Spiritual Archives - Page 12 of 34

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And on this first day of 2025, We Go Forth Welcoming Christ, not by Worldly Rejection, but rather, Recognizing Him, Receiving Him, Having Been Restored as was the Prodigal Son into Relationship & Therefore, We’re Now Rejoicing Over Knowing & Exercising Our Responsibilities, Rights & Resources, As His Obedient Servants FOREVER!

Dec 30 My Utmost For His Highest Oswald Chambers

…All my springs are in you. Psalm 87:7

I’m so thankful our Lord never “patches up” our natural virtues, that is, our natural traits, qualities, or characteristics. But rather, He completely remakes a person on the inside— “…put on the new man…” (Ephesians 4:24).

In other words, see that your natural human life is putting on all that is in keeping with the new life. The life God places within us develops its own new virtues, not the virtues of the seed of Adam, but of Jesus Christ.

Now, once God has begun the process of sanctification in your life, watch and see how God causes your confidence in your own natural virtues and power to wither away. He will continue until you learn to draw your life from the reservoir of the resurrection life of Jesus. Thank God if you are going through this drying–up experience!

The sign that God is at work in us is that He is destroying our confidence in the natural virtues, because they are not promises of what we are going to be, but only a wasted reminder of what God created man to be. We want to cling to our natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us in contact with the life of Jesus Christ— a life that can never be described in terms of natural virtues.

It is the saddest thing to see people who are trying to serve God depending on that which the grace of God never gave them. They are depending solely on what they have by virtue of heredity. God does not take our natural virtues and transform (Rather, He exchanges them with His) them, because our natural virtues could never even come close to what Jesus Christ wants. No natural love, no natural patience, no natural purity can ever come up to His demands.

BOTTOM LINE: But as we bring every part of our natural bodily life into harmony with the new life God has placed within us, He will exhibit in us the virtues that were characteristic of the Lord Jesus. And every virtue we now possess in Him Is His alone! “AND AS SUCH, DEFINITELY ARE not to be shared with, or controlled by, or influenced by culture, environment, end times principalities, diseases & afflictions, weather extremes, geopolitical conflicts, acts of terrorism, contracts, personality disorders, etc.” – anonymous

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

You must understand there is nothing, naturally speaking, that makes us lose heart quicker than decay—the decay of bodily beauty, of natural life, of friendship, of associations, all these things make a man lose heart; but Paul says when we are trusting in Jesus Christ these things do not find us discouraged, for His Light shines through them. (from The Place of Help)

dailylightdevotional.org December 30 morning

Who shall also confirm you until the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. I Cor. 1:8

You, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Col. 1:21-23

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. II Pet. 3:14

That ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Phil. 1:10

EVENING

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. I John 1:6, 7

The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. II Tim. 4:18

“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” KJV Phil 2:15 The Message: “Go out into the world not corrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living empowered by the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night.”

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Day 365 Revelation 22:12-21 All To Jesus: Perhaps Today?

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with ALL the saints. Amen. Revelation 22:21

Just as Genesis is the book of beginnings, Revelation is the book of endings, bringing the Bible full circle. Scripture begins and ends in Paradise. The devil isn’t in the first or the last two chapters of Scripture, but the Tree of Life is. In Genesis 1, God creates the heavens and the earth; in Revelation 21-22, He recreates them. In the Bible’s opening scenes, humanity is perfect, sinless, happy, immortal, and in constant fellowship with God – and so in the final ones.

Between the beginning and the ending of Scripture are 1185 chapters that tell us the story of the ages – how sin and suffering entered the human race and how God loved us and became a man to save us through the shed blood of the Lamb. Though written in sixty-six installments by forty plus authors over 1400 years in three languages on three continents, the Bible’s story is consistent and cohesive, unfolding like a master plot of a novel, and centered around one person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we come to the final paragraph of Revelation, we have the closing credits of Scripture: the Last Blessing (v. 14), the Last Invitation (v.17), the last Warning (vv. 18-19), the Last Promise (V. 20), the last Prayer (v. 20), and the last Benediction: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. Amen.”

The word saints encompasses everyone washed in the blood of Christ, the word ALL affirms its all-inclusiveness, and the final Amen punctuates it with a divine exclamation point. There is no better ending for a book, so ….

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you! Amen.

Merlin now: Closely associated, for me at least, with the Revelation’s ending stated above, are the words of benediction from Jude 24-25 that many of us heard each Sunday concluding worship service prompting introspection, which too often for me, concluded in guilt, rather than joy. Strange, I do not recall Jesus being in that mix, just God. Please understand though, I’m not here assigning blame anywhere, for as a young lad I knew full well my future assignment, much as did Robert Boyle in Monday’s post, but I compromised and refused surrender, squandering personal time and resources.

I’ve also realized many of you gifted 4-part Mennos resonated more meaningfully with hymnal #606 in similar fashion, rather than with the Jude benediction. But, I being the more verbally inclined, gravitated to the benediction, “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

But here we are on this New Year Eve Day, and I just can’t close up shop here without making sure you’re not without hope, whoever you are, wherever you’ve been, are about to go, or don’t want to go. For me, the past year has been quite what I deserved, and that dear reader, was the exact impetus for my surrender to seek the restoration needed so I now can approach New Year’s Eve in better stead than ever prior. Now, don’t ever expect me to write about this year’s events in a blog post, but seriously, since I’m somewhat acquainted with 95% of you all, for if you’re seriously discouraged with no relief in sight, and you are totally without an ear, text me (I do not answer unidentified calls) your name and a sentence or two, and I’ll call you back so you can talk; I’ll listen.

Now, may I give you some wise words I’ve gained from David Jeremiah because what He is saying below has basically taken me all my life to learn, and how my bummer year was transformed into the best yet, and it is my sincere hope that the process replicates for you, if such is indicated. So here goes.

Just Perhaps that Missing Piece in Your Life’s Puzzle is Christ?

“In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; for you are complete in Him.”

Colossians 2:9-10

Insight into who you are and why you are here is available only from the Creator, because you were both created “by and for Him.” In fact, He wrote your Owner’s Manual. The missing piece in your life is not merely more education, or better therapy, for if you do not yet intimately know Jesus Christ, it is imperative you consider right now placing Him dead center where He belongs, in the middle of all those endlessly frustrating vocational details, cultural expectations, self-imposed criticisms, addictive behaviors, soured relationships, broken promises, etc.

Understand dear reader, God created you uniquely for Himself. He created a vacuum within each of us; whether in our spirit, soul, & body, or heart, mind, & will, that simply cannot be filled or satisfied by or with anything or anyone else, EXCEPT HIM! While you stuff in all that pleasure and all the madness of this age trying to fill the vacuum or bring meaning in to continually sucking-air-life, I’m just telling you, you’ll never quite grasp that deeply satisfying AHA moment. But you may well remember the song, or its bottom line, “Is That All There Is? Trusting Jesus Christ to be your missing centerpiece sets something very unique in motion in your spirit when you say a simple prayer receiving Him into your life.

That simple surrender allows Jesus to come and live within you. God loves you more than any other person can or will, on this planet; He knows you intimately. He has a plan for your life. He wants you to know who you are and why you are here at this very moment in history to fulfill your destiny. And when you will put your trust fully in Him, He will give the needed perspective in your life. You were created in God’s image, so you are really only yourself while you are in relationship with God. When you let God take control of your life through His Son, your life begins to experience a new dimension of deeply satisfying meaning.

Again, if you need to talk, text me @ 330 465-2565, What’s App, Signal.

Happy New Year’s to each of you in all of His life’s dimensions expressly designed just for you!

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Job Re-Visited; Wikipedia Quotes about Robert Boyle

Day 363 Job 38:18-24 All to Jesus: A Year of Devotions Robert J Morgan

Have you comprehended the extent of the earth? Tell me if know ALL this. Job 38:18

Near the end of the book of Job, the Lord peppers Job with questions like: “Where were you when I created the earth? Do you feed the wild animals? Have you comprehended the extent of the earth? Tell me if you know ALL this.” The point here being – the Lord is great enough to be trusted with our perplexities. His fabulous creation is assurance that He is intelligent, powerful, caring, and able to rule over all.

That’s why, until it was kidnapped by atheistic philosophers, the scientific community understood it was investigating the wonders of God’s creation. For example, Robert Boyle, the Father of Modern Chemistry, was a dedicated Christ Follower who avidly studied his Bible and promoted missions, and as director of east India Company, spent large sums promoting Christianity in the East, supporting the policy that the Bible should be available in the vernacular of the people. During 1680-1685, he personally financed printing both Old and New Testaments in Irish, gaining hostility from the opposing Protestant Ascendancy class in Ireland at the time.

His journey as a servant of Jesus began on Dec 29^th, 1640, Boyle, at age 13, gave his heart to Jesus following tempestuous night. Loud claps of thunder shook his house, “and every clap was both proceeded and attended with flashes of lightening so frequent and so dazzling that I began to imagine them the sallies of that fire that must consume the world.”

“The next morning came,” wrote Boyle, “and a serene cloudless sky returned.” He then and there gave himself to the Lord Jesus, to study the Bible, and to consecrate his scientific work as a witness to God’s creation.

Thanks to Wikipedia for the following additional details on Boyle.

In addition to philosophy, it appears Boyle devoted much time to theology, showing a decidedly leaning to the practical side and an indifference to controversial polemics. (In other words, let the facts speak for themselves, forget your agenda!) His unique stance against the usual & customary surfaced again in 1665 when he would have received the provostship of Eton College had he agreed to take “holy orders” but refused to do so on the grounds that his writings as a layman on religious subjects would have carried more weight (credibility) than from a paid minister of the Church. ,

Then 15 years later, long after The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge was granted a charter by Charles II of England in 1663 naming Boyle a member of the Council, Boyle in 1680 was elected president of the society, but he decidedly declined the honor from a scruple about oaths. (merlin now – just wondering if the Anabaptist aversion a century plus earlier to swearing of oaths was a contributing factor-doubtful?)

Moreover, Boyle incorporated his scientific interests into his theology, believing natural philosophy could provide powerful evidence for the existence of God. In works such as his Disquisition about the Final Causes of Natural Things (1688), for instance , he criticized contemporary philosophers – such as Rene Descartes – who denied that the study of nature could reveal much about God.

Lastly, Boyle made a “wish list” of 24 possible inventions which included “the prolongation of life”, the “art of flying”, “perpetual light”, “making armor light-weight and extremely hard”, “a ship to sail with all winds, and a ship not to be sunk”, “practicable and certain way of finding longitudes”, “potent drugs to alter or exalt imagination, waking, memory, and other functions and appease pain, procure innocent sleep, harmless dreams, etc.” All but a few of the 24 have come true.

NEXT UP FOR NEW YEAR’S EVE DAY:

A variety of sources posturing on transitioning into the next year. A work yet in progress, but will mention Hymnal #606 & the Jude 24-25 benediction!

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Day 362 The World’s First & Only Billionaire at age 53…

“Give to him [to the poor], and don’t have a stingy heart when you give, and because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you do.” Deuteronomy 15:10

In None of These Diseases, Dr. S. I. McMillen discussed the financier John D Rockefeller. As a young man, Rockefeller was strong and husky, and he drove himself like a slave. He was a millionaire by age 33. By 43, he controlled the largest business on earth. By 53, he was the world’s only billionaire. But he developed a disease called alopecia, in which he lost hair from his head, eyebrows, and eyelashes. His digestion was terrible, and he lost weight until he looked like a dead man. The newspapers began compiling his obituary.

One night Rockefeller realized he couldn’t take one dime into the next world. All his accomplishments were sand castles, doomed by the inevitable tide. For the first time he realized money was not a commodity to be hoarded but to be shared. He began transferring his money into blessings for others. He gave hundreds of millions to universities, hospitals, and missions. He led efforts to rid the South of hookworms and in the development of penicillin. The focus of his life changed from getting to giving. The result? He didn’t die in his fifty-third year, or in his fifty-fourth. He lived to be 98.

BOTTOM LINE:

Whether or not Rockefeller was a born-again believer, I don’t know. But he did discover one of the moral laws God has placed in plain sight in the universe for everyone to enjoy, Christian or not: Giving is good for us. It enriches our lives.

Merlin continuing:

Researching John DR for an hour, gave me these observations. His father, William A., was a con artist, unshackled by conventional morality, led a vagabond existence, returning to his family infrequently, abandoning them permanently when John was 15. His mother, Eliza, was a homemaker, a devout Baptist, thrifty by necessity, being more influential in John’s upbringing and beyond, while John distanced himself further and further from his father as he matured. He later stated, “From the beginning, I was trained to work, to save, and to give.” As a youth, Rockefeller reportedly said that his two great ambitions were to make a $100,000 (equivalent to $3.27 M in 2023 dollars) and to live 100 years.

What follows below are two excerpts I gleaned from Are You Fully Charged (AYFC) during my first reading that spoke volumes to the “molding” that occurred with Tom, early on and later in his life, via his grandfather, an opportunity that didn’t materialize for many of us relationship wise, except via genetic code, and certainly not for Rockefeller either. I have below strategically highlighted these pages of AYFC to acquaint you with this “life-compass setting book” beginning by quoting Tom’s first reference to his grandfather from page 40 where he states “the more time you spend on building on who you already are, the faster you will grow. That is the main lesson I learned from my late mentor and grandfather, Don Clifton, who spent a lifetime studying people’s strengths. Instead of aspiring to be anything you want to be, you should aim to be more of who you already are, starting with your natural talents – then investing time in practicing, building skills, and increasing knowledge – yields a much greater return.

Gallup’s research suggests that when you use your strengths, you can double your number of high-quality work hours per week from 20 to 40. It also reveals that people who focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to have high levels of overall life satisfaction. If you spend most of your life being good at everything, you eliminate your chances of being great at anything…”

Later in Chapter 15, Build a Cumulative Advantage, on page 112, in the Section subtitled “Help Someone See What Could Be”, Tom continues “As a result of my grandfather, Don Clifton’s, lifelong study of strengths, I was raised in an environment in which my family was looking for early traces of talent at every turn. By the time I was five, they had spotted my deep interest in reading. When I was nine, my grandfather noticed some entrepreneurial talent and helped me start a little business selling snacks. He helped me find space and figure out how to buy snacks in bulk. And he taught me some basic financial concepts. But the most valuable lessons I learned were about people, interactions, and relationships.

Throughout my grade school, high school, and college years, it became clear to me that my talents and interests were in the areas of business, research, and anything involving technology. When I graduated from college in 1998, Don asked me if I would work with him to bring his research on strengths to a wider audience through technology and this new thing called the Internet. I spent the next few years working with Don and our team to create an online strength-based assessment, dubbed StrengthsFinder. But in the midst of all this excitement around this new project, Don discovered he had Stage IV gastroesophageal cancer and most likely, only a few months to live.

Given that I had been battling cancer already for a decade at that time, I used my knowledge and dedicated all my time to helping my grandfather extend his life as much as possible. Don and I assembled all the research we could find on the topic as we traveled to different medical centers for treatment. In the midst of this ordeal, I remembered that Don told me once that he thought it was crazy that people wait until someone is gone to say kind things in an eulogy.

So, I stayed up late several nights and wrote a very long and emotional letter to my grandfather, explaining how much he had influenced my life over the years. It was essentially a eulogy written to someone who was still alive. This letter went into great depth about what a difference my grandfather’s ideas and approach to life made in me during this time. I explained how his love, caring, and thinking essentially built a reserve that helped me make it through all my health challenges in relatively good shape.

Because I had almost no confidence in my ability to communicate effectively in writing, I was hesitant to even share this heartfelt letter with Don – but given the circumstances, I decided to give it to him. When he read it, he was deeply moved and grateful. That part did not surprise me, but a brief interaction we had a few days later caught me off guard.

Don told me after reading the letter multiple times, he thought I had real talent for bringing things to life with words. (I agree!) This was something no one had ever suggested, let alone stated explicitly. He asked if I’d be willing to share my personal story from the letter in a book. As long as somebody else was doing the writing. I figured that would be okay.

Then Don asked me if I would help write that book over the next two months. This was the only time he ever acknowledged the reality of his condition in our conversations. So, I agreed to give it a shot and do my best, knowing that my grandfather had quite a bit of wisdom that could benefit other people. We worked tirelessly over the next couple of months and were able to finish the first draft of the book, How Full Is Your Bucket? just before Don passed away. That book has since helped my grandfather’s work reach millions of people, and we even turned it into a children’s book that is now used in classrooms around the world.

This personal experience showed me how a single interaction and observation can have a lifelong influence. After nearly three decades now of exploring my own talent, being surrounded by great people, and taking countless strengths assessments, writing was the last thing I ever planned to do. Then one day one person (my grandfather) said he spotted a talent worthy of investment, and that insight continues to influence how I spend my time every day, 24-7-365! The more I reflect on this experience, the more I realize the (our?) ultimate strength is finding, discovering, and developing talent in others.“

Life is truly all about relationships; Loving, enduring, meaningful, safe relationships. Communicate with me directly if you’ve ideas, questions, concerns: merlin.erb@gmail.com 330 465-2565 cell, Signal, What’s App.

NEXT UP:

Testimony of Robert Boyle, Father of Modern Chemistry

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Happiness & Living Meaningfully: Now & Later…

Day 361 “Blessed are ALL they who put their trust in Him.” Psalm 2:12

Yes, it’s important to be happy and frequently Christ Followers characterize happiness as temporary whereas joy implies a longer dimension of time. Note the pursuit of meaning – not happiness – is what makes life worthwhile. Despite Thomas Jefferson including it in the Declaration of Independence, the “pursuit of happiness” is a shortsighted aim. Putting your own well being before well doing pulls you in the wrong direction.

We can’t live on an emotional high all the time, of course, nor should we. Not even our Lord did that, for on one occasion He wept, on another He said His soul was troubled, and on another, He cried, “My God, My God, why …?”

Still the “default setting” for the Christian attitude should be one of deeply contented joy, and it’s really not biblical to go around all the time with an unhappy attitude. Our happiness is as deep as His care and perpetual as His peace. It comes from taking refuge in Him.

No matter what may happen to me day by day, I’m safe in His hands, and He is working All for my good & His glory. Based on that, we choose happiness. After the holidays, some of tend toward the blues. Let your “blues” be the blue skies of God’s blessings as you gear up for a New Year of exploring God’s grace.

A man is as unhappy as he has convinced himself he is. Seneca

A person is about as happy as they make up their mind to be. – Abraham Lincoln

Merlin now: I’ve included the following words from Tom Rath’s 2015 landmark book “Are You Fully Charged?” The reasons will be obvious. I just ordered his last four used copies from ThriftBooks for less than $4.89 ea. I’m sure Amazon has them too. I highly recommend it be your first new book for 2025.

“Research suggests the more value you place on your own happiness, the more likely you are to feel lonely on a daily basis resulting in feelings of futility, as evidenced by saliva samples indicating corresponding decreases in progesterone levels, a hormonal response associated with loneliness.

Happiness and meaningfulness are two distinct human conditions. While there is some overlap, the differences have clear implications for how people spend their time. Those who pursue happiness, for example, are what psychologist’s calls “takers”. As Roy Baumeister and his team noted after studying this topic extensively, “Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed or even selfish life.” In contrast, co-author Kathleen Vohs explained, “People leading meaningful lives get a lot of joy from giving to others.”

Furthermore, Baumeister points out that it is not the pursuit of happiness but the pursuit of meaning that sets humans apart from animals. (Just imagine #1!) In some cases, creating meaning involves putting another person’s needs before your own, which could lead to short-term decreases in your happiness. However, when you do so, you make a contribution that improves by quantum leaps the “big-picture” environment around you.

And there’s more. Happiness and meaningfulness also appear to have distinct influences on physiological health. When participants in a study led by UNC’s Barbara Fredrickson were happy but lacked meaning in their lives (defined as pursuing a purpose bigger than self), they exhibited a stress-related gene pattern that is known to activate an inflammatory response. They had the same gene expression pattern as people dealing with constant adversity have. (Just imagine #2!) Over time, this pattern leads to chronic inflammation, which is related to a host of illnesses, like heart disease and cancer. Fredrickson duly noted, “Empty positive emotions (hollow meaningless platitudes) … are about as good for you as adversity,” such as stated in Proverbs 27:15 of a nagging wife and a dripping faucet.

Unfortunately, 75 % of participants in Fredrickson’s study fell into this category; their desired happiness levels outpaced their desired levels of meaningfulness. In contrast, participants who had meaning in their lives, whether or not they characterized themselves as happy, showed a deactivation in this stress-related gene pattern. In other words, their bodies did not act as if they were under constant duress and threat!

HUGE BOTTOM LINE:

Participating in meaningful activities elevates your thinking above yourself and your momentary needs. Every minute you can set aside your own happiness for the sake of others will eventually lead to stronger families, organizations, and communities. In the end, the pursuit of happiness and “success” will pass. What endures is creating meaning in your own life and in the lives of others.”

To clinch your perspective at this moment in these last days by the above info, the following line will appear in Monday’s post, Day 363, “That’s why, until it (His Truth) was kidnapped by atheistic philosophers, the scientific community understood it was investigating the wonders of God’s creation.” Note the remnant still do! Tune in.

NEXT UP:

DR. S.I. McMillen’s book, None of These Diseases, discusses financier John D Rockefeller, who at 53, was the world’s only billionaire. But less known, at least today, was the fact also at 53, he was expected to die within several years. Actually, he lived to be 98.

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So, After “The Funneling” Yesterday – Is Our “Bastion” Perspective Flawed Today?

Day 360 All to Jesus: A Year of Devotions Robert J Morgan

1 Timothy 3:14-16 (MSG) 14. “I hope to visit you soon, but just in case I’m delayed, I’m writing this letter so 15. you’ll know how things ought to go in God’s household, this God-alive church, bastion of truth. 16. This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body, was proved right by the invisible Spirit, was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples, believed in all over the world, taken up into heavenly glory.”

I’ve preached about Christmas each December for thirty years, and last year I was suddenly overwhelmed with wondering if there was anything new I could say. Humbly asking God for insight, I read through the accounts again, and I actually did see something new! I noticed everyone intimately acquainted with the coming of the Christ child responded with great worship and spontaneous thanksgiving. Indeed, there was a universality of praise among all involved. I then shared the following:

>When Elizabeth heard the news, she was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed her wonderment with a loud voice. Even her unborn child leaped in the womb (Luke 1:41).

>When Zachariah finally spoke, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaimed, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel” (Luke 1:67-68).

>Mary’s response was: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).

>The angels praised, “Glory to God in the highest heave!” (Luke 2:14).

>Simeon in the temple took the Christ child in his arms and praised God (Luke 2:28).

> Old Anna saw the Babe, thanking God and speaking about Him (Luke 2:38).

>The magi were “overjoyed beyond measure,” and falling to their knees, worshipped Him (Matt. 2: 10-11).

>And the shepherds glorified and praised God for ALL they had seen and heard (Luke 2:20).

BOTTOM LINE:

So, considering the above examples and the sweeping mandate of I Timothy 3:16, why are we on eggshells this year? If necessary & pertinent, contemplate that question today. Consider I Peter 3:15 “Honor Christ and let Him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.”

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Did You Know?

All to Jesus: A Year of Devotions. Robert J Morgan Day 356 Luke 2: 36-38

She came up and began to thank God and to speak about Him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:28

During medieval days, December 25 was a pagan holiday with religious overtones. It fell in the dark and cold of winter, just as Europeans needed an outlet for their frustrations and appetites. It was common for mobs to storm the wealthy homes demanding food and drink: “O bring us some figgy pudding…. We won’t go until some…” In London, Christmas was a day when women and children didn’t leave their homes, a day of drunkenness, rioting, and indulgence.

But one place on the globe changed the way Christmas was celebrated everywhere – Martin Luther’s Germany. Luther loved Christmas, and in sparking the reformation, he took full advantage of the story of Christ’s birth. Germany responded with a plethora of wholesome holiday traditions.

Centuries later, Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Germany, who brought all the hallowed celebrations with him to Windsor Castle. Christmas there became a wonderful time of beautiful trees, gift-giving, songs, and worship. These traditions were picked up and practiced across England, and Christmas began to take shape as we know it today.

Anna of Jerusalem had the right idea all along. When baby Jesus was brought to the temple, she began to thank God and speak about Him to everyone, giving us a cue as to Christmas should be observed. Among the traditions, you celebrate this year, don’t forget the oldest ones – thank God for His Son and speak about Him to everyone!

Robert J Morgan is pastor of The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, TN, where he has served more than 30 years. He has written numerous books, including this 2008 book All to Jesus: A Year of Devotions, Then Sings My Soul, The Red Sea Rules, and 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart. Rob is a creative storyteller with a pastor’s heart. He and his wife have three daughters and ten grandchildren. I found my copy for $1.00 at MCC Connections. Seek & ye shall find! For the next five days, I’ll post five of his concluding devotionals. Today is the only 2 in 1 day! Blessings.

Day 359 Greatest “Funnel” App Ever Conceived! Luke 2:19-24

“But Mary was treasuring up ALL these things in her heart and meditating on them.” Luke 2:19

In my kitchen I have a funnel, and from time to time I pull it out of the drawer and use it when I need to pour liquid – oil or vinegar or honey – from a large container into a smaller one. I don’t use it often, but I’m thankful for it when I need it.

Though crude but yet quite profound, think of Christmas as a massive funnel.

Above all the universe is the immensity and eternity of God Himself – His perfect holiness, His illimitable glory, His endless infinity, His matchless wisdom, His unfailing love, His omnipresence, and omnipotence and omniscience. He fills the universe to the edges of reality and beyond and dwells in approachable light.

Yet in the womb of Mary, the eternal God – God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity – was ALL funneled into the human race, and God became flesh and dwelt among us.

So, who better than Mary to show us how to celebrate Christmas? Such celestial details are too much for our culture burdened minds to readily absorb, so we like Mary, have to treasure these truths in our hearts and meditate on all of them annually, including the: Birth, Trial, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Asension, (& especially our Transformation), and then in the Father’s timing, His Return! That’s the essence of worship and that’s the joy of Christmas!

“Most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh.” I Timothy 3:16

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Have You Ever REALLY Considered Oswald Chamber’s:

The Riches of the Destitute…

“being justified freely by His grace…” Romans 3:24 My Utmost For His Highest Nov 28

The gospel of the grace of God awakens an intense longing in human souls and an equally intense resentment, because the truth that it reveals is not palatable or easy to swallow.

There is a certain pride in people that causes them to give and give, but to come and accept a gift is another thing. I will give my life to martyrdom; I will dedicate my life to service— I will do anything…. but do not

humiliate me to the level of the most hell-deserving sinner and tell me that all I have to do is accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ!

We all have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God through our own efforts!

We must either receive it as a gift or do without it. The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute. Until we get there, our Lord is powerless.

He can do nothing for us as long as we think we are sufficient in and of ourselves.

We must enter into His kingdom through the door of destitution.

As long as we are “rich,” particularly in the area of pride or independence, God can do nothing for us.

BOTTOM LINE:

It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit. WOW!

The gift of the essential nature of God is placed and made effective in us by the Holy Spirit.

He imparts to us the quickening life of Jesus, making us truly alive. He takes that which was “beyond” us and places it “within” us. WOW! WOW!

And immediately, once “the beyond” has come “within,” it rises up to “the above,” and we are lifted into the kingdom where Jesus lives and reigns (see John 3:5). WOW! WOW!WOW!

merlin now… Do treasure this unique Thanksgiving 2024! Do Praise His Holy Name as His “beyond” comes “within” taking us “above” where Jesus lives & reigns!

FYI, The One Year Bible NT reading today, Nov 28, is II Peter Chapter 2, perhaps being quite historically timely and appropriate, it begins with “But there were also false prophets among you” and ends with “a dog returns to its vomit.” I do believe verse 19 best summarizes the chapter: “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.” Familiar?

Our challenge today: Connect the dots while we yet may! I’ve never been more serious.

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Heard This Sermon and I Desire to Share It as a Farewell From Me….

Title: The Shout of a Godless Shout. Text I Samuel 4: 1-11; II Chronicles 10: 1-30

Greetings everyone. Time to Pass the Torch. After much deliberation, a smidgen of which I shared with you in several recent posts; hearing God speak to me rather vividly thru several sermons recently, and finally after several false resignations, I am indeed giving up my last microbiology client, Smith Dairy after 30 years as an independent contractor, that only being because we’re going to try wintering once in the hills of The Republic of Panama, and see if we’ll like it as much as we think we may. It’s not that far away and we’re not cutting any long term ties here any time soon, as we’ve found the PGD/Paul Gerber family farm chicken house an ideal place for us to roost (next door to the exquisite AirB&B) and fly away when needed/desired. See you next spring.

BOTTOM LINE: After this anonymous sermon, it may be weeks, even months before you’ll get an email. It’s been most enjoyable for me. I trust you’ve located your own resources for daily inspiration besides the few I shared with you. The One Year Bible began by Pastor Bill Deweiller has been huge for me as has been Dr. Jim Miller’s gift book My Utmost For His Highest, not forgetting dailylightdevotional.org., and bathing it all in much prayer, whether you’re speaking or listening.

Blessings on your life journey while faithfully seeking and serving our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I was given this anonymously, and I’ll honor that.

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Variety Pack Perspective to Jump Start Your Thursday Sept 12, 2024

“Materialism is the stupid philosophy where everything is invested in what will eventually become nothing.” Mark Dever

“Hell is truth known toooo late.” J.C. Ryle

“Jesus is the God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair.” Blaise Pascal

“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” Amy Carmichael

Day 103 Truth: A Bigger View of God’s Word Randy Alcorn

“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” I Peter 5:5

Humility isn’t pretending that we’re unworthy because it’s the spiritual thing to do; it’s recognizing that we’re unworthy because it’s simply true.

J.C. Ryle warned, “Let us watch against pride in every shape – pride of intellect, pride of wealth, pride of health, pride simply of our own goodness.”

Pride pushes us away from God; humility draws us toward God. By choosing humility; we agree with God about our true condition and our true need for Christ.

Actually folks, we need Christ today just as much as we did the day we came to faith in Him. That’s a humbling truth we must never forget.

BOTTOM LINE:

We humans must confess, ‘I am because He is.’ Only God can say, ‘I am who I am.’ Jen Wilkin