FROM US TO YOU

May the joy of salvation's message through Christ fill your life this Christmas and may His goodness fill your life in the New Year.
David & Charlyn Thomasson

A LIGHT IN THE DARK

… On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. …For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.  The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:2, 6-7).

What happened last week at Sandy Hook Elementary is heart breaking.  We grieve with the families.  It was a terrible tragedy.  We ask the question, “Why did this happen?”  The answer that must be confronted, above the opinions on mental illness, gun control, or poor parental guidance, is the reality of “evil” in our world.  Jesus said, “The world ... hates me because I testify that what it does is evil” (John 7:7).  Jesus says the deeds of the self-centered Godless ways of the world are evil.  And we’re all affected in some way by the evil someone does.  Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).   

The good news is that this world doesn’t have the last word.  The Lord Jesus does.  There is hope.  There is a Light.  There is an answer to evil, and it’s found in Jesus Christ.  He is the answer to our turmoil and grief and pain.  He’s the Peace we need in our times of turbulence.  He’s the Comforter in our times of sorrow.  He is the Way to live.  He is the Truth of life.  He is Life itself.  He is our Salvation.  We grieve, we hurt, we sorrow, but we also have hope and truth and comfort in Christ. 

The Apostle Paul said it well:  “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair” (2 Cor. 4:8), (We’re) sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; (2 Cor. 6:10).  How can this be?  The answer is that Christ gives us inner peace that the world can’t give or explain.  In light of this recent tragedy we should commit ourselves all the more to the mission of Christ – to lead more people to be believers in Him.   On those living in the land of the shadow of death a Light has dawned.

STAYING SANE THROUGH THE SEASON

Sometimes I wonder what affects us the most – getting “to the end” of the year or getting “through the end” of the year.   Schedules and “to do” lists and gift lists and year end projects and deadlines and parties and programs and illness and the list goes on… can compress our lives into small tight overloaded schedules.  Many of these things are good.  But during this season we tend to find ourselves stressed, even agitated at times. 

To stay sane during this season it helps if we can keep a few things intact so we don’t lose our moorings.  Albert Einstein said, “Out of the complexity, find simplicity.”  God’s will is not that our lives become so complicated and busy that we live stressed, anxious, and agitated lives.  This is one of the reasons Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: “Seek first God's kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NCV)

I know three things God wants us to do, and if we do them we’ll keep our sanity and bring some simplicity to our lives.

1. Connect with God.

Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40.  The first and greatest thing you and I can do is to love God.  The second greatest thing you and I can do is to love others to God.  There are two kinds of people we connect with God:  Ourselves and Others who don’t have God in their lives yet.

2. Grow spiritually.

The Apostle Paul said, Take time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit. 1 Timothy 4:7 (Ph). 

Emotional health and spiritual maturity are inseparable.  It’s not possible to be spiritually healthy while remaining emotionally unhealthy.  We must think about our emotional health just as much as we do about our spiritual health in order to grow spiritually.  Going into the holiday season knowing that your schedule will become very busy, even with events you don’t know about yet, plan margin into your schedule and leave room for emotional rest and spiritual refreshing.

3. Serve others.

Jesus said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28.  The way to a great life is to serve others.  If we want to be like Jesus and experience total life, then we must choose to serve others.  To serve others is to give to them.  We give our time, our abilities, our encouragement, our love, our money.  To serve God we give to Him in the same manner.  By serving God we serve people.  By serving people we serve God.

Keep your sanity this season by remembering to do three things:  Connect with God, Grow Spiritually, and Serve others.

“DON’T BE AFRAID”

The angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”  Luke 2:10-11 (NLT)

When the angel announced the birth of Jesus it was an announcement of good news and great joy for everyone.  A Savior has been born, One Whom we all need.  Therefore, don’t be afraid.  When fears begin to rise in your heart because of the unknown future or the questionable economy or an illness or family difficulty or fear of being alone – remember a Savior was born for you, and the glorious and enlightening announcement from God is “Don’t be afraid!”

Later when Jesus sent His disciples to share the good news of His Kingdom, He knew they would have to deal with fears, and so He encouraged them to not be afraid.  “What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.  And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows”.  Matthew 10:29-31 (NLT)

Follower of Jesus you are more valuable to God than a “whole flock of sparrows.”  He knows everything about you and your life.  And He cares more about your future than you do.  As a matter of fact He is already in your future just as He is in your present because He is the eternal God.  Therefore take courage and go forward with the purpose God has given.  Don’t be afraid.

“It is never safe to look into the future with eyes of fear.” – Edward Henry Harriman

IT’S A FAMILY MATTER

A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”  “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.  Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!  Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”  Mark 3:32-35

Jesus had a crowd sitting around Him, and His family came looking for Him.  They thought He had lost His mind and had come to take Him away with them (v. 21).  Jesus then asked the crowd who His family was, and looking around at them, He told them they were.  Then He said whoever does God’s will is His family.

The people were sitting around Jesus listening to His teaching.  From this simple scene we can see that God’s will involves: 

• Listening to Jesus and learning from Him,
• Being around Him and giving time to Him, and
• Keeping Him at the center of attention. 

Since Christ had to suffer physically for you, you must fortify yourselves with the same inner attitude that he must have had. You must realize that to be dead to sin inevitably means pain, and you should not therefore spend the rest of your time here on earth indulging your physical nature, but in doing the will of God.  1 Peter 4:1-2 (Ph)

Doing God’s will means dying to our selfish ways, wants, and pursuits.  Dying to “self” is painful.  No doubt about it.  To give up comfort, convenience, and preferences for the cause of Christ can be upsetting, even heartrending.  But it’s the way to gain and reward.  It’s the way to life.  And it’s the way of God’s family.

When we keep Christ at the center of our way of thinking, feeling, actions, words, and relationships – we find ourselves doing the will of God.  And we’re family.  Doing God’s will is a family matter in God’s family.

Give your mind to Him.  Give your time to Him.  Give your attention to Him.

CELEBRATE WHAT GOD HAS DONE

Celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God during the month of Abib, because it was during Abib that he brought you out of Egypt at night. …celebrate the Feast of Weeks for the Lord your God.  Bring an offering as a special gift to him, …Celebrate the Feast of Shelters for seven days, after you have gathered your harvest from the threshing floor and winepress.  Everybody should rejoice at your Feast, …No man should come before the Lord without a gift.  Each of you must bring a gift that will show how much the Lord your God has blessed you.  Deuteronomy 16:1, 10, 13-14, 16-17 (NCV)

The Israelites celebrated these festivals to remember how God had delivered them from Egypt.  The Lord God was their Savior and they celebrated Him and the salvation He gave them.  The Lord was their Provider and they celebrated Him for His blessings in their lives.  As they celebrated and gave thanks, God told them to give back to Him as He had blessed them.

I can think of three ways we can apply this to our lives:

1. As God delivers and provides for you, give back to Him with joy and remembrance of Him.

2. Choose to celebrate what God has done and is doing in your life.  And do it joyfully.

3. Schedule anniversaries and events that bring to mind what God has done for you.  And give Him praise and thanks. 

Obviously we will celebrate with family and friends this Thursday.  It will be one of those opportunities to give praise and thanks to God for His blessings.  And there are many more events you can celebrate:  birthdays, wedding anniversaries, spiritual birthdays … As a church we will celebrate Christmas and Easter as two great events which have changed the future of mankind and have given us hope and purpose, and they remind us of the real story that is unfolding which dwarfs all others, and one in which our personal stories are a part.  Give thanks and praise to our Savior and God this Thanksgiving because of His blessings and His promises.

A DEEPENING WORSHIP OF THE EVERLASTING GOD

“I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.  I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.” Eph. 1:18-23 (NLT)

Is your life filled with Christ?  Does He have authority in your private life, public life, family, marriage, relationships, finances, giving, serving, your time, answers to your questions, plans, and dreams?  Only when we give the authority of our lives completely to Christ do we come to know fullness of life.  Only when we really believe God with our lives, families, material possessions, money, our actions, our words… will we know His power flowing through us.  Are you believing what God says?  That’s the key.  Jesus stated a lasting truth that recognizes God as the source of our lives.  This is worship of God:  “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matt. 6:33.

A.W. Tozer wrote:  “The Church has surrendered her once lofty concept of God… The low view of God entertained almost universally among Christians is the cause of a hundred lesser evils everywhere among us.”

Oh that we would turn completely to the Lord God, re-direct our lives to Him, and truly worship Him as our God.

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent”. John 17:3.