Where Do You Stand?

 

When it comes to God, marriage, family. On questions of faith, hope, and love. When asked about Jesus, church, the meaning of life.

Your opinion. Your stance. Your beliefs.

They matter.

Where do you stand?

Does anyone even know? Do you even know? What do you believe?

If you can't answer that question, it's time to do some searching. 

No matter where you are in life, now is the time to make a decision. 

Are you with Christ, or are you against Him?

There is no in-between.

This is a fence you cannot straddle. Either you believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior and King, or you do not. Either you are going to heaven, or you are going to hell. You know light, or you are in darkness.

It's that simple.

Where do you stand?

 

Hope

 But as for me, I will always have Hope.

A new year is coming.

Ready or not, the calendar is set to change. It matters not if you've accomplished what you set out to do in this past year. Time has run out. It's over. 

How do you feel about that?

What will the new year hold for you?

The answer, of course, is that none of us know. Oh, we may have plans and ideas, goals and ambitions, even dreams and wishes. We can work towards making those things reality, but it is largely out of our hands. It is up to God what He gives, or takes away.

That can be depressing for some. To know that no matter how hard we try, no matter how well we prepare, we may not accomplish what we set out to do. Even if it is a good and right thing.

But as for me, I will always have hope.

This is the first part of Psalm 71:14. The second half of the verse reads, I will praise you more and more.

In this Psalm, the Psalmist speaks of God as a refuge, a place to go when life is hard. He also speaks of God as his hope, even when his plans have gone awry. Despite his hardships, he counts on God to bring him through.  

That's hope.

Not that I will get what I want. Not that my dreams will come true. Not that this will happen, or that will not. Rather, hope is knowing God is there, no matter what. Hope is recognizing the goodness and righteousness of God, even in the storm. 

But as for me, I will always have hope.

No matter what 2015 brings, or lacks, I will always have hope. The Lord is my Refuge and my Rock. He is my Salvation and my God. 

There is no greater hope than that!

As Iron Sharpens Iron

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron,
so one man
sharpens another 

 

 

Men:
We're hard, like iron. That's how God made us. Try to form or sharpen iron with something softer, like gold. Know what happens? Nothing. It takes something hard. Like another piece of iron.

God said it this way: 

 

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Like any tool, we have to be made into shape, and then maintained, to be effective. A blade dulls. An axe forms burrs. They all have to be sharpened regularly.

What other man or men do you have in your life who are sharpening you?

Who are you sharpening?

Be iron to another man, and let another be iron to you.

We'll all be better for it.

Post Christmas Blues

After all the buildup. All the craziness. All the chaos.

It's over.

In one day.

It's not uncommon to feel some degree of letdown after Christmas. We've been ramped up for days, weeks, or even months. Now it's come, and gone. Before us lies a long, cold, dark winter (where I live at least).

It can be a little depressing.

Taking down the decorations. Saying goodbye to family. Maybe paying off debt for gifts we really couldn't afford. It weighs on you. Compared to the excitement of Christmas coming, Christmas past can seem . . . well . . . blue.

I get it. I feel it. Not as strong as some, but I'm there with you. Since I was a kid, the weeks after Christmas seem a little longer, the days a little darker. For me, it's mild, and doesn't last long. But for some, it can be a serious problem.

Christmas every day.

What helps me is to remember why we celebrated Christmas in the first place.

Christ. Our Savior.

And He didn't come for just one day. There is nothing special about December 25 and our relationship with Him. He is just as available, just as close, and just as much God on every other day. It doesn't have to be Christmas to think about Jesus.

In fact, if you only think about Jesus on Christmas, that's part of the problem.

He's there, every day. He came for us. You and me. There is no greater gift.

In that way, every day is like Christmas.

Being blue isn't un-Christian.

I had to put that out there. It doesn't mean you're just a fan of Christmas and not Christ. It doesn't mean you don't understand what it's all about.

It probably means you just ran an emotional, spiritual, and physical marathon and you're tired! 

But if you do start to get a little down, remember Christ. There for you, every day.

A bit of Christmas, every day of the year.
 

Christmas, Part 3--A Child Is Born!

In a lowly stable. Wrapped in unworthy cloths. Laid upon a manger.

A child.

The Christ.

Savior.

Upon Him rests the hope of all men. Within Him resides the fullness of God. Around him exists a world He has come to save. Before Him lies a path of obedience.

A child.

God's amazing grace. His unfailing love. His unending mercy.

All within a sleeping child.

He is God.

Born for us.

Do you know Him?

Christmas, Part 2--Spiritual Warfare

For all the joyful anticipation in Heaven, not all celebrated. Those who had fallen anticipated the arrival of Christ in the flesh much differently. They knew the Scriptures as well as those loyal to Father. They knew what was happening. They knew who was coming.

The Messiah!

But theirs was not gleeful anticipation, nor wonder that God would so love the world that He would send His Son to save lost man. No, they loathed the idea of a Savior. Who was man that he should receive such a blessing that they themselves could not? Who was man that God would leave His throne to humble Himself for their sake? Who was man that he should be forgiven?

Satan knew. He knew what this meant.

War.

Satan could not fight against God as God. In that there was no contest. He as the created could not stand against the Creator.

But . . .

God in the flesh? God as man? Could He be tempted? Could He be led to fall?  If so, then there would be no salvation. There would be no Messiah. There would be no hope. And that, Satan knew, was his only hope.

The virgin.

Satan watched her, a serpent studying his prey. So delicate. So fragile. So . . . mortal. Could it be that she really carried God within her? He knew it was so, but yet the idea was so foreign. He could not fathom God leaving His throne for them, or anyone else. The thought disgusted him.

He considered the woman, and the One within her. He sensed the presence of God, recoiled at His holiness.

The Child.

He would be born. It would be as God had said. He would enter the world in the flesh, to live as man. He would walk in their footsteps, share their bread, experience their pain. He would be tempted as they were tempted.

Satan would be sure of that.

Christmas, Part 1--Heaven Prepares

Can you imagine the excitement in heaven as Mary and Joseph approach Bethlehem? The angels look down in wonder, knowing that God Himself resides in the womb of a mere mortal. They know the Scripture. They know what God has told man. They know what is coming. They know who is coming.

The Messiah!

Filled with awe, they consider their God. He has come to save their fellow servants. They cannot quite fathom the love God has for men that He would send His Son.They ponder the reality of a Savior.  It is beyond them to understand, but they know. And they wait.

They know who the virgin is. Gabriel had appeared to Zechariah, then to Mary herself, delivering a message from God. The child she carries is known to them as well. Though He has not yet been born, they have known Him since their creation. He was before the day of their making. And they were about to witness His birth.

Can you feel it?

The excitement. The joy. The awe, the amazement, the wonder, the anticipation! This is the greatest work of God they have witnessed, and they have seen everything. Their understanding is incomplete, as His ways are not theirs. But they know. They know it is big. They know it will change the world.

They can hardly wait!

The man and his wife make their way slowly as the angels watch. Immortal, time is different for them than man, but they are bound by it nonetheless. They must wait with the rest of Creation for this wondrous event to take place.

They pulse with excitement.

The holiness of God has never been brighter. His plan has never been clearer. His majesty never greater. And yet, there He was. Being carried by His created. Not yet born, cared for by His creation. 

Man did not yet understand. But he would. And when he did . . .

Until then, they had to wait. Watching. Anticipating the birth of the Christ.  

It was almost more than they could take!