|
A SONG AND A PRAYER |
|
MORNING MANNA - DECEMBER 16-30, 2007 Enter subhead content here Psalms 150:6 (Amplified Bible) On this last day of the year, when the world is celebrating the new year by partying and drinking,
we can celebrate in a wholly different way. We don't need liquor or drugs to stimulate us to do be vocal about
the dawn of a new year. A new beginning. Because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we can celebrate knowing that
God has brought us through the old year and He has plans for us for the new year. (Jeremiah 29:11) The way we leave this year is how we will enter the new year. Are you finishing strong? Will you finish
with a shout? A shout of praise? Will we do it despite what our circumstances look like? Will we enter
the new year ready to praise our way to victory? As the worldly bands are blaring
and people are doing things they don't usually do at any other time of the year, will we, as believers, be doing what
we should be doing every day? Praising the Lord? It's His will that everything that has breath should praise Him.
(Psalm 150:6) If you're reading this right now, you still have breath! I still have breath. So, let's begin to praise
the old year out and praise the new year in! We can praise God for the mighty things He does. We can praise
Him because of His unlimited greatness. (Psalm 150:2) Doing just those two things alone would take eternity! Each one of us has countless stories of the things God
has done for us and the many ways He has shown Himself strong in our lives. Every moment of this life can surely be
filled with praise. (Psalm 34:1) The world ushers in the new year with a lot of noise. We can do the same.
We can praise God with tambourines. We can praise Him with pianos, violins, guitars, and other stringed instruments.
We can praise Him with flutes, trumpets, lutes and harps. Even with loud crashing cymbals! We can sing songs
of praise. (Psalm 150:3-5) Yes, Christians can and should make noise too. The world only has another year of troubles without the peace
and comfort of the Holy Spirit. We have the promise of peace, even in the midst of trouble. (John 14:27) In this world of uncertainties, we don't need to be agitated and disturbed. Nor do we need to be intimidated,
cowardly and unsettled. We don't have to fear. We have One who has promised to go with us through everything all
the way to the end of this age. (Matthew 28:20) Every day we have new mercies from our loving Father. (Lamentations 3:22-23) So, when midnight tonight turns to 12:01 of the new year, we have another chance to start fresh again. And then
every day thereafter. Is that not something for which to praise the Lord? Let's take this old year out with a
shout of praise. We have something, Someone to shout about! Psalms 149:1 (New Living Translation) Are you struggling this morning in spiritual warfare? Is there a
situation in your life that is less than desirable and you know it is not God's will. Is it just an attack
from the enemy? It could be a number of things from depression to distress over a relationship. Even illness or financial
problems. Although it sounds strange, our first line of defense in these situations would be to sing praise to the Lord.
Singing a new song would be appropriate since we're in a new situation. (Psalm 149:1). Singing that song in the assembly of the faithful is important too. We need to stay in communication with
those of faith to help us when we are going through tough times. It
may be that the last thing you want to do when you are troubled is to sing, dance and play instruments
of praise. The enemy will try to keep us from doing that when we're going through trouble because it will keep us from God. It
will keep us from the blessing that God has for us. The thing is that we have every reason to sing and be joyful even
when we go through trials. (James 1:2) Especially when we go through trials. Even trouble has its positive effect on our lives. Through it, we will
grow spiritually. (James 1:3-4) In it, we will have the company of Jesus. (Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5) He will hold us up and give us the strength we need to endure and come out victoriously. (Philippians 4:13) Whatever we need will be supplied. (Philippians 4:19) That's something to sing about! The Lord delights in His
people. Can you believe it? The Lord delights in you and me when we trust Him and remain faithful and humble.
That's a song of praise in itself. When we sing that song of praise, the Lord is delighted even more. No matter
what our situation this morning, we can rejoice in being honored this way by our God. (Psalm 149:5) We can even sing for joy as we lie in our beds! When you think of the goodness of the Lord and
of all that He has done for you, you will soon be singing His praise. Whatever your battle is this morning, keep that
sword of the Spirit handy, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6:17) Keep a song of praise in your mouth (Psalm 149:6) It is our God who will bring down all of our enemies! (Psalm 149:7-9) All of those spiritual forces that are against us will be defeated at the Name of Jesus. (Psalm 18:39, Colossians 2:15) The defeat of our enemies by the Lord becomes our glory if we remain faithful in the fight. Will
you sing God's praise this morning as a sign that you are remaining faithful? It may be a sacrifice of praise but will
you do it anyway, knowing that God will be pleased and reward you with victory? (Hebrews 13:15) We are told to constantly offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. Hebrews 13:15 (Amplified Bible) 15
(AMP) Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which
is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. Are you ready to sing to
the Lord this morning? I think I will just do that. Let's all sing in one joyful chorus a new song of praise to
the Lord. Although we may not be near one another, God will hear all the praise going up and He will be blessed.
When it reaches His ears, it will be a symphony of praise to Him. He never fails to bless those who sing His praises. Psalms 148:1 (New Living Translation) As we fast approach a new year, I am reminded that praise
is always appropriate. We can praise God for so many things. All of His creation praises Him. The heavens
and the skies praise Him. The angels, all of His armies in Heaven, praise Him. Everything in the skies above us praise
Him. Let's not be left out of this symphony of praise! If you have flown in a plane, you know the skies praise
Him. I really do not like to fly and that's putting it mildly. But, when I look out of the plane windows and
look down on the clouds as they shine from the rays of the sun; (Psalm 148:4) when I see the blue sky and wonder how those clouds just hang there; moreover, wonder just how we could be gliding
through them, I have to praise God. Everything He does and everything He has created is a wonder! Including you
and me. (Psalm 139:14, Psalm 148:5) Yes, every creature on earth will one day praise Him.
The best part of that is we can praise Him now. What an opportunity we are given when we realize
just how worthy of praise our God is! He has established everything according to His good order. His orders will
never, ever be changed. (Psalm 148:6) His Son holds everything together and we can be secure in the fact that we belong to Him. (Colossians 1:17) There's something we can truly praise God for! Fire, hail, snow, storm, wind and weather obey Him.
(Psalm 148:8) Whether they know it or not, kings, rulers, judges and people obey Him. We all fit into His plan.
Young and old alike. (Psalm 148:11-12) For those who choose to follow Him, that plan is a good plan. A plan to prosper us and not to harm us.
A plan for a future. A good future. (Jeremiah 29:11) Just thinking of that makes praise well up in us! We are all told to praise the Lord. His name is very great. (Psalm 148:13) In fact, His name is the name above all names. (Hebrews 1:4) The name of the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. (Psalm 99:3) Every knee will bow to that name in Heaven and on earth. (Isaiah 45:23, Philippians 2:10) Although the small nation of Israel is weak in comparison to other nations of the world, God has loved
it with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3) God will work out His plan for His chosen people, Israel. His orders will never
be revoked. He has, in the past and will continue to, make His people strong. (Psalm 148:14) Those who turn to Him will be honored and strengthened. Those who stay close to Him will praise
the Lord spontaneously. The great thing about this is that we, as gentiles, are grafted into the vine. (Romans 8:17) If we have received Jesus as our Savior we, too, will be honored by God and be made strong. Praise
the Lord! In fact, Paul says that Christ strengthens us so we can do all things. (Philippians 4:13) Praise the Lord! Yes, we have many reasons to praise the Lord this morning and to get
into the habit of doing it constantly every day in the coming year. It was by God's loving favor that we, as gentiles,
were grafted into the Vine. Allowed to come to Jesus and be saved. We should never take that lightly. Romans 11:22 (The Message) 22 (MSG)
Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side
in God—ruthless with the deadwood, gentle with the grafted shoot. But don't presume on this gentleness. The moment
you become deadwood, you're out of there. We are, above
all people, most blessed. We were nothing before we were grafted into the Vine. Now we are adopted sons and
daughters of God. (Romans 8:15) We are chosen from the orphanage of this world! We were nothing and now we belong to God. Are
you praising Him yet? God wants us to remain alive and vital branches, not to become deadwood. One way to do that
is to continually remember where we could have been had He not called us to Jesus. That, alone, will elicit the highest
praise in us! Praise the Lord! Revelation 18:20 (New Living Translation) Babylon, as we see in Revelation 18:20, has fallen. This world system that has gone against everything that God's Kingdom stands for is
finally destroyed. Babylon represents the ultimate enemy of God on the earth. It is a world system that has pushed
God out and seemingly taken control over the earth bringing prosperity at the cost of losing touch with the Creator.
Although people will have the things they want, people and relationships will be regimented and given no value. In fact,
a relationship with God will be regimented right out of existence. Aren't you glad that this morning we still have
the privilege and opportunity to call upon the Lord without the threat of death? But, as we read in the news and see
on the TV every day, that privilege is trying to be taken from us. Now, while there is still time to do it, we
would be wise to call upon the Lord more and more for the salvation of our loved ones and for the nations. Today, we need to be wise, knowing how evil the days are fast becoming. (Ephesians 5:15-16) Today, we are moving toward toleration of everything but good solid relationships including, and especially, a relationship
with Jesus. The most crucial and the best relationship is that with our Creator. Our Savior. Without it,
we have only this world to count on. We have only our own strength. (Zechariah 4:6) Our strength is not enough to get us through life. When we count on our own strength, we are really pushing
God right out of our lives. He will not enter where He is not invited. We are really nothing but dust. (Psalm 103:14) Without Jesus we can't do a thing. (John 15:5) Oh, we may be able to function very well for a while in our own strength. We may think we have done a very lot
on our own and perhaps amassed wealth and power. The only problem is, as we find with the Babylon in the Book
of Revelation, no power can exceed God's power. We are fearfully and wonderfully made creatures, made in the image
of God. (Psalm 139:14, Genesis 1:27) Certainly God is no dummy! Being made in His image, we are highly intelligent creatures but not more intelligent
than God. (Isaiah 55:9) Unfortunately, if we don't follow the Spirit of God, we will be following the spirit of the enemy who
is and has been a liar and a deceiver from the beginning. (John 8:44) Whom are you following today? The world at large is
now following the spirit of the enemy. God doesn't deal lightly with His enemy. He shows this in the destruction
of Babylon, the coming world system that will deny Him and worship the one who sets himself up against Christ and against
you and me if we are Christ-followers. As power, wealth, and human intelligence are lifted up and worshipped, love
and true relationships will disappear. Being made in God's image, we are lifeless without love. God is
love. (1 John 4:16) Without love, we only exist. All the money, power, and fame that we could amass will never satisfy us.
More than that, it will never save us. It cannot love us. It can only draw us into deception if we begin
to think that we have done it ourselves. Satan, the ruler of this Babylon spoken of in Revelation 18:20, has deceived the whole world into thinking these things are of ultimate importance. He has gotten the world system to
regiment love right out of the picture. People will turn against their own families. (Luke 12:53) All the more, we should pray for those in our families so they will not be taken in by the deceiver. However,
in the end, this loveless system will be destroyed. The saints of God will rejoice. In the meantime, as we
live out our days, let's be encouraged to show the kind of love that comes from God. To everyone. Whether
they love us back or not. Whether they receive it or not. Today, let's determine not to focus on our own intelligence,
wealth, fame, or power (or lack of any of those things). Let's not get into the prevailing trend of worshiping
ourselves and what we have. All of that can be taken in a moment just as God destroys Babylon in a moment. What
can never be destroyed is our love relationship with Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 13:8, 1 Corinthians 13:13) The only treasure we can really keep is the treasure of those we have loved and helped
find the love of God. Those that have come into a relationship with Jesus. When we walk in love with
Jesus, we can truly rejoice, whether or not circumstances are as we would like to see them. The rewards are coming.
We don't want the reward that Babylon has coming. We are promised a wonderful reward if we will remain
faithful and walk in love. (1 Peter 1:9, 1 Peter 1:17, 1 Peter 3:14, 1 Peter 5:4) No wonder we can should rejoice! Revelation 17:14 (New Living Translation) There is a war going on and it has been going on ever since the beginning of time. The devil is determined
to over-run the Kingdom of God. We are a part of that Kingdom if we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
This morning may find us in some hard situations. The enemy may be trying to tell us some lies in order to get us to
turn away from God and His Kingdom. But, because we have read the end of "His-Story," we know that the
enemy is defeated. Today, we must stand like a good soldier of Christ, by faith, knowing that, no matter what things
"look" like, we are on the winning side. The war is always going on but there's no doubt as to whom the
victor's crown will go! Who will remain on the Lord's side and stand with Him in victory? Revelation 17:14 tells me that Jesus calls His people the "chosen and faithful ones." He has chosen us
who believe. It is our choice to remain faithful. (Psalm 119:30) He has given us the power to do so, but we need to receive that power and hang in there. (Philippians 4:13) Are there things in your life that are tempting you to throw in the towel because you don't see
the victory yet? Maybe you have waited a very long time. Don't give up. Don't quit. That's
what the enemy wants you to do. Don't lose heart. You will reap a harvest if you don't give up.
(Galatians 6:9) Your harvest will come at the appropriate time. You may see others around you being blessed
and their prayers seem to have been answered but you have not seen much. Don't give up. We walk by faith and
not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (Amplified Bible) 7 (AMP) For we walk by faith [we regulate
our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things,
with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance. Our relationship to God is that
we are chosen. God, Himself, has chosen us! When the chosen chose to be faithful, God responds.
(Psalm 119:173) He stands ready to help us. When we choose to fight the good fight of faith, the
victory will come from the Lord. (1 Timothy 6:12) He is King of Kings and nothing can defeat Him. Yes,
if we are believers in Jesus as Lord of our lives, we are His chosen ones. We are a kingdom of priests. We are
God's holy nation. We are His possession. Being in His Kingdom automatically makes us enemies of this world
and of Satan. We are soldiers given the opportunity and orders to show others the goodness of God. To show
them way out of the kingdom of darkness. We will not be appreciated by Satan, who is the author of confusion and darkness.
(1 Peter 2:9) He will be watching us all the time trying to find a way to take us out. (1 Peter 5:8) Some believers around the world have already had to suffer and even die for their faith. Having
done that, they received the ultimate victory. They are with the King of Kings awaiting the final victory. Jesus
tells us not to be afraid. (Revelation 2:10) He will defeat every enemy that comes against us. Our trials today may seem heavy but they
are small in comparison to those who have and are suffering physical harm and death because of their faith. No matter
how small or how large the trial this morning, we can be encouraged by knowing that we are His chosen ones. We
can be encouraged to go on to victory by choosing to remain faithful. Will we be so grateful to be chosen that
we prove it by choosing to be faithful? Revelation 16:15 (New Living Translation) Although Revelation 16:15 is talking about a future time, we should all be ready to meet Jesus. None of us knows whether we will meet Him
in the air or be taken to be with Him through accident, illness, or old age. There is one thing we do know.
We will not live forever in this physical body on earth. One day we will go to meet Jesus. It could
be today. So, are we ready? Are we watching for Him? Are we dressed in the proper attire so that we will
not be ashamed when it's time to meet the Lord? Jesus spoke to
the people when He walked on the earth telling them then to be ready for His return. (Luke 12:35-36) Special favor will be given to those who are ready and waiting for His return. Are you ready? (Luke 12:37) We are not told the time. He even says that He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn.
(Luke 12:38) Whenever He does come, there will be special favor if we are ready. Today, if you have not received Him
as Lord and Savior, He is ready to come into your heart and life. This is special favor. God loved us so
much that He gave His Son. Having just celebrated Christmas, we have heard the story one more time.
Now we must be ready for His return not as a baby, but as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. If you have not received
the Gift of Christmas, Jesus Christ, won't you receive Him now and begin getting ready for His return for you? Jesus tells the story in Matthew 25, of two groups of young women. Some were wise and some were not. The wise ones were ready. They were prepared.
They were all waiting for the bridegroom but he was delayed. The ones that came prepared with extra oil in their lamps
were able to keep those lamps burning through the night so they could wait until the bridegroom got there. The other
ten were called foolish. They were thoughtless and without any forethought. The wise women were sensible, intelligent
and prudent, according to the Amplified Bible. They were ready and were taken into the bridal chamber when the bridegroom
arrived. The foolish women had to return to town and try to get more oil for their lamps. While they
were gone, the bridegroom arrived and the ten wise women were escorted to the marriage feast. The door was shut.
(Matthew 25:10) When the others arrived, after having had to go back to find more oil, they knocked at the door but the bridegroom
said he did not know them. They had not been watching. They were not ready. They were not welcomed
into the marriage feast. Which group are you and I in today? Does the oil of the Holy Spirit burn brightly in
us because we have been walking in the Word? Will we be prepared when Jesus, the Bridegroom, arrives to take us to the
marriage feast? Or, will we be unready to meet the Bridegroom, ashamed and not wearing our wedding clothes?
We're coming up to a new year in just a few days. Let's make it a point to be ready for the return
of Jesus at any moment. We don't know the time or the hour that Jesus will call for us! (Matthew 25:13) Are you ready? Don't be unwise and be left out. Jesus is coming again! Revelation 15:4 (New Living Translation) There will come a time of tribulation and trouble on this earth before our enemy, the devil, is forever vanquished. When
that happens, there will be a high price to be paid to celebrate Jesus. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus,
this morning, we are celebrating, not just a Baby, but the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Those who receive this
most wonderful Gift, the Christ of Christmas will receiving His anointing too. Christ means, "anointed."
Jesus is the anointed One. He has now lived sinless earthly life, suffered and died, risen from
the dead, and is interceding for you and me always. There will be trials for us to go through but we are
overcomers by the word of our testimony and by the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 12:11) As we read the final chapters of the Book of Revelation, we see the victory of those who did
not abandon their faith but were victorious in not worshiping the anti-Christ. This morning are we all remembering,
among all the celebration and presents, the present of the presence of Christ? For those who have made Him Lord of their
lives, we celebrate that every day. Every day is a celebration of Christ. Some of the days of our lives are very
hard and they come with sorrow and trouble. Does that mean that we let go of the Christ that we celebrate on Christmas.
No! All the more we cling to Christ. He is the one that will bring us through every trouble and every sorrow.
He will give us a new song after each struggle and each victory just as He did for those in Revelation 15:2 who had been victorious over the beast. God gave each of them harps on which they could play praise to Him.
They were singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. (Revelation 15:3) Are you singing this morning? What song are you singing this
Christmas morning? A song of worship? A song of victory? Maybe you can't see your victory yet but you
still sing the song. Will you sing the song of victory in advance, by faith? Our lives in Christ are lived totally
by faith, hanging on to every word He has given us and remembering every time we have gone through a time of testing only
to see that Jesus has come through and brought the victory. The victorious ones in Revelation sang of the great and
marvelous actions of the Lord. They sang of His justice and truth. They called Him, "King of the nations."
That is truly who Jesus is, King of the nations. But, is He King of your heart? He will not take the throne by
force. You must give Him permission. Won't you do it today and forever remember this Christmas Day as the
day you chose to make room for Him in your heart? He is the greatest Gift you could receive and He is offering Himself
to you right now. The other part of the song of the victorious ones talks about the fear of God that everyone will eventually
experience. (Revelation 15:4) Right now we have the opportunity to have a healthy fear of God, a reverential awe. We are not forced; we are
given the opportunity. Think about it, look around. Everything that the Lord has made and is even
now holding together glorifies His name. He's held you and me together this long, hasn't He? It all
shows that He alone is holy. All nations will come and worship before Him. They'll all be forced to admit
His worthiness. Why not start now, by choice? He is holy. He is glorious. He is worthy. "O
Come Let Us Adore Him." He was born, He lived a perfect life. He died for you and me. He rose again.
He prays to His Father for us constantly. He's coming again. He has made us victorious! This
is the Christ of Christmas! Some of us worship just the baby, Jesus. He's so soft and sweet, totally pure as we depict Him lying in
a clean, well-ordered manger scene. Human and divine in a perfect mix. But, He grew just as we must grow.
This Gift of Christmas will not be complete until Jesus grows and finishes his course on earth. Not only was he turned
away from the mainstream of life when He was born, He was mocked and persecuted by His own people, the ones He had come to
save. As the persecution escalated, it turned into betrayal by one of His own followers and then to a frenzy of people
demanding His death. That's exactly what happened. Though He was our sinless Savior, He was put to death on
a Roman cross. He paid a debt He didn't owe because we had a debt we couldn't pay. But, that's not
the end. He died on a Roman cross at the hands of His own people. He was buried in a borrowed tomb. Why?
There was no room for the Savior in His own world. Then something glorious happened. His Father raised Him from
the dead, making a way for us to receive that resurrection power in our lives. Not just for this life, but the way to
life in Heaven too. Jesus, after assuring His disciples that He would prepare a place for us and that He would give
us His Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us, ascended to Heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father. He's there
right now and always where He constantly intercedes for us. What a perfect Gift! But this Gift goes on. One day Jesus will return to earth and call us up to be with Him forever. He came
as a baby, the Lamb of God. He grew to be a man and died on the cross. He rose again and ascended to His Father
in Heaven. He's coming back again to take us Home forever to a place of no trials, no sin, no pain, no tears, no
trouble, no sickness. Just joy. That's how He brought joy to the world. "Joy to the world, the
Lord has come." "Let earth receive her King." Will you receive Him? Now that's the perfect
Gift. So, if you're still running and fussing over gifts and dinners and decorations, will you stop a moment and
settle yourself? Sit down and, if you've never received the perfect Gft, receive Jesus right now. He'll
give you that peace He brought on the first "Silent Night." Your heart will be calm and bright. If you
have already received the Gift, will you place Him way out in front of anything else you're doing for Christmas and let
the Light of the world have His rightful place in your life and home? The Christmas Baby Jesus will soon return as King
of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Will we be ready or will we be distracted by our traditions
and the lesser gifts? Jesus is the perfect Gift. Just receive Him. Of all the presents that will be exchanged
this evening and tomorrow there is no greater gift than the present of His presence. Psalms 141:3 (New Living Translation) Do you ever wish you would not
have said something that you did say? It looks like the Psalmist at least knew it was a possibility that
he would say something that should not be said. That's why he said, "Take control of what I say, O Lord, and
keep my lips sealed." Words are so important. What we say does have an effect on the one to
whom we say it. Remember the little saying, "Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never
hurt me?" Well it's true, sticks and stones will break bones. However its is not true that speaking something
negative over another person will not hurt them. It will definitely hurt them. This is true especially
of children who are still in their formative years and consider their parents all-wise and loving. So, if you're
a parent of a young child, watch what you say to them and about them. You may be just teasing but they will take
what you say and process it as a part of themselves. What you speak over them will come into existence. God created
the world by what He said and so we create things by our words. Do you want to create a child that serves
God and follows after Him? A child that can meet the God-given potential that came with him or her when she was
born? Then, like the Psalmist, we need to remember to ask God to take control of what we say. Sometimes we really
need to ask Him to put some of Heaven's duct tape over our lips! Do the words you say reveal that you are Godly? (Proverbs 10:11) If so, they will bring life to someone or some situation. We can speak life or death over people and
things. (Proverbs 18:21) How often do we think of possible consequences when we're just having fun with our children or others and playing
around with words? No wonder the Psalmist asked God to take control of what he said! Words can be weapons
of destruction or they can be life-giving tools. Which of those things describes your words? The Bible says that
God's word is a light to our path and a lamp for our feet. (Psalm 119:105) If we have God's word in our hearts, we will be walking the path of life and saying the right things.
Why? Because whatever is in our hearts will, not only lead us through life, but will eventually come out of our
mouths. (Matthew 12:34) God's control over our mouth and our heart is necessary if we are to speak words that bring life.
These words that we speak are not only over other people and situations. They are also over ourselves. How many
times have you looked at yourself in the mirror and spoken something negative about what you saw? How many times have
you come away from some situation "kicking" yourself because you didn't do was well as you wanted to do?
Those are the times when we need to ask God to take control of what we say. If we're not saying what He says
about us, then we need to ask Him to get out the duct tape and seal our lips! Here's just one of the things He says
about you. He says that you are wonderfully made. If you keep it in your heart, you will start speaking more kindly
to yourself and it will be the truth because God said it. (Psalm 139:14) You wouldn't want to find yourself in an argument with God now, would you? The next time we go to open our mouths, maybe we can remember what the Psalmist said, "Take control of
what I say." And, if something negative is about to come out, "Keep my lips sealed." If you
have an encouraging word to say, by all means say it. Even if it is to yourself. (Proverbs 12:25) God wants us all to have courage and words that speak courage to ourselves and to others are creating an atmosphere
of victory. Although this Christmas season is a season of joy, some are going through trials and some are grieving.
Perhaps you are that someone. A word of encouragement is in order. Let the Lord guide your lips to give yourself
or another a word from Him. His words are always encouraging. (Psalm 119:28) When we keep His word in our hearts, He will be guiding us. Jesus is the Word. (John 1:14) The more of Him that we invite into our lives, the more He will have control of what we say! Isn't
that the way we want it? Of course it is! I hope you just said, "Amen," to that! Revelation 12:11 (New Living Translation) We do have any
enemy. In fact, we have at least two enemies. Of course, we have the devil who has been accusing men ever since
the fall of Adam. (Revelation 12:10) This accuser is always going around trying to tempt us into doing things that will keep us from having a
testimony. (1 Peter 5:8) His object is to destroy us. (John 10:10) He wanted to do the same to Jesus. Jesus walked as a human being. Just before the start of His
earthly ministry, He was greatly tempted of the accuser. (Luke 4:1-2) He went through that for us. He showed us how to come out of temptation stronger than when we went in.
He used the Word of God and the accuser had no power. (Luke 4:3-12) He had to leave. (Luke 4:13) Every time we pass a test like Jesus did, the devil has to leave. But, we can't let down our guard.
He's only going away until he can find a better time to try to get us again. We gain our testimony the same
way Jesus did. How well do you know the Word of God this morning? It's the end of the year and we get
to begin afresh in a few days. Will you let 2008 be a new beginning for you? Will you determine that every day
you will know the Word of God in a fuller and deeper manner? The Word is your Sword that keeps your spirit
safe from attack. You have a testimony after you've used it to destroy your enemy (which, we are reminded, is
not any human being but, the devil and his co-workers [Ephesians 6:12]). We are in a spiritual battle. We need to have our Sword handy at all times. The other enemy is our own selves. Sometimes we forget who we are in Christ. If we have received Jesus,
we have a new nature. (2 Corinthians 5:17) A new life has begun. It is a life of spirit and truth. (John 4:24) However, there is an old person inside of us who, although is dead, tries to resurrect sometimes! Besides
that, we live in a body of flesh. We may find ourselves doing things we used to do or thinking thoughts we
used to think. It is then that we have to remind ourselves that we are new creatures. (Romans 12:2) The enemy will put those thoughts into our minds and urge us to act in a manner unworthy of the Jesus.
We can become our own enemy and listen to the devil, following his suggestions. Or, we can remind ourselves that
we are not that old person any more. Paul struggled with that. (Romans 7:15) It is not always an easy walk being a Christian. We are sometimes in a battle with our own selves, our
emotions, our pre-conceived ideas, and our will. We become miserable, as Paul did at times. Yet, Paul realized
what we must realize too. Jesus is the one who can save us from ourselves! (Romans 7:24-25) Jesus gives us the power to stop following our own sinful desires. (Romans 8:12-15) That's a testimony in itself! Those mentioned in Revelation 12:11, who overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony did not love their lives so much that they were afraid
to die. While this passage may be speaking of physical death, there is another kind of death. We, still living
on earth today, must not be afraid to die. Yes, there may come a time that we need to suffer physically and die
for Christ. But, today is the day we must die to ourselves. It is a fearful thing to die to yourself. Paul
did it. He said He was crucified with Christ. He was no longer the one living inside his body, it was totally
Jesus. (Galatians 2:20) It's like that game some of us played with our dads. We stood up on something high and jumped into his arms.
It was scary. It meant we had to trust him. Do you trust your Father this morning enough to jump from your
self-sufficiency into His loving arms? To be willing to give up anything and everything you have in order to let
Him live in and through you? Will you let Him rearrange all the rooms of your emotions and intellect and put them
in order? Sound impossible? It is - but for Jesus! With Jesus, all things are possible and we can do anything
He asks us to do. (Mark 9:23, Philippians 4:13) It is His blood, combined with the word of our own testimony that will bring defeat to the enemy who tries to
enter our lives today. Do you feel an attack? You have the blood of Jesus covering you if you have
received Him as Savior. That's a testimony. Has His Word covered you and kept you in the past? That's
a testimony. Have you been delivered from situations and troubles before? If you've been through some tests
and come out through trusting God, that's a testimony. In general, it's this way: no test, no testimony.
The blood of Jesus is available this morning. It's provided for us if we will receive it. Do you have a testimony?
If so the blood of the Lamb and that testimony are enough to defeat the enemy! Revelation 11:1 (New Living Translation) Although I
don't pretend to understand just why, John was asked to count the number of worshipers in the Temple of God in Revelation 11:1. This scripture made me stop and think about how God thinks about those who worship Him. They are important and
all of them count for something. God has, is, and always will be looking for people who will worship Him. We see
John counting the worshipers in the countdown of the world as we know it now. But, God is also counting the worshipers
as we read this. He's looking for anyone who will come and worship Him now. Will that be you and me?
(John 4:23) Later in Revelation 11:17, we see another picture of worship. The twenty-four elders, which many feel is a representation of the twelve
tribes of Israel along with the twelve apostles who walked with Jesus, fall down and worship. Through their worship
we can be encouraged to worship right now. We are almost at the climax of His-Story. Just prior to the
elders worship, we're told that, after the seventh angel blew his trumpet, there were loud voices shouting
in heaven. Yes, there will be loud shouting in Heaven! They were saying, "The world has now become the
Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever." (Revelation 11:15) Now, that's something to shout about! It takes wisdom and revelation to understand the Book of Revelation.
As we read and study it, God will give us that wisdom and revelation. But, whether we understand anything else about
it at this point, we can all understand that it's important to be counted among those who worship Him. We can also
understand that Jesus will one day (and perhaps soon) rule and reign forever! As we see those elders worshiping, we can gain insight into how we should be worshiping right now. They gave
thanks to God because He is and always was. He is exactly who He told Moses He was, the "I Am." (Exodus 3:14) He is - past, present and future. Jesus made many, "I am," statements too which indicate that He is
the Christ spoken of in Revelation 11:15. He said, "I am the Light of the world." (John 8:12) "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." "(John 14:6) I am the Gate." (John 10:9) "I am the Messiah." (John 4:26) "I am the bread of life." (John 6:35) "I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11) "I am the resurrection and the life." (John 11:25) "I am the Vine." (John 15:5) There are so many more indications of just who Jesus is and that He came from His Father, Almighty God.
We all need to believe in who He is so that we can enter into salvation and eternal life. No one needs to die in their
sins. (John 8:24) This Jesus, Son of God, has made a way for us. He is, indeed, the Gate, the Way, the Resurrection and the
Life! If you have never believed that, you can know it today and receive it just from these few scriptures. And
there are many more within the Bible that help us understand. Now, there's some more to shout about this morning!
Just these few references should make us fall down and worship! Are you seeing Him for who He is yet? In these
busy days, are you just taking a few moments to look up and realize that God is worthy of all your worship? If you are,
He's looking your direction too. He's looking for people who will worship Him. We're living in difficult times. The nations are full of wrath. (Revelation 11:18) Some of us have fallen under some injustice because of the wickedness of this world's system. But, worship
will keep us on track. There is coming a time of judgment. Both the wicked and the faithful will
be judged. Unless we keep a heart of worship, knowing that the end of His-Story will bring our final victory, we may
be tempted to enter into the ways of this world. Worship will keep us aligned with the One we worship. Where
are our thoughts most of the time? Wherever they are is most likely what we worship. Do we need to get into line
with the Lord this morning and direct our thoughts back to where they belong. Just like John was ordered to count
the worshipers in the temple in Revelation 11:1, God is counting even now. When He looks down to find those who will worship Him, will He find you and me?
Or will He find us all strung out because we're trying to keep up with the sinful, dying world? This Christmas
season is the perfect time to get our eyes back on the One we worship. He came as a baby and walked this earth
so we could identify with Him, and He with us. He grew, He suffered. He died. He rose again.
He's coming back. Not as a baby. As the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Are you watching?
Are you worshiping? God is watching. He holds your reward. Just pleasing Him will reward you instantly!
We're in the countdown of time. Will you be among those counted in worship? Revelation 10:7 (New Living Translation) Although we aren't given every detail, we can be encouraged again this morning from the Book of Revelation.
God has always had a plan for this world and an individual plan for you and for me. His plan for those who trust
Him and serve Him is a great plan. That plan is for hope and a future. He has no plans to harm us.
(Jeremiah 29:11) Although the Book of Revelation does show us that there will be a time of great judgment upon the earth, we can
be encouraged because we are safe in the palm of the hand of the Judge. (Psalm 139:10) Have you given your life to Jesus? Today is the day if you have not yet done that. (2 Corinthians 6:2) God is a God of love and reconciliation as well as a God of justice. He cannot look upon your sin
or my sin. Yet, He sill loves us. (John 3:16) It's not His will that any of us should perish. (2 Peter 3:9) He has given you and me time to repent and walk in His ways. If we don't take the opportunity, judgment
will come. (Luke 13:5) Although we don't know exactly when God's mysterious plan will be fulfilled, we know it will
be fulfilled. He loves us so much that He has shown us the end of the story. He has even pronounced a blessing
on those who will read the last chapters. (Revelation 1:3) This culmination of God's mysterious plan for His
creation is not really a total secret. He has been announcing it with glimpses and snippets for us to follow all through
the Bible. He has announced it to His servants, the prophets. Yes, there will be devastation upon the earth
for those who refuse to turn to God. But, God is so good. He warns us first. He gives us every opportunity to
turn our hearts toward Him. Sadly there have been and are still many cases in which individuals refuse that grace.
(Jeremiah 35:15) Jesus stood over Jerusalem and wept because His own people would not listen to Him. They would not turn and
receive the salvation He came to bring them. (Matthew 23:37) God has always brings warning and direction to His people through His prophets in order to spare us from destruction. (Amos 3:6-7) His thoughts and His ways are so much higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9) Yet, even up to this morning, He is asking us to read and understand just a few of the aspects of His mysterious plan
for man and the rest of creation, even promising a blessing to those who will obey. Maybe the biggest blessing
is that we will take heed, follow Him and be spared the awful end of those who continue in rebellion. Another blessing
could be that we will be prompted to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us so that they, too, might turn from
their sin and receive salvation. The encouragement and blessing that
comes to you and me from the Book of Revelation this morning is that God has, indeed, brought us warning through all of the
scriptures. He has not told us every detail of His plans but He has told us enough of them for us to have direction
and to know that we need to turn to Him. Since His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, it would do us no
good to try to out-guess Him or figure out every detail. (Psalm 131:1) To do that would be haughty on our part, as David puts it. Yet, He does want us to know certain things
and then take a walk of faith using those things He has revealed to help us live as we should today and for the rest of our
days. (2 Corinthians 5:7) God's mysterious plan will be more of a mystery to some than to others. For those who are obedient,
who read and listen to the words in the Book of Revelation, God has provided everything we need to know.
It is not God's plan to tell us so much that our hearts will fail us for fear. But, He has told us just enough
to help us to want to know Him better and to introduce Him to a world that is fast approaching the judgment described in
the final book of His-Story. The point is that we can come to Jesus now and we can bring others with us.
What a loving God we serve. What a wonder that He is still extending His grace to a wicked world. That's a
mystery in itself when you think about it. But, God has chosen to make it plain to us. What will we do with
what we know? Revelation 9:21 (New Living Translation) God
will do anything He has to do to bring salvation to everyone. Even after all the plagues and troubles we read about
in the book of Revelation, we find that some people will still refuse to turn from their wickedness. (Revelation 9:20) They continue to worship idols. In and of itself, this sounds very negative and discouraging. But, the
Book of Revelation is the revelation of just who Jesus is. It is His heart that all people should come to
repentance and have eternal life. That's not negative and discouraging. That's encouraging. It's
a message that we can all take note of before we end up in a bad situation. Repentance is the first thing that Jesus began to preach about when His earthly ministry began. He
came out of the wilderness after being tempted by the devil preaching this. "Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven
is at hand." (Matthew 4:17) Here's how it's written in the Amplified Version. Matthew 4:17 (Amplified Bible) 17
(AMP) From that time Jesus began to preach, crying out, Repent (change your mind for the better, heartily amend
your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Are you needing to change
your mind for the better? Is there some area in your life where you need to heartily amend your ways? The
Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Is it any wonder that Jesus being the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the
Alpha and Omega, would begin His ministry with a message of repentance and that the book revealing Him as King of Kings would
also bring it to mind? It is essential and important. Repentance is so important that, without it, we won't be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus didn't
just preach repentance once. It was a main theme of His earthly ministry. It is not His will that any one of us
should be lost. (2 Peter 3:9) He was willing to give His own life in our place. (John 3:16, Luke 22:42) He paid the price for our salvation but we have to turn around and walk in it. Are
we ready to do that? That's what repentance means. We need to turn around when we find ourselves walking away
from God instead of with Him. Just because we're grown men and women doesn't mean that we have grown into perfection
or maturity. The Kingdom of Heaven is upside down compared to this world's system. It's really that this
world's system is upside down! Until we become trusting, lowly, loving, and forgiving just as a small child is,
we're not ready for the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:3 (Amplified Bible) 3
(AMP) And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting,
lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all]. Are you ready this morning?
Or do you need to turn around in some area of your life? I'm not really looking for you to answer me. No.
I'm too busy trying to be real before God myself! Although Chapter 9 of the Book of Revelation seems scary and the
plagues mentioned are horrific, you and I can be encouraged today. God has told us what it will be like if we don't
mend our ways now. It's not to late! Isn't that encouraging?!? Let's receive a blessing from
reading Revelation by taking note of what happens to those who do not repent. Repentance is important! And, it's
not too late yet...... Revelation 8:3 (New Living Translation) Our prayers are mentioned in several verses in Revelation. Obviously
they are very important to God. In Revelation 8:3, John sees an angel with a gold incense burner come and stand before the altar in Heaven. He is given a large amount
of incense to mix with the prayers of God's people. The mixture is to be offered on the gold altar at the throne.
In Psalm 141:2, the Psalmist asks the Lord to accept his prayer as incense offered. We can see that God does accept those prayers
along with the incense in Revelation 8:4 The sweet smell ascended up to God from the altar. That's just how important our prayers are. No wonder
we should pray without stopping! (1 Thessalonians 5:17) If you think about it, especially in the days in which we live, we could do that and still not cover everyone and
everything that needs prayer! Prayer is a subject that
is well covered in the scriptures. No wonder. Can anything really be accomplished without communication with
our Lord? The Psalmist teaches us a lot about that communication. He says, he will honor the Lord as long
as he lives, lifting his hands to God in prayer. (Psalm 63:4) That's how we can honor God too. We're also reminded that God not only listens to, but pays attention
to prayer. (Psalm 66:19) God does not ignore our prayers. (Psalm 66:20) In fact He declares them to be extremely effective if we are living in a righteous manner. (James 5:16) Are you in any kind of trouble this morning? The Psalmist said he took his troubles to the Lord and when
he cried out, the Lord answered him. We can do the same thing when we're in trouble. God will answer.
Why wait until we are in trouble though? The Lord is delighted to hear from His children all the time, not just when
they are in trouble. If you're a parent, you know what I'm talking about. We like to communicate with
our children in the good times as well as the hard times! Sometimes it may seem as though God doesn't hear.
But He does. The Psalmist probably felt that way when he said, ...But I keep right on praying to you, Lord.......(Psalm 69:13) He was having some hard times, yet he did not stop praying even when he had not yet seen God move.
God will move. We must keep on too. The Psalmist also noted that God will listen to the prayers of the destitute.
He won't reject their requests. (Psalm 102:17) If you feel destitute in some way this morning, hang on, keep praying. God is going to answer you! Jesus knew His Father so well that He had no doubt about the fact that God would answer. God
says, in (Isaiah 65:24), that He will hear the prayer of His people and answer them before we even cry out. He will answer our prayers while
we're still in the process of asking! Jesus let us know that God knows what we need before we even ask. (Matthew 6:7) We just need to believe that and have faith that God has heard every prayer from every one of His people.
We don't even know who may have been praying for us! It could be a friend or relative that knows your need at the
moment. Or, it could be that your great-great grandmother looked ahead and prayed for the future of all those
to come in her family. God has heard every prayer and knows the prayers that you and I will pray in the future.
I think that means that we're pretty much covered! Nevertheless, we are still to pray. Don't you talk
to your friends about needs, struggles and joys in your life? Why then, would we not talk to our best Friend constantly
about those things? On the other hand, why would God want to be our best Friend if we didn't talk to Him?
That would not be much of a relationship. Jesus gives us a perfect example of the kind of prayer life we should
have. When Lazarus died and Jesus went to the tomb knowing that He was going to bring Lazarus back to life, He
said a prayer. (John 11:40-44) He said it out loud so that those standing around would believe that God had sent Him. However, He had no doubt
about the fact that God always heard His prayers. That's the most important thing about prayer. Like Jesus,
we should have no doubt about whether God hears us or not. Whether we speak out loud in corporate prayer or whether
we are speaking from our spirit to the Spirit of God, we must believe that He hears us. We have just seen many evidences
in scripture that God does hear and answer His children. Our prayers are so important. They ascend right to God
Himself. Do you believe that? If we do, I'm sure there will be more and more prayer going up! There
may not be a whole lot of time. Peter tells us that we should remain earnest and disciplined in our prayer. (1 Peter 4:7) Yes, our prayers are so important! Revelation 7:17 (New Living Translation) I don't
know if they still make it, but there used to be a baby shampoo called, "No More Tears." Washing a baby's
hair can be a challenge and, if you use a harsh shampoo, there can be a lot of tears! If we have received Jesus
as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are clean. We were not made clean by being scrubbed so harshly that we felt intense
pain. Rather, the intense pain was felt for us at the cross of Calvary by our Savior. If we had tears when we
were washed clean, they were tears of repentance and joy because we knew that we were forgiven. We may still have tears
from earthly trials we go through because we have not been taken to Heaven yet. But, we are washed and ready.
We're on our way! If this morning finds you in a situation that brings tears of grief and sadness, be encouraged
by the fact that one day, God will wipe every tear away. We won't have to go through anything else that will cause
us grief. Revelation 7:17 tells us that. The Christmas season is a joyful season when
we celebrate the birth of Christ. It was probably not too comfortable for Mary and Joseph when they could not find
a place that first Christmas Eve for Jesus to be born. It was probably quite a culture shock for the King of Glory too.
Jesus had come from the throne room of Heaven down to the earth He made. But, there was no room for Him to be born!
He was used to golden streets and the wealth of His Father, yet He had to be born in a cold and probably dark stable.
There may have been some tears shed on that night. Some were probably tears of joy because God had previously spoken
to Mary and Joseph, through an angel, about certain aspects of Jesus's birth. But, I'm sure there
were tears of pain too. Childbirth is painful and a stable is not the greatest of places to experience it. During
this season, when the world is supposed to be celebrating with joy, many are troubled, depressed, and many deaths occur.
As I heard someone say the other day, "Christmas is a time of family and of going home." But, some do not
have family, either because they have wandered away, they have been abandoned, or they are the only living member of their
family. These people are in need of someone to help wipe tears from their eyes right now. Will you be sensitive
to them this season? Other people have been ill a long time and are just tired. Many times, it is during this
season that they leave this earth. Maybe that is because they are thinking of Christmas as a season of going
Home. These that go, if they have trusted in Jesus, are going Home to a place where they will never again be ill or
experience tears of pain and grief! If you have a loved one that has gone Home at this time of the year, don't let
it stop you from celebrating the very Reason they have a Home to go to! Jesus is the reason. He's the One
who will wipe away all tears from their eyes forever! Right now, if you're saddened by the Homegoing of a loved
one, won't you let Jesus wipe away your tears and give you renewed hope and joy! God has left you and me here on earth for a purpose. Each of us has a special purpose created by God before
we were ever born. (Ephesians 2:10) That purpose is a good purpose though it may involve walking through some seasons of tears. If
you happen to be going through a season of tears right now, know that it will pass. Just keep on sowing that good seed,
you will reap the harvest in joy. (Psalm 126:5) Even with shouts of joy. Jesus had times of tears too. (John 11:35) He knows what you feel like. (Hebrews 4:15) God has not abandoned you or looked the other way if you are in a season of grief. He is keeping a
record of all of your sorrows and even collecting every tear that falls. (Psalm 56:8) The Apostle, Paul, had a very special purpose, as we all know. We would not have much
of the scriptures in the New Testament if it had not been for Paul. Yet, he had quite a few hard times, accompanied
by tears. (Acts 20:19) Jesus said that we would have trouble in this world. We can count on it. (John 16:33) But, Jesus did not stop there. He said, "Be of good cheer for I have overcome
the world." That's just what He did when He came to earth that first Christmas, walked a sinless life in spite
of persecution, and died for our sins. Rising again, He went to prepare a place for us. (John 14:3) He's coming again to take us away to where He is so we can be there with Him forever. (Revelation 22:20) He's going to take us to be with Him where every tear will be wiped away forever!
Revelation 21:4 (The Message) 4 (MSG)
He'll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all
the first order of things gone." No more tears! Micah 1:2 (New Living Translation) God
spoke in the days of Micah. He spoke to Samaria and Jerusalem. He made accusations against them. They had
not been following in His ways. God still speaks today. He does not speak to bring condemnation on us, thanks
to our Lord Jesus. (John 3:17) He really wants everyone to be saved. (2 Peter 3:9) But, in order to come to salvation, we must come to repentance. (Matthew 4:17) So, He brings conviction. (Acts 2:37) God is so loving and kind that He brings warning before He brings judgment. Is there something in your life
that God is speaking to you about today? If we are listening to Him, our conscience will let us know if we need to turn
around in some area of our lives. (1 Timothy 1:19) God does speak today and one way He does it is through our own consciences. Let's not be like those people
who violate their conscience and have their faith shipwrecked! Attention! God is speaking. He wants all
the people of the world to listen. Are we listening? God was
speaking to John in Revelation, Chapter 6 too. He was letting John see exactly what would happen to the world so
John could record it and let us know too. God is so loving and kind. He will let His people know His plans.
He wants us to pay attention when He lets us know. For those of us who believe, those plans are good. They are
for a future for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) They are not to harm us. However, if we make the poor choice of rejecting the Lord, we will not have such
a future. All the more reason for us to come to attention when God speaks! There are a lot of promises in the
scriptures. All will be fulfilled. One of those things that will be fulfilled is that those who
reject Jesus will be in big trouble. (1 Peter 2:7-8) This morning, let's pay attention. God is speaking and we want to walk in the fulfillment of the promises
He makes to those who love and follow Him! So, are we paying attention
to the Lord this morning? He is speaking. Jesus said we ought to pay attention. (Luke 8:18) If we are open to what God is saying, He will continue to fill us with His Word. But for the one who is
not open to hear, there will be a sad ending. They may have listened before but, for whatever reason,
they have stopped listening. Then, even what they think they have will be taken away from them.
God's Word is living. (Hebrews 4:12) We cannot listen once and sit back satisfied. Things in our lives change every day. We go through
different seasons in life. Different trials. Different victories. In every one God is speaking. We
have to keep on listening. Keep on paying attention. We have to pay attention to the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. Jesus
said, "...I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." At every moment, will He find us
paying attention? Enter content here Enter content here Enter content here Enter content here |
|
Enter supporting content here |
