SOMETIMES… I NEED A PUSH

           Jesus throws down the dividing prejudices of nationality, and teaches universal love, without distinction of race, merit or rank.  A man's neighbor is every one that needs help. –Geikie

            Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Matthew 22:36-39

            Loving people is the thing Jesus does best. Because He loved us, He grieves over our sin sick state. Because He loved us, He glorifies His Father. Because He loved us, He gives us eternal life. Love is the motivation of the Lord. What is your motivation this morning? I know I need a push to love people sometimes!

HE’S HERE! HE’S HERE!

All my theology is reduced to this narrow compass-Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. –Alexander

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14

I rejoice with other Christians around the globe this morning with the celebration of the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. As we remember His birth let us not forget His return. He came as the humble Lamb of God but will return as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The Blessed hope of His return has brought joy to Christians down through the ages! Rejoice in His birth today but don’t forget He’s coming back! I am longing to say, “He’s here! He’s here!  

THE DAY BEFORE…

T’was the night before Christmas and many were anticipating the birth of The Saviour, some believed a lie, and some didn’t care.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14

    Stop and imagine for a moment what the day before Jesus’ birth was like. Can you imagine the excitement of Mary and Joseph? Can you imagine the joy of Zacharias and Elizabeth? Can you imagine the anticipation of The Wise Men? Many were expecting the Saviour to come but how many were prepared for His arrival? How many were looking for Him? How many were looking for Him to come as a babe wrapped in a manger?

            Such as it is on this Christmas Eve. Many say they are looking for Jesus to return but they are looking in the wrong places. Their eyes have gone astray looking to false gods of this world leading them straight to Hell. Why don’t you GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH on this Christmas Eve to find out the real way to Heaven? “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

WHAT A RIDE...UNTIL YOU CRASH!

When it comes to the control of our lives, we are either "body" men or "spirit" men. --Eric Lindholm

He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Proverbs 25:28

Have you ever tried to drive a mini-bike? I was like 11 or 12 and one of my friends got one for his birthday. He said, “You want to drive it?” “Sure”, was my crazy response! What a mistake! I got on it, cranked it up, popped the clutch and off I went….right into a tree. I had no control over it because I didn’t know how or what to do!

That ride reminds me of my life before I received Christ as Saviour! I was aimlessly walking around in this world not knowing where I came from or where I was going. Since the day Jesus came into my life I have had a pair of spiritual eye glasses showing me that I have a wonderful Creator and He has informed me of where I’m going.

How’s your eye sight? Are you still running into sin and shame? Are you lost, looking for a way out always ending up starting over? Before all else fails—look to Jesus and live. You’ll never be lost again!

AND THEN THE LIGHT BULB CAME ON

I suppose they say of me, 'He is a radical; he is a fanatic; he only has one idea.'  Well, it is a glorious idea. - D.L. Moody

            Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:13-14

            As we are looking forward to that glorious appearing of Jesus Christ there will be those scoffers that rise up and have something to say about the message. We are not to concentrate on those insignificant weasels that would have the whole world to go to hell in a hand basket. We are to continue on with the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the message; He came into the world as a babe in a manger but would die a sinner’s death on a tree to redeem mankind. He came seeking to save that which was lost. And you and I get to watch the “Light Bulb” of salvation come on in their life as we proclaim that message. We may be a radical and some may call us a fanatic but God has given us the privilege to spread the Good News of the Gospel! What a thought! What an idea!

I’M ALL ALONE… ARE YOU SURE?

When you have accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace; God is awake. -Hugo

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5

I’ve been like the prophet Elijah when he said, “I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” When life’s joys are stolen from us by the thief of the night we find ourselves battling depression. We feel alone, helpless, and hopeless.

            But Child of God be prepared for those times. They come to each one of us. They come when we don’t trust the Lord in times of trials and temptation. They come when we aren’t familiar with His promises. Promises such as, He will never leave us nor forsake us, He makes a way of escape during temptations, and trials increase our faith as we “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

            No matter what you are going through Child of God—you’re not alone! The Saviour is with you no matter where you are! Call out to Him! Trust Him! Lean on Him! Rest in Him!

When Life throws you Curve Balls

When life becomes all snarled up, offer it to our Lord and let Him untie the knots.— Book of Days for Christians

I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:6

In Psalm 13 we find David in a state of despair. He cries out 4 times, “How long…?” He seems fearful of God forgetting Him or maybe hiding His face. He seems to feel alone and defeated but yet He knows where to turn; “Consider and hear me, O LORD my God…” How does He know where to turn, because he has been here many times before! He has been touched by God’s mercy, His blessings, and most of all His salvation. So David ends the Psalm in a better place then when He began, with a song for the LORD!

Child of God, you will have curve balls thrown at you in life—EXPECT THEM! When they come do not fret, give up, and give in! Have faith and trust the Lord! It won’t be long until you are singing because God will give you a song in the night seasons!

A WORD OF TESTIMONY

If you can’t say anything good, don’t say nothing at all!—Parents around the world

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; Psalm 107:2

I would like to Praise the Lord today for my Salvation. A little over twenty five years ago I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and come into my heart. With childlike faith came a lifetime of sins being completely washed away. Did you understand that statement; “COMPLETELY WASHED AWAY”? As far as the east is from the west Jesus has washed my sins away with His precious blood!

I am thankful this is still true today as well! If you aren’t saved you can call out to Him asking Him to forgive your sins and for Him to make your life new!

SEASON OUT OF JOY?

Joy in God is never out of season. –Henry

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:18

            Thanksgiving is past and Christmas is almost here but are those the only times we joy in the God of our salvation? Are those the only seasons of joy? If so, we are missing out on having an abiding joy!

            Our joy in God should be ever present upon our lips, our actions, and in our prayers. We should always be quick to give an account of the hope living and abiding in us. We should be a peculiar people in such ways that point people to the Saviour! When the rough times of life come we should not fret and complain, we should have faith and worship.

If your joy is “OUT OF SEASON” then you need to start counting your blessings! It won’t be long before you begin to see how blessed you truly are and the joy will return!

GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH!

Santa comes once a year. Jesus is an ever present help.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:8

The basic diesel engine works off of the principle of suck, squeeze, bang, and blow. Suck air and fuel in, when compressed it ignites, goes BANG, and blows the exhaust out! If the fuel and air is contaminated the diesel will run rougher than a roller coaster ride at Carowinds!

Such it is with a Christian’s life! Whatever we put into our life directly relates to how our life will run. Input garbage the world offers fulfilling the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life and your life will be defeated and it will begin to run rough! If you get up, get ready, and go to church, you draw close to the Lord. You learn the principles of God’s Word and it will help your life to run smooth having victory even in the darkest of days!

HE’S STILL LOOKING FOR YOU…TO FOLLOW HIM

            The distinction between following Christ and all other systems of religion consists largely in this: that in these other, men are found seeking after God, while Christ is God seeking after men. --Unknown

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

            I believe within the heart of every man, woman, boy, and girl there is a God size hole in the middle of their soul. Although everyone seeks to fill this hole with sex, drugs, self-promotion, alcohol, vain glory, personal gain, and other forms of self indulgence, the only thing that will fill it is The Lord Jesus. He comes wanting you and I to trust Him, to repent, to receive, to follow Him today!

THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

Santa puts gifts under your tree. Jesus became our gift and died on a tree.—Unknown

            For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:21-24

            Over the next few weeks, I am sure you will hear many different reasons for the season. The One true meaning of Christmas is Jesus! He came to die. He came to seek and save! He came to redeem mankind! Not just for a few chosen among the multitude but for all of fallen mankind. You’re included and you can be a part of it, all you have to do is repent and receive the free gift of Jesus Christ!

WHO’S YOUR KING?

Death may be the King of terrors... but Jesus is the King of kings! - D.L. Moody

            Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

            In 2002, my Dad found out he had cancer. He graduated to Heaven in 2003. As I often reflect back on the days following his death I remember many friends sending prayers, food for the family, or even some money to help with expenses occurred. I can’t tell you who all was there but I remember one friend who shared these scriptures. And out of all of the food shared, prayers offered, this is what has sustained the test of time—scripture! I am thankful we have The King of kings! Rejoice with me this morning for The Saviour Reigns over death, hell, and the grave!

JUST LOVE YOUR SPOUSE!

Sometimes it’s hard to love your spouse—love them anyway!        

            Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Colossians 3:18-19

            Compared to sticking it out, it is easy to throw the towel in, give up, and get a divorce. What’s hard is sticking with the low down dirty dog of a husband. What’s hard is loving your wife as Christ loved the church. What’s hard is forgiving one another and growing in God’s grace together. I often wonder when I hear of a couple going through tough times if they’ve considered what if Jesus would’ve given up on them as quick as they give up on their spouse.

Hey Hubby, love her through it. Hey Wifey, love Him through it! When you do you will be showing one another a side of the Lord Jesus you have never experienced before!

HE KNOWS…MY NAME??

There is a name in which I stand in awe of, that name is Jesus!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

There is a very popular song that I love to hear, “He knows my name.” I have heard many people sing it down through the years but my most favorite rendition of it is sung by the Rochester family. They will bless your heart.

I love that song but I couldn’t sleep this morning so as I lay there in the bed I got to thinking, He knows everyone’s name, even the hairs on their head, but how many people know Him? How many people know Him as Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, or The Prince of Peace? How many people know the name of Jesus as Lord and Saviour?

Yes, He knows your name but the question this morning is, “In what way do you know Him?” Let today be a fresh start of knowing Him by asking Him to be your Lord and Saviour!

OPEN YOUR LIPS!

The Multitude Wondered, Mary Pondered—but the shepherds went out yonder and shared the Good News of the Gospel!

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Luke 2:20

            Do you remember when you first got saved, you wanted to tell someone? You couldn’t keep quiet! You had the joy of the Lord deep down in your heart and you had to share it? You had the joy that passes all understanding and you wanted others to know about it as well? I imagine when the shepherds saw the baby Jesus they had to tell it as well! I don’t imagine the shepherds just moseyed back to their field quietly. I imagine they were pretty excited as scripture says, “glorifying and praising God”. I don’t imagine they were whispering, “Praise God”. I imagine they were quite loud as they returned, “Hey, the Messiah is born!” Hey, our Saviour was born this day in Bethlehem!” “Hey, Praise God!”

When was the last time you opened your lips and shared the Good News of the Gospel? When was the last time someone heard you say, “Praise God!”? If it’s been a while, why not start this new week off by telling someone what Jesus has done for you!

GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH!

Go to church this morning in order to praise the Lord!

Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. Psalm 111:1

            The Psalmist says he will praise the Lord with his whole heart. He has come to the place of no distractions and no interruptions. How can he do that being in the mist of the assembly? I mean how can you have church without a cell phone going off, a baby crying in a corner, or a Grandmother unwrapping a peppermint for her grandbaby that’s fifteen years old?

            How does one get past the distractions of the congregation? I believe you go back to the first four Words of the Psalmist when says, “Praise ye the Lord”. He has recognized The One who should get all of our attention in the congregation. He has not drifted off into some distant location of distraction. He has centered his attention on the Lord and anchored it right there!

Don’t just lay in bed this morning; GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH being ready to praise Him for the gift of salvation to everyone that believeth!

GQ

A gentleman is one who puts more into the world than he takes out. –Shaw

            And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 2 Timothy 2:24-26

            I have seen in the few years of my life two basic types of teachers; those who will tell you how do something and those who will not only tell you but will show you.

            Those teachers who only tell you how to do something never wants to get their hands dirty but they will sit back and reap the benefits from your hard work. They will not drop a dime in the offering plate but they tell you to give $100 towards missions. These people are hypocrites, they are liars and they drive me nuts (and God to—Matthew 23:27)!

            The other type of teacher will not only tell you but they will show you how to do something. For example, he will teach a man how to fish by getting in the boat with him. He will teach his children how to tithe by tithing in front of them. In my book, this type of teacher has invested more into the world than what this world has given them. They are the unsung heroes of everyday life. These are the gentlemen. These are the ones who need to be on the front of a magazine.

MORE PRECIOUS THAN A BIRD!

A Christian in this world is like gold in the ore; at death, the pure gold is smelted out and separated and the dross cast away and consumed. –Flavel

Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:31

Child of God I have one thing to tell you this morning…God loves you! You are His child and He will take care of you! He took care of His only begotten Son when He needed a place to lay His head. He took care of Mary and Joseph when Herod would have baby Jesus killed. He took care of Paul while he was in prison. He made ways that only He could have done! So just remember—you are more precious than a bird and He will take care of you and meet your needs!

THE LOOK OF A DISAPPOINTED MOTHER WILL BREAK YOUR HEART.

There is none, in all this cold and hollow world, no fount of deep, strong, deathless love, save that within a mother's heart. –Herman

The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. Proverbs 10:1

            I had a little, cheap sports car when I was seventeen. School let out at three and I had to be at work at 4 but I had left something at home I needed at work. I got in my car and proceeded down HWY 87. Living in rural Alamance County, it was nothing to have a tractor on the road. Well today wasn’t my day because one was headed the same way I was! I had three cars in front of me and we were going a whopping 15 MPH. So, what do I do? I KICK IT! I got to the bottom of the hill I was going down and who comes over the top of the other side…Mr. State Trooper! Why couldn’t he be eating a donut with one of his buds? Man, he spun that car around faster than a burn out at the end of the Indy 500! BAM! He got me!

            As I set there in his car I had the nerve to ask, “Can you give me a warning ticket?” He said, “Son, I ought to take you to jail. You’re lucky!” Well, then the panic, worry, and fear set in. What is Dad going to do? What will Mom say? I had to go to court. What will the judge say? What will Dad do? What will Mom say?

            Well, when I got home I had to give the ticket to Mom first. The look on her heart was enough to kill me. I wept like a baby! The disappointment in her eyes said it all; you let me down, I had hopes for you, you’re nothing but a failure!

            I am glad that didn’t last long! When I went to court, Mom was there. When I had to have someone drive me to work, Mom took me. When I needed anything, Mom stepped in to help and she gave me hope! There is something about a Mother’s love that transcends this world!