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John 8:12

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Encouraging Words

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or Seasons Greetings! It really doesn’t matter which one we use nowadays because the truth of the matter is that Jesus Christ, the incarnate son of God, is the light of God that has entered this dark world and this is the time of year that we celebrate His birth. Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth for all mankind.

Psalms 138:4-6 (137:4-6)

O Lord, let all the kings of the earth give thanks to You,
For they heard all the words of Your mouth;
And let them sing in the ways of the Lord,
For the glory of the Lord is great;
For the Lord is high, and He watches over the lowly things;
But the high things He knows from afar.

Encouraging Words

We believe that the glory of the Lord is great. His glory far outshines that of any king, president, or dictator. He is high above all, and yet He watches over the lowly and gives His love to them. Jesus spent most of His time here on earth living with, eating with, talking to, and loving the common person, the lowly. He stayed far from those who were already elevated. And…He asks us to do the same. Glory be to God?

Proverbs 17:1

Better is a morsel with enjoyment in peace
Than a house full of many good things and unrighteous sacrifices with quarreling.

Personal Challenge

Contrary to popular belief, more is not always better. We live in a society, and a culture, that teaches that if I have a little bit of something that gives me pleasure or happiness, then more of it gives me, even more, pleasure or happiness. So what do we end up with? Mega-houses that own us and that have half of their rooms devoid of furniture because we ran out of money to fill them. Myriads of toys such as cars, trucks, boats, and the list goes on, many of which we only use once or twice a year. We end up with closets full of clothes that we never wear, but that we must own. All the while we walk past the homeless on the streets of our communities who spend their nights in tents or cardboard boxes. We say sorry to them because we have no money to put in their cup since it is all tied up in our toys. We ignore the person who does not have a coat to wear in winter or the child who has no shoes while standing before our stuffed closets commiserating that we have nothing to wear. I too am guilty as charged and grieved. Now is the time for fasting and giving of our wealth as alms to those in need. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

John 8:7-9

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Personal Challenge

So, who am I to condemn another person for their sin when I have my own sin in my life that condemns me? I need more forgiveness than anyone else for my sin is not only against God but against everyone else. My sin can only be forgiven by the God of mercy and love. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Psalm 133 (132 LXX)

Behold now, what is so good or so pleasant
As for brothers to dwell together in unity?
It is like fragrant oil running down upon the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down upon the border of his garment;
It is like the dew of Hermon, running down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing
And life forever.

Personal Challenge

What is one of the things that shows up throughout the scriptures as something important for us to all strive for? It is to be in unity with those around us, especially those in the Body of Christ. The psalmist yearned for it. The prophets proclaimed it. Jesus and Paul prayed that we would have it in our local communities. Then why is it so difficult to attain? I believe the difficulty comes from what is at the core of achieving unity. In order to find true unity between two or more humans, they must all be willing to love the other and put their needs before their own. Without that, unity will never be attained. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Proverbs 16:32 (16:30 LXX)

A patient man is better than a strong man,
And he who controls his temper is better than he who captures a city.

Personal Challenge

Patience, or self-control, is one of the virtues that we should all be trying to build in our lives. This virtue can lead to many of the other virtues. This is not a normal thing for us to pursue if we are attempting to live by the rules of the world today. We live in a time where every­thing is delivered instantly. We have fast food, instant gratification of our senses through the media, and the ability to get whatever we desire. None of this instant stuff feeds our soul or helps us to grow in the image of Christ if it becomes what we desire. Patience will prepare us to be like Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

John 7:37-38

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Encouraging Words

Jesus knew that the time was coming soon when He would be leaving His disciples and returning to heaven, In this verse, He is promising to them, and to us, that anyone who comes to Him will be filled by living waters. The early church fathers saw this promise by Jesus as the prophecy of the upcoming Pentecost, that day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and established the beginning of the Church. Jesus and the Father never intended for us to be on our own throughout our lives floundering to figure out how to follow in His footsteps. We are never alone in our journey through life. If we come to Him, not just once, or when we need something, but constantly, He will continuously fill us with Himself. That filling will be so complete that the living water that God fills us with will spill over to all around us. Glory be to God!

Psalms 127:1 (126:1 LXX)

Unless the Lord builds the house,
Those who build it labor in vain;
Unless the Lord guard the city,
Those who guard it stay awake in vain.

Personal Challenge

In light of recent political events (the interim election in Alabama), I have been reminded that so many people, including professing Christians, look to the world to establish their house on and to seek protection from. As Christians, we should be looking to God for this and not to men and women. Only God can help us build a quality home. Only God can guard and protect us. Not man. This can be easy to forget and get us all focused on the things of this world. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!