JUDGING BY APPEARANCE

Scripture:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge
by his appearance or height, for I have
rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things
the way you see them. People judge by
outward appearance, but the Lord looks
at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) NLT


Little Woman, Long Shadow

"Two weeks before Christmas, on
December 12, 1840, a baby girl was
born into an aristocratic plantation
family in Albemarle County, Virginia.
Her name was Charlotte Diggs Moon,
but everyone called her "Lottie."
She grew to just four feet three
inches, yet her intellect and force
of personality were enormous. Lottie
spoke six languages and earned a
master's degree in education in 1861.

Lottie came from a family of dedicated
Southern Baptists, but she became a
staunch skeptic. Yet, it would be her
intellect and skepticism that would
bring her to faith one sleepless night
in December 1858 as she pondered
a message by Dr. John Broadus.

At age thirty-three, Lottie heard a call
to missions "as clear as a bell." In
July 1873 the foreign mission board
of the Southern Baptist Convention
appointed her its first unmarried
missionary to China. She tirelessly
advocated for the needs of the people
of China. In 1888 she persuaded SBC
women to take an annual missions
offering on Christmas Eve. By 1912,
despite such gifts, thousands of people
were dying every day in famine-ravaged
Shantung Province.

At seventy-two, Lottie Moon was coming
home. But that same night, aboard a ship
off Japan, she died—of complications from
starvation. A few months before she had
written, "If I had a thousand lives, I would
give them all for the women of China.""
The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering continues
to this day. The 2005 goal was $150 million.

adapted from The One Year® Book of Christian
History by E. Michael and Sharon Rusten
(Tyndale) pp 694-95 "

FINDING PEACE

Scripture:

"But when the Father sends the Counselor
as my representative—and by the Counselor
I mean the Holy Spirit—he will teach you
everything and will remind you of everything
I myself have told you. I am leaving you a gift
peace of mind and heart.…"
(John 14:26-27 NLT)

"He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves,
"Quiet! (Peace) Be still!" Then the wind died down
and it was completely calm. (Mark 4:30)

Reflection:

On the stormy sea of Galilee, Jesus commanded
the winds and waves, "Peace, be still" (Mark 4:39),
and immediately there was calm. And later in the
upper room, as Jesus told His disciples that He
would leave them, He promised them the Holy
Spirit and peace. That promise of peace is
extended to both you and me. As a Christian
I know the peace of Christ and I am to extend
that peace to all. Let us start this new year
passing the peace of Jesus Christ on, as a
person, as a community, as a nation!

Prayer:

May the peace of Christ that passes all
understanding go with you all!

MAKING YOUR LIFE BETTER IN 2009

Scripture:

Luke 14:13-14 (New International Version)

13But when you give a banquet, invite
the poor, the crippled, the lame, the
blind, 14and you will be blessed.
Although they cannot repay you,
you will be repaid at the resurrection
of the righteous."

Luke 4:18-19 (New International Version)

18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom
for the prisoners and recovery of
sight for the blind, to release the
oppressed,19to proclaim the year
of the Lord's favor."[a]

Reflection:

There is the story of 2 soul's meeting
each other between heaven and Hell.
The soul from hell started complaining,
"It is terrible in hell I'm so hungry. The
Devil said we could eat all the food we
want, but there was one condition. We
must use 3 foot long forks to eat our
food. We can't eat." The soul from
heaven said, "Oh we have the same
rule in heaven." The soul from hell
asked, "Then how do you eat" The
soul from heaven responded, "We
feed each other!"

Please keep this in mind for the
coming year. As the Creator and
Ruler of the universe has taught,
through His Holy Scripture and Holy
Spirit, take care of each other and
others who need our help. Pass on
the "Good News" to the poor, feed
them and take care of them. Proclaim
freedom to all those who are oppressed
and prisoners in life. Help those who are
lost and need help finding their way. And
release all who are oppressed by
depression, anger, and other problems
that weigh so heavily on them. In other
words be there for others! There are a
lot of people who need our help. In 2009
let's make a special effort to help others,
what better resolution is there!

Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . faith
Where there is despair . . . hope
Where there is darkness . . . light
Where there is sadness . . . joy
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled . . . as to console
To be understood . . . as to understand,
To be loved . . . as to love
For it is in giving . . . that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.

THE SOURCE OF PEACE

Scripture:

"Suddenly, the angel was
joined by a vast host of others
—the armies of heaven—praising God:

"Glory to God in the highest
heaven, and peace on earth
to all whom God favors."
Luke 2:13-14 NLT
"

Reflection:

"No doubt life for the average
person wasn't all that noticeably
different on the night Jesus was
born. Inns and taverns were busy
with their customers. Shepherds
gathered around the fire to keep
warm as they watched over their
sheep. But in a secluded corner
of Bethlehem, in an out-of-the-way
stable, a baby slept in a manger.
And as the shepherds settled down
for a quiet night, the angels
assembled into a vast choir and
shattered the silence of that night
by loud praises. Imagine the
shepherds' response: shock, fear,
and then, awe. They knew that
they had to find this extraordinary
child whose birth the angels had
announced.

As you celebrate Christ's birth on
this joyous day, seek out Jesus as
the shepherds did years ago. Use
this heavenly song to rejoice in Jesus' birth.

Prayer:

Glory to you, God, in the
highest heaven and peace on earth
to all whom you favor…
­
HAVE A BLESSED AND PEACE FILLED
CHRISTMAS. GLORY TO GOD ON
THE HIGHEST.
­

THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT

Scripture:

Luke 2:1-20 (King James Version)

1And it came to pass in those days, that
there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be taxed.
2(And this taxing was first made when
Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3And all
went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4And Joseph also went up from Galilee,
out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea,
unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;
(because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife,
being great with child.6And so it was, that,
while they were there, the days were accomplished
that she should be delivered.7And she brought
forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling
clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there
was no room for them in the inn.8And there were
in the same country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon
them, and the glory of the Lord shone round
about them: and they were sore afraid.
10And the angel said unto them, Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to all people.
11For unto you is born this day in the
city of David a Savior, which is Christ
the Lord.12And this shall be a sign unto
you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying,14Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men.15And it came
to pass, as the angels were gone away
from them into heaven, the shepherds
said one to another, Let us now go
even unto Bethlehem, and see this
thing which is come to pass, which
the Lord hath made known unto us.
16And they came with haste, and
found Mary, and Joseph, and the
babe lying in a manger.17And when
they had seen it, they made known
abroad the saying which was told
them concerning this child.18And
all they that heard it wondered at
those things which were told them
by the shepherds.19But Mary kept
all these things, and pondered them
in her heart.20And the shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God
for all the things that they had heard
and seen, as it was told unto them.

Reflection:

There is a reason why I choose to
copy all 20 verses of the account of
the birth of Jesus Christ. It's a reminder
that "This is what it's all about".

BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!

ANOTHER BUSY CHRISTMAS?

Scripture:

Ecclesiastes 5:3 (New International Version)

3 As a dream comes when there are many cares,
so the speech of a fool when there are many words.

Christmas slippers

A woman died, leaving behind her
husband and one daughter. The
little girl soon became the very
apple of her daddy's eye. He l
oved to spend time with her,
but because he had to work,
they had only their evenings
together. After dinner each night
they would talk and play games;
sometimes she sang for him.
He treasured every moment.
One night the little girl announced,
"Daddy, I need to go to my room
early tonight. I have something
I have to do!"
He felt very disappointed, but he
let her go. She continued this
pattern for a solid month. Finally,
Christmas Day arrived, and early
in the morning she burst in on her
daddy and proudly displayed a pair
of crude crocheted slippers she had
made for him. It was this project that
had taken her away from her father
for every evening that month.
Her father thanked her warmly and
gave her a big hug, but then he said,
"Honey, I would rather have had you
with me all those lonely evenings than
to have these slippers, as beautiful
and comfortable as they are."

{1from the TouchPoint Bible with
commentaries by Ron Beers and
Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 1298
2from Breakfast with Jesus by Greg
Laurie (Tyndale) p 141 "}
Content is derived from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation and other
publications of Tyndale Publishing House


Reflection:

Guess What? God wants us to be with
him more than our slippers! He wants
our dedication and devotion more than
our work. GOD WANTS US! Not a
part of us when we may have the time,
BUT ALL OF US ALL OF THE TIME!
While certainly God wants us to work
hard, it is important that we make
absolutely sure that our time,
doesn't so preoccupy us that we
in fact put our health in danger, our
relationships, or our time with
God. You see it is a matter of
balance, with God, not us, at the
center. This Christmas season
is a perfect time to put Christ
at the center of our lives.

Prayer:

Lord God my Savior Jesus Christ
help me to recognize that You are
the center of my life. As I work, as
I do all this worrying and running
around for Christmas, let me keep
in my mind that we are celebrating
your birth and you life. Guide me as
I make Your life the center of my life.
In Jesus Name Amen

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

Scripture:

"4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will
say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The
Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious
about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests
to God. 7And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7) NIV

A nervous-looking man was pushing his
son in a super market grocery cart...
The youngster was howling at the top
of his lungs and throwing vegetables
and fruit out of the cart. The father just
kept on pushing the cart; repeating in a
quiet voice, “Take it easy Billy. Don’t cry
Billy. Cool it Billy. Everything will be okay Billy.”
A woman shopper turned and said, “Sir,
I admire you for the gentle way you’re
soothing little Billy.” To which he replied,
“But lady, I’m Billy.”

Reflection:

Is that how you feel? Does this time of
year drive you nuts? Are you anxious,
angry, depressed?
Do me a favor will ya. First of all try
to keep in your heart and mind, what
this time of year is. It's not about
presents, or having enough money,
or being depressed, or sad, or angry.
As a matter of fact it's not about us.
It's about the birth of Jesus Christ,
that's why its called Christmas. It
is a celebration of the coming of
'peace, love, service, compassion.
It's a celebration that changed the
world.
I would like to suggest that you
follow one of my favorite passages.
Philippians 4:4-7. Rejoice in the
Lord, rejoice in the celebration.
The Lord is near so don't be anxious
about anything, don't let it get you
down. But through prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving in your
heart give it all to God. And do you
know what's going to happen, the
peace of God, which goes beyond all
understanding will be in your hearts
and minds through who, Jesus
Christ, the birth in which we now
celebrate. Celebrate God through
Jesus Christ His Son. GIVE IT
TO GOD!

Prayer:

Oh Mighty God I celebrate You.
Thank You God for giving us Your
Son. Thank You for what Jesus
has given to us. Thank You
God His peace that passes
all understanding. I give any
anxiety to You. I give it to You
God, I give it all to you. Thank You
for being near to me. In the name of
Your Son in which we celebrate amen.

WHEN YOU NEED RESCUE

Scripture:

"The Lord knows how to rescue godly men
from trials." (2 Peter 2:9)

Reflection:

I remember, as a boy, often getting
into, what I thought was earth shaking,
arguments with my peers. Often times
those disagreements would end with the
phrase, "I won't if you won't." The problem,
was of course, was that ending would
rarely ever last. First one child, then the
other child would try to infringe on the
forbidden area or action without actually
violating the "agreement."
Jesus' model prayer, "The Lord' Prayer",
gives us a different and new course.
"And lead us not into temptation but
deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew
6:13) With that as your attitude, you
are well on your way to becoming a
maker of peace instead of war!
Please remember this, in Christ who
strengthens you, you are ready for
anything. Rejoice today that God will
give you power to meet whatever comes
into your life, and that He will use it for
His higher purpose. Walk in obedience
with joy!

Prayer:

Oh God thank You for being there always
ready to help and even rescue me.

WHERE DOES GOD FIT IN?

Scripture:

"Today a Savior has been born to you;
He is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).

At Christmas time, a school teacher in England
supervised the construction of a manger scene
in a corner of the classroom. It delighted her
pupils to set up the model barn and cover the
floor with real straw and then arrange the clay
figures of Mary and Joseph and the shepherds
and the Wise Men and the animals, all facing
a little crib in which a tiny doll represented the
Infant Jesus. One lad simply could not tear
himself away from it. He kept returning to it,
and each time stood there completely
engrossed and wearing a puzzled expression
on his face. The teacher noticed him and asked,
"Is anything bothering you? Do you have a
question to ask? What would you like to know?"
With his eyes still glued to the manger scene,
the boy said slowly, "What I'd like to know is,
where does God fit in?"

Reflection:

Are you asking that question? I know I am.
Where does God fit in all this? I look around
and I am amazed at what I see. I see Christmas
starting in October, I am saddened by Xmas.
Christ has been eliminated from His own birthday.
There is very little celebration, only sellabration.
We are expected to buy, buy, and buy some
more. I don't want to be cynical only happy.
Where does Jesus Christ fit in all of this.
Well if you got just a minute I like to tell you
where I think Christ fits in all this. First I
would remind myself and you that we are
celebrating "A Savior has been born to us,
He is Christ the Lord". That's right Almighty
God became one of us, in all His perfection
He was still one of us. He didn't come here to
rule, He didn't come here to conquer. He came
on this earth to serve, to sacrifice, and to save.
He served us through His teachings of love and
peace, His miracles, and all His deeds. He came
here to sacrifice, as matter of fact He gave the
ultimate sacrifice, He died on the cross for you
and me. Through His service and sacrifice, He was
resurrected and is alive, and through the Holy
Spirit He is with us now. He is here for me and He
is here for you. You see Christ doesn't fit in,
He is in, He is right here. He is in my mind,
He is in my heart and He is in my soul. That's
what I'm celebrating, the birth of all of this,
and much much more is still to come. IS JESUS
CHRIST IN YOU LIFE?

Prayer:

Thank you God for Your Son Jesus Christ.
Thank your service, thank You for Your
sacrifice, thank You for Your salvation.
I LOVE YOU GOD!

I KNOW YOU CARE

Scripture:

Psalm 27 Of David.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid? (NIV)

Reflection:

During the Holidays there is a great deal
of joy but also a great deal of sadness.
Remember that Jesus Christ is your light
and salvation. He is always there for you.
In times of trouble and need, you can
freely turn to Him for there is no one else
who cares so much for you. That's right
JESUS CHRIST CARES FOR YOU!
HE IS THERE FOR YOU! He hears
you when you cry. Fix your eyes on
Jesus and just throw doubt to the
wind.

Prayer:

Oh Lord be my light and my salvation,
I need you, be my strength I know
You care.

WHAT WAS IN STORE FOR CHRIST

Scripture:

And she brought
forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling
clothes, and laid him in a manger; (Luke 2: 7a) KJV

Reflection:

Stop and think for a minute, what was
in store for Christ when He became man
and was born on Christmas Day.
First, being born in not the greatest of
surroundings and conditions. The knowledge
of being a king and treated as a lowly
servant. Ridiculed in His Father's house
of worship. Seen by many, not as a
miracle worker but as a worker of evil.
Ridiculed and denigrated in almost
every town He visited. Constantly being
called upon to defend His beliefs. Put
down by current rulers as an enemy of
the state and a traitor. Put down by
church leaders as an enemy of the faith.
Being forced to always be on the move.
Never having the means to make a living.
Constantly living with death threats. On
"Good Friday," Jesus was a swollen,
bloody mess. Most of his friends had
hightailed it hours before, leaving him
alone to face the physical agony of crucifixion,
the emotional anguish of a jeering crowd,
and the spiritual horror of separation from God the Father.

Christ was born into all of this yet look how He
responded: On the way to his execution,
he paused to console a group of
grief-stricken women. He used what little
breath he was able to catch to pray for those
who were so merciless to him. He demonstrated
compassion and forgiveness to a criminal dying
at his side. And he took pains, literally, to see
that his grief-stricken mother below him would
be cared for by a friend.

Christ had the ultimate
"tough time," in life Yet He oozed kindness and goodness.
And because his Spirit lives in us, we also have the
capacity to take our lives, often filled with
tragedy, as an opportunity to care for others.

Prayer:

Cause your kindness and goodness to flow
through me, Lord. It is not natural for me to
think of others or to think of glorifying you,
especially when my own life is filled with pain.
Teach me to live supernaturally. I want to be
selfless like you, Jesus, always looking for
opportunities to bless others.

SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

Scripture:

Luke 21:25-36 (New International Version)

25"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.
On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity
at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26Men will
faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming
on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming
in a cloud with power and great glory. 28When these
things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your
heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
29He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree
and all the trees. 30When they sprout leaves,
you can see for yourselves and know that summer
is near. 31Even so, when you see these things
happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32"I tell you the truth, this generation[a] will certainly
not pass away until all these things have happened.
33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words
will never pass away. 34"Be careful, or your hearts
will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness
and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on
you unexpectedly like a trap. 35For it will come
upon all those who live on the face of the whole
earth. 36Be always on the watch, and pray that
you may be able to escape all that is about to
happen, and that you may be able to stand
before the Son of Man."

Reflections:

In this Scripture passage, Christ cautions us
not to become to safe or to secure because
at His 2nd coming we cannot be unaware.
We have to stay alert and prepared.
Christ also comforts us so that we will not
be afraid of the signs which will come to
this world prior to judgment day. We need
to rejoice that our redemption is drawing
near.
There are 2 things that we need to learn.
Be strong in our faith, and be prepared and
comforted in our anticipation of His coming.
We are surrounded by the world's problems,
and we need to be on guard of those who
follow blindly along. God's wrath will
suddenly come. But we can rejoice and
wait for the Lord, Who will come in the
clouds with His angels and deliver us from
all this world's misery. This is the message
Christ leaves us today. Rejoice and be
faithful in it.

Prayer

God grant me Your grace so that I can
be prepared and comforted in Your message.
I am waiting for You Lord my heart is filled
with joy.

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Scripture:

"This is the confidence we have in
approaching God: that if we ask
anything according to His will, He
hears us." (1 John 5:14)

Reflection:

It is Christmas morning. The presents
have all been opened, but eight year
old Bobby sits pouting in the corner,
mad at Santa Clause.
"Why are you mad at Santa Clause?"
his dad asks. "Because I asked
Santa for a real gun, but I got this
silly old BB gun!"
Didn't Bobby's father love him?
Hadn't he heard his son's request?
Didn't he delight in giving gifts to his
children.
Yes.....yes.....and yes! The problem
was not an unhearing father but an
immature son.

It seems to me that it's time for us
to recognize that prayer was never
intended to be a wish list for us.
You know our Father in heaven knows
better to give a lethal answer to a
a childish immature request. You
see God knows what is best for us.
When we pray we should always take
the time to ask the question to God,
"What do you think?" instead of telling
God what I think. I have discovered that
I have learned to like His replies more
than my requests.

Prayer:

Lord I have a problem, What do You think?