THE FIRST NOEL

Sometimes, history swallows up the facts for future generations.  Some things simply come about without record; nothing is known about them.  The origin of today's Christmas Carol is just such a thing.  The tune and original words came from somewhere, but it seems history has swallowed up the facts about where.  However, the modern version of the carol is not the only version.  In the 17th Century - 1823, William B. Sandys (1792-1874), and Davies Gilbert (1767-1839) edited and added lyrics to create the version we sing today.  This carol seems to have stemmed from France, and then came to England - and so we have two spellings of the word "Noel" (Fr.) - "Nowell" (Eng.).  Indeed, there seem to be three varieties of the lyrics.  However, most of our Hymnals contain the English version.  

DEVOTION

What I like about the carol is it's rolling tune and articulate lyrics.  Simply put, the joy of the first Christmas is melded together with the wonder of it all!  God has come in the form of a person!  He has done so to save us, to unite us, and He announced it through a host of Angels to a field of poor shepherds.  

Have you heard the story?  I know you have - at least you've heard the carol, most likely.  What I mean is this, "Have YOU experienced the joy of knowing Jesus has come to YOU?"  It's never enough to have Jesus come to someone you know or love.  God wants peace with YOU!  He sent His Son to YOU!  He wants to cleanse your heart of YOUR sin.  He wants to live forever with YOU.  That first Noel, the star shone the light, pointing to the True Savior of the world.

I know we have plenty of people who do not believe that God exists, much less that He cares enough to choose a means of showing it that is far better than a Hallmark Card.  God, did, however, send the very best.  Faith is not what makes it true or not.  Faith is only the means by which we choose to receive what is already true - Jesus Christ!  Such darkness of unbelief is only dispelled by the light of Truth!  Will you not simply believe with your head, but also your heart?  Will you follow that star to the Shining Star of Bethlehem - Jesus Christ?

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



1.  From the Internet:  http://www1.cbn.com/devotions/the-first-noel, 12/8/2015.
2.  From the Internet:  http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Holidays/holiday-songs/the-first-noel-the-song-and-the-story.html, 12/8/2015.
3.  From the Internet:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_Noel, 12/8/2015.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR

Q:  What does the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 have to do with Christmas Carols?  

A:  It inspired the now-famous carol of today's blog-post - "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Wikipedia reports that in a musical plea for peace, the song written by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker, husband and wife a the time, the song came upon an invitation by a record producer for a Christmas song.  Not first sung by Bing Crosby, his rendition made it a hit.  Since then, it has sold millions of copies and been released by many artists all over the world.




The world was (and it seems always has been) in chaos, filled with violence and fear.  But the Nuclear threat at the time of its writing had never been greater in America.  Today, terrorism has replaced the nuclear threat, and peace still seems so far away from so many, making the song very popular 50 years later.  


But the song points to the only peace any heart can know - the peace of God that passes all understanding.  That peace comes to us through Jesus Christ.  At His annunciation, the angels said in Luke 2:10-14 (NKJV) "10  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14  "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 

The news was then, and still is this:  God desires to have peace with mankind.  He sent His Son to make that happen.  His Son is Jesus Christ.  Jesus was born that first Christmas so He would die that first Good Friday, and rise again that first Easter!  This is God's Peace Offering.  No one need to fear the judgment and wrath of God if they will but receive the Son of God, Christ, to be their Lord!  

Do you hear what I hear?  I hear the Father in Heaven pleading with you to take His peace offering to be YOUR Lord today!  He will set you free of sin, and forever unite you in love with God the Father.  Simply forsake your sin and turn to Jesus - the resurrected Savior - and make Him your Lord.  

And that's Just a Thot for Today.  Merry Christmas!

CAROL OF THE BELLS

When it comes to Christian music, interestingly enough, the tune (melody) is not always originally “Christian.”  Sometimes tunes are borrowed and new words (Christian lyrics) are sung instead of the secular lyrics.  Today’s Christmas Carol – “Carol of the Bells” – is one such song.

“Composed by Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych (1877-1921) in 1916. Originally titled Shchedryk, this Ukrainian folk song is about a sparrow and the bountiful year that awaits a family. It was first performed in the Ukraine on the night of January 13, 1916, on the Julian calendar this is considered New Year's Eve. In the United States the song was first performed on October 5, 1921 at Carnegie Hall.[1]”

Originally, the song was sung in April as a welcome to Spring.  Girls would go house to house singing the well-wishing song in exchange for baked goods.  When the world (including the Ukraine) switched to the Julian calendar (the one we use now) this spring song was sung as a New Year’s song.[2]

The words were changed to Christian words – the lyrics we know today. 

"Peter J. Wilhousky (1902-1978) wrote these new lyrics based on the melody of Shchedryk in 1936. He copyrighted it and the song is what we now know as "Carol of the Bells." As the title implies, this hauntingly beautiful song is about the sound of bells come Christmas time."

Lyrics (Excerpt):
Hark how the bells,
sweet silver bells,
all seem to say,
throw cares away

Christmas is here,
bringing good cheer,
to young and old,
meek and the bold, …¹

DEVOTION

Wishing one another a Merry Christmas in such a way as to allow the meaning of Christmas and the love of the season to “ring on” in our minds is a true blessing as we live in a day when it seems evil crowds out peace.  Carol of the Bells is a beautiful way to share Christmas with one another.  The full lyrics conclude with the following lines:

Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,

On on they send,
on without end,
their joyful tone,
to every home.

Ding dong ding dong... dong![3]

The four notes live long in our ears after they have actually stopped striking our eardrums.  

They penetrate to our hearts a sense of joy and hope when the Christian lyrics are hung upon them.  Our hope that Christ’s coming will cheer our hearts with hope in a hauntingly dark world seems to swell within us. 

It is not so much that the song fills us with false hope in Christ, but that the song stirs within us a real hope based on a True Savior who has, as the Angel Host in Luke 2:14 proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  It should move us as it did the Shepherds that day to proclaim to everyone the great thing God has done for us all!

And that’s Just A Thot for today.  “Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas!”

---

[1] From the Internet:  http://musiced.about.com/od/christmasnewyeararticles/qt/carolofthebells.htm, 12/4/15.

[2] From the Internet:  http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-12/ru-ot121304.php, 12/4/15.

[3] From the Internet:  http://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library_songbook/carol-of-the-bells-history-and-lyrics.htm, 12/4/15.

AWAY IN A MANGER

Sometimes, the greatest things are obscure in history.  Today's Christmas Carol is one of those things.  Shrouded in mystery regarding its origins with the fables being so common as to be considered by many fact, we who are honest do not really know!  But Oh how we love the soothing tones of the melody, the comforting lyrics, and the hopeful meaning for all who put their trust in the Jesus of the Bible!

Here's one account of how it came to be:

In 1887, American hymn writer James R. Murray entitled the tune to “Away in a Manger” as “Luther’s Cradle Hymn.” Murray further stated in his popular songbook, Dainty Songs for Little Lads and Lasses, that Martin Luther had not only written “Away in a Manger,” but had sung it to his children each night before bed. As the song spread across a growing America and people began to sing it at home, in churches, and at schools, they often envisioned legions of German mothers rocking their babies to sleep each night with the strains of “Away in a Manger.” As the song became more popular, some news reports even trumpeted the song’s Teutonic heritage and the powerful inspiration that obviously could come from only the great Luther himself.

Ironically, not only did German mothers of this era not sing “Away in a Manger,” they had never heard it until the song arrived in Europe from its country of origin, the United States. Where Murray got his misinformation on Luther remains a mystery, yet because of his outstanding reputation as a writer and publisher, the story stuck. (From the internet: http://bibleheartburn.com/2013/12/11/the-story-behind-away-in-a-manger , 12/3/2015)

DEVOTION 
Sometimes, we hope to receive the blessings of those who are truly blessed by simply being near them.  You know what I mean.  Who wouldn't want to be best friends with King Midas!  He could give you all the gold you wanted - without anything more than lifting and lowering a finger!  Or hanging out with the popular person.  If he was in, and he accepted you - then YOU were in!  

That's the tenor of our Christmas Carol.  If Jesus is "In" with the Father, blessed by the Father, protected by the Father, then those Jesus wanted near Him would be equally blessed!  And that's not unbiblical in the least.  In fact, He wants us to be so near Him we are IN Him and HE in us.  That union with Christ is the key.  We are to be ONE with Him, not separate from Him.

Romans 8:1 (NKJV)  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Emphasis mine)

This Christmas season - indeed today, as you read this devotional - ask yourself, "Am I IN CHRIST JESUS?"  If so, delight that what love the Father has for Him, He also has for you.  If not, delight that it is His will that will change and that you will receive Jesus IN you and you will be IN Him.  That is simple, but profoundly life changing.  Simply repent of your sins and turn from them to Jesus.  God wants better for you than that.  Believe that and follow Jesus wherever He leads you.  There is NO condemnation by God to those who will walk according to Christ Jesus' leadership.  When you begin to want His will for your life, you will know you are saved!

And that is Just A Thot for today.  May your Christmas be blessed because you are near the Lord Jesus Christ!

ANGELS, FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY

Ah, the beauty of our hymns!  They tell the stories of the Bible, put them to music, and through it all, bring out the marvelous, often spectacular wonder of Jesus Christ.  Whether people these days will consider it or not, the Bible is the True Story of God's dealing with mankind - and the result of faith is worship!  

Today's Hymn, "Angels, From the Realms of Glory" is a result of believing the Bible's account of the coming of Christ.  I hope you enjoy it - and are inspired by it when you next sing this hymn.

"This hymn was written by James Montgomery (1771-1854), who was born in Scotland of Irish parents.  His father, John Montgomery, was a Moravian pastor––apparently the only Moravian pastor serving in Scotland at the time.

"Montgomery's parents felt a call to serve as missionaries on the island of Barbados, West Indies, in the Caribbean.  When James was only five years old, his parents departed for the West Indies, leaving James with a Moravian group in County Antrim, Ireland.  His parents died in the West Indies a few years later, so James never saw them again.  One wonders how well he remembered his parents––and whether he resented them for abandoning him at such an early age.

"The Moravians made it possible for James to enter Fulneck Seminary in Yorkshire, but that turned out to be a bad fit.  James had the soul of a poet, and poetry was banned at Fulneck.  In 1787, he apprenticed himself to a baker, which also proved unsuitable.  He bounced from pillar to post during his late teens.

"But in 1792 he began working for Joseph Gales, who published the Sheffield Register, a local newspaper.  Gales supported a number of radical causes, and in 1794 was forced to flee to Germany to avoid prosecution.  Montgomery, although still in his early 20's, was able to gain control of the newspaper, and changed its name to Sheffield Iris.  Under his leadership, the paper continued its radical bent for more than three decades––advocating such seditious causes as abolition.  Montgomery was twice imprisoned for his editorials, but his imprisonments only added to his popularity.

"As a young man, Montgomery drifted from the faith, but as he matured he returned to the Moravian church and became an advocate for Christian missions.

"On Christmas Eve, 1816, Montgomery was reading the second chapter of Luke, when these verses captured his attention:

"And suddenly there was with the angel

a multitude of the heavenly host

praising God, and saying,

'Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace,

good will toward men'"

(Luke 2:13-14, KJV).

"Montgomery was inspired to write this hymn, which he wrote quickly and printed in the Christmas Eve edition of his newspaper.  Each verse of this hymn speaks to the nativity from the perspective of a different group of people."

• Verse 1 is about the angels, who are urged to "proclaim the Messiah's birth." 

• Verse 2 is about "Shepherds in the fields abiding."  It includes the phrase, "God with man is now residing"––an allusion to Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23, which speak of a virgin conceiving and bearing a son whose name will be Emmanuel, which means "God with us."

• Verse 3 is about "Sages," the Magi or Wise Men, who are urged to "Seek the great Desire of nations"––an allusion to Haggai 2:7, which in the King James Version reads:

"And I will shake all nations,

and the desire of all nations shall come:

and I will fill this house with glory,

saith the Lord of hosts."

• Verse 4 expands the vision to "Saints"––a word that in the New Testament applies to all Christians.

• Verse 5 further expands the vision by urging "All creation" to praise "God, the Father, Spirit, Son."[1]

---

[1] From the Internet:  http://www.lectionary.org/HymnStories/Angels%20from%20the%20Realm%20of%20Glory.htm, 12/2/15.

"ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH"

This month (December 2015), I hope to post a devotion and history of a different Christmas Carol each day.  The information I find on the internet will be used to help us along the way.  I claim little to no originality.  Anything I "cut and paste" will be cited with a link to the page from which I took it.  I pray that you will be blessed and visit each day for something new and uplifting!

Today:  "ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH"

HISTORY:
In A.D. 129, Telesphous, Bishop of Rome, ordained that, "In the Holy Night of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior, all shall solemnly sing the 'Angel's Hymn.' " With that proclamation the 'Angels Hymn' became the first Christmas hymn of the Christian church. Its most common English version was translated in 1862 by James Chadwick, and its most memorable feature is its chorus Gloria in Excelsis Deo!, which is Latin for Glory to God in the Highest. (http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library_songbook/angels-we-have-heard-on-high-history-and-lyrics-of-a-christmas-favorite.htm)

DEVOTION:
As vast numbers of angels swiftly descended toward earth through the star sprinkled sky, the leading angel halted them with a sign. They hovered with folded wings over a silent field near Bethlehem. "There they are," said the leading angel, "the humble shepherds who have been chosen by God to receive our message. It will be the most wonderful news that mortal man has ever received. Are you ready with your great angelic chorus?"

The leading angel drifted slightly downward so that he could be seen by the shepherds below. They were terrified! Each one of them covered his face in the brilliance of the light but earnestly listened with awe as the vision before him began to speak in his own language:

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).

Instantly surrounding the angel was the brilliant heavenly host, and echoing through the sky was the most beautiful singing that the shepherds had ever heard, exulting and praising God for the long-awaited gift of His Son. They made haste to see the Savior with their own eyes.

The Bible teaches that angels are the ministering servants of God and that they are continually being sent to help and protect us, the heirs of salvation. Certainly their most important task, however, was this momentous occasion announcing Christ's arrival on earth!


Although little is known of its origins, this inspiring eighteenth-century French carol has become a universal favorite.
(http://www1.cbn.com/devotions/angels-we-have-heard-high)

And that's "Just A Thot" for today!  May your Christmas Season be blessed!

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!  

PUTTING GOD ABOVE ALL OTHER "GODS"

The First Commandment:  Exodus 20:3 (NKJV)  You shall have no other gods before Me.

People all the time say that they have no other gods before the God of Heaven.  Indeed, they really talk Him up.

But is this true?


Lest I get too far ahead in our consideration of how we show our gods, let's first recognize the gods we have.

What is "a god"?  The definition people have for "a god" is pretty varied.  Hopefully yours has at least the following three elements:

1. A "god" is a living being
2. A "god" does things
3. A "god" is served

If this is so, then this first commandment logically says that there should be no living being greater, more able, or worthy of service than the God of Moses.  It also means we serve no other "god" than the God of Moses.

Therefore, let's look at the things that we serve. 

Money
Power
Self

These things consume all too many people.  We find they all have the ability to do things.  However, the first two are not living beings.  Still, they capture our attention, devotion, and become the aim of our lives.  The second one, Self, is a living being and so completely qualifies as a "god." 

Now being selfish is really behind greed, which drives our efforts to gain money or power.  Money can sway many people to do very immoral things.  Power can do the same.  But the self is what is being preserved, protected, or promoted when money or power offer anything to them.  Rather than being a tool to do right, money and power are used to do whatever will preserve, protect, or promote the person wielding it.  For that reason, the first two are not "gods" as many have tried to say. 

The god of self, however, is the god that comes between us and the God of Moses.  It is a sinful god, indeed, for doing just that. 

So, Christian, when you find your "self" standing between you and Jesus Christ (who was and is one of the parts of the God of Moses), then you are not letting the God of Moses preserve you, protect you, or promote your well-being.  You are trusting your own ingenuity, wit, and wisdom to use whatever is at YOUR disposal to accomplish your own will.  You do not serve the will of God, but your own.  That is sinful, and it stands between you and an intimate relationship with Christ.

Learning to be totally dependent on Jesus is a lifetime process.  Fortunately, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  However, our choice to love, serve, and obey the God of Moses and that to the rejection of service, love, and obedience of self is the highest form of honor we can give Christ.  It will bring us near to Him and Him to us.  His promises will be fulfilled before our eyes.  We will see Him as He is, and how much He can be trusted and relied upon.  We will learn to obey Him more and more implicitly, and as such, we will find our lives to be His tools to do His will on earth, as it is in Heaven!  We must put to death all other "gods" such as self, and have no other gods before Him! 

That is a commandment that is not changed by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  It is VERY applicable today!  Let's live by it.

And that's Just A Thought for Today!  May the Lord Bless you as you meditate and live by His Word.

WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Ok, you've heard it and so have I.  "The ten commandments are SO old fashioned" or something like that.  We hear all the time how the ten commandments are really taken as though they are the ten suggestions.  We don't like to consider them as binding on our lives.  After all, since they are in the Old Testament and we now live in the New Testament times, they no longer apply. 

Today, I want to challenge that thinking as being shallow, immature, and destined to destroy our relationship with Jesus Christ.  We may not find it acceptable to stone violators, but the Bible DOES say Christ fulfilled the law - which started with the ten commandments.  Proper Biblical interpretation requires us to hold the same view of the OT scriptures as the Apostles did - and they held the OT as Divinely Inspired and as part of the story of the relationship between man and God.  For the Apostles, that story was unfolding - and it is for us as well.  Prophecies are found in the Bible about what is yet to come, as certainly as what has already happened.  Christ is the way to God - and Christ fulfilled the ten commandments.  He did so not to free us from them, but to cause us to look to Him for help as we seek to follow them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about a legalistic view of them, either.  Our salvation is based on the finished work of Christ on the cross and the empty tomb.  Neither will we STAY saved by following the ten commandments.  BUT, our spiritual maturity and strength is sapped when we try to pick and choose what to follow without any help from proper biblical understanding.  That understanding demands we understand the ten commandments in light of the new testament, NOT ignoring them all together.

Over the next few days, I will be posting some thoughts about the ten commandments and how ignoring them is destroying our intimacy with the Lord and we don't even realize it.  While the ten commandments SHOULD point everyone to their need for Christ's saving work in their lives, they also reveal cracks in a believer's relationship with Jesus.  If you are hungry for a deeper, more intimate relationship with Christ, then join me on this 10 day journey starting tomorrow!

And that's Just a Thought for today!

May the Lord Bless and Keep you!


Pastor Greg

The "Gospel" MUST Include Repentance

 Romans 6:11-13 (NKJV) ¹¹  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³  And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 

This morning, something rather unusual happened to me.  I was in that twilight state of sleep where your dreams and your reality seemed to melt together.  I was between states, thinking and dreaming at the same time - not quite conscious and not quite unconscious.  I seem to remember things pretty well when that happens - but it doesn't happen very often.  What matters about this morning's experience was the subject of my thoughts/dreams.  It was as though the Lord broke through to me at a very deep place, and He revealed to me something very personal - and very true.  It is that truth I want to share with you today.

The Truth is this: "If you are still practicing a "besetting sin," then you are not set free from it."  Repentance is part of the redemption of Jesus Christ.  Too often, we want to FEEL saved without BEING saved. We turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, trusting Him to grant that forgiveness - and then we return to Him for it over and over and over again each time we fall to a particular weakness.  

When we do that, we are using Jesus to clear our guilty conscience rather than experiencing His salvation.  By that I mean we are still slaves to our sin, and not set free. We, however, feel better about our sin than we did before asking forgiveness.  And this is not salvation, it's deception.  We've been deceived into thinking ourselves as "saved" when we are not.  That sin still controls us.  Only by turning from our sin to "go and sin no more" will we experience the freedom from our sin.

People articulate their salvation in some pretty common ways, but those ways are rarely associated with the freedom from sin anymore.  For instance, consider the following things people say.

• I know I'm saved because I came forward in church.
• I know I'm saved because I was baptized.
• I know I'm saved because I prayed for salvation.
• I know I'm saved because I joined the church.
• I know I'm saved because I asked Jesus to forgive me and live in my heart.

NONE of these things mentions a life of repentance from sin.  None of these things mentions the work of Jesus on the Cross for ME to be free of my sin.  I may be set free of the penalty of sin, but am I free of the power of sin over my life?  Am I victorious over sin in my life?  

And the harder I try to be victorious over sin in my life, the more I am aware of sin's power over me, the more I am aware of my INABILITY to overcome that sin by myself.  I need supernatural power, I need Jesus Christ to help me.  I need Him to live in me and me not to live at all!  

And this is the gospel - the salvation that comes from the finished work of Christ on the cross to pay the penalty of sin AND the continual work of the Resurrected Christ empowering my life moment by moment!  That is good news!  I don't need to live my life free of sin, I need Jesus to live His life in me - and that will be free of sin!  I need to let Christ have my everything!  Then He will control me, and sin won't!  That's Salvation!

And that's Just A Thot for today!  

May the Lord bless you as you repent and let Him live His life in you.

Comments are always welcome, but will be moderated before being posted.  

WHAT JESUS REALLY WANTS

To get the most out of today's devotion, do the following in order:

1. READ THE PASSAGE - Mark 10:21 (NKJV)  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." 
2. READ THE DEVOTION - My Utmost for His Highest, September 28 (Link will open in a new window)
3. READ MY THOUGHTS

Ok.  The instructions are above.  Have you followed them?  Yes?  Good.  My thoughts springboard off of today's devotion by Oswald Chambers.

Total abandonment to, total reliance upon, total trust in Jesus Christ - that is the demand of Jesus upon our hearts, minds, and lives.  No mere human is worthy of such devotion, or able to rightly make such a demand upon another.  Marriage is about as close as we can come, but it falls short.  Neither husband nor wife can be as fully trusted, perfectly able, or eternally strong enough to successfully NEVER let us down.  And so we need someone above that - and Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, is the ONLY one with the character, power, and knowledge to be trusted to our entire being, our soul, and even life itself.

So what keeps you, o soul, from giving to Christ your total "self"?  What doubts, fears, or worries keep you from giving your whole being to Jesus?  

• Do you fear other people?  Could it be that you worry they might mock you?  Will your popularity ratings drop dramatically?  Could persecution be in your future?  
• Do you fear the loss of material comforts?  Do you need your electronics, nice bed, air conditioning/heating, automobiles, and nice house?  Do you need a pantry full of food?  Do you need the latest tools, gadgets, and the like?  Would following Jesus with total abandonment mean the loss of these things?  
• Do you fear emotional rejection?  Do you need constant approval, someone to always be by your side?  Do you need someone else to be your purpose for living?

If Jesus said to you, "It's me or other people."  What would be your choice?

If Jesus asked you, "Do you trust me to provide your needs?"  What would be your answer?

If Jesus asked you to rely upon Him for your emotional well-being, could you?  Would you?  

Would abandonment to Him give your life a purpose higher than even life itself?

Place yourself NOT in the "Holy-Roller Self-Righteous Church" of the rich man who has kept every part of the law, and in the mean time, kept himself from abandoning everything to have a dependent relationship with Jesus Christ.  Instead, join the "Abundant Abandoned Living Church" that lives with and serves Jesus without obstacles!

And that's Just A Thot for today.

Your comments are welcome, and encouraged.  Please share today's devotion with anyone who might be blessed by it.

ARE YOU A DISCIPLE OF JESUS?

Acts 9:26 (NKJV) And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.

When Saul (later, Paul) first became a Christian, the Believers in Jerusalem could not believe it!  They were afraid of him.  After all, he was one of the chief persecutors of Christians in that area.  He had Stephen stoned.  He was, by admission, the chief of sinners.  But he was also, among the people of the land (not the Christians), considered to be one of the best Jews there were.  He was educated at the feet of the brightest - Gamaliel.  He led others in the fight against this new Christian movement.  He was one of the most zealous fighters for keeping the "traditional way of life" of all.  Who could believe that he had been converted into a Believer in Jesus Christ? 

What did it take for them to accept that he had become a disciple?

The answer to that question is the point of our Thot for today, and it lies in the word "disciple." 

What is a disciple? 
A disciple is a person who is under the tutelage and discipline of another.  The key word is "discipline."  It means learning to think, act, and value the way the teacher thinks, acts, and value what he values.  A disciple of Jesus was disciplined to bring his life under control of the Holy Spirit, and to reject the ways of the world as a governing power over one's life. 

Are you a disciple of Jesus? 
Disciples of Jesus don't just subscribe to a creed of ideas they like and agree with; they practice living the way Jesus lived.  That doesn't necessarily mean walking everywhere, dressing in ancient middle-eastern clothing, and the like.  It DOES mean learning to care for others, relate to the Father, and serve Jesus with a whole heart.  It means doing good for others rather than serving self.  It is a transformation of heart and mind that cannot help but change the way one acts and the things one does. 

If you are a disciple of Jesus, you will let the Bible be your guide, studying it to get to know it; you will spend time each day in prayer; you will love the church (Christ did, and teaches us He died for her, so we should love her as much); you will submit to the authorities in the church and out (unless any require you to go against God); you will care for others, even when that's hard to do.  These things are all actions that come from the heart, not the head, if you are a disciple.  If you are a disciple, you won't be able to keep from sharing your faith with others.  If you are a disciple of Jesus, you will not quit on Him; if you do, it will only be temporary - you won't help but come back to Him and His church and His way of life.

Are YOU a disciple of Jesus?

Is there enough in your life to convince others that you are a disciple of Jesus? 
Like Paul (Saul), at first, your life needs to change.  This takes time.  The moment you ask the Lord to be your Savior is a great moment.  But it's not the evidence people need.  God is convinced - He judges the heart.  But the rest of us cannot see the heart.  We can only see the outside.  We, the people (we, the church) need evidence that you've changed.  That evidence comes by a changed way of living and doing things.  Does that evidence show up in your life?  How? 

This is a great challenge for all who take it seriously.  Those to whom we profess to be a Christian will be looking for that evidence (the believing and the unbelieving alike). 

If you haven't had time to show it, do you have someone to vouch for you while you start to show it?  Is there someone who witnessed your conversion?  Your Baptism? 

We all make mistakes.  Being a disciple is not about getting it perfect.  It's about a life change.  Do you clearly want and do things more in line with the will of Jesus?  When you don't, are you saddened, humbled, and willing to make the changes needed?  Or do you quit.  For the disciple of Christ, quitting is not an option.  One cannot quit being what one is.  If you are now a child of God, you cannot quit being a child of God.  You have only one course of action - be a child of God!  That is what a disciple is.  He is not a student at a school that he can dis-enroll in.  He is a new creature - and he practices living a new way of life.

Be the disciple, Christian, that you are.  Don't live in such a way that others cannot tell that you are a Christian.  God may just do something through you that changes the world.  He did with Saul (Paul). 

And that's Just a Thot for today!


May you be blessed in your discipleship today!

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH IN TODAY'S WORLD

John 16:25-33

History tends to "repeat" itself.  That is true for civilizations, communities, churches, and families.  That "repeat" is really a cycle of growth and decline.  It is a repeat of numbers and morality, faith and secularization, financial stability and poverty, political processes and procedures.  Each grows and declines - repeatedly.

One such repetition is what happens to the Church in the world.  Jesus warned his disciples that belief would be necessary - trust in Him - if they were to survive the world's opposition.  That eternal connection to Christ is far more than a title (being CALLED a Christian).  It is a spiritual connection that comes from trusting and serving Jesus Christ.  Being a Christian in name only will not work in a world that tries to find fault in your faith.  Only those whose faith rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ can endure the opposition of the world.  The time is upon us that we again face what Jesus promised would happen to his disciples.

Jesus told his disciples they would be scattered, unable to gather together (John 16:32).  In that time, they will not be able to gather with the man we know as Jesus, either.  He was speaking of the time he was to be arrested, falsely accused, and publicly crucified.  To be associated with him was to risk similar treatment.  The cycle continues, and again, Christianity is no longer popular - Christians will and are being scattered.  And yet, because of their relationship with Jesus, the disciples would be able to have peace.  The world would bring tribulation, but the heart would be full of peace.  The world might seem like it was winning, but it has already lost - to Jesus.  The world hopes to send people to God's judgment, but through the disciples' relationship with Jesus, that judgment will not happen - Christ's crucifixion paid that for all the disciples who trust and know Jesus.  Jesus promises it, and God backs Jesus in this (John 16:27). 

Of course, this passage reveals that it is more than just being CALLED a Christian, it is a deep awareness that Christ is ONE with God - He is Divine - MORE than just a man.  He came from God.  He is more than a good teacher, He is God.  He is more than a mere prophet, He came from God.  He is more than a platitude dispenser, good moralist, or powerful preacher - He is the MESSIAH promised in the Old Testament.  Therefore, we can trust Him completely.  He is not to be compared with anything in creation, for He is the Creator of all that is.  He is more reliable than the sunrise and sunset.  His words are Faithful and True.  And those who trust Him, His words, and His deeds do so because they know that He came from the Father as He said!  Serve Him alone, and His victory over the world will be yours.  And that is faith - serving Him.

Do you have faith?  It doesn't take a quantity of faith.  It isn't how much you believe.  It's the quality of your faith - who you trust and by your trust who you serve.  If you say you trust Jesus, then prove it by serving Him - no matter what.  In today's world, that means serving Him when the world says you are not allowed to.  It means serving Him when no one is watching.  It means serving Him when you are isolated from everyone.  It means serving Him when jail, job loss, or death may be the penalty.  Is YOUR faith of that quality?  Then you can have peace with God, for Christ promises you are loved by God!  As John later said, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:13). 


Do YOU have saving faith?  Saving faith is serving faith!

And that's Just A Thot for today.  Please comment, share, and grow by it!

GOD SEEKS A MAN!

Ezekiel 22:30 (NKJV) So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

When the Prophet Ezekiel penned these words under the inspiration and dictation of the Lord, great evil was being done throughout the land. This verse follows a long list of wrongs done by God's people - including other prophets. God was speaking through the Prophet Ezekiel, looking for a man who would have faith in God in spite of the storm of public opinion to the contrary. God has always wanted better for mankind than mankind wants for himself. And that is true for you, too. God wants better for you than you want for yourself, too often.

So God is looking for a certain kind of man. He is looking for a man of faith. The man of faith would have to be willing to do some things that the world might find strange, even offensive. He would have to buck the culture. He would have to articulate God's goodness to a world that otherwise couldn't see it. He would have to warn the world about God's justice to a world that otherwise didn't believe it. That kind of man is needed today.

That kind of man is needed in our homes. Our children are being thrust into indoctrination camps we call public schools five days a week. Our children come home with strange new ideas they've heard from their teachers and peers only to sit in front of a screen for hours of follow-up indoctrination through the TV or internet. Who will have the courage to take measures in the homes to stand in the gap? Moms? But the kids need DAD to do it, too. His example and active influence is unparalleled. If he is disinterested, Mom's influence is diminished greatly. If he is uninvolved, Mom's influence is diminished greatly. If he openly opposes faith, Mom's influence can be removed all together. Dads need to stand in the gap between God and the world to protect their families.

That kind of man is needed in our public square. All corners of the square, from business, to schools, to medicine, to law, and everything in between face the temptations and morays to serve self rather than truth. God is truth. There is a great move to get God and His morals out of the public square. And so corruption moves in. Who will be a man and stand in the gap? We need a man of faith, a man who trusts that God will both protect and provide for him as he stands before his community to declare that God is real, good, and just. No wrong will go unpunished, and no good unrewarded. Who will be that man?

That kind of man is needed in global society and politics for the same reason as in the public square. He is needed in the courts for the same reason. He is needed wherever corruption, blasphemy, and paganism rule, for God is not mocked, and will pour out His indignation on them for their wicked disregard for His Holiness and Truth. They will learn of their lies at the judgment, and then pay for their deeds. Their only hope is that someone, some man, will stand in the gap and warn them of this in time for them to repent and turn to God's only Hope for Mankind - Jesus Christ, God's Son. 

What Jesus did on Calvary's Cross was to take the full wrath of God upon Himself for these sins of corruption and faithlessness. All who will receive Him as Lord of their life (Commander in Chief) and turn from their wicked ways to follow Jesus' ways, will be spared the wrath of God. Those who will not turn to follow Jesus will face God's wrath themselves.

What kind of man will trust God and love his fellow man enough to stand in the gap and warn his fellows, his family, and his friends?  Will YOU be that man?

And that's "Just A Thot" for today.

May the Lord bless you as you heed His Word today!

HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR SIN-STAINED CLOTHES?

John 11:38-44

My wife hates to do the laundry.  Who can blame her?  After all, there's just so very much of it to do around our house.  We might be thinning out as our kids grow up and move out, but right now, we have five people living at home; each contributing a week's worth of really dirty clothes.  Fighting stains with two boys and a tom-boy is a never-ending battle.  How does she get rid of the deep stains that seem to leap on our clothing?

The story of Lazarus' resurrection at Jesus' command is poignantly discussed on the Grace to You blog by Jeremiah Johnson (https://www.gty.org/Blog/B150612).  It got me thinking about how the new Believer in Jesus Christ, is so much like the resurrected Lazarus - given new life, but still stained with the filth and stench of sin.  The article also discusses the difference:  Lazarus' grave clothes and decay were immediately removed; but the new Believer does not experience that.

Now, let me pause for a moment and mention a couple of theological truths that apply here before I go on to my thoughts on the matter.  First, the Bible speaks of the new Believer as being POSITIONALLY clean and holy in Christ Jesus.  The blood of Jesus washes us white as snow.  God sees us as sinlessly perfect, because He sees the blood of His Son upon our hearts and souls.  "There is, therefore, no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus."  BUT - the Bible ALSO teaches that the new Believer is EXPERIENTIALLY unclean, unholy, and still faces temptations and succumbs to it all too often.  We must learn to behave in a holy manner worthy of our position in Christ.  But until we do, the stains of our sinful nature are upon us.

Johnson's article also discusses the truth that there are a couple of false teachings that have arisen because of this dual experience of the new Believer. 

The first false teaching is the idea that to behave in a godly way is somehow a bad thing (works-based salvation).  That misses the point of the transformation that takes place first in the inner man and works outwardly.  Those who hold that grace means we have no further responsibilities to obey the Lord are only looking to justify their sinful desires and habits or trying to assuage their guilty consciences.  The truth is when we sin, we have hurt our Savior who died to free us from its power over us, not just it's penalty upon us.  We should forsake our sin as an act of thanksgiving and honesty.  The power of Christ has set us free from the POWER of sin!  The problem is we don't act like we have been set free.  We're like an emancipated slave who continues to live like a slave rather than enjoy our freedom. 

The second false teaching is that Christians are to be categorized as Carnal or Spiritual.  While there are clearly those labels in the Bible, the point of the false teaching is this:  a carnal Christian really is the what I've described above: someone who has been set free of sin but continues to live like a slave to that sin.  We shouldn't categorize and thus divide the Body of Christ that way. 

The truth is this: EVERY BELIEVER should be casting off sin from our lives because EVERY BELIEVER has been set free of it to serve the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. 

When a professing believer refuses to cast off sin, the real question is this: has there truly been a change of heart toward sin?  If not, perhaps you aren't really saved!  Too many want to join the "Jesus Fan Club" without really being converted in their hearts.  They may have gone from hating Jesus to liking Jesus.  But they want none of following Jesus.  They want to be told they are "OK" just as they are and have no need of changing their filthy sin-stained clothes for something more righteous and holy.  And so they sit in the stands as far away from the real game of Christianity as they can, cheering on their favorite preachers while they have no relationship to the One who can get them into the game.  Their lives remain stained with sin because their lives are untouched by the stain-removing blood of Jesus Christ.  Holy living is the product of a holy heart.  And the world feels very dirty around a holy life. 

And Holy lives need a continual change of clothes!  It's an on-going thing.  The stain of sin affects even the believer.  But the believer continues to repent of sin - over and over again if need be - because the believer too often does what Paul, the Apostle, said, "I do what I don't want to do and I don't do what I want to do."  The old, sin-stained ways are deeply ingrained in us.  Without a desire to change, there is no evidence that the heart has been transformed in the first place!

Are YOU wearing dirty clothes today?  Wash them in the sin-cleansing blood of Jesus.  You'll have to change clothes to do that - and Jesus gives us clean clothes to wear.  Let's make the exchange today!

And that's "Just A Thot" for today!  May your life continually reflect more of Jesus each day!

CHRIST, MY LIFE

Today's Thought is wrapped up in a prayer to My Lord. I have little else to say about it than to let my prayer speak my heart. May YOUR heart resonate with mine toward our Savior, Jesus Christ – my Life!

"His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Romans 1:3)

 Oh, my Savior, what this verse says about You!  

 This verse declares Your Divinity.  You are the Son of God.  Your nature is that of the Righteous, Merciful, Just, and Holy Perfect God in Heaven Who created all things, seen and unseen.  Your nature is Good and Powerful.  

This verse declares Your Humanity.  You were made of the seed of David according to the flesh.  You have walked the earth, completely divine, but also completely human.  You have learned the hungers of man.  You have learned the sorrow of the downtrodden.  You have learned the grief of the bereaved.  You have known the isolation of betrayal.  You have even known the wounded heart that comes from the wrath of God upon mankind for sin, as you have borne mine on the cross of Calvary so I might be united with the Father - and You - for all Eternity.  You know first-hand the plight I am in and the forces natural and spiritual, that seek my separation from the Father Who Sent You - and You have overcome these for me!  Forgive me afresh today for my nature that leads me away from You and draw me to your bosom, empower me for your service, and fill me with your Spirit I plead.

This verse also declares Your Authority.  "Made the seed of David according to the flesh" grants you the kingdom of God's Chosen People, the people of Faith.  David's Kingdom was Israel, chosen by God to trust God by obedience.  The greatest of things to obey is to obey the Gospel.  By the power of God through faith, you have ingrafted me into the family tree of the faithful, chosen by God.  Your authority is complete, without equal, and unassailable.  You reign over all of creation, for You are True.  All other kings and gods are either on their thrones by YOUR will, or they are a lie.  There IS no other God but You!  And all who trust You will bow to You alone as God and King over their lives.  May it be so with me - and may my heart be found faithful, even if it is also filled with the weakness of my flesh.  

I praise You, my Divine Savior, for doing what only the Power of the Divine can do - Ransom my Soul.

I praise You, my Human Savior, for doing what only a man can do - Shed Your Precious Blood for my Soul.

I praise You, my Kingly Savior, for doing what only a King can do - be the judge and ruler of my Soul.  

You and You alone get the glory and focus of my life today! 

In Jesus' Name, Amen!

 
And that's "Just A Thot" for today. May the Lord bless you as you meditate on this!