Tag: Spiritual

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The Benediction

20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our LORD Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. ~ Hebrews 13:20-21

These two verses are the writer’s benediction over his readers. A benediction is the declaration of God’s blessings over His people. It is usually pronounced by the pastor just before he dismisses the congregation after a church service. And this, being December 31st, the last day of this Old Year, it is totally appropriate for us to declare the blessings of the LORD over you.

So, as we close out this Old Year, 2025, we look forward to a New Year, with peace, joy, hope, and the love of our God all around us, and in us. May the LORD God Almighty, the Father of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ, equip you with every good thing that you need to accomplish His will, and complete the work that He has called you to do. May His presence always be felt, His peace enjoyed, and His love eternally experienced. For the LORD is good and His mercies are everlasting.

Our Heavenly Father, we give You thanks for sending Your Son, Jesus, our Redeemer, to die on the cross so that we might live. Thank you, LORD Jesus, for loving us and being obedient to the Father. In this coming New Year, help me not to miss opportunities, nor waste time, nor ignore divine appointments, nor overlook the little things in life that You send me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Learn What Grieves Him

7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the Presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ~ Genesis 3:7-8

Genesis chapter three records the fall of man and the first thing that happened to him. Their innocence was immediately lost, and guilt and shame immediately entered in. And did you notice what the very first thing they did? They tried to cover it up by sewing fig leaves together to make coverings for themselves. But who knows that only the blood of Jesus can help us with that?

So, obviously, that did not work for them, for as soon as they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden, Adam and Eve ran and hid themselves from the Presence of the LORD, still wearing the makeshift clothes made out of fig leaves. But it made no difference. They still felt shame and fear.

It’s no different today. You know… if you have a relationship with the LORD… you know when you have grieved His Holy Spirit. You know when you’ve stepped over the line. And here’s something else: what will grieve the Holy Spirit with me won’t grieve the Holy Spirit with you. And likewise, what grieves the Holy Spirit with you won’t necessarily grieve the Holy Spirit with me. To each his own, and you had better be aware of grieving God’s Holy Spirit.

So, just as Adam and Eve were warned of the sin they were to not commit, we too are warned of the sins we are not to commit. If we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit, we best learn what grieves Him and what draws Him closer to us. It’s not for each one to simply just decide right from wrong for themselves. We have been given the Word of the LORD. We have His Word, and He has written His Law on our hearts, so we are without excuse on that final day when we will stand before the LORD and give an account of our lives. When we will have to answer to the LORD Himself for our actions. What we have done and what we did not do.

Therefore, learn the Word of the LORD. Put His Word into practice. Stir up the Spirit and His gifts. Don’t just take hope for granted. Learn who the LORD is and what He demands of each of us.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Learn What Grieves Him.

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Pursue Holiness

Who is blind but My servant, Or so deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as he that is at peace with Me, Or so blind as the servant of the Lord? ~ Isaiah 42:19NASB1995

If you really take a moment to think about this statement by the LORD, it is pretty frightening. He is not talking about the blindness or the deafness of these heathens, or those who hate Him. No, God is talking about His own people, His own servants. These people who are supposed to be following and working for Him. The one who should have a close relationship with Him. But instead of closeness, we find distance. Instead of intimacy, we find lukewarmness.

Just because we claim a relationship with the Almighty God does not mean we have one. God’s people, the ones who should know Him intimately and serve Him wholeheartedly, are the very ones who are trampling the blood of Jesus underfoot and making the name of the Holy One something common. That’s why God asks the question in Isaiah 1:5, “Why will you be struck anymore?”

In other words, why continue to rebel after He has redeemed you with His own blood, and now you’re receiving just punishment, punishment that He takes no pleasure in. It is not God’s will that anyone perish, but all come to repentance. But we refuse to draw close to God because we love the pleasures of the world. Let us forsake evil and turn from lukewarmness and cling to God in pursuit of holiness.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pursue Holiness.

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Stay Ready

2 Timothy 4:1-2 NIV

[1] In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: [2] Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

This is Paul warning Timothy to always be prepared. See, Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father. Paul actually had to circumcise Timothy because the Jews they were going to only knew his father was a Greek. Timothy ends up being set up as a leader of the Church by Paul to ensure they don’t stay from sounds doctrine while he’s gone.

Paul’s warning was about keeping watch and not repeating the mistakes of his people. See, just a few years back the people of Israel denied and rejected the Messiah. They went as far as to have Him crucified by the Romans. Jesus came at a time they didn’t expect as a person they didn’t anticipate.

Jesus showed the severity of their spiritual slumber when He walked past the fig tree (out of fig season) and cursed it for not bearing fruit when its maker/creator walked by. This was symbolic of the Jewish people. Jesus, their God became man and dwelt among them, yet they didn’t see Him. They couldn’t recognize Him. They were spiritually asleep.

Paul was warning Timothy not to repeat their mistakes. Paul was warning Timothy to stay ready. See, we don’t know when the LORD will call on us to do something, to witness to someone. Teach a lesson. Share the Gospel. Or change our lives completely. God’s timing isn’t always our timing.

So, we have to make sure we are always awake. On guard. Watching. Praying. Seeking. And never sleeping. Regardless if we are in season or out of season. Regardless of whether it’s expected of us by those around us or not. Whether we have a platform or not. Whether we are wining in life or not. We are to be ready for God to call us regardless of the time or season.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stay Ready.

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Be Spiritually Awake

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. ~ Matthew 1:18-25

Mary and Joseph weren’t together at the time of her conception. They were simply betrothed to one another. Joseph, when Mary was found to be with child, was going to divorce her quietly, but an angel came to Joseph in a dream explaining the matter to him.

Joseph then took Mary home as his wife. Joseph could have easily divorced Mary and refused to believe the dream. He could’ve easily just written it off as his heart’s desires and hope of Mary’s innocence, but he didn’t. He awoke from his dream and chose to believe the words spoken to him. Why? I believe it was because he was actively awaiting the Messiah. He was actively seeking God’s promises, so his spirit man was fed and on high alert.

Though his revelation came to him in a dream, Joseph wasn’t asleep. Spiritually, that is. He was on guard. Watching. Waiting. Hoping for the Messiah. If an angel came to you to give you insight, would you be spiritually awake enough to recognize that the dream was from God? Or has slumber taken you, numbing your spiritual awareness?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Spiritually Awake.

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The Ultimate Christmas Gift

16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ~ John 3:16

John 3:16 isn’t usually thought of or seen as a Christmas verse, but when you think about it, this is a perfect Christmas verse. It’s literally Jesus proclaiming that because the Father loves us, He gave us His one and only Son (Jesus), fulfilling His promise from so many years ago. It’s Jesus literally saying all of those promises from Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, etc. have finally been fulfilled. “Here I am, the perfect gift. The ultimate Christmas Gift.”

This Christmas, as you finish your Christmas shopping, take a moment to think about the ultimate gift. Does your family have the gift? Do they know Jesus? Do they believe in Him and follow Him? Most importantly, does He know them?

Christmas is a time of family, friends, goodwill towards men, charity, gift giving, and hope, but without Christ, we have nothing. No hope. No purpose. Nothing. So, this Christmas, take the time to share the ultimate gift with others.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Embrace The Ultimate Gift.

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Keep An Eye On The Star

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. ~ Matthew 2:10-11

The wise men had been following the star that led them westward for weeks, maybe months. But somehow, over Jerusalem, they got separated from the star and seem to have lost their way.

It would stand to reason that they did not know exactly where they were headed, only that they were on their way to Israel. So, they closely followed the star, but when they got to Jerusalem, they thought surely this is the place. They began asking around, “Where is He who is born king of the Jews?” But no one seemed to know.

Then the King, Herod, called them and told them the Messiah would be born somewhere in Bethlehem. And when they got back on the right track, they saw the star again and rejoiced greatly.

It’s the same with us. We believe we know exactly what we’re doing, and we don’t have to depend on our guiding light, Jesus, anymore, and we lose our way.

Isn’t that how it is with us? When we’re down and out with no hope and no way out, we lean on the everlasting arm of God, and as soon as He delivers us out of our mess and we begin to see the light at the end of our tunnel, we stop leaning on that strong and mighty arm. We don’t pray as hard as we did, and consequently, we stop hearing the voice of God.

But we get into another situation, and we are forced to return to seeking, and we begin to hear the voice of God again, and we rejoice greatly, just like the wise men did. This Christmas, let us not stop following the direction of the star and start relying on our own understanding.

Father, thank You for the gift of fellowship so that we can have close communication with You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Christmas Favor

49 And He said to them, “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that He spoke to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And His mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. ~ Luke 2:48-52

This is a part of the Christmas story that we don’t usually associate with Christmas. At the tender age of 12, Jesus was fully aware of His responsibilities and His calling. But it was not just downloaded to Him; He had to seek, He had to ask, and He had to study for Himself.

On this occasion, Jesus and His family had gone down to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Passover. After the feast was over, His parents and the rest of the family packed up and headed back home, but Jesus stayed behind and went to the temple to find the most knowledgeable teachers of the Scriptures. For three days, He sat with them, listening, asking questions, and learning. Jesus was listening, learning, and developing His faith. The learned men were amazed at His understanding of Scripture and His answers to their questions.

But you might think, well, this isn’t about Christmas at all. Oh, but it is. What we must take away from this is, Jesus, the Son of God, the Word made flesh, had to learn Scripture, had to ask questions, and to seek God, and develop His faith. How much more do we? Jesus never stopped being God; He merely set aside His divine prerogative and emptied Himself so that He might fill Himself again, as we must do.

The beauty of this is, the LORD Jesus came as a human baby 2,000 years ago, born in the manger because there was no room for them in the inn, born an ordinary child so that we too can seek God for ourselves. That is the Christmas story: A Savior who is Christ the LORD has been born in Bethlehem to reconcile man back to our Heavenly Father.

Now we have the privilege, the authority, and the power to seek an all-loving, Almighty God. For without Jesus’ birth as a mere human on that first Christmas morning, we would be lost forever, and unable to find God. But Jesus, our Savior, did come and did show us the way to the Father, because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. Now, because of Jesus, we can increase in wisdom and in favor with our Heavenly Father.

Father, thank You for the gift of life through Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You for salvation and for loving me, and thank You for the privilege to know You as Father, in Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Embrace Our Christian Religion

One of the most well-known Christmas songs of all time is Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Every time I hear it, one line really sticks out to me:

Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow

The original version of this song, according to songwriter Hugh Martin, was actually “If the Lord allows,” but he later changed it to “If the fates allow.” Take a guess why. To remove the religious reference. Apparently, this change was reportedly made to align with the secular tone of the song’s release, although Martin claimed in a 2002 interview that the original version included the religious line and that it was purged for commercial reasons. I really want you to think about this for a second, people are offended by “if the LORD allows” but are perfectly fine with “if the fates allow.” The fates mentioned in these lyrics are the Fates of the ancient Greeks.

So, they have no desire to have religion pushed down their throat while wholeheartedly embracing a religion. See, the Fates of ancient Greece were three sister goddesses (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) who literally personified destiny and control the lives of mortals. They were believed to spin, measure, and cut the thread of every mortal’s life thus determining their fate from birth to death.

So, in reality, people have no problem with religion, they have a problem with Jesus. Therefore, they have a problem with Christianity, just as Jesus warned the world would. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ. Without Christ there would be no Christmas, so don’t give into the false statements that religion is offensive. The world doesn’t have a problem with religion. It has a problem with Light because it wants to dwell in darkness. This Christmas embrace the origin of Christmas, the birth of Christ. The birth of our LORD and Savior who came to redeem the whole world.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Embrace Our Christian Religion.

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A Good, Good God

21 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the L0RD, when King Zedekiah sent to Him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 “Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all His wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.” ~ Jeremiah 21:1-2

Although King Zedekiah was not an openly wicked king who led Judah into blatant idolatry, nor was he violently hostile to God’s prophets, as some of Judah’s earlier kings were, he did continue the pattern of idolatry and disobedience established by the kings before him. His legacy was one of weak leadership and fear of his officials, leading him to disobey God. He feared people more than he feared God. And although he would not stand up for, nor defend Jeremiah, the prophet, he often consulted with him, and moved him to a better prison. He broke the covenant that he had made with Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who had placed him on the throne, probably out of fear and intimidation of his officials. God considered Zedekiah’s covenant-breaking a grave offense against Him, as God considered it His covenant. Now, even though Jeremiah warned Zedekiah and his officials to surrender to the Babylonians so that they and the people might live, and they outright refused, God still let Zedekiah inquire of Him.

Isn’t that how it is with us? We rebel against God, wanting our own way, or because we don’t want people to think that we are weak, and having to depend on God. Sometimes we get so busy that we don’t pray as we ought because of one reason or another. Yet God is still a good, good God, not wanting any to perish, but to be obedient. Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:13 that “If we are faithless, He [God], remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself.” That is good news for us, though we are selfish and unworthy of all of God’s love and goodness, still He chooses to lavish salvation on us, something that we cannot afford for ourselves, and He gives without measure, loves without ceasing, forgives without hesitation, and holds us fast, because of who He is— faithful, immutable, and unable to deny Himself. God is a good, good God.

Father, thank You for being so, so good to us, even when we do not deserve it. Even when we ignore You, You will never ignore us. Thank You for the free gift of salvation that You have lavished on us, not sparing Your Son, but giving even Your beloved Son as a sacrifice so that we might have life. Thank You Father for giving. Thank You, LORD Jesus, for coming and for dying for a lost and broken world, in Jesus’ Name, amen.

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