With the busyness of the season, and the chaos of our lives and in the world we often forget that which is promised in Christ. On the day of Christs birth the angelic host proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” God promises us peace.
Often we think that the goal in life is happiness. The problem is that this happiness is often allusive, as it is dependent upon our circumstances. Rather than promising us fleeting happiness, God promises us joy. In Luke 2 a group of shepherds received a visit by an angel who brought them “good news of great joy that will be for all people” and were treated to an angelic praise and worship session in the process. The Christmas season we need to be reminded that no matter what is going on in our lives that we can experience joy in the good news of Jesus Christ.
Christmas is the time of year in which we focus upon giving. We wake up on Christmas morning to a tree full of lights and presents underneath. We look with delight as our loved ones open up their gifts. Yet, it is too easy to get lost in all the gifts and giving that we forget the attitude that lies behind it all, the attitude of love.
The Christmas season is upon us. Although for our culture it starts with Black Friday, for the Christian it starts with the celebration of Advent. This is the season we prepare our hearts to celebrate the first advent (coming) of Christ in his birth over 2,000 years ago and look forward to his second coming. This is a season in which we look to God with hope.
In 1 Thessalonians 5 we are commanded to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We know God’s will for us is to give thanks in all circumstances, but what does that look like. We will examine five general ways of expressing thanksgiving to God found in the Scriptures.
Thanksgiving is upon us. It is wonderful that we have a day set aside for thanksgiving to God. Yet, that thanksgiving is often cut short by Black Friday, a day dedicated to rushing to get what we do not have. We can find our selves with a similar struggle in our walk with God. We find ourselves thankful to God in one moment and then in the very next breath as the next trial or distraction comes we forget that thankful attitude. We fluctuate between thankfulness and complaining. If we are not intentional with our thanksgiving to God it will fizzle out and we will forget it. In Luke 17 Jesus calls us to a life of thanksgiving.
Storms come to all of us. It is at times like theses that faith is paradoxically most hard and most needed. Even though when the waves are crashing in around us and the winds are roaring against us, Matthew 14 reminds us that Jesus is not just Lord of the times of tranquility, but is Lord of the storm too. As we trust Him in faith as He reveals Himself in the storm in His way and His timing, we can find ourselves walking on water in the midst of it all.
Unfortunately, many of us have bought into the lie that ministry is something that only professional ministers are to do. According to the Bible ministry is not a profession. It is the faithful service of all God’s people rendered unto God and others on His behalf to bring Him glory, build up His church, and reach out to His world. In Matthew 14 Jesus calls on his disciples to minister to a large crowd in the most impossible way to draw them to himself. He likewise is calling each and everyone of us to the same.
We live in a world that champions tolerance, exepct for those whom they deem intolerant. The world defines the intolerant as those who dare to believe in an absolute truth, such as those Christians who dare believe the truth of the Word of God as revealed in the Bible. It is in this environment that God calls us to take a stand.
The reason we are to overcome our giants is so that God can use us. We live in a lost and dying world that God wants to reach with the gospel. He asks, “who we shall he send”. As a Christian we should respond, “Here I am, send me.”