"The Dreams That Brought Salvation"

The Dreams That Brought Salvation

  “Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”       Matthew 2:13

It had been a very strange time for Mary and Joseph and their newborn son.  It was bad enough being pregnant, to travel all the way to Bethlehem.  Then having a baby in a stable was almost more than Mary could bear.  Although the joy of looking down at her son, Jesus, made it all worthwhile. Yet, all those shepherds coming in and bowing down before her son was certainly unexpected, to say the least.  Although she knew what the angel had said to her about Jesus being “the Son of the Most High God” she had never understood the full meaning until that night. 

At least Joseph and Mary were comfortable and warm but they couldn’t stay in a stable indefinitely.  Joseph went into the town and inquired of others if they knew of a house they could rent. He returned with the good news that he had rented a small one room house near the outer edge of the city.  It would be quiet and had room enough for Joseph to do some small carpenter repairs.

One evening they heard a commotion outside and Joseph went to the door, but stepped back as three men, richly dressed, entered. It was obvious they were men of great wealth.  They came immediately and knelt in front of Mary holding the child. They worshipped the Baby as the newborn King.  At length they set their treasures in front of the mother and Child and left. The wise men then went off in another direction for an angel warned them in a dream they should not go near Herod.  Therefore, Herod, when he realized the wise men would not return to him, flew into a rage and he sent his soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all the babies’ two-years old or younger.

Before this happened, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt and stay there until Herod was dead. Joseph awakened Mary and taking what they needed, they headed for Egypt. No one has figured out how long they were in Egypt, but it was probably between 1 to 3 years.  Then one night in a dream God spoke to Joseph that Herod had died and He must take Mary and Jesus and return to Israel because it was now safe.

God used dreams to warn the Wise Men not to go back to Herod.  Then through a dream he gave Joseph instructions to go to Egypt and not back home to Nazareth.  If those dreams had not be heeded, Jesus would have been killed with all the other babies in Bethlehem and Salvation would not have come.

God speaks to people today in the same ways He always did; in dreams, visions and in His Word. When God speaks to us it is important to think about it and pray about it. What does it mean and what must we do with it. What we must remember is that not all dreams are from God.  Most people dream, but not everyone has a vision.  Most often, God speaks to people through His Word; the Bible.

When God speaks to you through dreams or visions, it will not fill you with fear, nor will it be about another person and what will happen to them.  As a Christian, you are not a fortune teller, nor is God going to tell your future.  Some people may prophecy but that doesn’t mean they are a prophet.  You will know when God speaks to you because it will stay in your mind.

In the book of Joel 2:28-29 it tells us, “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions.  And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”  I believe we are living in those days that Joel wrote about.  God will speak to us in ways that show us direction, warning and encouragement; and always line up with the Word of God.

I do not believe that every dream we have is from God.  I have had many dreams and only a few I knew were from God.  I’ve had a lot of scary ones like being chased and couldn’t get away from whoever was chasing me.  People that follow dreams would have a reason for that dream, but I knew they were not from God.  If it’s not from God, it may be that the enemy of our soul may be trying to bring fear on me.  When you have scary dreams, you just say, “Devil, get out of my dreams because greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” I John 4:4

At times, there are people who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior who have dreams or visions, where God is drawing them to him.  Those dreams might be fearful because their souls are hanging in the balance.  Dreams for the unsaved are dreams leading to Salvation and they need to be taken seriously.  Like God warning the Wise Men and then Joseph.  They took those dreams and visions seriously and in that way saved “Salvation”.

Pray that God will give you dreams and visions to share with others, or to understand certain things He wants you to know.  Our job is to be obedient to the Lord and lead others to Salvation.

"The Message of Christmas"

The Message of Christmas

 “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Luke 2:11-12

               The sun rose slowly over the hills and soon the lowing of the sheep penetrated the shepherds sleep. They sat up, rubbing their eyes.  One stood and began to stir the smoldering ashes, adding wood to the fire.  The air was very cold this morning.  No one had spoken yet; the silence was almost eerie and it seemed a shame to break into it. Then Josiah cleared his throat and spoke quietly to the others, “I am wondering if I had a dream last night about the sky being full of angels; we were all terrified.  Then went down into Bethlehem and found a stable with a newborn baby lying in one of the mangers.”

 The others looked at him and one by one they spoke and proclaimed it was not a dream, but it had really happened.  Then they all began talking excitedly. “I also thought it was a dream but when I think about that little baby we saw in the stable, I know it was true”, exclaimed Benjamin, the youngest shepherd.  He was just a boy, but clearly had an understanding of what he had seen.  “That wasn’t just any baby, you know; the angels said he was the Savior; the Christ Child, the one spoken of in the scriptures!”

            “What about all the angels, did you ever see anything like that in your life?  I’ve never heard of anyone who has seen the wonder of what we saw,” added Matthias excitedly.

            Then Jacob, the head shepherd stood and spoke to the others, “I believe we were chosen by Jehovah to see this amazing thing that has happened and we are to go tell everyone we meet about it.  Let us pass on the message the angels gave to us; “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! The long-awaited Savior has come to earth; the Christ!”

            The boy, Benjamin, jumped up and grabbing his staff said, “His mother and father said his name was to be Jesus.  I will never forget that name.” Filled with excitement and great joy, the shepherds hurried off to tell others what they had seen and heard.

            That was the first Christmas morning.  When we awake on this Christmas morning, what will be on our minds?  Will it be like the shepherds who talked among themselves about the wonder of what they saw? Or will it be to proclaim to others, “Joy to the World; the Lord has come!”

           Or will our heads be filled with presents, lots of food and how we are going to spend the day? When we get together with family and friends will our conversation be about the next football game; a Christmas movie we saw, or will we talk about the fact that Jesus, our Savior was born to save us from our sins?  Will we be thankful that because of him we can spend eternity in heaven; and have the assurance that he will come again?

            I, for one, am determined when I open my eyes this Christmas morning to thank God for sending his son, Jesus to be our Savior.  Help us not to compromise as the world does by thinking only about gifts and fun, although there is nothing wrong in that; as long as we keep Jesus first in Christmas.

            I believe every family, or even if you are alone, should read about the birth of the Christ Child from Luke 2:1-20 on Christmas Day.  What hope and joy it gives!

            We should also make it a tradition to greet one another on Christmas by saying, as the angels did, “Joy to the World; the Lord has come.”  I think I will add, “And He is coming again!”

May you be blessed this Christmas as you share the Good News!

www.wanda-ritter.blogspot.com

"The Legend of the Star Cookie"

The Legend of the Star Cookie

December 13, 2015

            A long time ago in another land, there were three wise men.  Each man lived in a different country in the Far East.  All three studied the movement of the stars; today we would call them astronomers.  They didn’t have telescopes, or computers, but made drawings of all the different stars they viewed.  When they saw a new star in the sky, they would write it down on their sheets of papyrus, or record it on scrolls.  These three men also studied ancient writings and knew of many things to come in the future.

            The three men did not know each other, but one starlit night, all three were watching the sky. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, a great star appeared.  It was bigger and brighter than any other.  They were amazed at the sight of it.

One wise man lived in an elegant tent in the desert.  He was a nomad whose tribe moved from place to place.  He was very wealthy and lived in luxury in the great tent.  The walls were hung with rich brocaded tapestries and the floor was made of beautifully woven oriental rugs.

Another of the wise men lived within a huge walled city.  His household boasted of many servants who were at his beck and call.

The third wise man lived in a palace of many rooms in a country called the Orient. He watched the stars from a tall tower in the palace.

The star puzzled the wise men and they began to pour through the old scrolls on which were written many things regarding the heavens.  Each wise man came to the same conclusion – this was the star that proclaimed a child was born who was to be King of the Jews!  For this to happen in their lifetime was an amazing thing. 

The wise man that lived in a rich palace called his people together and told them he must see this thing which had come to pass.  He had them prepare food, clothing and whatever he would need to take on a long journey.  He filled a jeweled box with gold coins to take as a gift to this newborn king.  He set out alone, always following the star, sleeping in the day and traveling by night.

The man who lived in a fine house inside the great walled city, called his servants and ordered them to prepare everything he needed to take a very long journey.  A lovely pure jade jar was filled with the finest frankincense and was a fit gift for a king.  It was very late in the evening when he passed through the gates of the great walled city.  Keeping his eyes on the star that shone so brightly in the heavens, he began his journey.

The third man left the comfort of his elegant tent and mounting the kneeling camel, started out across the cold, dark desert with only the star’s light to guide him.  As he swayed back and forth on the large camel, he suddenly realized the beast itself was being guided by the star.  Had he forgotten anything?  No, he had food, clothing and a wondrous container encrusted with gold that safely held costly myrrh.  This would surely be a wonderful gift for the child.

Guided only by the star, nights of travel turned into weeks for the wise men. One night, the star seemed to be much larger and shone far brighter than before.  The first of the wise men felt he was near his destination and stopped his camel near a brook that gurgled softly in the quiet of the night.  He built a fire and as he sat there, he pondered on the child born a king.  Perhaps nearby was a great palace where the child lay on a soft bed under silken coverings, while his nurse gently sang to him of years to come when he would sit on a throne and rule the Jewish people.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an approaching camel.  He quickly stood, his eyes trying to pierce the darkness.  “Who is there?” he called. 

“A weary traveler,” came the quick reply as a figure came into the circle of light made by the fire.

The first man could see this was no robber, by the fancy trappings of the camel and the rich robes of its rider.  “I am very tired”, declared the man as he climbed off the kneeling camel.  “I have traveled far, following the wondrous star you see there,” he said, pointing to the bright star above them.
He had no more than spoken these words, when out of the darkness appeared a third man astride a great camel.  “I, too, am following the star,” he exclaimed!

The three men greeted one another in excitement and wonder.  All had followed the star and believed they were very close to finding the child whom they sought.  They gathered around the warmth of the fire and began to share a meal talking all the while about the new little king.

The first man took little cakes from a small basket and lay them on a stone in the fire to bake.  Another opened a clay pot and took from it fruit, among which were juicy, plump raisins.  As he passed them to the other men, several fell from his hand onto the baking cakes.  The third one opened a wineskin of the very sweetest red wine, which when he passed it to the others, splashed out onto the cakes.  In the heat of the fire, it quickly crystallized and became a red, sugary substance.

When the cakes were done and removed from the stone, how amazed they were, for each cake had turned into the shape of a star.  Each star had a raisin in the middle and was covered with a reddish sugar.  They smiled as they ate the strange cakes, for they were very sweet and delicious.  This was indeed a strange night.

The next day, the three travelers arrived in Jerusalem and inquired about the newborn king and learned that according the prophets of old, he would be born in Bethlehem.  That night, the star again appeared to them and led them straight to Bethlehem.  There they found the Child with his mother; a young woman called Mary, and her husband, Joseph.  They fell down and worshipped the Child and gave him the treasures they brought.

After they had left, Joseph and Mary talked much about the visit of the wise men.  They examined the rich gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh with amazement.

It was then they noticed a fourth gift placed near the Child; a small cake with a raisin in the center and a red sugary substance that glittered in the lamplight.  Together, they shared the soft, sweet cake. They did not, of course, realize they were partaking of a symbol of things to come to the little King they named Jesus.  The cake represented his body that someday would be broken for all mankind, while the raisin was a symbol for the fruit of the vine, showing his blood would be spilled to wash away the sins of those who accepted him as their eternal Savior.  The red sugar represented the sweet love of God, who so loved the world he sent his son as redemption for all who believed in him. 

God spoke to the three wise men as they left Bethlehem and told them to go home another way, for the wicked King Herod wanted to find the newborn Child and kill him.  So the men journeyed together in another direction for some time far from Bethlehem.

At last they reached a parting of ways and each took with him one of the star shaped cakes, wondering why they seemed so special and so holy.  They only knew this, these sweet little cakes had something to do with the future of the Holy Child, born in the little village of Bethlehem, who would one day be a great King.  

This is just a story I wrote a long time ago.  It isn’t actually scriptural because the Bible doesn’t say how many wise men came to worship Jesus.  Neither does it say how old Jesus was when they arrived, but it does say the Holy Family lived in a house and not in a stable.  No one knows how long they lived in Egypt or when they returned to Nazareth; only that at some time King Herod had died.

There are many traditions that people follow and one of those is that the Wise Men also were at the stable the night Jesus was born and that there were three of them.  That is not true, but it makes a nice story.  Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us we should have a Christmas tree or give gifts to each other. However, there is nothing wrong in following traditions as long as we don’t forget that ‘Jesus is the Reason for the Season’. 

"THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS"

The Gift of Christmas

“This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”        I John 4:10

Some of you are shopping for Christmas gifts and a few are already finished.  I spend a lot of time looking at ads in the paper and checking things on the internet trying to think what certain people would really like.  I don’t enjoy randomly buying just to get it over with.  It has to be a gift that I think one would like to have and enjoy. One of my favorite things to get for my grown grandchildren and other family members is a subscription to the “Guideposts” magazine.  It’s so inspiring and it is a gift that gives all year long.  When they are grown they have their own likes and dislikes, but who doesn’t like inspiring and encouraging stories?

Children can become so blinded by lights and glitter, they don’t connect Baby Jesus birth with the real gift of Christmas.  As a child, I knew only one thing about Christmas – Santa Claus!  Of course I heard the story about Baby Jesus who was born in a stable, but didn’t connect the two together for Christmas.  It took a few more years for me to realize that the word, ‘Christmas’ was used to celebrate the event of the birth of Jesus, because it shows us the ‘Christ’ in Christmas.  Several years went by; years of joy and years of unhappiness.  There was always a yearning in my heart for something more in life and didn’t know what it was until the day he let me see what was missing in my life; it was Jesus Christ.

He introduced himself to me 36 years ago and I was never to be the same again.  He took my sins and cast them in the depth of the sea, never to be remembered again.  I was forgiven of all the sinful things I did, or thought; I became a new person.  I pray that I continue to become a better person as I am led by the Holy Spirit. As time goes on I find myself being blessed over and over again.  I am so grateful that God sent His son to bring me out of darkness into His light.

Looking back, I can remember several special gifts I received at Christmas. The first one was my favorite doll, Ginger; white ice skates, my first skis, a stack of Nancy Drew books and my first lipstick.  I was very excited over all these gifts, but the greatest gift I ever received was Jesus.  When God gave his son, He gave the ultimate gift; his Son! We should really get very excited over this.

Let’s look deeper into this gift.  Why is it so great?

Number 1: We can live with abundant joy.

Number 2: We can find peace and contentment.

Number 3: We will never go without our needs being met.

Number 4: He promises that we will spend eternity in heaven.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.  When we accept the gift he has for us, all these good things will be given to us.  We read in the Bible about Joseph and Mary, who traveled to Bethlehem where Jesus was born.  The shepherds came and worshiped the Baby and the wise men came from a great distance to pay homage to the Child.  They fell on their knees before Him because they knew and understood who he was. 

You cannot experience Christmas for what it is, if you don’t know the Christ in Christmas. Come Christmas morning, your heart should be full of joy and thankfulness for the gift of eternal life that he is offering.  Ask Jesus to be Lord of your life and he will stand by you in all circumstances.

Won’t you think about this? When we accept this Gift; we must pass it on to others.  What other gift would last forever and ever?  What other gift would cost you nothing and yet be more valuable than any other thing this world has to offer?  Make this Christmas the best you ever had by asking Jesus into your heart. 

"Demonic Hordes"

Demonic Hordes

“Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.  And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.”                                                                                                             Revelation 9:1-2

Did you know that the average person does not believe there are real demons?  When they think about demons they look at all the horror movies that flood the screens across the country.  They look at them as fiction that some producer has made up so people can be scared.  If they only realized that real demons are a thousand times scarier than they could ever imagine.

Let me take you through a short walk in the Bible where God, himself, shows us where it all began.  In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden when God told them they could have everything there, but couldn’t eat the fruit of one tree. Then Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived them and tempted them to eat of the tree.  However long before that Satan, also known as Lucifer, and other angels were kicked out of heaven because Satan wanted to take the place of God.  This is just a sketchy outline of the facts and you can read the rest for yourself.

There is a bottomless pit where all these fallen angels live and it is called “The Abyss”.  These demonic hordes are lead by a demonic general named Abaddon, whose name means ‘destroyer’! There will be a time in the future when these evil beings will be released on this earth.  However, for now Satan is working within his power to destroy God’s people on this earth.

Jesus was so aware of this evil when he was alive on earth that he confronted Demons in Matthew 8:28-29.  “When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"  The demons that were in these men recognized who Jesus was and they were terrified that Jesus would send them into the Abyss.  Notice that they said, “Before the time”.  What did they mean?  At that time and even today, God has allowed them the freedom to inhabit the bodies of those people who have totally rejected God and opened themselves up to the occult and demonic activity.

Ephesians 6:12 tells us that, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  Who are these that we must protect ourselves from?  Clearly this scripture is stating a fact that even if we can’t see them, these satanic forces are still alive and fighting for our very souls.  We may not believe this is still true today, Satan is the Prince of the power of the air and is at work in the lives of those who are against the things of God. (Ephesians 2:2)

Think about this – Satan (the Devil) confronted Jesus on the mountain and offered him all the kingdoms of the world.  How could he do this, if Satan didn’t have the power to perform it?  However, Jesus used the Word of God to come against Satan, and ended these temptations with these words: “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, you shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.”  (Luke 4:5-8) How much more do you need to hear that Satan and his demons are alive and well today?

I want to take you to the book of Daniel to show you the power of God over the power of Satan.  “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.” (Daniel 10:13)  Let me explain this to you.  The prince of the kingdom of Persia, which is present day Iran, was the demon in charge of that country.  An angel had been sent by God to help Daniel and the other Israelites, but the angel could not do it alone so God sent Michael, an arch-angel to help him.  God’s power was greater than Satan and his cohorts. 

You may say that you believe there is a God and that makes everything okay, but look at this verse in James 2:19.  “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!”  Forget all the horror movies you’ve watched and got scared over.  That’s acting only; the real demons are far more terrifying and Satan himself no doubt sits on the sidelines laughing at those who think its all make-believe.  Take a look at what is yet to come and may already in action.

Revelation 6:7-8 “When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.”  The ‘Pale horse’ was actually written as ‘the green horse”, and was inaccurately translated as the pale horse.  Green is the color of Islam!  Read this again and compare it to what is happening at this very time.  These radical Islamic terrorists are working on this same agenda.  They are without conscience and will slaughter every person they can who is not a Muslim.

Why is this happening? Because in Revelation 9:11, “They had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.”  This is prophecy written so we can spiritually prepare ourselves to make a stand in the time of the end of the age.

Just as we know that God has countless angels to watch over us, so does Satan have his demons to temp and torment all of us?  God’s power is greater than Satan ever thought of.  He cannot win in the end, but will be cast into a Lake of Fire where he will burn for eternity, while those of us who are Believers will spend eternity in Heaven. 

Yes, there are supernatural beings around us all the time and as Christians we can be assured that no matter what happens now or in the future, we do not need to fear.  What we see happening right now is not only a battle for the world, but a battle for the souls of mankind.  Just remember this, “Know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD'S, and He will give, (the enemy) into your hands.”       1 Samuel 17:47

"BEING THANKFUL"

Being Thankful

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

                                                                                                         1 Thessalonians 5:18

When I listen to people talk about their needs; sometimes serious and at times not so serious, I wonder why no one talks about being thankful for what they do have.  Not long ago I called a friend in Illinois and asked her how she was.  Her reply was, “Praise the Lord; I got out of bed today and had food to eat and a warm house.  What more can I say?”  So I said, “How is your health?”  Her answer was, “Better off than many others.”  She never complained about anything, but only talked about being thankful to God.

As I hung up the phone I thought about what being thankful really meant. I began looking up in the Bible the words ‘give thanks’ which was listed 425 times in the Bible and ‘thankful’ was found 39 times, while ‘be thankful’ was written 33 times.  Not only were these words used occasionally in the Bible, but were written many times to believers as a command.  In Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”           

I noticed it didn’t say, “You probably should be thankful and give thanks”.  It wasn’t even a question, but was stated as ‘do this’.  As I thought about it, I realized I talked more about what I needed and wanted, than how often I gave praise and thanksgiving for what the Lord has done for me and my loved ones and continues to do daily. 

Whenever I think about being thankful, I think about my mother who has gone to be with the Lord; she was the most grateful person I have ever known.  No matter how small the gift or how little the deed, she was filled with gratitude.  If she received a card in the mail or a phone call, it was precious to her.  She thanked God for everything; it was part of her character.  She truly fulfilled Ephesians 5:20 “Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” She came from very humble beginnings and her family struggled to survive in the early 1900’s.  She never asked for much in life because in her eyes she had abundance.  Her greatest treasure was her family whom she loved so dearly.

So many people today are only concerned about what they want and not what they have.  How can we praise God and not be grateful?  We should give God thanks for what he is doing in our lives. “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.  For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” [Psalm 100:4] So here we are – a few days before Thanksgiving.  Many of us are busy shopping for turkeys, making pies, baking squash and whatever is needed for a great Thanksgiving dinner.  Family and friends gather around a sagging table; a short prayer is said to thank God for the food and then we dig in.  We all eat too much and that calls for a nap.  Why do we do this every year?

In 1623, In the Pilgrim Colony of Massachusetts, Governor William Bradley issued this proclamation, “All ye Pilgrims with your wives and little ones, do gather at the Meeting House, on the hill… there to listen to the pastor, and render Thanksgiving to the Almighty God for all His blessings."  That’s how Thanksgiving began in this new world so long ago.  And tradition has carried all these years.  However, from the beginning of the Bible people know their survival has depended on a loving and kind heavenly father who deserves our prayers of thanksgiving.

Our kids learn a little in school about the Pilgrims and the Indians and somehow a turkey gets added into the picture.  Yet there is so much more we should be thinking about and remembering on Thanksgiving Day and be doubly grateful to the God who has provided for us.  So it is that on Thanksgiving Day each year, Americans give thanks to Almighty God for all His blessings and mercies toward us throughout the year.  Let’s remember why we have the freedom today, it is a blessing from God.

"Ready or Not - Here Come th Holidays"

Ready or Not

(Here come the Holidays)

“Afterward you may go and celebrate because of all the good things the LORD your God  has given to you and your household.”    Deuteronomy 26:11 (NLT)

Myself, along with many others, are saying, “I can’t believe it’s already the middle of November and less than 2 weeks until Thanksgiving!”  I’m sure you’ll realize it when you go into stores and everything is decorated for Christmas.  It makes you want to shout, “Hey – I still have a wreath on my front door of autumn leaves.  My turkey banner isn’t even out yet and you want to remind me of Christmas?”

Not wanting to make a fool of myself, I scoot right past Christmas and head for the greeting cards that say, Happy Thanksgiving.  Then I gather up the things to make my pumpkin pies and find out there is a shortage of pumpkin pie filling this year.  Many stores already raised their prices on cans of pumpkin because they know people will buy it anyway.  What’s Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie? I am so thankful that I don’t have to put on a big dinner; we have 2 chefs and many great cooks in our family, so that leaves me with just the pies. 

Some Christians put too much thought in thinking they shouldn’t enjoy all these holidays because we should keep our minds on our Lord and Savior.  Then think about this; it makes God happy to see families gather together and celebrate the fruit of their labor.  In fact I want you to concentrate on this scripture in Deut. 26:11: “Go celebrate because of all the good things the Lord God has given to you and your household.” 

There are many feast days celebrated in the Bible and ours may be different than they were in Bible times, but as long as we honor God in what we do – enjoy!

Then here comes Christmas right on the heels of Thanksgiving.  There are two ways to look at the Christmas season and the first one is this.  It is called Happy Holidays and is considered a time of parties, drinking and lavish gift-giving.  According to our government this is the correct way to celebrate; no Christmas carols, no manger scenes, or anything that uses the name of Jesus.  The reason is that we might offend people who are not Christians – mainly Muslims.

The second way of celebrating is to sing Christmas carols; put up manger scenes and angels on our front lawn so people will know that we celebrate the Birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  We celebrate with pageants depicting the night that Jesus was born with shepherds, wise men and the Christmas Star.  We greet one another with, “Merry Christmas” and give gifts to each other in remembrance of the Wise men bringing gifts to Baby Jesus on that Holy Night.

Christians all over the world celebrate the Birth of Jesus and it is a blessed time.  Yes, we decorate houses and trees and ourselves for Christmas.  Some of it is because of traditions, but there would be nothing to celebrate if Jesus had not been born. 

I wonder what the ‘Happy Holidayers’ celebrate?  Without Christ, it would just another few days off work, an excuse for more drinking and partying. When it’s all over and the year has ended, there’s nothing left for them but a big letdown.  For Christians we are reminded that Jesus was born and came to this earth to forgive us and pay for all our sins. It prepares our hearts and minds with thankfulness and joy because our Savior has come.  It also prepares us to Worship and Adore Him and when the year has ended, we still have Jesus!  And the blessed hope is that He is Coming Again!

Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas!

"Hungry For God"

Hungry for God

“For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”

Psalm 107:9 (NLT)

Through ministry of over 35 years, over and over again I have heard people say, “I’m so hungry for God.”  Basically, they are saying, “I’m hungry; feed me.”  In one sense we should feed those who are hungry, but to spoon-feed them isn’t the answer.

I remember when I was first saved, I couldn’t get enough of the Word of God.  I read through one Bible and then started over again in another Bible.  That didn’t seem to be enough, so I bought a Parallel Bible with two versions side by side on the pages.  I devoured those Bibles and marked them up so much I could hardly read them after a while.  I still have the first one and it is held together by rubber bands.  Now I have stacks of Bibles in my home and am still being fed by them today.

The truth of it is, you are still hungry for God because, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.” [I Peter 2:2]  In life a baby can only survive on milk so long and then they have to be given solid food, some versions of the Bible refer to ‘meat’ as solid food.  Solid food is essential to growth.  You may say that you hear the Word and read the Word, but that isn’t where the meat of the Word of God is. 

What do I mean?  In Malachi 3:16 it says this: “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.”  It says to meditate on God; meditate on His Word.  In other words, think about what you read and look up other places in the Bible until you get an in-depth understanding of what it really means.  The ‘meat’ of God’s Word is what fills that hungry place inside of you.

Paul the Apostle, wrote to the Jewish Christians in Hebrews 5:12 and exhorted them by saying, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  No wonder we get hungry for God when we don’t pursue his word.  Don’t forget the answer is within your reach.

Let me make this clear, yes, we need to be hungry for God so we will keep on trying to become closer and closer with Him.  But, no one, other than your own self, can do this for you.  People come to church and complain they don’t get fed.  That is so laughable, because they are adults that need to be feeding on the Word of God themselves and not sitting there crying because no one is giving them a bottle.  Wah, wah, wah! (That isn’t even a word), but you get the idea.

You must understand what the Word (Bible) really means, “And the Word became 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]   Jesus is the Word! You may not have thought of it this way before, but when you are into the Word, it is Jesus, himself, who is feeding and filling you.  If you are truly hungry for God, this is where you need to go. There is no pastor, teacher or anyone else that can do this for you. We have it all wrong on why we go to church.  Church is a place of fellowship, worship, encouragement and seeing the Word of God in action.  You should already be fed before you go and then go expecting the fulfillment of God’s Word, which is the Bible.

God feeds me solid foods (for you vegetarians) every time I dig into His Word, but for me, it’s the meat of the Word that satisfies my soul.  “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” [Psalm 107:9 NKJ] 

If your hearts are prepared beforehand and you are joining in with the body of Christ, it will be everything you need.  For those who complain every week that you are not being fed; grow up!  You won’t grow up until you get off the bottle and start eating the meat.

This may seem like this message is a little hard, but I promise you it isn’t my message; it’s God’s Word.  Don’t complain to others – talk to Jesus.  He is the Word.

"The Trumpet of God"

The Trumpet of God

“With the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first”

I Thessalonians 4:16

Most of you know what a trumpet is; they play one in the band and for a funeral of a vet when they play ‘taps’.  Musicians love to play them in a band like they did in the days of the ‘Big Bands’. Now when we talk about the trumpet of God, that’s an entirely different thing.  If you’ve ever been in a place where the sound was so loud, you had to cover your ears.  When the trumpet of God sounds it is going to be so loud, covering your ears won’t even help.  You may find yourself on your knees begging for it to stop.

The trumpet of God is heard throughout the Bible and from what I’ve read, it appears to be a terrifying sound and is sometimes accompanied by thunder and lightning. I can’t even imagine the fear that would pierce their hearts.  Looked what happened to the Israelites while wanderings in the wilderness.  “Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.” Exodus 19:16

Imagine, for moment, that you were out in your yard listening to the birds singing and admiring the flowers, when suddenly a noise like a trumpet blasted out of the sky.  Perhaps you would scream and fall to the ground thinking you were being attacked or bombed. You couldn’t run or hide. Then this began: “Now all the people witnessed the thundering, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.”  Exodus 20:18-19

In the book of Isaiah, it tells of a time this would happen, “So it shall be in that day: The great trumpet will be blown; they will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, and they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, And shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.” [Isaiah 27:13]  This is just a warning of what will happen in that unimaginable day.  “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”              1Corinthians 15:52

I love what Joel 2:1 says about the Trumpet, “Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the LORD is coming, for it is at hand.”  This is part of a prophecy God gave to Joel for a time way in the future. It appears that whenever this trumpet sounds, it heralds in the coming of the Lord.  We know the time is not far off when, “He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”  [Matthew 24:31]

When Jesus returns to take us home with him, he lays out his entire plan of how it will happen in        1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the Trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

If you have received Jesus as your Savior, you will be excited about His coming.  If it frightens you, pray about it and he will give you peace and when that trumpet sounds, you’ll know what it is and greet Him with joy.