GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN

As our world seems to be growing spiritually darker all the time plagued with anti-Christian fervor, moral reversals, injustice and terrorism abounding, the spiritual blessings of Christmas are brought to light in this carol - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.  (If you watch the YouTube version below, a great history is presented along with the full lyrics - even if the recording only plays 3 of the 4 verses written out with the text of the video.)  This particular song resonates with the heart that feels oppressed and seeks redemption and release.  The lyrics are about the spiritual oppression of sin and the release that God has wrought through His Son, Jesus Christ as the Bible so clearly teaches.  The minor key and happy rhythm reflect this oppression/freedom theme very well.  Indeed, the carol is mentioned by Charles Dickens in "The Christmas Carol."(1)  By the way, the link referenced below also includes far more verses than the YouTube video does.  They will bless you, too!

Do you ever feel like your sin has separated you from God?  Does He seem a long ways off?  Let this carol lift your hearts as you contemplate what God has done that first Christmas for you today.  He has paid the price, sent His Son, and redeemed you from your sin.  Satan has no more power over you if you will but allow Jesus to rule you instead!  Jesus has overcome Satan!  Let this be "Tidings of Comfort and Joy" - comfort for those times your feelings need reminded that Satan is powerless, and joy to last an eternity because of the freedom you now have been given through Jesus Christ!  

Now, as the Carol invites, sing praises to God for He has done this wonderful thing!  Praise Him for His love and care - and invite all you know to join in the chorus of praise!  Sing this carol together this Christmas and celebrate!

And that's Just A Thot for today!  Merry Christmas!!




(1)  From the Internet:  http://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library_songbook/god-rest-ye-merry-gentlemen-history-fun-facts-and-lyrics-of-a-christmas-favorite.htm, 12/11/2015.

THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS AND THE CHURCH

I grew up in Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City.  I graduated from Shawnee Mission North High School there in 1984.  I then went to college at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas.  I've gone to several baseball games at Royals Stadium (Now called Kaufman Stadium in honor of the man who got the Royals started and built the stadium for so many to enjoy.)  With the Kansas City Royals so much a part of my childhood, looking up to and wanting to be like the 1985 World Series champions, I remember the thrill of their come-from-behind win over the St. Louis Cardinals (whom I also later grew to love).  I remember specific games.  I remember idolizing the players.  I remember playing with my friends and imagining we were those players as we played our summer-league baseball games.  It was a time filled with imagination, hope, and wonder.  And it was a time when our community - which crossed cultural and state lines.  The Kansas side owned the Royals as much as the Missouri side.  The Royals were "our team."  And they united us all.  Even as I sat in our student union in Emporia, Kansas watching the 1985 World Series, we all pulled together for the Royals!  And what a surprising win that was!

Now, sitting here in South Central Missouri, "saddened" that my "other" team, the St. Louis Cardinals were not playing the World Series, I ponder the reach of unity and celebration the World Series Champions of 2015 bring to the area.  My friends and family closer to Kansas City than I are using Facebook to announce their plans to take the day off to attend the victory parade.  School Districts are closing in KC to allow staff and students alike to celebrate.  That team, the Kansas City Royals, has won more than a World Series - they have won the hearts of people for miles around - as far as their fans are across the globe!  The thrill of seeing the underdogs (at least the underdogs from the media's perspective) win by coming from behind game after game after game is something that stuns, amazes, and delights the heart - even if you root for another team.  And it unites you with the community of Kansas City! 

I say all that because I sit here also pondering that the excitement over the our "Boys in blue" is a very fleeting thing.  In a few weeks, Spring Training will begin again, and a new season will begin, making the journey to the World Series a whole new race, with entirely new contenders in the post-season, uniting their communities.  With that in mind, why is it the church sees so few victories worthy of such amazing celebration?  Or have we simply forgotten the amazing victory of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Talk about a "come-from-behind" win!  I mean, He was dead!  He was buried!  His tomb was sealed!  And still He came back!  That should have us all attending a parade!  We should all be cheering, making and wearing apparel, and lighting up social media with our pride that our Lord has won the day!  Every enemy, every opposing team has lost, and Jesus is King!  We should take a day off and truly celebrate this win!  It's an eternal win.  And it will be repeated by everyone who will follow Jesus!   Shouldn't that make us all glow with wonder, excitement, and spark our imaginations?

And that's Just A Thought for today!  

What To Do With God's Blessings

"I know how to abound." -

Phi_4:12

C.H. Spurgeon is right when he said, "There are many who know "how to be abased" who have not learned "how to abound." When they are set upon the top of a pinnacle their heads grow dizzy, and they are ready to fall. The Christian far oftener disgraces his profession in prosperity than in adversity." I have seen it in myself. I neglect the things of God in abundance. Why ask God for things, when you have the means at your disposal already? Why ask God for the power to do what you can do for yourself already? It is a spiritual trap, not set by God, but by the devil. God allows it for one of two reasons.

First, there is the proud - who needs humbling. God will allow him to step out of his spiritual glory and into the world to humble him. It happened to the prodigal son. The one who knows how to abound will use his abundance for the glory of God. The proud will use it for self. God will let him to show him how unprosperous such a place can be. It will humble him.

Second, there is the tested. God will allow the Christian an abundance to teach and test him on the subject of "using all things to the glory of God." Some pass and some fail this test. It is not a test to debase, humble, or belittle. It is a test to teach. Blessed is the man who is taught the wise counsel of God, for in it, he gains true wisdom and godliness.

May we never allow our abundance to lead us to a dry and empty spirituality. May our hearts find their fulfillment in the presence and love of Christ rather than the pleasures of sinful lust and worldly entertainment. May we never waste the blessings and abundance of God's mercy on selfish things and desires, lest our spirits shrivel and we forget God altogether. It is not the gift of God that matters as it is the presence of God. We must learn how to abound.

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Striking Love

"The love of the Lord." -

Hos_3:1

This phrase is almost like "count your blessings" - for the Lord's love is as easily forgotten as His blessings... and they are inseparably linked. His blessings flow from His love, demonstrate His love, and define in many ways His love. Yet, His love is a well that never shall run dry.

Many people consider love to be a feeling. We define love by that warm fuzzy feeling we get when we are around someone we care deeply for. God defines love quite differently - and expresses His love for us according to HIS definition, not ours. He defines love as a verb - an action word. He demonstrates His love for us by what He does, not how He feels.

One of the most striking demonstrations of God's love toward us is His burning desire to separate our sins from our souls. God knows, by His holiness, the destruction that sin causes. He knows how far we come from Him the moment we sin. He hates both the destruction and the breech of fellowship that sin causes in our lives and our relationship with Him. He hates to see His creatures hurt or damaged in any way. He knows that sin is at the root of that. The love of the Lord has prompted Him to go to great lengths to separate us from our sin. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life." The blood of Jesus was shed to wash us from that debilitating, imprisoning sin, and forever unite us with Him.

It is also a striking demonstration of God's love that He should heap upon our heads burning coals of good deeds, that we might repent of our evil deeds - most namely the enmity we have had toward God Himself by our mocking, disobedience, irreverence, and inconsideration. Repenting - turning away from such things - is how we actively embrace the love of the Lord for ourselves.

Therefore, there is the sense that we are cleansed by God of our sins, and the sense that we willingly are cleansed by our repentance. The Love of the Lord precipitates both equally, and as we reflect, we see that true love hates sin in all forms. It is not evil to want good for another - or to pursue it. Love is the active pursuit of good for another, not the fear of retaliation for confronting evil in another, as many parents do when they fear to discipline their children; as many spouses do when they fear to hold their loved ones to a higher standard than drinking, drugs, gambling, spouse abuse, or any other sinful neglect. It is all love - and a love that the Lord has for us. May we all respond with genuine repentance and return His love by devoted obedience and faithful proclamation of how much we love Him!

Blessed to Be Righteous

"The Lord our Righteousness." - Jer_23:6

How the righteousness should comfort, strengthen, and encourage the believer! The greatness of Christ is most blessedly shown in His righteousness. A King may be great without being righteous. A Roman or Greek god might be great but has no righteousness. Neither has the murderous god of Islam, or the nebulous gods of Eastern Mysticism. The cultic gods of Mormonism and the Jehovah's Witnesses do not have the righteousness of the God of the Bible. These gods require man to earn the right - though the Bible clearly says there is no possible way. It takes a righteous God to see our unrighteousness, and lovingly convert it to righteousness through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, who cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Christ IS our righteousness. Apart from Him, we would have none, and have no hope of ever having righteousness. Christ has made us righteous, "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:4

So how should that encourage us? This righteous God is our God, and His righteousness has been given to us. We are, therefore, perfect in Christ Jesus. We have great reason to cheer, and to praise the Lord, our God - for He has blessed us with a most amazing gift that only He could give - His own righteousness. The errors we make are covered by the blood of Christ. The good things we do are the grace of God, and we are accepted always because of the righteousness God sees in us who have taken Christ as Savior and walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. We can rest on Him completely, and though we are not worthy, we are still righteous in God's sight!

Who is your judge? Is it your neighbor, your community, yourself? No! It is the Righteous God who has lifted you up by bringing you His righteousness. Though the whole world condemn you, you are not destroyed because your God has given you His righteousness. Is the enemy, Satan, your judge? No! Again, you cannot be destroyed because the God who is over Satan, has set you free by His righteousness, and declares you to be righteous in Himself. There is none that can declare you unrighteous when the One who declares such things has granted you full pardon and His own righteousness!

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Do you have too much Jesus?

"And of his fullness have all we received." - Joh_1:16

The fullness of God...

There is a thought that we all need - the complete thing, nothing shy of a full deal. Think about what we have in His fullness. We have a fully God savior. He has the full power, full character, full nature, and full wisdom of God. Our Savior, whom we have received, is fully man. He fully knows our needs, our weaknesses, and our limitations. We have a full justification from sin, not a momentary or partial justification only to be later condemned. We have a full salvation that includes our hope of resurrection. We have a full victory over death, and a full intercession for us. There is a full companionship with the Lord, as He always goes with us where He leads us. There is a full forgiveness and a full redemption, imputing to us a full righteousness. There is a full triumph that is His at His ascension, and a full glory for Him to share with those whom he will. No blessing He bestows is ever partial, but full. He is able to sanctify fully, give full grace, fully protect, and fully guide us. His comfort is fully given in times of stress and affliction. We are fully loved, and fully embraced by the Loving Father through the Holy Son.

We lack nothing in the fullness of Christ - save a full appreciation and a full love in return. It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell - and we have received Him! May we who have be filled with His fullness today, and share it with those who have yet to receive Him!

Count Your Blessings

"I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us." - Isa_63:7

It is a marvelous thing for the soul to meditate upon the grace of the Lord. How can gloom overtake us when we are thinking on the marvelous day when Christ entered our lives? Can you remember that day? Do you remember how you felt when you knew that He had forgiven you? Was there a load lifted? Chains snapped? Can you remember how much He loved you? Let it lift you beyond the gloom of loneliness and despair of this day, for His love will never leave you. Reflect on His love as expressed by the cross. Think about how much love it takes to die for you. Will such a Savior ever leave you who has gone through so much on your behalf? Yet, He was raised again so He can walk with you today. Are you sick and suffering? Has He ever restored you to health? He is not changed. Sing His praises and trust Him this hour to do as He always has. Are you poor and without something you need? Has He ever failed to supply you with your needs? Remember that day in your past when you had need and He had abundant supply just waiting on you to ask for it? Remind Him of it, and praise Him before all the people - and rest assured that He will again provide for you, for His people have never had to beg for bread.

It will do your soul well to catalog His kindnesses and your praises for them. It will encourage your heart, and may someday be used to lift others from doubt and despair to faith and eternal life. Take your praises to church this Sunday, and share them with your fellow believers. You never know who needs to be encouraged to trust as you have. Through it, the mercies of God shown in your life will be multiplied in the lives of others.

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The Mystery of God's Love

Bible Reading: (Jeremiah 32:41)

Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.

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Here is a mystery - a divinely wonderful mystery - that God in His infinite holiness will look upon sinful men and women with rejoicing and plans to bless. Spurgeon notes that God has created many beautiful things (mountains, stars, waterfalls, angels and cherubim, etc.), but has chosen to say of sinful man, "I will rejoice over them to do them good."

How is it that sinful man can stir up God's love and anger? The answer lies not in God's anger, but in God's unfailing love. He is angry against our sin, but infinitely loving toward our souls. He loves us so much He will do anything to separate us from our sins - even if it means shedding the blood of His Only Son - Jesus Christ. He realizes that the only means of separating us from our sins is to give us a new nature, make us into a new creature with the characteristics of God Himself. He has found a way, by His Spirit, to do this to all who will call upon Him. It delights Him to do so - and to continue to "do them good."

God rejoices over one sinner that repents of his sin. The entire Heavenly Host throws a party. The forgiveness of God flows easily down from on High to the soul of the new saint who pleads with God for mercy - giving that poor soul a grace that is beyond words. His grace offers that poor sinner more than mere forgiveness. Yes, his penalty of death for sin is laid aside, never to be taken up again (there is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus), but offers to that repentant one a new heritage, inheritance, destiny, treasure, and character. When God blesses, truly blesses, that life is eternally changed.

The question to close with is this: Do we rejoice in Him as He has in us? Shouldn't we respond with a similar love for the Lord by singing, "I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation?"

Bro. Greg

Morning Devotions

Bible Reading:

(Psalms 84:6) Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

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C. H. Spurgeon notes an interesting observation: The pilgrims passed through the area digging wells for others to benefit from - but the wells are not filled by the pilgrims; they are filled from above, an act of divine grace! Today, may we take note of some of the wells that have been dug for us by Christians who have preceded us in this life - and see the hand of God in filling those wells for us for our use today by His Grace.

• The Church. This "well" we call the church is for our benefit of learning of our Savior, practicing our faith, worshiping in a more glorious way, and reaching our world for Christ. But how is this well filled? Not from the "bottom up" - which would be by worldly recruiting methods, moving to an entertainment focus. Rather, the church is filled from above, with divinely transformed lives and spirit-led believers. Are you transformed and spirit-led?
• Hospitals. Many hospitals are founded by believers for the purpose of compassionately caring for the sick and wounded in our society. The believers may dig this well, but true healing - the blessing within the well - comes from above. Praise the Lord and trust the Lord for this wonderful well full of His power.
• Schools. Like the well of the hospital, many schools and universities are begun by Christians. Learning is the result of discipleship, but truth and wisdom come from above. Schools that are filled with the Lord's blessing are schools that are filled with His truth and wisdom. They are not dry wells of worldly thought. But those who consume the Divine blessing of Truth and Wisdom are those who are regenerated and counseled by the Holy Spirit.
• Relief Work and Social Organizations. By this, I mean disaster relief and orphanages, food banks, clothes closets, etc. These "wells" are filled with an attempt to meet a physical need in hopes of a chance to meet the deeper spiritual need - salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. These wells can run dry of the gospel presentation without the help of the Lord. Such a "dry" well finds its ministry limited at best - for the converted soul is an eternal soul.

These are just a few of the wells that Believers have dug - but the Lord fills. Will you prayerfully consider how God may use you to either dig or fill a well through your service to the Lord? What will He have you to do? Do you have need of the blessing of the Lord in your life? Will you return to the well of blessing that the Lord has filled and believers have prepared for you?

Hebrews 10:23-25

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (24) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Bro. Greg