Looking at the new year.

Each year at this time we are challenged to right the course of our lives.  Anyone who takes an honest inventory of his life knows that he/she has not lived a perfect life.  We see ourselves in a negative light in many ways, and rightly so.  It is only as we are honest about ourselves that we can make changes to improve ourselves. 

 

The frustration we often we run into is that most of our good intentions do not make it very far in the new year.  We try to be better and do better, but we fall victims to our weaknesses and often fail.  Resolutions are good, but they are not much good if they don’t stick and we revert back to our old ways.

 

One of the passages of Scripture that always encourages me as I take an inventory of how I am doing in my life is Philippians 3:7-14.  In this passage we are reminded that we need to let go of the past and pursue our future will great zeal and energy.  There is no value in reliving the past and bemoaning the fact that we are not perfect.  It is good for us to learn from past mistakes so that we don’t repeat them, but when we linger in the past, we keep ourselves from moving forward. 

 

Our future is brighter and will be better than our past only if we passionately pursue Christ and let him help us to change.  We don’t have the willpower or ability to make necessary changes in our lives without Him.  There is nothing we can’t do when Christ is in control.  If there is but one resolution that you make that you need to make stick, it is to let Jesus be your Lord.  Seek the Lord passionately, love him passionately, learn from him passionately and serve him passionately and you will have a great new year.

Why do I write?

Sometimes I have to pause and reflect on what I am doing and why I am doing it.  I find myself getting frustrated by the slowness of sales of my book and I have to ask myself, “Why?”.  Am I trying to market my book for personal gain or for the good that I believe it can do in people’s lives?  I strive to do what I do for the good that it may do, but if I am focused on the amount of books that are being sold, have I gotten off track?  Perhaps to some extent I have.

 

I am first and foremost a servant of Christ.  I seek to honor Him in all I do.  I write for the good that it may do.  I really don’t have a drive to sell a lot of books just for the sake of selling them.  The recognition from selling a “successful” book is not something I care about.  I don’t crave wealth from being a successful author.  If many books sell, then it means to me that potentially many people are being helped by the things I write about.

 

I have many things that I am hoping to get into the marketplace for people to read that I think will be helpful to those who read them.  If the Lord allows me to, I will strive to get them out there.  For me, my life has purpose in the good I do for Christ.  Writing for now has become my pulpit.  I will continue to write to make known the things the Lord has taught me and I will strive to not let the sales of what I write concern me.  It is enough to obediently do what the Lord has laid on my heart to do.  It is in His hands what he wants to do with it.  It is my prayer that He will be pleased with my efforts to honor him.

THE WISE MEN OF CHRISTMAS

 

WISE MEN LOOK FOR JESUS  1,2

A.       Look in the Scriptures and you will find Him.  Luke 24:25-32

B.      Look in the heavens and you will find Him.  Ps. 19:1-6; John 1:3; Col. 1:16

C.      Look at the cross and you will find Him. 

1.       Consider Isaiah’s prophecy  Is. 53

2.       Consider Matthew’s declaration.  Matt. 27:32-56

D.      Look at the redeemed and you will find Him.

 

WISE MEN OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MAN  3-9, 12

A.       Being in the presence of God troubles man.  3-6

1.        God causes us to see ourselves as we really are—sinners in need of a Savior.

2.       God causes us to realize we are responsible for our sins. 

3.       God causes us to admit we will answer to him for our sins. 

B.       Being in the presence of God transforms our thinking.  7-9, 12  (Ps. 46:10)

1.        It matters not who we think we are (wise men or otherwise).

2.       It matters not what our agenda may be.

3.       It matters not what others may think. 

4.        

WISE MEN WORSHIP JESUS  10,11

A.       We are humbled when we recognize we are in the presence of God. 

B.      We are moved to offer him our best when we are in the presence of God.

C.      We are moved to praise him when we are in the presence of God.

D.      We are awestruck when we are in the presence of God.  Wow!!!  God!!!

1.        God, you are awesome in your holiness.

2.        God, you are awesome in your glory.

3.        God, you are awesome in your majesty.

 

Wise are those who bow before Christ and worship him all the days of their lives.

What Christmas is not to me

The Christmas season means different thing to us.  I just want to share a few things that Christmas is not for me.

 

1.       It is not a time to pretend to be care about Jesus’ birth when you really don’t.

2.       It is not a time to party with people who are not your friends in order to make an impression on them.

3.       It is not a time to pretend to be happy and joyful, either you are or you’re not.

4.       It is not a time to proclaim to celebrate the birth of a Savior you don’t believe in or live for.

5.       It is not a time to persuade people to go into debt buying stuff they can’t afford for someone they love.

6.       It is not a time to ponder on the monetary value of gifts received instead of the love of the giver of the gift.

7.       It is not a time to pass on the opportunity to really get to know the Savior whose birth we celebrate.

8.       It is not a time to promote selfish interests over the interests of others.

9.       It is not a time to pretend that many people are suffering greatly over the Christmas season.

10.   It is not a time to pass on the opportunity you may have to reach out to someone in need.

11.   It is not a time to pass judgment on those who have no real reason to celebrate Christmas.

12.   It is not a time to ponder lightly the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth.

13.   It is not a time to pass on the opportunity to be reconciled with those you need to forgive or be forgiven by.

14.   It is not a time to proclaim peace on the earth when you have no peace in your heart.