Be A Messenger

Have you ever sought to be a messenger for someone? Have you thought about the importance of the messenger? Would it depend on who the message was sent from and to? Do you think that would elevate the status of the messenger?

I’m sure many of us have no inclination to be a messenger. In fact, we have probably, at some or another, been the messenger carrying messages back and forth between two friends who are now former friends of each other. Perhaps we have experienced a worse situation, carrying messages between our parents.

Our experiences with messengers in today’s world prevents us from holding them in high esteem. Of course, at no time has the messenger been held higher than the person sending the message or the person receiving the message.

Throughout history, there has been many messengers. Some of them are more well known than others. I’m reminded of a book I once read titled “A Message to Garcia” by Elbert Hubbard. It was on the Commandant’s Reading List when I was a Marine. It is a very short book, about 65 pages. It makes an inspiring point about the courage and drive of the messenger to deliver a message that could have dire consequences, if not delivered.

Prior to the invention of telephones and radios, the military relied heavily on messengers. They were important during the battles of the Old Testament. They were important during Rome’s conquest of many nations. They were important during our own Civil War.

One particular messenger in the Bible had an amazing task. He was not only to be a messenger, but he was to prepare the way for the Lord. He wasn’t merely proclaiming what God wanted, he was telling people that Jesus was on His way. He was to prepare the hearts and minds of the Jews to accept Jesus as the Messiah.

Can you imagine having that kind of responsibility? He was to carry out what the prophets Isaiah and Malachi had foretold hundreds of years earlier. Not only that, he knew the prophecy and knew the Jewish leaders and priests knew the prophecy. How was an ordinary man supposed to carry out such an important prophecy?

As we know, John the Baptist did carry out his assigned task. He certainly garnered the attention of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He also captured the attention of the Jewish people and baptized them for the forgiveness of their sins.

I pray we all become messengers. I pray we take up the task of carrying God’s message. I pray each one of us will carry the message of Jesus in our heart and share it with others. Be a messenger. Carry God’s message. Tell others about Jesus. Fulfill your calling.

Malachi 3:1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LordAlmighty.

Return To God

Have you strayed from God? Do you feel as though you are wondering aimlessly? Are you considering returning to Him? Are you wondering if He has forgotten you? Do you want to cry out to ask Him?

There are some of us who have strayed from God, perhaps for several years, and we have returned. There are some who have strayed and have yet to return. Straying is not that uncommon. In fact, we know it is one of the problems facing the church today.

The church is not the only one to face this issue. Israel faced it on multiple occasions throughout their history. God had provided for them on many occasions, sometimes on a daily basis. Still, they grumbled and walked away from God.

Too often we read their history and wonder how they could disobey God. Yet, we read hundreds and even thousands of years of their history within just a few minutes without the perspective of living their lives on a daily basis. As we live our lives daily, what will be our excuse a hundred years from now when someone reads our history?

It is in our daily lives, our moment-by-moment decisions, that we leave God behind. We decide that “just this one time won’t hurt” and take a step away from Him. We think, “I’ll make it up later” assuming we have years to make up for doing something we shouldn’t, and believing God has a scale that balances our good versus the bad.

Yet, we would be wrong in either case. It is by God’s grace that He accepts us. Our desire to cry out to Him is just what we need. Much as the Israelites cried out when they realized they were wrong we need to cry out to God.

Some of us may feel as though God has left us, abandoned us. We want to cry out to ask why. If we feel that way, we should cry out. Ask God to come back into our lives. When we cry out to God with an earnest heart, He will answer. God waits patiently for us.

I pray we all cry out to God during this advent season. I pray we ask Him to remember our needs and fulfill them. I pray each one of us will remember to take God with us each day. Cry out to God. Ask God to come into your life. Carry Him with you each day. Ask Him to guide your decisions.

Lamentations 5:19-22

You, Lord, reign forever;

your throne endures from generation to generation.

Why do you always forget us?

Why do you forsake us so long?

Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; 

renew our days as of old

unless you have utterly rejected us

and are angry with us beyond measure.

Thanks Be To God

As we celebrate our Thanksgiving holiday this year, many of us celebrate it very different than we have in years past. Many of us celebrate as an individual family unit rather than with our larger, extended family. Though there are many traveling across our country, many are not.

We have all been affected by a microscopic virus, whether we have been infected by it or not. Our celebrations seem to be a bit muted this year. We try to raise our hopes and attitudes. We make valiant attempts at putting on a smile and brush away our frustration. Yet, there is hope for all of us. We have reasons to be thankful.

We may experience some downs over the next few months as we continue to wade our way through the mire and muck of a pandemic. But those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior have already received a kingdom made by God. We may not see it now, but it is better than all those beautifully wrapped packages on Christmas morning waiting for us.

We have a choice to make. We can complain about being couped up and restrained from being with our extended family. Or we can give thanks to God for His rich blessings. We can choose to be miserable or be thankful and joyful. Guess which one will make us feel better.

You guessed it. When we are thankful, rather than complaining, we feel better, our attitude is better, we’re a joy to be around, and we please God. So, let’s be thankful for what we have and who we have in our life. Take stock in how you have been blessed and give thanks to God for all of it.

Though our family will not join in a large gathering today, I am thankful for a family to spend the day with. You see, I’ve spent several Thanksgiving Day’s without family. I know what it is like to spend Thanksgiving in an apartment or a house by yourself. So, I’m feeling extremely blessed during this time of restraint to have a family to be with. My heart goes out to those who do not.

I am thankful for the technology available to us. Because of it, I can continue to post messages to the members of the three churches I serve. I can provide a special video message to them. I can continue to serve them through online worship services. I can continue to host prayer request calls and pray with them. In 1918, they didn’t have these tools nor options during that pandemic.

Today, be thankful for all you have. Be thankful for the family you have. Be thankful you can use technology to reach out to one another. Most of all, give thanks to God for providing all of it. Know that He does love each one of us and He will bring us through these difficulties.

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Caring For All

How well do you take care of your brothers and sisters? Are you caring for them with love? Are you being hospitable to people you don’t know? Are you caring for those who are being mistreated and suffering from injustice?

Many of us will care for our brothers and sisters. We care for our immediate family. We may care for some of our extended family, but there are usually some extended family members we don’t really like. Some family members are blood relatives, and some become relatives through marriage.

Most of us will care for those who are mistreated, as long as it is something we agree with. Yet, if our family or cultural environment doesn’t agree it is an injustice, we usually won’t go against the tide. We fail to look at it through the eyes of God, through Scripture.

Rarely will we include prisoners in our thoughts and prayers. Our standing assumption is they are in prison for a valid reason and don’t deserve our sympathy. Yet, God can work in prisons as well. He can change lives for the better.

The only time we may take care of a stranger is at a distance through various charity organizations. We wouldn’t dare to invite a stranger into our home. Yet, we see in today’s Scripture that some have entertained angels by doing so. Now, this doesn’t mean we should invite every stranger into our home. It is highly likely there will be a tugging at our heart when it is the right person to invite.

Now, here is the catch about brothers and sisters. It is not just physical family members we are to take care of. The brothers and sisters the writer of Hebrews is talking about are our Christian brothers and sisters. Much like our physical families, there are some we don’t really like. Yet we are told to pray for them and care for them all the same. This is the love of God showing itself through us.

Our love and care are to extend to everyone we know, and we encounter. We are to see all people through the eyes of Jesus, who cares for everyone. We like to put caveats on that love. We like to say, “But God, if you knew what this person did.” God does know and loves them anyway. He continues to pursue them, and He may just use us to do so.

I pray we all love everyone we encounter with the love of God. I pray we keep our Christian brothers and sisters in our prayers. I pray each of us will show more love and care each day, and perhaps entertain angels. Love one another. Pray for one another. Be hospitable to all. Pray for those in prison. Stand up for those suffering from injustice. Be thankful at all times.

Hebrews 13:1-3 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Two Mites

Do you think of yourself as a giving person? Have you taken an objective view of your giving? Are you willing to give when it costs you your comfort? Or are you only willing to give when you have an excess? What do you think God wants you to do?

Many of us give to help others at different times of the year. We are more likely to give as we approach the holidays. Our giving will go to organizations that will feed the hungry and clothe the poor. It is good for us to give this time of year to help others. But what about the rest of the year?

We are blessed with more than we need. Oh, we don’t think so. Yet, that is our wants being interpreted as needs. We, in this country, have allowed ourselves to be twisted by the media, our favorite stars, and peer pressure to the point of forgetting what being in need truly means.

The majority of us give out of excess, even if we think we don’t. Here is a quote from a fourth-century monk, Basil of Caesarea, for all of us to ponder during this giving season.

“This bread which you have set aside is the bread of the hungry; this garment you have locked away is the clothing of the naked; those shoes which you let rot are the shoes of him who is barefoot; those riches you have hoarded are the riches of the poor.”

As we decide to hoard rather than give, perhaps we can think of those who truly are in need. We might also take these thoughts with us as we go through the rest of the year. Perhaps we change our mindset and start looking for ways to share what God has blessed us with.

As we give to those in need, whether through organizations we trust or our churches, we might also want to consider giving our time. It is not just money, clothing, and food needed; volunteers are needed as well. We might simply sit down to a meal with a homeless person.

We have been blessed by God to live in a country with far more than we need. True, many of us have worked hard to accumulate what we have. Yet, we forget it is by God blessing us that we are able to work to earn our pay. God blesses us with the purpose of us blessing others. We show our thanks to God when we share His blessings.

I pray we all give to help others during this time of need. I pray we show our thanks to God by blessing others through His blessings. I pray each one of us will give thanks and share what we have with others, not only during this holiday season, but all year long. Give thanks to God. Show thanks to God. Give to those in need. Share your blessings.

Mark 12:43-44 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Needing Rescue

Are you looking to be rescued? Are you looking for a superhero to come in and save the day? Do you feel like a damsel in distress? Do you feel like you have been abandoned behind enemy lines? Do you know there is a Savior waiting for you to ask for His help?

We all have down days. We all experience times of feeling abandoned. Some of those times are worse than others. Some are minor and others cause us to weep crocodile tears for hours or days. We look for someone, anyone to reach out a helping hand.

It can be completely debilitating when we have those especially bad times. We become motionless. We are drained of energy. We curl up in the fetal position in bed and have no desire to move. Or we wonder aimlessly, not seeing anything around us.

It is in times like these we need to remember we do have a Savior. He has never and will never leave us. I know, it’s not like He is there with us physically, like a real person. Or, is He? Have you ever thought that He just might be right there in front of you?

We see in Hebrews 13:2 that some have entertained angels without knowing it. We know that God works through people. So, how do we know Jesus doesn’t show up for us physically? Perhaps He is not in the form that we expect, but He may very well be there in the person who is offering a helping hand at the very time you need it. He may be the stranger who offers you an encouraging message. He may be the person with the bright eyes that passes you in the store.

As we look toward a Christmas like no other in our past, we all feel a darkness about us. We feel as though something is missing. We long for times past when things felt normal, unchanged, and traditions were kept. Yet, we know this Christmas is not the same.

The Jews felt much the same way as they were held captive in both Egypt and Babylon. They cried out to God to send a Savior. God promised to send His Messiah, but it wouldn’t happen in their lifetime. Perhaps this year we can identify with the Jews in captivity in the Old Testament more than we ever have before.

I pray we all hold on to the promises of God. I pray we continue to cry out to God for deliverance. I pray each one of us will remember that Jesus has said He will never leave us, and He will return. Hold on to God’s promises. Ask God to deliver you. Trust Jesus is always with you.

Isaiah 19:19-20 In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lordat its border. It will be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to theLord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them.

From Darkness To Light

Do you feel as though you are in the dark? Do you feel as though you are being overrun? Does it seem as though everything is going wrong all at the same time? Do you know that you have been saved from the darkness and no longer need to live in it?

We all face times when we feel the entire world is against us. There are times when we feel as though we are being overwhelmed by our situation. It feels as though the light we seek it so far out of our reach we can’t see it. Or we feel as though the light at the end of the tunnel is a train headed our way.

Unfortunately, there are some of us who allow the darkness to consume us. Once we start the downward spiral, we give in. This leads us into a deep depression. Once in that deep depression, it becomes very difficult to get out. Often, we need professional help.

Yet, there is an answer to the darkness we face. An answer that will keep us from the deep depression. Our task is to recognize when we start down that path early and reverse course quickly. How do we reverse course?

The first thing we need to do is remember we have a Savior. He is a Savior who has already rescued us from the darkness. He is a Savior who will continue to rescue us from it. We are to turn to Him in prayer, asking once again to be rescued.

As we put our trust and faith in Him, He continues to pull us from the darkness into the light. He raises us from the depths to new heights. Our Savior is not merely a human, but He is the Creator of all things. Isn’t it comforting to know the Creator is on our side?

Jesus has redeemed us from every mistake we have ever made and will ever make. He has redeemed from our disobedience. He has pulled us out of Satan’s hands. Did you notice all of those sentences use a past tense? In our present situation we are redeemed.

God, through Jesus, has guaranteed us an eternal inheritance of spending forever with Him. Our inheritance is beyond our wildest imagination. Our inheritance eliminates all darkness, living forever in the light of God.

I pray we all decide to ask God to rescue us from the darkness we face. I pray we decide to live in the light of God. I pray each one of us will ask God to rescue us each time we start to feel ourselves going down the dark path. Recognize the darkness. Ask God to pull you out of it. Live in God’s light. Remember God has guaranteed your inheritance. Trust your Savior.

Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks

How well do you rejoice? Are you praying regularly, even at all times? Are you thankful for everything, even those times when it’s a bit rough? Do you look at the situation as one in which God will use to your betterment?

Our normal human behavior is to be happy when something good happens for us. We are also thankful when something good happens for us. We may think about praying from time-to-time, but far too often we don’t pray on a daily basis.

Rejoicing isn’t always easy. We hit rough patches in the road. A job is lost. A relationship ends. We lose a loved one. Our vehicle breaks down. Even if we don’t experience all of them, we see them happen to our family and friends. We wonder why things just can’t go well.

When we see all these speed bumps of life, we forget to be thankful. Instead, we get depressed. We become anxious. Our minds turn to trying to make sense of what just happened, then we start trying to figure out how to make it better.

There is nothing wrong with our reaction. Yet, we are not to stay there for long. We are instructed to be thankful. Why? When we are thankful, we are not depressed nor anxious. Those feelings leave us, and we begin to rejoice in our blessings from God.

The best way to show God our thanks is to spend time in prayer. God loves for us to spend time with Him. He loves it even more than our Grandparents do. The good news is, when we spend more time with God, we become even more thankful and rejoice more often.

Spending time in prayer builds our relationship with God. It strengthens us and brings about understanding. Prayer, thankful prayer, also reduces our stress, anxiousness, and depression, bringing about a peace and calm we all desire.

Prayer is also a time to make our requests known to God. Yet, we must remember that God is not a genie who will grant our every wish. We are to pray in accordance with His will. In order to know His will, we must spend time with Him. After all, isn’t that how we learned what our parents expected from us?

I pray we all become more thankful. I pray we rejoice at all times, knowing God is in control. I pray each one of us learn to pray continually, keeping God at the forefront of our minds. Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks at all times. Spend time with God in prayer. Grow your relationship with God. Trust God is in control.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Being Thankful

Are you a thankful person? Do you give thanks to those who do something nice for you? Have you been thankful to the point of being sacrificial? Do you show your thankfulness by telling others why you are thankful? Are you thankful for all that God has done for you?

I venture to say that most of us were taught to say “thank you” when someone does something for us or to help us out. It is good that we say it, but how thankful are we in our heart? Are we thankful enough to do something in return for the other person? Sometimes we are.

There are many reasons to be thankful today. We have a place to live, clothing, food, water, and transportation. Most of us have jobs, even if only part time. My guess is no one reading this is wondering where their next meal will come from. We may wonder what the meal will be, but not whether there will be one or not.

Have you thanked God recently for His blessings? God has provided all that we have. Sometimes we like to think we have earned it. Yet, we have merely done what God has assigned us to do. God has blessed us with the job that pays for what we have. God blessed us with the skill to perform the job we have. God provided the education we received and continue to receive.

As we go into this time of thanksgiving, perhaps we should thank God first. I suggest we all take a few minutes to make a list of everything we can thank God for. No, don’t list every item of clothing, simply list clothing. Here is a short list for you to consider as a starting point:

A place to live, clothes, food, water, family, friends, a job, school, education, ability to reason, transportation, beauty of God’s creation, God’s written word, music, and you continue with your list.

The most valuable thing to be thankful for is Jesus Christ. He sacrificed Himself so that we may spend eternity with God. He provides the means by which we can talk with God. Jesus is the reason for our hope, joy, and peace. Let’s all give thanks to Him and through Him to God the Father.

While we are being thankful, let’s also show our thankfulness by doing good for someone else. Do good for your family and friends. Do good for a stranger. Do good for those less fortunate. Share the goodness in which God blessed you with others. In doing so, you will show your thankfulness to God.

I pray we all tell God just how thankful we are for His blessings. I pray we show our thankfulness by sharing with others. I pray each one of us will make a list of what we are thankful for, thereby increasing our thankfulness. Be thankful. Show thankfulness. Tell God you are thankful.

Hebrews 13:15-16 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Bearing Unfairness

Do you feel as though you are being unjustly punished at times? Do you get frustrated at the unfairness of life? Are you tired of people telling you that life isn’t fair? Are you willing to step in to protect others who are being treated more unfairly than yourself?

We can all relate to being treated unfairly at some point in our life. We have been mistakenly accused of doing something wrong. We may have had someone see only our reaction rather than what caused the reaction. They don’t know the reason for what we did and may not care what the reason is.

We may be tired of hearing life isn’t fair, but it is true. Typically, by the time we get into our middle years, we’ve heard it so often it has become cliché. Perhaps we no longer pay any attention to it. Perhaps it governs our life. No matter how we view it, we cannot get away from the truth of it, which brings us to this question, “Are we willing to bear the unfairness for someone else?”

Many of us are not willing to bear the unfairness for someone else. We see enough unfairness in our own lives without taking on someone else’s. Sure, we may point out how the other person is being treated unfairly, but it won’t cause us to act on their behalf. We won’t stand up for them out of fear. Perhaps we are afraid of losing our job, being belittled, or insulted by others for doing so.

However, there are a few who will stand up for those being treated unfairly. We see it when a teacher stops kids from making fun of someone who doesn’t fit in. Occasionally, we see it in the workplace when someone who knows more about the situation tells the boss they wrongly accused a co-worker. We might even see it in our society, on those rare occasions, when someone steps in to help another person who is being made fun of in a store by rude hooligans.

As we see in today’s passage, Jesus has stepped in for us. He has taken on the insults that are hurled at us. These are not the typical insults we think of when someone is calling us names. He has taken on the accusations and insults that Satan is hurling at us each and every day. Jesus is our shield that protects us from them. If not for Him, none of us would have an opportunity to spend eternity with God.

I pray we all realize that Jesus is protecting us each day from Satan’s insults. I pray we give Him thanks for doing so. I pray we emulate Jesus and stand against unfairness in our world. Be like Jesus. Stand for what is right. Stand against unfairness. Live without fear. Build each other up.

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”