Good Morning,

Are you settled in to the New Year yet? No, me either. With the new year comes expectations of better things. So far it looks like the events around us are indicating the ride might not be coming to an end quite yet. Even in the midst of uncertainty we can have faith in God and His plan. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As we have been welcoming in the New Year at Christian Life Chapel, we have begun a discussion of Faith and some of the unique characteristics it has. Faith is an interesting endeavor; when we step out on faith what gives us the comfort and security we need to forge ahead? Join me as we slow down a little during these winter weeks and spend some time in God’s Word.

Have you ever considered how much faith it takes to get into our car and drive? We need some degree of confidence that the car is capable of driving and is safe to operate. We need the assurance that we are capable of driving it. We also need some degree of faith that everyone else on the road is capable. That isn’t always the case. I remember a few months back watching a car cross the centerline a couple cars ahead of me and hit another car head on. The driver that was hit had faith that the oncoming car would stay in its own lane. I am sure it will be sometime before that driver puts his faith in the oncoming cars.

What happens when the faith we put into others fails? We are more cautious in trusting them the next time. When they fail over and over, we conclude they are not trustworthy. The opposite is also true. When we have faith in someone or something and the results confirm our faith was well placed, we gain confidence and our level of trust increases.

What is faith? Well Scripture reveals this definition;

Hebrews 11:1; Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Assurance and conviction are two words that complement one another, when we are sure, we move ahead with conviction, confident that we are moving in the right direction.

Now this doesn’t mean some of us move forward without being sure, we know the type; they go off with half the story, thinking they know the conclusion. Most times it comes back that they didn’t know the whole story and therefore they did some things that need to be corrected. That happens to all of us, no matter how much we try.

Walking in faith with God has its benefits. God knows what will happen tomorrow. God has the power and authority to change things. God loves us and has a plan for each of us to have hope and a future, not to be miserable and fail. If that is true, why would we move forward without first asking God for direction?

There are a few things that come to mind; pride, arrogance, ignorance, envy, rage, misunderstanding, all of these contribute to our downfall. These are the things that get in the way of true faith. These are the things that each of us battle with in our hearts and minds. They try to convince us that we know better than God and following Him means we are weak and need help. That is not true.

Do you remember that young man who faced the giant? Do you remember his answer when he took off the armor they had dressed him with for battle? He wasn’t used to it and it would be an obstacle, not a help. He claimed faith in God and His presence would go with him onto the battlefield to fight. The story is recorded for us in Scripture in Samuel 17.

Now David was a shepherd boy and faced many dangers to protect the sheep. He reasoned that if God delivered him there, he would deliver him in battle with the giant.

Samuel 17:37; The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”

Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”

As David went out to face the giant and in response to the giant’s jeers, he replied;

Samuel 17:45-46; David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!

Samuel 17:48-51; As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.

David stepped out on the battlefield with his faith in the Lord God of Israel. He faced the giant and defeated him. He wasn’t equipped with the armament or weapons one might go into battle with but he knew that God would be with him as he faced his enemy.

Faith in God will defeat the giants in our lives that keep us bound up, battling every day for survival. Walking with God in faith gives us the assurance and confidence that with God by our side we can defeat the obstacles that are before us. Whether it looks like we have the right equipment or not.

Now there is a qualification, we don’t get to decide the path we take. God has it worked out and planned for us. We need to seek him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. When we do, He will be found, He will reveal the steps to take and His plan will guide us down the road of life.

Here are a few scriptures that help reinforce this for us;

Jerimiah 29:11-13; For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

Proverbs 3:5-6; Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

I invite you to join me on this journey as we learn how to engage with God and allow him to guide and direct our path.

Blessings,

Pastor Don

Colossians 1:15-17; Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can and the things we can’t see- such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christ is born, so what does that mean to us? First and foremost, God keeps his promises. The prophets foretold of a coming Savior and God did not disappoint, but more than that He fulfilled in us the security we need to have hope, be filled with Joy and be at peace. The love of God accomplished this in the birth of Christ.

Hope; What is Hope? A trust, a reliance; a desire with the expectation of or belief that it will happen. What is True Hope? True hope can only be found in something or someone who has the power and authority to    change things. Where do we find True Hope? True Hope is found in no one else but Jesus Christ!

Joy; What is Joy? Joy is what we have inside us when our priorities are in line with God’s direction. Joy is not happiness. Joy is not circumstantial; It does not matter where we are, what is going on around us or who is with us. Joy is present; When we have God first in our lives; When we put others above ourselves; When we humble ourselves and serve others instead of serving ourselves.

John 14:27; Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Peace; Where can we find Peace? Lasting Peace is impossible without Christ, man knows no peace apart for Christ. Christ came so that we might have peace. Peace is the eternal security that comes from a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Love; One of the most difficult things to grasp is the love that God has for us. First off, we have done nothing to deserve it; that is difficult for us to understand because we live in a world that doesn’t provide love/value to each other unless we earn it. What we were powerless to do God did for us. Love initiated actions by God to atone for our shortcomings through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

God’s desire is for his creation to live with him, that is what he created us for, fellowship with Him. God does not desire that we are separated from him, but he does not force us to have a relationship with him. He made the sacrifice that was necessary to remove any obstacle that we put in place that separated us.

Only one thing that can separate us from God, free will. God does not desire that we are separated from him, but he does not force us to have a relationship with him. Christ made the sacrifice that was necessary to remove any obstacle that we put in place that separated us. We, however, can still choose to be estranged from God.

We must receive the gift that God offers out of love for us. We must put the corrupt desires of our old self to death and live through the guidance of the love of God, manifested in Jesus. Our lives become not our own, but a life lived for the benefit of others.

What then shall we do? How shall we respond?

Philippians 2:5-8; You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Let me encourage you to start the new year off right, seek God while He can be found, accept the gift He offers and live life in the Hope, Joy and Peace that only knowing Christ as our Savior can bring! Happy New Year!

Until next time, God Bless and Thank You.

ReplyForward

As we continue our preparation for celebrating the Birth of Christ, Peace is next up; Hope, Joy, Peace, the building blocks of life. Hope is essential to have Joy. Joy is when our mind tells our heart to be at Peace even in the chaos of the world around us. Joy produces peace, a peace that transcends understanding. They form a foundation allowing us to stand firm in spite of the craziness around us. Are we at peace with the way things are? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Peace is impossible without Christ. Today we are faced with the harshest of realities; man can know no peace apart for Christ. We see the revelation of it all around us, man is a selfish creature. We look out for number one without much thought of how it affects others.

I am reminded of one part of the Christmas story we don’t like to think of or even recall very much, the reaction of King Herod to the birth of Christ. A man so self-centered, so fearful of Christ that he ordered all newborn males under two years old to be killed. Joseph was warned in a dream and packed his family up in the middle of the night and headed to Egypt. Staying there until he was called by God to lead his family back home to Israel and settle in Nazareth.

Matthew 2:13-18; When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

    weeping and great mourning,

  Rachel weeping for her children

    and refusing to be comforted,

  because they are no more.”

How depraved is man that we can take our vengeance out on a precious child? It is a day that should sadden our heart. It is a day that should open our eyes. We live in a world that allows us the freedom to do many things, but when we remove the presence of God and His moral standard from society, we set ourselves up for very tragic days.

We have seen it all too often since that day in Colorado. Too many lives have been taken by the evil presence in the world because we have turned away from God. Christ came, lived among us, taught us, gave his life for us, rose up victorious over death, is seated at the righthand of God interceding for us and will come again to take home those that belong to him.

Christ came so that we might have peace.

John 14:27; Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Peace is the eternal security that comes from a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. In a world that only has concern for itself we can only find comfort in the arms of our Savior. We need to return to Him and receive the peace only He can provide.

Life is precious and we need to hold that in the highest regard. My hope and prayer is for all mankind to come to their senses, seek God while He still can be found and hold precious the very thing He gives all of us, life. I pray for a world that doesn’t understand the peace that Christ brings.

Romans 5:1-11; 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Christ is the ultimate peacemaker. We are powerless to bring peace into our lives. In fact, we create a tremendous amount of turmoil trying to find peace. Have you ever wanted some peace and quiet? You chase everyone away. You shut everything out. Ah, peace at last, but at what cost? Peace isn’t something we achieve for ourselves, it is something we offer to others.

Philippians 4:4-9; Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

The decision to be at peace rests in the hearts and minds of men. We can receive the gift of a Savior. We can have the security of eternity. We can be at peace with God. We can behave in a way that honors God and experience the peace that transcends understanding. God will be with us.

As we continue our preparation for celebrating the Birth of Christ, Joy is next up. Joy can be confused with happiness. While being filled with Joy can be revealed as happiness, sometimes we can have Joy and be in the worst of circumstances. Joy is more a state of mind than a heart condition. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

When we celebrate accomplishments that we put effort into attaining we are said to be happy. Joy is different, performance and accomplishment have less to do with it than the way we conduct ourselves. Joy is what we have inside us when our priorities are inline. Joy is not happiness, but joy can make us happy. Joy is not circumstantial, it does not matter where we are, what is going on around us or who is with us. Joy is a condition of our heart, mind and soul when things are in line.

Joy is a condition of priority. We cannot experience Joy if our lives are in turmoil. It can be fleeting if we are tossed about here and there by public opinion or what people think about us. Even in the midst of chaos joy can be in our lives. It is more about who we belong to than what is going on around us.

Joy has some requirements to be present in our lives. True joy can only exist if God is present. Why; you might ask. Because God’s presence is essential for hope to exist. Hope is essential to have Joy. You see joy is when our mind tells our heart to be at peace even in the chaos of the world around us. They are building blocks that form a foundation allowing us to stand firm in spite of the craziness around us.

For example, let’s take our grandkids. They were at the house for cookie baking, tree decorating and holiday movie watching. If you understand anything about the dynamics of the young mind you know the chaos that ensued. NO, not bad chaos; wonderful chaos. My heart was filled with joy at the sights and sounds of laughter, arguing, mess making, and everything that goes with trying to herd cats. Now there were some things I wasn’t happy about but that didn’t change the joy I had in my heart to share these special moments with them.

Now comparing grandkids to the chaos of the world might seem a bit odd. Truth be told the same thing happens each day around us, things happen out of our control that challenge us. They challenge us in a way that we lose hope, joy is fleeting and peace isn’t even on the radar. Truth is we don’t control the world and if we did, we’d probably mess that up. Let’s just stick with what’s going on inside of us for now.

When we have God first in our lives, when we put others above ourselves, when we humble ourselves and serve others instead of serving ourselves, we find we have things in the right place and joy exists.

Romans 5:1-11; 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

What is the condition of our heart? Is it filled with joy? Most times it is not. Do you know how I can tell? Because the scripture tells us to rejoice. RE means to do it again, do it over and over and over until you have it right. Then do it some more. Try it again. It is a reminder to reprioritize our lives.

We get things mixed up. We get things out of order. So, God’s word reminds us to RE joice!

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God!

Salvation, faith in Christ for he has delivered us!But what about all the problems we face? But we also rejoice in our sufferings

…because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Remember we talked about Hope last week. Hope comes from God; it is not found in man. Without God, man is hopeless. We cannot save ourselves. Rejoice! God has provided the answer in His son Jesus Christ.

We need to Re do some things. Remember to reorder our lives. Remember to praise God for what he has done; for the fulfillment of his promise for his great love for us, for the provision of a Savior. Praise be to God.

Praising God returns our heart, mind and soul to the right focus. Instead of complaining or even asking God to fix the situation around us we should first praise Him for all he has done for us. When we get that right everything else falls into place!

Scripture reminds us in many places to recharge the Joy bank. We need to be reminded of the joy we have in the Lord. As we prepare to rejoice in the birth of Christ remember that the joy he brings is not just for this time, it is for eternity.

Joy produces peace, a peace that transcends understanding. We can only be effective witnesses for God if we get our priorities right. That is why we find so many encouragements from God’s word to rejoice.

Joy comes not from what is around us, but it comes from what is in us. The Holy Spirit! Let the Holy Spirit reign in your life. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel!

God’s Continued Blessings, PD