January 1, 2014

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God." Leviticus 25:38

Following 400 years of bondage and 40 years of wandering through the wilderness, God's people stood on the verge of entering the Promised Land of Canaan. Essentially, they were one more obedience from realizing this long awaited promise. The land of Canaan awaited on the other bank of the Jordan River.

The Exodus and the wilderness wandering were historical events. They actually happened and are recorded in the first several Old Testament books. But they also illustrated the spiritual journey God wanted to lead them on.

Egypt and the years of bondage are a vivid picture of the life of sin. Living apart from God leaves you as a slave to your selfish sinful desires. Like generations of Hebrews, you are born into "Egypt". Spiritually speaking, you and I are born into the captivity of a sinful nature. And like the Hebrews enslaved in Egypt, it takes a supernatural act of God to set us free.

Just as God sent Moses to the Pharaoh to declare, "Set my people free!" God sent His Son to set us free from the bondage of sin and death! He was conceived by the Spirit and born of a virgin and subjected Himself to the cross, taking the penalty of sin and the bondage of death upon Himself. When He shed His blood for our sins He made it possible for you to escape Egypt! And when the Spirit of God raised Him from the dead, He put you within reach of God's Promised Land!

2014 lays before you full of promises and challenges. Perhaps 2013 has been a year in Egypt for you. Or, maybe you have found yourself wandering through a wilderness period. God, through Christ and by the leadership of His Holy Spirit can bring you out of your Egypt and through your wandering. He wants to lead you to the edge of His Promised Land where you can experience His best, and find His rest, and grow from His tests!

Will you listen to His voice?

Will you obey his call?

Will you repent and reconcile with Him?

Will you make the necessary restitution?

Will you be willing to make 2014 a truly NEW year?

I believe that is where we are as a church! God has led us out of our Egypt and through some wilderness experiences. On the eve of a New Year He is going to give us some peeks into His Promised Land. He bids us to take the risks associated with obedient faith and cross over our Jordan into new a level of life and ministry in Him.

It will be a little scary and a lot exciting!

Are you willing to get your feet wet?

December 31, 2013

"Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.” Deuteronomy 34:1-4

After 40 difficult and frustrating years of leading God's people to God's Promised Land, he only got to see it from a distance. Though, most of those he had led would not get to see it at all. They were done in by their rebellion, idolatry and disobedience. Moses was done in by a single act of disobedience.

Maybe you are tempted to believe that one little disobedience isn't a big deal. Well, Moses would beg to differ with you. The next time you entertain thoughts of disobeying, think again! Think, "Moses".

Other than a promised piece of real estate by several rivers, what is special about the Promised Land?

The Promised Land is God's Best!

From the moment that Eden was corrupted and Paradise was lost, God was looking to restore a place where His people could enjoy His best.

God promised that day He would undo what the Serpent had done. To keep that promise he needed a land where His people could dwell and raise up a great nation. Out of that nation would come the Promised Messiah to save His people from their sins.

The Promised Land Was God's Test!

After 40 years of testing God's patience, God was now prepared to test them. The generation of their fathers had been rebellious and disobedient to God bringing His judgment upon them. But now their obedience would be tested. Would they follow Joshua across the Jordan River in flood season? Would they be willing to march around Jericho with Him?  Would they faithfully fight against the ungodly people people dwelling in the land they were to possess?

They were about to be put to the test in the Land of Promise.

The Promised Land Was God's Rest!

If they would follow Joshua and obey God, there would be victories over their pagan enemies. Once all of their enemies had been conquered and destroyed, they would have the rest that comes with peace.

Moses missed the Promised Land because of his disobedience, but he had experienced some of God's Best as God opened a sea, and sent manna from heaven, and met Him on Mt. Sinai.

Moses missed the Promised Land but he had certainly been tested dealing with the Israelites in the dessert.

Now, after climbing the Mt. Moab and glancing at Canaan from a distance, he finally found his rest.

What about you?

Do you want God's best?

Believe and obey in His promises.

Do you want to pass God's tests?

Fight in His might.

Do you want His rest?

Destroy all the enemies of your heart and surrender completely to Jesus!

December 30, 2013

"Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

As the prophet Micah foretold, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It was the city of his ancestor, King David and by decree of Caesar Augustus that all throughout the land the citizens were to register of the census in their home town.

It was while Mary and Joseph were there in Bethlehem that Mary's baby was born in a manger at a local stable because the inn was full. So the history records that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. It was prophetic but it was also symbolic.

The word "Bethlehem" means "house of bread". Jesus, the Son of God, was born in "the house of bread". The Bread of Life was born in the "house of bread"! How good is that? Think about what that birth in Bethlehem signified.

First, it means that Jesus sustains life. As bread was a staple of their diet and an important part of ours and sustains our physical life, Jesus sustains the spiritual life of anyone who believes in Him and "feeds" on Him spiritually.

Second, it means that Jesus strengthens life. As a healthy diet of good food, such as bread, is necessary to strengthen the body, so "feeding" on Jesus strengthens the spirit of a believer.

Third, it means Jesus satisfies life. Few things are more delicious and substantial than a hot freshly made loaf of homemade bread. You can almost smell it now, can't you? In the same way, Jesus satisfies the spiritual hunger of those who "feed" on Jesus!

How do you "feed" on Jesus?

Have faith in Him. Believe what His Word tells you and life according to those truths.

Have fellowship with Him. Walk with Him daily. Talk with Him through pray and hear Him through His Word. Regularly partake of Communion in the fellowship of your local church.

All of this is possible and available to us because the Bread of Life was born in the "house of bread"! 

What good news this brings to a hungry world!

December 29, 2013

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

There is a trite old definition for joy that says joy is "Jesus-Others-You".

Actually, that formula fits pretty well into this text we have been studying.

The shepherd's joy began when they heard the angel tell about the birth of Jesus. For centuries faithful Jews had been praying, waiting and longing for the Messiah. Now the angel is announcing His arrival and the good news comes to a few humble shepherds! How good is that!?

And then they hurried to the stable to see the Christ-child as the angel foretold. When they arrived and saw Him cuddled in his mother's arms they rejoiced!

Jesus was a source of joy!

Having seen for themselves and rejoicing at the sight of the newborn Son of God, the shepherds then went to spread the good news to others throughout the land. Wherever they went and everyone they told were amazed at their story. Their joy incited joy in others!

Their witness about Jesus was a source of joy to others!

Once they had seen Jesus and then told others about seeing Jesus and when they had seen they joyous response of others, then the full significance of the events they had seen and heard finally impacted them. They were filled with joy! It was an amazing night of joy!

I guess the trite old formula IS true. Joy does come from Jesus and then Others and You. So, it may be trite but it is true! 

Try it!

December 28, 2013

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

Once famous evangelist, Billy Sunday said, “if you have no joy, there’s a leak in your Christianity.”

Joy was a new experience for the shepherds because joy arrived with the coming of Jesus! But it should not be a novel experience for you. Jesus intended for His believers to live in joy:

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11

"Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." John 16:24

So, what can you learn about joy from this encounter between the angel and the shepherds?

First, joy comes from receiving the good news.

These shepherds heard the good news in a very dramatic way. The angels came to them with this amazing announcement. How great was that?!

You will not get the news from an angel but the good news is no less powerful. One of your main responsibilities is to put yourself into places where you can receive the good news. Whether that be church service or small group or listening on radio or on the Internet or watching TV or in your daily devotions, it is up to you to get your daily dose of good news! No one else can do that for you.

How can you have joy if you are not regularly hearing the good news? What are you doing to make sure you regularly hear the good news?

Second, joy comes from responding to the good news.

The shepherds immediately responded to the good news. When they heard about what was happening they went to see it for themselves.

What do you do with the good news you receive? Do you obey it? Do you test it? Do you live it out in your daily living so that you know it it true? Do you let it guide your decisions and steer your emotions? Joy is not an emotion, but it is an action that leads to positive feelings. Feelings always follow faith and faith is the preferred response to the good news.

Living in joy means receiving the good news and responding to the good news and thirdly, joy results from relationship with the good news!

Joy is the natural response to living in relationship with Jesus. If you receive the good news just for information you will not live in joy. If you receive purely for inspiration it will not remain. But if you will commit to living in an intimate personal relationship with Jesus, your joy will not leak. The good news is about truth and Jesus IS the Truth! The good news is about finding your way and Jesus IS the Way! The good news is a way of life and Jesus IS the Life!

How is your relationship with Jesus? How well do you know Him? Is He your Source of Joy?

Don't let the joy leak out of your life. Plug that leak by plugging into Jesus! Receive His good news daily and respond to it and live in relationship with it!

Have a joyous New Year!

December 27, 2013

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

The shepherds found joy that night just as the angel promised. Once they found the joy they spread it around. True joy is contagious!

So, what is the source of joy? If it is contagious, why don't we see more of it? Do you have it? Would you like to have it?

I have been sharing with you some sources of joy based on the events that transpired that night. The birth of Jesus brought the joy of God's presence, and it brought the joy of God's pardon, and the joy of God's peace, and joy from God's power, and the joy of God's promises proven true, and joy because of the possibilities that faith in God brings to your life!

The possibilities are what I want to focus on this morning. Notice that the angel appeared to three different times in this chapter and each time he announced that there were greater possibilities for their lives if they would receive the good news and believe it.

There was Zachariah, the aged priest with a barren wife. They had prayed and dreamed of having a son all of their lives, but to no avail. Now the angel announced that what they had thought was impossible was now possible! Nothing is impossible with God!

Mary was a teen-aged girl making wedding plans and looking forward to being married to her fiance', Joseph. When the angel brought the amazing news that she would soon become the mother of the Son of God, it was not possible since she had never known a man. But her life was filled with possibilities because nothing is impossible with God!

Even the shepherds who live a lonely isolated life would become evangelists, proclaiming the birth of Christ and spreading the joy they had come to know! They never would have believed that was possible!

Loving God and living in Christ lifts the limits from your life! As the Apostle Paul came to understand, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Imagine the joy of knowing that your life is filled with potential and possibilities when God is your God!

Over this past week I have shared six reasons to have joy because of the birth of Christ. Any one of these if reason enough for joy in itself, but the good news of Christmas is that ALL of these are available to you as a believer!

So, again I ask you, "How's your joy?" Are you living in joy? If not, why not? What are you lacking? What is missing?

Are you living in His presence? Have you received His pardon? Do you know His peace? Is His power at work in you? Do you believe His promises? Are you focused on your possibilities or are mired in your past?

Will you take a spiritual inventory of your life as 2013 draws to a conclusion and a New Year looms? Will you determine that for 2014 you are going to discover your joy?

December 26, 2013

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." John 2:10

Over the past several days I have been focusing on the announcement made by the angels to the shepherds that holy night. What was this "good news of great joy"? Why don't we see more joy in the church among believers?

We have recognized there should be joy in the presence of God and joy in the pardon from God and because of the peace of God though Christ. Also, you can find joy in the power of God. Christmas was impossible but impossible things happened so Jesus could be born!

How about another reason for joy?

You can take joy in the promises of God! In the events leading up to and culminating in the birth of Jesus there were 360 prophecies fulfilled. That means that 360 things that God predicted in advance were going to happen happened! And they happened exactly as they were foretold!

That incredible fact proves that God had His fingerprints all over the events that led up to the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! And the accuracy of these predictions should give us joy in knowing that the promises of God are true and reliable!

Whatever His Word promises He will do!

There is no one else you know and love who could keep his promises 100% of the time! Every person over promises and under delivers. BUT NOT GOD!

If you are facing a difficult circumstance right now and you desperately need Him to be Who His Word says He is - rejoice! Jesus is everything He promises He is and He can do and possibly has already done what ever He says. What He can do is posted in His Word. Read it, memorize it and claim it!

Find joy in praising Him that He will do what He promises to do! Christmas proves it!