is ticking away, so are the opportunities and the time to make the decision for Christ. Once the end comes, you won't have time to change your mind. As the little quote went, “Eternity is a long time to be wrong.” Remember what Paul said to the Philippian jailer. “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Praise God that He is still calling people to be saved.

The 20/20 Vision

          I notice that we are already seeing a lot of catch phrases involving the next year, 2020. We probably have all noticed the eye charts in the doctor's office and how when you have “perfect” vision you are said to have 20/20 vision. We assume that our vision can't can't get much better than that. In some of my studies in the Book of Acts, I came across the verse for today and called it the 20/20 vision for the church. Acts 20:20 says, “ And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,”

        Most churches have a visitation program that limps along as people know they should be telling others but it gets put on the back burner of most other church activities so either Tuesday or Thursday evening was given as the day for visitation. If that didn't work, then we would say, “Well, plan to visit this person some time during the coming week and so it was done by assignment instead of a group activity. Then there was the great “Evangelism Explosion” that was developed by Dr. Kennedy from Florida on how to reach the lost with the Gospel message. Teams would go out with one just being an observer while the other one presented the Gospel message. We would all gather back at the church and give our reports of what took place. The point is that people want to hear the message. This was brought home to me by an event on one evening while another gentleman and myself were going door to door with a handful of tracts and our outline on how to present the Gospel message. The man that we were talking to really showed no interest but we still chatted on his front steps for awhile. In the meantime, another gentleman was raking his leaves towards the road and was getting closer and closer. After we left home number one, we walked to the edge of the street and introduced ourselves to the gentleman and we explained what we were doing. The man then replied, “I had hoped you would be coming over to see me.” The lesson for us was that not everyone wants to hear the message on the same day or evening or hour for that matter. There is someone however that does want to hear it and the only way we are going to get to that one is the going from house to house. Realizing that the early church was not confined to a building, they would often go to house meetings and the Apostle Paul did that much of the time in the city of Ephesus as here explains that he went from house to house that they might be taught the full counsel of the Word of God. Oh, we can use many gimmicks to try to get the man off the street to stop in but that is not going to be very productive. One church I knew had the following sign on their front lawn, “What's Missing.....CH__ __ CH? Even I could figure it out before I was even saved. If you haven't figured it out, the answer is U R which stand for “you are.” God chose to use people like you and me to share what He has done in our lives with others. It is our testimony and no one can argue with what took place in your life. You know how God worked and how a marvelous thing transpired when you came to have that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It would be my desire that we all spend more time just sharing what God has done in our lives and therefore teach others about the wonderful Gospel message that is available to all, from house to house. May that be our vision, our 20/20 vision as it were, for the year to come and how many more years that the Lord gives us to do His work. Praise God today for His mission for each and everyone of us.

The New Testament

          A theologian by the name of J. I. Packer made the following comment about the First Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. “The [Christian] message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity - hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory - because at the Father's will Jesus became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross.” We get the picture. Some have referred to the life of the Lord Jesus Christ while here on earth as being from the cradle to the cross. It makes a nice mental picture for us in order to see the purpose for which He came. Hebrews 9:16-17 says, “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.”

         Before we went to Spain, we needed to fill out a last “will and testament” as it was advisable to have one. The document is often called the last will and testament of the one who wrote it. The Book of Hebrews has mentioned a few simple facts about a “testament' in the above verses. A “new” testament does not become effective until the “testator” dies. As it says, if you have a testament, then you will also need to have a testator for it to become effective. In looking back, the believer realizes that the promises of the inheritance have been guaranteed by the death of the testator which has put the new testament in force. It all had to begin with the nativity which we have just celebrated in recent days. You just can't skip that step if you are going to have a “new testament” that has been put into force by the death of the testator. So, Jesus was indeed headed for the cross even from that first moment in the manger. This sequence of events has profound meaning for us today because of the inheritance in which we will be involved. When you couple this passage with the first three chapters of Ephesians you see the inheritance that we will receive as a result of what took place during those first 33 years or so of the Lord Jesus Christ after the incarnation. When the Lord Jesus Christ uttered those words, “It is finished,” the testament was activated and now because of our personal relationship with the Son of God, we become joint heirs with Him. Wow! What an inheritance. This inheritance become more real when we see that we have an “earnest” of that inheritance which has been guaranteed by the Holy Spirit. There may be times in our lives when we feel that we don't have all that we need or want to have. Material things cannot even begin to compare to that which is eternal and which we now possess through the death of the Testator. The inheritance is a sure thing. We need to stop for a moment and focus our attention on just what the Savior did for us. Praise God today for the fact that God the Father sent His only begotten Son to this earth so many years ago. May we all be encourage today and in the days to come.

This is the Way it Happened

          Reporters used to “report” the news. That is probably why they were called “reporters.” There is a difference in what we hear on the news channels today as most of the speakers are really commentators and not reporters. They give their interpretation of what took place. We sometimes find ourselves wondering what took place and finally someone with authority and knowledge of the issue steps forward and says, “This is what happened, folks.” Now, we are in the loop and know what took place. Matthew 1:18 says, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”

          The little phrase, “...on this wise” is the result of someone with authority and knowledge telling us what took place at the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes the same phrase is worded, “it happened this way.” We know that such an important event is going to have a report somewhere and the Bible tells us just went on that night in Bethlehem. A star appeared, Wise men set out to follow the star, shepherds got a big surprise in the field that night. Mary found herself with child, The angelic message was given to Joseph and Mary. Two people, both of the lineage of King David were brought divinely together for one of the greatest events in the history of mankind. Prophecies were fulfilled that night in such a remarkable way that the world still stand in amazement. It is no wonder that Matthew makes the statement through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise.” In other words, “This is the way it happened folks.” Right away there are those who say, “I just can't believe it.” Sure, it is almost unbelievable when one thinks of the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is something that is beyond our comprehension but nonetheless, God said, “This is the way it happened.” Then it goes on to give us the timeline an some of the important events that took place from the announcement and the next nine months. Even the forerunner, John the Baptist, was already prepared as Elizabeth was pregnant by three months. It was an important event. It was so important that we world decided to call every date after that, “anno domini,” the year of our Lord. It has just been recently that those who are offended by such a statement have changed it to “CE” or “common era. God had already said, “This is what happened.” and so we read the account. God made it clear as to what took place and that alone gives us confidence in what He has said about our search for meaning in this life. For the most part, people long for peace, joy, love and hope but come up empty handed when searching for it in the things of the world. The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who gives us the example of love as seen in John 13 and the peace we long for is seen in John 14. The Joy is found in the Lord Jesus Christ as seen in the book of Philippians and hope is in Christ as we see in Hebrews 11. What does this all do for us today? Well, it tells us that since the first advent took place, the second advent will happen also. We may not understand how it will all come to pass, but God knows the how, the when, and the where it will all happen. The clock is ticking and every moment is one moment closer to the second advent of Christ and there is no stopping the clock and saying, “Wait a minute. I am not ready.” First Thessalonians has already given us the description of the even in 4:13-18. Just as God said so many years ago, “This is the way it happened” so He has said in the New Testament, “This is the way it is going to happen.” Praise God for the First Advent of Christ as we look for ward to the Second Advent also.

New Calendars

        By now, we have already received several calendars for the coming year.  it's getting close to the time when you get your new calendars for 2020 if you don't have a bunch of them already.  Usually, the calendars will list the holidays for the country in which the calendar will be used.  If the calendar is going to be used by both the USA and Canada, you will find both listings available.  One of the things to notice is Christmas.  No matter how you look at it, Christmas is the most popular holiday on the calendar.  Realizing that businessmen see how much money they can get out of a holiday, Christmas has to top the list.  Stores begin promoting Christmas buying as early as the month of July and sometimes even earlier than that.  Even the month of January is used for "after Christmas sales."  Now, what has made this particular holiday more popular than all the rest of them?  Whether you are a believer or not, Christmas has been the holiday that has affected more people than any other.  Even the writing of the date is an indication of when Christ became flesh as He was born of the virgin Mary so many years ago.  The use of certain colors and the displays of lights have grown quite popular.  So, why is this the most important holiday ever?  "Matthew 1:21 says, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins."  

          This simple statement proclaims loud and clear the necessity for Christmas to the whole world.  Jesus was born that He might live and then die for the sins of mankind.  Even though we might condemn the secularization of Christmas, there is still the message that goes out from believers around the world.  The message goes out even in the midst of the secularization of the holiday itself.  People try to change the name and try to come up with ways to not mention the Lord Jesus Christ but Jesus is still the central message of Christmas.  This might be the one thing that irritates the atheist or the agnostic.  But, you can't ignore the birth and life of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Oh, people try to disguise Christmas with the word "holiday" but even the traditions of Christmas have their roots in the church and the message of the birth of the Savior.  So, praise God today for this Christmas season where you have the opportunity to tell someone about the Greatest Gift of all.

Christmas Eve

         I have mentioned before how the La Porte Herald Argus would keep track of the shopping days until Christmas. It would appear on the lower right hand side of the comics and since Sundays were not shopping days, the week end made little difference to the countdown. The excitement was peaked on that day when the number “1” appeared in the box. That means that it was Christmas Eve. In our house, that meant the opening of the gifts after supper then a visit to several of the family members in the area especially on dad's side of the family. It was an exciting time, but now where as exciting as the event described in the following passage. Luke 2:11 says, “ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

         Luke 2:1-11 gives the more full account of that event when the announcement was made to the shepherds. I feel that we are often pleased that God made the announcement to the common folk of the time and not to the rich and powerful that were located in downtown Jerusalem. The introduction of the events for the night was given to a group of shepherds while Herod was unaware at the time as to what was going on. The scribes and the Pharisees were likewise in the dark. One may have presumed at the time that the announcement would be made to them as they should have known just based on the Scriptures. When the Wise Men came in Matthew 2, we find the scribes answering the question as to where Jesus would be born, in Bethlehem. For the most part, however, the people were absolutely in the dark. It didn't take too long to get the shepherds attention when the event of the evening transpired. An angel appears and makes the announcement by beginning with the words, “Be not afraid...” At the time, that probably was an understatement. An angel, speaking right in front of you would possibly be a cause for alarm and for fear. The announcement was gratifying and pleasing to the shepherds and they immediately make plans to observe this event by going and looking for the place where Jesus had been born. The account in Luke goes on to say that the single angel is now accompanied by a host of angels praising God. There was no doubt that this was an important event and the shepherds were given enough information to find the spot where Jesus was laying in a manger. What is going to excite you this Christmas? For many, they will be looking for the excitement of the party, the gift, the food and then it will be over. For believers, it will be the excitement of realizing what really took place that night when the shepherds got the first announcement as to what had just taken place. We often refer to this series of events as the First Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ and just as sure as the First Advent occurred, the Second Advent is about to take place. The Scriptures foretold of the First Advent and they likewise speak of the Second Advent. How will the events figure into your life this year? Praise God that He sent His Son to be our Savior. And they called His name Jesus because He would save His people from their sins.

Marketing Christmas

          We get reminded abut Christmas many times before the event on our calendar, but it is not the reason that we should expect. The reason for the Christmas season is not to honor the One Who was born, that is, made flesh over 2,000 years ago. The reason we are reminded today is for the sale of items and to promote the idea of gift giving during this time of the year. People spend a lot of time calculating just how much money can be spent in the days prior to Christmas and in these days it amount to billions of dollars. Therefore, sellers of merchandise have a large stake in what takes place in the market up to and including December 24^th. Gift giving has become a popular and very lucrative business and finding new ways to entice the buyer into the market place are continually being sought after. The science of marketing has overrun the intent of the Christmas story. Matthew 1:23-25 says, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”

        God used the word “gave” in John 3:16 indicating that His Son was given to us for the purpose of salvation. Perhaps this is the initial source of the idea of giving something to celebrate Christmas but the marketing of gifts has taken over and the end goal has been shifted from the event that inspired it all and instead focuses on the breaking of the record of the most money ever spent during the final days of the Christmas season countdown. We probably won't be able to stem the tide, so to speak, this year or the next. Mankind has a mindset that is more inclined towards sinfulness rather than the actual reason for the coming of the Savior in the first place. We probably already have our plans set in stone as to what is going to be expected on our calendar in the next few days. We will visit here and there. We will eat food that we would not normally eat the rest of the year. We will bring and accept gifts hoping that on one is left out. We may sing some traditional songs that we only sing once a year. We will look at and admire the biggest and tallest Christmas trees and try to outdo the neighbor with the amount of decorations that we can put out. At some point, we may even take a look at Luke 2:1-11 or at least have it read to us from a pulpit, TV, radio or perhaps from our own Bible. The majority of the world will then cease from the Christmas market and head for the next event. It may be New Year's or it may even be Valentine's day as once more, we will see how much we can achieve or spend for the next holiday. For many, they will forget the event that shook the foundation of the world on that night over 2,000 years ago and that even changed the calendars. A lot took place between the First Advent and the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ including the death, burial and resurrection of our Blessed Savior. Because of all that, we now have hope, peace, love and joy in our live, or at least, it could be if you know Him as your Savior. The marketing of Christmas should be overshadowed by the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 and the fulfillment as mentioned in Matthew 2:23-25. Perhaps you will be excited beyond measure at the story of the angels appearing to the shepherds and their proclamation beginning with, “Don't be afraid...” As we head into the final days of the season, take a long and satisfying look at the4 Biblical account of how it was back then. Praise God that He sent His Son to be our Savior. He is the Best Gift of all.

Grace Appearing

        What is it in this life that commands respect? Our regard for things often reflects our attitude towards them. The culture in which we now live seems to have lost respect for many groups that before were not even thought about disrespecting them. We find this with everything from the president of the United States down to the elders in our own lives. In my day as a youngster, you never even thought of disrespecting the janitor in our school. Things have changed. The reason in some part is basically the sinfulness of mankind in general which has resulted in a distrust of those in authority. Abuse of all kinds from the trusted elders in our lives has often resulted in criminal abuse. Thus, our trust and our respect have greatly diminished if not disappeared altogether. Titus 2:11-13 says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

       Christmas is a time when, for the believer, we can reflect on what took place over 2,000 years ago. Prophecies were fulfilled that night when Mary gave birth to baby Jesus and He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. It was the incarnation. That which had been predicted was coming to fulfillment as the Son of God took on flesh. Truly the grace of God that brought salvation had appeared to all men. It was just the beginning and in a few short years, close to 33 years, the Lord Jesus Christ would die on the cross on Calvary, be buried in a tomb and then raised from the dead, then to travel around for the next forty days and then ascend into heaven. What a marvelous time that was. Respect was gone in those days also. The Jews had been under the hand of oppression for over 400 years. The zealots hated the Roman rule as did many others but events would find the people in Jerusalem soon screaming to the officials to crucify the son of God. That was the cup He was going to drink and in so doing pay the penalty for all of our sins, past, present and future. Truly, the grace of God had appeared to all men. It is the same today and the words of Paul to Titus are just as true today as they were then. The grace has appeared but not all accept what has been freely given. Our culture still disrespects authority of any kind. There is, however, still hope. That hope is to be found in the Babe that was in the manger over 2,000 years ago. Praise God today for the hope that He has given to us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

"The Lord said..."

     

          I get a new quotation every morning from a man who just puts some worthy saying that someone said before. I have mentioned before that many of the quotations come from people I don't know, so therefore I probably am not going to be using them any time soon. There are some however, that I have read myself and would consider using a comment or two if the opportunity came up. Certain names like Jonathan Edwards and C. H. Spurgeon are known to many people and so their quotes have more emphasis than many of the unknown writers. Acts 22:10 says, “And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.'”

         The little phrase, “The Lord said...” appears about 275 times in that combination of words in the Bible, most of them being found in the Old Testament but about ten of them in the New Testament. Quoting someone real famous adds spiritual weight to the message. Other forms of the above phrase will reveal many other times in which God spoke to His people with a very special message. Now, there is something worth quoting to the whole world. The Apostle Paul was quoting what was said by God to Him as he went through the experience on the road to Damascus. The occasion was the conversion of the Apostle when his whole life was turned around. Paul used that event to give testimony to what had taken place in his life and why he was doing what he was doing. There is no one who should even attempt to argue with God, His methods and His actions with anyone. When you see the phrase, “The Lord said..” that should end any discussion about the importance of the statement and the validity of the statement. On some of the social media programs on the internet, we often see the statement, “If you agree, like and share.” That statement, like and share, is often applied to everything from peanut butter to political views. We can take the opportunity of “like and share” the Word of God and then go on to quote God especially in those instances where it simply states, “The LORD said.” On one could argue with Paul's personal experience on the Road to Damascus and we have at least two occasions in the Book of Acts where Paul gives his personal testimony as to what took place. When you put them all together, you get the more complete version of the account. You may quote Ronald Reagan, C. S. Lewis or Sesame Street but the most important quotes come from the Word of God itself. While we have the 275 times that we find the exact words we also can simply quote what God has said in each and every verse of Scripture. It is true that there are those direct quotes from God and then there are those times when we can say that “God said and then go on to quote John 3:16 or Romans 5:8 or First John 5:11-13. When it comes to social media, there are no times when I have “liked and shared” something just because it was there. When it comes to God's Word, I will take every opportunity I find to like and to share it with others not only on social media but also at the grocery store, the gas station, the neighborhood, the restaurant or wherever we might find and opportunity. Praise God today for the fact that He has given us His Word to share with others.

Eeyore and Joy

         Eeyore is a character in “Winnie the Pooh” books. He is a donkey that is never very happy about anything but instead is pessimistic and seems to be greatly depressed about almost everything. I can't say that I have ever met a person whose character would fit that of Eeyore but some may come close to it. There was a time in my life during my year of study at Indiana University when I was in a fit of depression. It was my first time away from home and all of the attachments that went along with my life in Rolling Prairie. It was a part of growing up but maybe I didn't want to grow up. We can't stay in any age for very long and then it is time to move on. You have a lot of periods of graduation from kindergarten, from sixth grade, from junior high, from high school and for some, even graduation from college all the way up to even getting a doctorate degree in something. Life doesn't seem to be stagnant but moves on. James 1:2 says, “ Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,”

         This is a familiar verse but certainly not the only one that speaks about joy in the life of the believer. The word “joy” and its associated words such as rejoice, rejoiced and rejoicing appear over 400 times in the bible, 80 plus times in the Book of Psalms and fourteen times in the Book of Philippians. Joy, then should be one of the characteristics of the Christian life and probably just the opposite of the little donkey, Eeyore. Joy is one of the things that people look for and want to possess and so try many different ways to achieve it. The pursuit of happiness seems to be centered on the acquiring of things but they often end up with the same void as they had before the got the new home, car, computer, or the new cordless drill. In a short time, they are right back to where they were and again look for something to fill the void in their lives. In this verse, one is to “consider” joy when he or she is faced with trials in their lives, and who isn't without trials of one sort or another even many at the same time. We all are faced with them, some big, some small and some that seem to be overwhelming. James then says, “in light of these trials just consider joy.” The Book of Psalms does use one of the words here and there over 80 different times. It usually uses the word to “rejoice.” While Eeyore is depressed about almost everything, we can be rejoicing about everything. Let us be reminded that First Thessalonians 5:16 tells us to “rejoice always.” That leaves nothing out, even the bad things. You can be like Eeyore and be saying, “Oh dear” time and time again, or you can rejoice in what God is doing in your life in this very moment and what He will be doing in the moments to come. There are no accidents or surprises to God and so everything does have a purpose. I don't think that most people enjoy trials and we have a tendency to wish for better circumstances but God is working in your life and you will come out of it for the better as you grow in your spiritual life. Praise God that He is still working on us all.

Good Thoughts

         I have a small routine I go through each morning when I get up and get my coffee and head for the computer to write the devotion. I check my email and then go to Facebook in my search for either updates of new prayer requests. Sometimes people post their activities for the past day on social media and I find out who is standing in the need of prayer. In so doing, I also go through and remove all of the offensive posting. This includes everyone who puts something on Facebook with a “cuss” word in it. They automatically get removed as soon as they are spotted. If it continues, some people get “removed from my list.” I also get rid of anything that speaks offensively about my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This cleans up some of the posting on my Facebook page. I also enjoy using the mute button especially during any political election time such as we are now in for the next 10 months. Every candidate that promotes the killing of babies gets the automatic mute button. I am getting pretty fast on the draw with this. There are a lot of things I can't control, but one thing I can control is the TV sound and what appears on my computer screen. It is important to keep the mind input more along good lines than that which is evil. Philippians 4:7-8 says, “ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

        The Apostle Paul spoke about having a renewed mind in several places in the New Testament and one of the most famous is perhaps Romans 12:1-2. Mind renewal can be accomplished by safeguarding the input into your mind and especially that which you think about. It seems as if your mind is active every second that you are awake and perhaps even when you are sleeping. The mind can become a nesting place of pictures that you would like to forget but once you see them they seem to be burned into your memory. Some of the pictures in my mind go back to me very early childhood such as the lightning that split a phone pole in front of my eyes. There are always those times when someone tries to deliberately tear you down or to insult you or to speak evil about you. This is why we need to guard the input of our mind and we can promote this by our control of our thought life. This is where the lesson comes from Philippians 4:8. This is one of those verses that should be copied and put on the dashboard of your car or on your refrigerator or on the door frame of both your front and back doors. This verse should be in a place where it will be a constant reminder of that on which you should be thinking. What do you think about? Truth, honesty, just, purity, lovely, good report, virtue and praise should all be the characteristics of our thoughts. Praise God for keeping us on track moment by moment.

Little Thorns

        Are you growing in your service for the Lord? We seem to have a tendency to act a certain way and then when some of our acquaintances arrive, we act differently. As I look back on my ministries in the churches in which we have served, I made a lot of mistakes in each and every one of them. In my defense however, I would like to think that I have been growing in my own spiritual life through the past 40 years and my ministries should be reflecting some type of improvement. In most of my positions, I was an associate pastor except for one church where I was the pastor and my later ministry as a pastoral counselor. Every ministry has been a place of growing for me personally but often at the expense of the people I was serving. The following account from the life of Peter gives me hope. Galatians 2:11-12 says, “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.”

        Peter seemed to be concerned about the appearances of things in his ministry. When no one was around, Peter would eat with the Gentiles. After all, Peter had the vision of the sheet and had been involved with Cornelius and so was accustomed to being associated with the Gentiles. That was the way things were until someone showed up in town from the “circumcision.” Peter apparently got a little nervous and would depart from the Gentiles. Maybe he was a little nervous about being seen with a group of people that would present a problem to the people of the circumcision. The point here is that Paul brought the matter up to Peter and confronted him with his error. This would prove to be a learning point for Peter. Let us not forget that Peter was a leading person in the ministry in those days but apparently, not perfect because he also was human. Who is it in your life that would cause you embarrassment should you be seen with them in public? It might be a group from another church on the other side of town or perhaps people of a different race or people perhaps that believe differently than some of your friends. You may be afraid that the question might come up, “How do you know them?” What would your answer be? As Peter, we might be concerned about what people might think about us. Peter would walk away from the Gentiles and not be seen with them while the people of the Circumcision were present. As in all of our lives, we are still growing spiritually speaking. If we are not in a time of growth, then sin has come into our lives and we need to deal with that. I might say that in every position that I have had, there has been at least one “thorn in the flesh” that is, someone that questions my way of doing things or my abilities. I guess that is a good thing. There are no perfect churches or ministries. There are those that are better than others but none of them are perfect. The saying goes, “Look for the perfect church. Join it and then it is not perfect anymore.” That means that the imperfection of any given ministry is on your own shoulders and not on that of someone else. God worked in the life of Peter and Peter died for the Lord Jesus Christ in the end. God is still working in the lives of each and everyone of us. When you ask yourself, “Why did I just do that?” just remember that you are now in a growing situation and learn from it and go ahead in your work for the LORD. Praise God that He is not finished with us yet.

Ministries

         Ministries should not be determined by man's motives but by God's direction. He leads and we follow. Some ministries begin and fizzle out shortly while others go on because God is directing it. I have felt that the ministry of these devotions has been directed by God and that they have endured over the years because of His direction. This month marks the 20^th anniversary of the devotions that have been meant to be an encouragement on the road of life. Twenty years ago, Darrin affolter suggested to me in the hallway of the lower level of Bethel Baptist Church that we send out a daily devotion, church calendar and prayer list to our college students scattered in different schools in the state of West Virginia. Thus, the ministry of the devotion began. I may have missed a couple of days during my two strokes or my two surgeries but for the most part we have kept up with the daily encouragement ministry through the internet. The ministry has always been just Monday through Friday. I am not saying that the weekend does not need to be a time of encouragement as there may be more needs during the weekend than those of the week days. The Lord has blessed during these years as He always does. Acts 16:10 says, “And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.”

        The Apostle Paul was looking for guidance during his second missionary journey and the Holy Spirit closed two doors and finally the evangelistic team settled in to wait for God's leading. The outcome was the ministry to Europe that began in the vision at Troas. Paul was faithful to the heavenly call from macedonia and never faltered even though there were many instances of hardship along the way. The incident at Philipi that included going to the local jail for the night would have been a discouragement for many but Paul and Silas just sang songs praising God at midnight and God was faithful in the ministry that He had given to them. Ministries come and go and quite often fail because they are man made and not God made. Paul certainly could have been discouraged as indicated by the books that He has penned in the Scriptures under the leading of the Holy Spirit. The churches at Corinth, Thessalonica and Philippi brought all kinds of difficulties, yet Paul remained faithful to the ministry to which he had been called. Utilizing the internet may be a strange way to present the Good News of the Gospel but you never know just how far it often goes. The messages of the devotion go our to about 48 different people plus a personal blog and then to Facebook. Several others however forward the same devotion to their own personal list which amount to many others. Who knows where they go from there. All that to say, that God takes it and multiplies it far beyond what I could ever plan to do. You never know just how far God uses your own lives in the sending forth of the Gospel message. It may be your prayers, your care for someone, your helping another person and certainly your righteous acts for the needs of another. May we all be faithful to the ministry that God has given to each and everyone of us. Praise God for His use of believers for the propagation of the Gospel.

I Am Content

         We are often called upon to adapt to our conditions. We have a lot of squirrels in our neighborhood and when the leaves fall off of the trees, you can spot their nests in the tops of the trees. That would have to be a precarious place to have your home, but the squirrels seem to enjoy it and adapt right well. I think of my past and realize  that I have had to adapt to a lot of different situations. I didn't have my own bedroom until I was about 13 years old. at first, I slept on the couch in the living room and then after we got a gas station, I slept on a fold out couch in the kitchen. Then the house suffered fire damage, Dad built a new one, or at least started it and we lived in the finished basement for the next 6 years. I had my first bed that didn't fold up in the room with the furnace and the 300 oil tank. Then came college, the U. S. Navy and a number of apartments and homes where we lived usually in something that we could afford and as big as possible. Every time we moved in to a new place, we painted it. Philippians 4:11 says, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

         Paul here teaches us another important lesson in his statement, “...in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Paul probably had to adjust to a lot of different places to sleep for the night. He probably didn't have a gigantic summer home on the island of Malta or a vacation spot in Rome. Some of his dwelling places were like the prison in Rome or when Paul and Silas spent the night in a Philippian prison. In that place, they were singing hymns at midnight when the LORD made an earthquake and the jail fell apart. We are on this earth but for a short number of years when compared to eternity. Our sixty, seventy, eighty and sometimes 100 years are but a drop in the bucket when compared to our final home. We probably spend about one third of our lives in a bed of some sorts or another trying to get our bodies refurbished for the next day. Paul's life was filled with unexpected events from being beaten, thrown in jail, shipwrecked and being condemned for what he was doing. In all of it, he still told the message that we are to be content in whatever state we find ourselves. When you look around you, it becomes evident that there are many who are worse off than you are and that there are many who are better off than you are. We can have our own pity party or we can learn to be content and since God's Word emphasizing the contentment aspect, that is what we should be doing. There are things in this life that have a high priority, such as the spreading of the Gospel message, but there are some things, such as our personal contentment that are low on the list. My bed is secure while that of a squirrel is bouncing around in the breeze in the top of a tree. I thank God for my situation in this life in this moment. God has always provided and even though all of them are temporary, God is preparing a place for you and me in heaven according to John 14:1-6. Praise God today for His provisions in all of our lives.

Settling the Account

         I went to college, the first time, in 1957 with my course paid for due to a scholarship and a check book with $100.00 in it. That was going to have to last me for the entire semester. In those days, it was a lot of money and was for anything extra that I wanted to purchase. My room and board had been paid for and so I really didn't need anything else. That was the idea, however a few purchases here and there eventually used up the amount in my check book. Maybe my math had not been perfect and I ended up being overdrawn on the account but the bank never stopped payment on a check for a slice of pizza but instead notified my mother who made up the difference. Philemon 1:18 says, “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;”

        The word that makes up the phrase, “put that on my account” is used here and only one other place, in Romans 5:13 where it is translated as “impute.” Paul had made a promise to Philemon that if Onessimus had any debt to Philemon that it was to be put on Paul's account. Paul, at that point, stepped in and placed the debt on his own account rather than having it owed by Onessimus. It is a good thing to notice that there are some things that we cannot pay and that there is someone who has stepped in and made the payment for us. The earth probably would not stop spinning because of a two dollar overdraft or the price of a piece of property but there is a lesson of greater importance in this passage. There was a payment that we all owed that we could not pay ourselves no matter how hard we might try to fulfill it. The price of redemption for that payment was well beyond our means and so we needed Someone to step in and say, “Put that on my account.” As a result, we can look back to see the Lord Jesus Christ dying on the cross at Calvary and paying the price we could not pay as our sins were “imputed” to Him and His righteousness was imputed to us.. The amount paid at Calvary was far greater than we could imagine but in the end of the events of that day, the Lord Jesus Christ declared, “It is finished.” That meant that the debt had been paid in full. The Lord Jesus Christ was saying at that point, “Put the payment for those sins on my account.” Sometimes, we may forget just what happened at Calvary and we are remembering only the general things such as, Yes, Jesus paid it all, but the words don't reveal just how great a debt that was. The debt was going to keep us from eternal life as God would not allow sin in heaven. The payment was made and now we can go to heaven just because He paid it all. Praise God today for the Gospel message of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because He lives, we too shall live.

Sufferings and Discouragement

        Every now and then I go over to the local Veterans Medical Facility for an examination. It is filled with veterans young and old who have been all kinds of dangerous situations. I was in the Navy during Viet Nam but that doesn't put me in the class of the usual Viet Nam veteran. I never saw combat duty as I was stationed at a school command for my entire nine years. The most physical suffering I had been subjected to was sitting in front of three trombones and three trumpets. Many of the veterans are without either legs, arms, or both. They have suffered far more than I ever did so it doesn't take long to realize that I am pretty well off for my age. Second Corinthians 11:23 says, “ Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.” 
         This passage begins with the above verse and goes on to list the events that took place in the life of the Apostle Paul. When you think about the right to be discouraged, Paul would seem to have had that right. Paul was dedicated to the ministry in which he was involved and he did it faithfully until the end. He never faulted even though he had perhaps a right to do so. He suffered at the hands of his enemies and even the church people. He could have died in some of the instances where he found himself. This email devotion goes out to a group of people that have the capability to receive it and to read it. That means they have a computer and some form of power to be able to even get it in the first place. Compared to the Apostle Paul, we no right to complain about what is going on in our life. Paul's mission was totally given to the ministry of spreading the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to as many people as he possibly could. He never wavered even in the midst of terrible conditions that would have turned many of us around and back to the living room chair. For us, discouragement seems to come when things just don't go our way. We have plans on how things should progress and when those things fail to materialize as we think, we get discouraged. Remember however that discouragement is relative to your situation. When you come to a time of discouragement, just remember the Apostle Paul's situation and read all of the section that begins with the above verse of Scripture. For some, rain on a Sunday morning will prevent them from going to church. For others, a pain in one foot, a sniffle, cold weather or getting up late will also prevent them from doing the Lord's work. Just think about Paul's beatings of 39 lashes, of robbers, sinking ships, abuse and danger and all of the other things mentioned. How would you feel then? On the positive side, we have the promises of the Bible that assure us that God will never leave us, that God will supply all of our needs, that Jesus will someday return and that even if you die, you will be with God in heaven for all eternity. Now, how good is that! When you seem to be getting discouraged just remind yourself of the promises of God and all of the storm clouds will pass away. Praise God today for the fact that He does supply all of our needs all of the time according to His Word.

2019 Annual Christmas Letter

Dear Family and Friends,
     I recently came across a thought from another person that came to the conclusion that "if the Lord Jesus Christ had not raised from the grave, we would not be having this conversation."  It was intriguing to say the least and the conclusion of the matter was that He indeed did raise from the grave and so we are still recognizing Him in our lives even in this day and in this year, 2019.  Before He rose from the grave, we can backtrack a little to the time of the first Advent, or what we call "Christmas."   Oh, we can say that He is unimportant to us and not needed and is a crutch for many, but the fact remains We know from history that He appeared on this earth, was born, lived, died and was raised from the dead.  I know they changed the name of the date from A.D. to CE, probably because people were offended by it but it is still true and the A.D. still stands, "The year of our Lord."  The Babe in the manger made a difference in the world in just a short time of span, some 33 years.  Maybe you don't believe in miracles such as the virgin birth, the resurrection and the ascension.  I, for one, do believe in not only those miracles but many more as written the Word of God.  We do hope that you have a Merry Christmas especially as you focus your attention upon Him during this time of the year.
     Diane and I had, perhaps, a typical senior year.  Our time in 2019 was spent in ministries to the Lord and going to doctor's appointment, x-rays, echo cardiograms, vascular scans, blood tests and trying to keep the pill boxes straight.  Most of you know our children, Elaine and Andrew.  They are slowly taking us under their wings to keep us fit and fancy in our senior years.  Elaine now comes over once a week and straightens up the house, cleans it and offers suggestions on how to keep safe from one moment to the next.  Since Diane quit driving, we are also being escorted to many of the visits of our medical concerns.  Both Andy and Elaine  accompany us to those visits when possible and keep records of what is going on, what is being prescribed and the asking of pertinent questions.  Andrew, John Seiler and some of the grand children assist in much of the outside work such as bush trimming and weeds.  We have been and are being blessed by their assistance.
     Our ministry events consist of both Diane and myself singing in the Salem Senior Center choral group, which practice once a month and then sing the following three Tuesdays of the month at several of the nursing communities in the area.  Diane got started in the group and then I came along later and joined up.  It is a small choral group of  about 20 seniors who can still hold a tune to some extent and who just plain like to sing.  Our ministries will include about half sacred songs and the rest are popular tunes from the 40's and 50's.   Dan is still able to preach twice a month at Our Lady of the valley retirement community and still leads the bell choir of about 8 seniors who minister at the quarterly memorial services, a once a year trip to another retirement community to play the bells and maybe a special presentation now and then at Our Lady of the Valley.
     One highlight during the year was the completion of my autobiography.  I published it through a self publishing group called lulu.com and it has its ISBN and can be purchased on Amazon.com and also Barnes and Noble.  Isn't that thrilling.  I put together for anyone who would want to know who I was.  Mainly, I knew nothing of my grandparents on my father's side except he made beer in his basement.  So, the story is out there now.
        Life is a bit humorous at time with my being hard of hearing which makes Diane talk considerably louder and with both of us having memory issues.  Car keys have been lost and turned up near the cat food and now my musical clock is playing strange music.  I have a Rhythm Clock which we purchased about 20 years ago.  It played 12 songs, one each at the beginning of every hour.  At Christmas time, you can flip the switch and it will play three Christmas songs, Silent Night, You to the World and We Wish you a Merry Christmas.  This year I slipped the switch and now and then the typical three songs are played.  It has however added some songs such as Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Bridge over Troubled Water and one I don't recognize.  They are nice songs, but have no idea how they got into the clock.  There are no RF signals, blue tooth or WiFi present on the clock.  The clock is now out of production and the people at the factory have no ideas concerning the new music.  I refer to it as my "haunted Clock" and let it go at that and just enjoy the new music.
      For many of you, we don't know when we will ever see you again this side of heaven if you plan on going there when you pass from this life.  Diane and I still plan to be with the Lord as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 when we depart this earth which could be anytime soon.  As one man recently said, "Us seniors that are over 80 years old are in 'overtime.'"  May the Lord bless you all during this special time of the year and in the new year to come.  If we ever happen to be in the same doctor's office, we will have a chat and a cup of coffee.  We thank you all for your prayers and thoughts and may the Lord keep you safe .  As my Dad would say, "Keep the shiny side up.
            In Christian Love,
            Dan and Diane Freeland

Hiding It In My Heart

        It seems that during all phases of my life, I have been required to memorize things.  As a child, I would have to memorize various poems and then recite them in front of the class.  We all had to do it so it wasn't a real big thing except I didn't enjoy speaking in front of people in those days.  Then, as a teenager and being involved in regional and state solo contests, I would have to memorize a rather large piece of music.  When I became a man, it seemed as if the requirements for memorization had been lessened.  Then, the following verses were brought to my attention.  Psalm 119:9-11 says, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.  With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." 

       Maybe I could figure that the years of practice of memorization had a reason.  It was so I would be able to memorize Scripture.  The verses state that a person "hides" the Word of God in his or her heart.  It goes on to say that by doing this you will not be sinning against God. You will be surprised to find out how often the memorized verses will come to mind when you are faced with temptations in your life. You always hear people say that it was always easier to memorize something when they were younger and now that they are older in years it is far more difficult to memorize something.  Perhaps it is because our minds are filled with many more worthless things now then when we were younger.  Well, they might not be considered worthless in light of all of the things that we have to do, but they are things that crowd out some more important issues, such as memorizing the Word of God.  If you look for it, you will find the time that you can spend in Bible memorization.  A person can look around them and see examples of wasted time that could have been put to better use.  I A number of years ago, I attended a baseball game and observed a young lady who was on her cell phone for 3 and 1/2 hours.  It didn't seem like a good use of her time. Now, granted, that is a bit much and most people don't spend that much time on the cell phone.  There are other times that you can use for Bible memorization.  All you have to do is use the time that you have wisely.  So, whatever excuse you are using to keep from memorizing God's Word, realize that it not good enough.  Start memorizing a verse today and then another, and another. Repeat the verse several times the first day and then repeat the same verse everyday for the next thirty days. When you get the one verse down, add another and say both verses every day, again, for the next 30 days. Soon, you will discover that you have memorized a verse of Scripture regardless of how old you are. Praise God for His Word.

Agape

            I have one book in my library that has a very long title. It is called “The Expository Dictionary of Greek New Testament Words” by W. E. Vine. I became interested in the book a number of years when someone told me that every pastor should have a Bible, a Strong's Concordance and this Expository Dictionary. One of the advertisements for the book was the definitions of the word “love.” The book points out the various definitions that are in the New Testament and gives ample examples of how they are used. The main uses of the word in the New Testament is either Phileo or Agape. The first one is where we get the definition of the city of Philadelphia as being the city of “brotherly love.” The second definition, agape, is the love that is associated with God and with believers of the Christian faith. Defining it is a bit more complicated. John 13:34-35 says, “ A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

        This passage shows the importance of the word in the life of the believer. This love is to be a characteristic of every believer's life and is not an option to apply at some later date. We often look at it as being a sacrificial type of love, but what does that mean? Many say that it is not to be confused with the warm “fuzzies” that are associated with puppy love or for the attraction of people of the opposite sex. It is also not to be confused with the type of love, phileo, which is associated with the love between members of a family, although it could be used in family situations. The practical definition seemed to allude me until the pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Parkersburg, West Virginia gave us all a very practical definition of the word. Pastor Randy Kochersperger once define this love as, “righteous acts to meet the needs of another.” The supreme example of this type of love is seen at Calvary. Our need was payment for our sin and the righteous act of the Lord Jesus Christ was to die for those sins. I had a need that only Christ could pay and His fulfilling of that need was the righteous act. Today's passage reminds us that we are to love one another as Christ has loved us. For us, the Lord Jesus Christ went all the way and paid the price for every sin. When He stated on the cross, “It is finished,” that meant that the payment was full and complete. Now, how are we to “love one another” in this way. The same thought is there that we should be doing “righteous acts to meet the need of someone else.” What righteous acts can we do for someone else today and in the days to come? It can range from giving a glass of water to someone who needs one to giving a hug to someone who is discouraged, or even listening to a person as they unload their problems. It can even be saying a prayer to God for the needs of someone that is around you or in your own sphere of living. It can accomplished with a family member, wife or husband, children, sons and daughters and it can be done with your neighbor or the cashier at the grocery store or in the department store. We often see plenty of examples of people yelling at someone else, and perhaps see far less examples of someone doing righteous acts to meet the needs of someone else. In thinking about this definition, please notice that is not just any act that is needed, but a “righteous one.” How important is this? Well, Christ said that “...by this shall all men know ye are my disciples...” The cross around your neck or your bumper sticker about the love of Jesus is not going to be the example that the world needs, but your love for others will show it. Praise God today for His righteous act to meet the supreme need of you and me.

The Conclusion

           I read recently of a an elderly woman whose Bible was continually opened to the Book of Ecclesiastes. She had found that in her experiences in life, the book of Ecclesiastes had the answers for the issues that were in her life. She had found that her experiences and all of the difficulties that went along with them could be answered in that book. The book certainly does have a lot of sayings that can be used in today's issues in life. The thoughts like, “There is nothing new under the sun” are certainly true. The same thing can be said of life as we know it. Books are not even new at times, as the publisher simply changes the cover in order to sell more copies and to dress it up. The contents still remains the same. Another phrase which states, “all is vanity” also is very applicable in today's world. Perhaps Ecclesiastes has more in it than we have noticed. I have always referred to the first six verses of chapter 12 as they describe the life of the senior in today's culture. We can recognize it and laugh at it because we see it happening in our own lives. I was recently reminded of the conclusion of the book. Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

         There are those books of the Bible that have a clear conclusion. It is interesting to note that the Book of Acts has no conclusion for the simple reason that the growth of the body of Christ, the church, is not finished yet and so is still being written. Ecclesiastes, on the other hand, comes to the last two verses and states what the conclusion is to be. Notice that sentence, “Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man.” Have you ever wondered what you are to be doing in your Christian life? Have you wondered what God's will is for your life? Much has been written on trying to discern the Will of God for any individual's life. The writer of Ecclesiastes through the inspiration of God has given us one mighty and almost complete action for each and every one of us. The two items jump off the page. Number one, Fear God! Number two, keep His commandments. You don't have to be super intelligent to understand what was said. We know where we can find the commandments and we can begin with the Ten Commandments and then progress along until we come to the New Commandment in John 13:34-35. We can look at the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ when He summed up the Ten commandments into two. We were exhorted to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves as we have seen in Matthew 22. The first one mentioned in today's verse reminds us to fear God. Our picture of God the Father usually ends up as someone in their senior years, in other words, an old man. We don't know what He looks like but rely on the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. In our own minds, there are those who refer to God as “the man upstairs.” That is not evidence of “fearing” God. If anything, it is very disrespectful of God. There are some things in this life that we should fear and have the highest respect for and God is certainly at the top of the list. Ecclesiastes, then, comes to the final conclusion of all of the thoughts and ideas in the book, all 13 chapters and says, here is the end of the whole matter. Here is the conclusion. Do you really want to know what to do in this life? Fear God and keep His commandments. Julie Andrews sang a song, “Getting to know you, getting to know all about you.” It was a romantic song, but the thought is there about our relationship with God. We should be getting to know Him and to know all about Him. Praise God that He has given us His Word where we can indeed know more about Him.

Purpose

         This is the era of self publishing. Even I have published a couple of books which have an ISBN assigned to it and can even be purchased on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It is simple to do but what is important is the purpose of the book. I wrote a devotion book based on these devotions. There are however, hundreds of devotion books already on the market so it is not out there to get on the best seller's list. The second book was my autobiography simply because I wanted to leave a printed copy of my life so when people might ask a descendant, “Who was he?” they can have a copy of book. Now that assumes that someone down the road is going to ask the question which granted, may not occur, but in case it does, the book will be there. In the preface of the autobiography you can find the purpose for the book being written. Some books of the Bible have a purpose statement somewhere in the book. Such is the case for the Gospel of John. John 20:30-31 says, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

         John's Gospel clearly states why it was written and the word “believe” and all of its relative words is mentioned over 75 times in the Gospel of John alone. The entire Bible has about 259 references to the word. The Gospel of John stands out as the “Gospel of belief.” John wrote about the books purpose as he also did in his first epistle in 1 John 5:13. All of the facts about the purpose however, take their meaning in the lives of people like you and me. The last part of the second verse reminds us that we can believe and therefore have life as a result of that belief. John shows us examples of people who believed and it also shows us how important believing is to each and every one of us. People the world over keep looking for some type of satisfaction in this life and outside of the Bible, they can't find anything that satisfies. The write of the Book of Ecclesiastes came to the conclusion that there is no physical thing in this world that will satisfy the spiritual void in his or her life. We look for wealth, power, recognition and even trying to be the best that there is in any one thing but the end result is that thee is no satisfaction. John comes to the conclusion that if you want spiritual life to be real then there is only one recourse and that is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. A person can try to be the best trumpet player, the best tennis player, the best football player or the person with the highest IQ and still in the end, will come up short and will still be looking for the satisfaction in life. I would challenge you to take a pencil or pen and circle every time the word believe, believed, believeth or believes occurs in the Gospel of John then John 20:31 becomes clear. At some point, we all need to answer the question as to whether or not we believe the account that has been presented in the Gospel of John. If you do believe, then you will have life through His Name. Praise God today for His Word and for the offer of salvation.

the Homecoming

         In America, one can drive 3,000 miles and still speak the same language. There are a few different accents here and there but basically, English is the language of the nation. While in Spain, if you drove over 300 miles, you would be speaking different languages. You can sometimes tell where a person if from simply by listening to their accent. While in a class in Baltimore, Maryland, I mentioned taking the square root of a number and the class broke out in laughter because of my pronunciation of the word “root.” My home town is in the state of Indiana and my speech still bears some of the sounds of that locality. I have only been back to Indiana for funerals and now most of my family is gone so I probably won't be going back any time soon but my voice still betrays me as to where I am from. John 14:3 says, “ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

        There must have been accents even in Israel as Peter was known to be from a certain area based upon his speech. It was said about the Lord Jesus Christ that He never traveled outside of the country of Israel. Well, that does apply to His earthly home but certainly not to His true residence if you would want to call it that. In the above passage, Jesus reminds the disciples that He would be leaving this earth but that He was going to be coming again in the future. It was a disturbing thought for the disciples at that time but they would eventually understand what He was talking about. We all probably remember our “home town” wherever it might be. The Lord Jesus Christ was made incarnate in Bethlehem. He then traveled to Egypt and later came back to Nazareth and then at around the age of 30 years of age, He began His ministry which would go through about 3 more years until the crucifixion and then the resurrection and ascension back into heaven. Philippians reminds us that the Lord Jesus Christ left the glory of heaven and came to this earth. Acts reminds us that He left this earth and returned back to heaven and both the Lord Jesus Christ and the angels on the day of ascension remind us that Jesus in indeed coming again. Christmas reminds us of the first advent of Christ but the Scriptures also remind us of the second advent which is to come. This fact should be an encouragement to each and every believer. All of the difficulties, the discouragements, the depression, the activities of daily life will all pass away along with the aging process and all of its problems. The world has lost its direction when it comes to the first advent of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is hardly even mentioned or even thought about during this time of year but that will change in the future when the beginning of the second advent takes place. The outlook for the believer is one where he or she will be going to the “hometown” of the Lord Jesus Christ to be with Him for all eternity. How great is that? Believers today are waiting patiently for the second advent based upon the promise that the Lord Jesus Christ made so many years ago. May we be praising Him for His first advent and also looking forward to His second advent.

God Speaks

          It was Karl Marx who said that “religion is the opium of the people.” It always seems easy for the average man or woman to make claims about something they know nothing about. The assumption is that poor people who seem to be uneducated fall prey to a belief in Someone or Some thing greater than themselves and therefore end up creating their own god. In the first place, they have never read the Bible on their own and secondly they fail to account for several other important items. I, myself, never seemed to have a doubt that God was real and that He was and is responsible for everything as we know it and probably a lot more. I can't recall ever going to church until I was about twelve years old. The family just never went to church nor did anyone ever speak about God. On the other hand, we were not atheists either. It was always Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny and no mention of anything religious as far as our household was concerned. I like the following passage of Scripture. Job 38:3-4 says, “ Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.” To me, it is like God saying to Job, “Sit down and be quiet while I teach you a thing or two.”

         Job had his problems and after all of the words of Job and his three friends, God makes a bold statement in chapters 38 and 39. The content is like a bold science lesson and covers material in several different categories from the weather, to animals, to the oceans and even out into the universe. Job could do nothing but listen and learn, a thing that we should often do in our own lives. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” There are those times that we need to be told those very words. In all of our complaining and lack of faith, we need to hear the words of God when He says to us, “Be still and know that I am God...” Karl Marx overlooked the Bible and most of all he overlooked the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Karl Marx would not even have had to argue the point if the Lord Jesus Christ had not been raised from the dead as religion as we know it wouldn't even exist, but it does exist and it exists because of the day in history when the Lord Jesus Christ stepped forth out of the tomb with nail prints in His hands and feet and a wound in His side, bearing the marks of the crucifixion where He had paid for all of our sins. Karl Marx overlooked the resurrection and a few other things such as DNA, finger prints, iris formations and even the spots on the leopard and the stripes on a tiger. They all point to First Cause and First Cause is God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Jehovah. Only God could ever do it all and keep track of it. Karl Marx never accounted for answers to prayer that are beyond human explanation nor did he ever explain the creation of life as mentioned in Psalm 139 nor in Jeremiah 1. it is easy for the average man or woman to claim to know something about life with their finite reasoning but someday they will know that they came up short when they find themselves standing at a final judgment. If you sometimes feel like a “Karl Marx” then you need to “Be still...” God has a special message for you from His Word. For all of us believers, we are not consumed by an “opium” of the people, but simply stand on the Word of God. God said it. I believe it. That settles it. Praise God for Who He is and What He is doing in the world today.

Thanksgiving and Praise

        Mom never knew about Pepperidge Farm Stuffing. She would be up at about 4 AM and take a couple of loaves of white bread and lay them out on the oven rack and then bake them until they were all toasty. The aroma would come into my bedroom which wasn't too far from the kitchen. She would then combine all of the ingredients to make what we called, “dressing” for Thanksgiving. For the adults, it was oyster dressing. She tore each slice of toast up into small pieces and prepared the large bowl of dressing. Since I didn't like the oysters, she made me my very own special bowl of Thanksgiving dressing. The pies had already been baked and the turkey was then placed in the oven to begin it's slow roasting for the next seven or so hours until the noon meal. In those days, they had not come to know the Lord yet as that didn't occur until about 30 years later. Certainly, different pictures come to mind as I think about previous Thanksgiving days. There was the period of traditional football games, parades and the gathering of families now and then. These days, my thoughts are turned in a different direction. Psalm 100:1-5 says, “ Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

            If you are reading this, chances are, you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ especially if it is sent directly to you. The devotion gets forwarded by several different people and appears a couple of places on the “web.” There are those who have requested their own copy and so it is sent to about 49 other people scattered here and there around the country. For all of you who know and love the LORD, Thanksgiving is a special time when we purposely think about what God has done for us and how He has blessed us beyond measure. Midst the grief, discouragement, despair and trouble in the world, there is still some things for which we can be thankful. Even in the the days of sickness and personal tragedies, there is still a mighty long list of things that remind us of God's blessings. We are reminded to enter His gates with thanksgiving and to come with praise and to be thankful unto Him. When we stop for a minute to pause for a reflection of our blessings, the top of the list for me is salvation. As unworthy as I am, the Lord saved me and for that I am truly thankful. I am thankful for the promises of the Word of God like the one that says that God will never leave me nor forsake me. I am thankful that Jesus said that He was going to return someday and the way things look, it could be before we finish eating this year's turkey. Maybe you have forgotten the blessings of the year or maybe even last week. Perhaps you have forgotten when God kept you from being in a dangerous situation or when you were delivered from harm and didn't even know it. Perhaps you have forgotten how God worked in your life last week when He provided all that you needed from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. Yes, God has been faithful and has blessed us beyond our possible dreams and sad to say, we often forget about it within a couple of days. Thanksgiving for the believer isn't just one day a year. It goes on day after day after day. It is an everyday event because God has been faithful, is being faithful and will be faithful in the days to come. Give thanks to Him and praise Him for His wonderful works in your life. “For the LORD is good....”