Thanks

Good Morning! 

Some time around 9:00 this evening, Mr. Oscar and I will retire to bed and 2019 will be history for us.  I am not one to stay up to “welcome” the New Year.  I am sure some of my neighbors will shoot off a few fireworks … and rouse me for a moment.  But I will embrace 2020 when I awake the next morning. 

Not counting the events of this good day, how has your 2019 been? I can only speak of my experiences for the year … and give God the glory for His continual presence in my life.  God filled my life this past year … giving me peace in the life challenge of open-heart surgery; allowing me to sing His praises at both Gateway and Friendship rehabilitation clinics; allowing me the opportunity to teach His Word; and supplying me with a daily message of encouragement to share.  Thank You, dear Father God, for loving me so much.

My extracurricular activities included the opportunity to act in three plays and to play a lot of golf. These opportunities allowed me to get to know different folks … and hopefully shine the light of Christ for them to see.  We are in the world … but we do not have to be a part of the world.  We can live a life before our fellow humans that reflects God’s great love for ALL of His creation.  

So, what is in store for 2020?  I don’t know … God does.  My prayer for myself is that I will be faithful – ready to answer the call.  Many, many years ago, I heard a sermon taken from Isaiah 6:8 –

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

The question asked in that sermon was … are you willing?  Are you?  Am I?  2020 presents each one of us a new opportunity to say “Here I am! Send me.” 

God bless you this good day … and this night.  May God protect those who venture out to celebrate the end of 2019 and the coming of 2020.  And may this coming year be one where Christ is lifted high … drawing all to Himself.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer:  Thank You, dear Father, for all You have done for me in all my life … especially 2019 as I faced surgery.  Thank You for continuing to make my life useful for You.  Walk with me, dear Father, in the coming year.  And, Father, if 2020 is THE YEAR, allow me to be steadily at work, sharing Christ until He comes in Glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today:  Isaiah 6:8

Submissive

Good Morning! 

We have been in Luke 2 several times over the last few days … recounting the birth of Jesus. Normally, I would go to other passages … but the text for the sermon yesterday was taken from the following …

Luke 2:39-52 English Standard Version (ESV)

³⁹ And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

⁴¹ Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. ⁴³ And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, ⁴⁴ but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, ⁴⁵ and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ And when his parents^[a] saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 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?”^[b] 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^[c] and in favor with God and man.

Footnotes:

Luke 2:48 Greek they

Luke 2:49 Or about my Father's business

Luke 2:52 Or years

Scripture doesn’t give us a whole lot of information about Jesus as a child … other than Joseph going to Egypt to escape Herod the Great’s attempt to kill Jesus.  This little glimpse is about all we have … but it does point to several growth points:

·         Joseph and Mary were obedient to God’s Law.  Keep in mind that, while the Law does not “save” a person, obeying the Law provides a good foundation for successful living. Teaching our children and grandchildren to honor God by being obedient to His directions for life is a good thing for all of us to do.

·         Jesus revealed His special qualities early in life.  At twelve, Jesus was still considered to be a child … yet here He was, in the middle of rabbis, asking questions, listening to their answers … and explaining the Truth in such a manner that the rabbis were amazed at His understanding.  Many of these same rabbis would later become adversaries when Jesus began His ministry … but on this occasion, they were open to hear.

·         Jesus was submissive to His mother and father.  He honored His mother and father and went with them back to Nazareth.  He was the God, made flesh … yet He was a child who honored His mother and His father by being submissive to their authority over Him. If we pay attention, we will recognize the pattern He set for our children and grandchildren … be submissive to those God has placed over us. 

What was the result?  Check out verse 52.  He grew in wisdom … and in stature … and in favor with God … and with man.  Got it?

May God bless you this good, good day.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: While I am not a twelve year-old boy anymore, dear Father, I am still Your child … and my desire is to be more like Jesus, not only in my ways but in my attitudes towards You. Lead me, dear Father, in Your ways of righteousness so that I might grow in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today:  Luke 2:39-52

Come and Trust

Good Morning! 

2019 is winding down … soon we will be in 2020.  My, my, my … how time flies.  Doesn’t it seem that we were at this time just moments ago … with 2018 coming to an end?  Time passes … and we go forward … hoping for the coming of Lord Jesus. 

This morning, let’s look at the beginning of one of my favorite Psalms …

Psalm 40 English Standard Version (ESV)

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
² He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.

David trusted God to respond when he called upon Him.  David had learned that God was involved in his life … and came to depend upon Him.  David tells us that when he called to God, God not only heard him but responded by setting David on solid ground. 

As the years pass, I find that David’s Psalm of praise and trust in God becomes more and more applicable in my life.  God has always been attentive to my needs … I just wasn’t aware of God’s involvement.  Patiently, God reveals to me how much He loves me … and cares for my needs. 

God loves you, too. 

I am reminded of the song “Just As I Am”.  “Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me. And that Thou bidst me come to Thee … O Lamb of God, I come … I come.”  Will you come?  Will I?  Will my commitment to following my Savior and Lord be a daily commitment to discipleship and praise?  Will my heart be tuned to the desires of the Father … ignoring the call of the world on my life?   Will the “new song” God placed in my mouth be sung loudly.  Oh, Lord, make it so in me.

Have a great weekend.  God bless each one of you.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Open my heart, dear Father God, so that I might see, hear, and do all that You would have me do for You.  Teach me to trust You in all of my steps and to give glory to You as I make those steps. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today:  Psalms 40:1-3

Pondering

Good Morning! 

What a beautiful day God gave us here in Northeast Georgia for Christmas Day!!!  Oscar and I headed to Woodstock to visit with Grandma Leta (Mother).  Mom seems to be doing much better than she was in June/July.  She had stopped writing letters (her favorite pastime) and had convinced herself that she couldn’t formulate thoughts well.  She showed me the Christmas cards she had received … and I noted that on each one she had responded with a note of thanks.  I also noted that her handwriting was back to its usual form … another sign of progress.  While there are still some signs of aging that I see, it is good to hear a more positive note in her voice.  Thank You, dear Father, for my Mom and Your blessings to her.

Speaking of Moms, let’s take a look at Mary this Morning after Christmas:

Luke 2:19 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

I admit that I do not know what it is like to give birth to a child.  My experience has been limited to the Waiting Room of the hospitals … Miss Norma didn’t want me in the Delivery Room … and I wasn’t too keen on being there either. But I am very aware of how much giving birth to our children meant to Norma. I could see on her face the love she immediately had for our munchkins.  And I can attest that her love never wavered for the balance of her life.  She was a great Mom. 

Every once in a while, I stumble across a bunch of memorabilia that Norma put aside from our children’s childhood.  Now, you have to understand that I am the pack rat … Norma was always the “clean it out, throw it away” type.  But not her children’s stuff.  I find scribbly pictures and writings and other mementoes that meant a lot to Miss Norma – reminding me of her focus in life.  She loved each child and wanted to hang on to their accomplishments.

So, when I read Luke 2:19, I picture a woman much like Miss Norma … a woman who has endured the pain of childbirth and found true love.  I glean from God’s Word the picture of a woman who observes every minute detail of her young son’s life and stores them away … later to pull them out as she remembered Him.  I believe Mary sat with Luke and told him the story we read in Luke 1 and 2.  Who better to tell it than Mary?  She was witness to all of it.

Today is the day after Christmas.  The stores will be hopping as people rush to exchange their gifts or return one that may have a flaw.  And, yes, there will be bargains as the stores attempt to move merchandise rather than store it away.  Lost in this will be the message that we only briefly focused upon … Christ the Savior has come.  Why don’t we do like Mary … and ponder these things in our hearts.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Father God, keep the birth of Christ in my heart and mind throughout the year. Teach me to love Him as He loves me.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today: Luke 2:19

Come, Lord Jesus

Good Morning! 

1 O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

You may have picked up on the theme this week … unintentional I promise. The words of the songs all ask to “come”.  For generations, Israel had looked to the coming of the Messiah. And, for generations, believers in the Lord Jesus have looked for His coming again.  The point is that God had promised that the Messiah would come … and He did.  God had promised that all the world would be blessed … and it has been and will be.  I know for my “world” … also known as “my earthly journey”, God has immensely blessed me. 

I don’t often go to the Revelation for a Good Morning message … but I want to do so today as it points to another coming …

Revelation 22:6-21 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Is Coming

⁶ And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

⁷ “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, ⁹ but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

¹⁰ And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. ¹¹ Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

¹² “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes,^[a] so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

¹⁷ The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.^[b] Amen.

Footnotes:

Revelation 22:14 Some manuscripts do his commandments

Revelation 22:21 Some manuscripts all the saints

I am looking under the Christmas tree this morning … there are two gifts still there … one for my Mom … one for a good friend.  I will deliver these gifts to the ones intended in the next day or two.  For those who believe, God has another gift for us … a second coming of our Savior and our Lord, Christ Jesus.  He has promised … and He keeps His promise. 

Merry Christmas …

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Father, I pray that You will come quickly. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today: Revelation 22:6-21

Prayer Request for today: I received notice that one of the folks we have been praying for came to the end of his earthly journey Monday morning.  Please lift up the family of David Taylor as they grieve.

Come Let Us Adore Him

Good Morning! 

Today will be a busy day for most of us … some will be finishing their shopping; others will be heading out to a destination for the holiday; and others will be gathering with family and friends.  I fall in the latter group … as our Christmas celebration will take place around 10 a.m. this morning.  Several years ago, Norma and I chose to have Christmas early so our adult children could celebrate Christmas on Christmas day. 

It is a little hard to think that this is my third Christmas alone … but I am okay and will be okay.  I remain thankful for the many Christmases my sweetheart and I had together (51 altogether).  God blesses me beyond any expectation I could ever have.

I have a hard time picking out a favorite Christmas carol. I do lean toward the older traditional carols … Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!; Silent Night; Go, Tell It on the Mountain; and so on.  Today I want to focus on the following:

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him born the King of angels; 

Refrain:
O come, let us adore him; O come, let us adore him;
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord! 

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, 
sing, all ye citizens of heav'n above; 
glory to God, all glory in the highest; [Refrain]

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning: 
Jesus, to thee be all glory giv'n; 
Word of the Father, late in flesh appearing; [Refrain]

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, - Luke 2:16-20 ESV

This evening (5 p.m.), Helen First Baptist will gather together for our Christmas Eve celebration. Our desire is to focus on the true meaning of the season … adoration of the greatest gift humankind has received.  He is the Christ! He is our Lord! Come … let us adore Him.  Put aside all the other trappings of the season … and see Jesus. 

Of course, Helen First is not the only gathering of believers.  Many of you will go to your own local body of believers and worship together.  Together, we will sing praise and give honor to God for the coming of our Savior and our Lord.  God bless all of you this good, good day.

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Father, as we gather together this day, help us to once again give true worship to You for the gift of Christ Jesus and the salvation we find in Him. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today: Luke 2:16-20

Come and Worship

Good Morning! 

"Angels from the Realms of Glory"
by James Montgomery, 1771-1854

1. Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:

Come and worship,
Come and worship;
Worship Christ, the new-born King.

2. Shepherds in the fields abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the Infant Light:

Come and worship:
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King.

3. Sages, leave your contemplations;
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star:

Come and worship,
Come and worship;
Worship Christ, the new-born King.

4. Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His Temple shall appear:

Come and worship,
Come and worship;
Worship Christ, the new-born King.

It’s Christmas Eve … Eve.  Or, the day before the day before Christmas.  Whichever one you would like to call today.  I thought we would start the next three days of Good Mornings with a hymn that I really love … but don’t get to sing too often.  The song came to mind when I saw the verse of the day on Biblegateway:

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2:11-14 ESV

I often wonder what it was like for those shepherds that night in the hills outside of Bethlehem.  Night was the most dangerous of times for the shepherds … they had to be very alert for attacks from hungry animals. They had to be listening carefully for sounds … straining their eyes to see in the darkness. The sudden appearance of an angel … and the brightness of the glory of the heavenly host had to overwhelm their senses.  But these poor shepherds were privy to the greatest news known to all humankind … the long-awaited Messiah had come … born in a stable, wrapped in swaddling cloths, and lying in a manger. No wonder they left their flocks and hurried to Bethlehem to see.  No wonder they returned to the fields rejoicing and praising God. Shouldn’t I do the same?

“Come and worship; come and worship; worship Christ … the newborn King.”

Agape’

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Father, I don’t really know how to worship. Teach me … lead me to true worship of my Savior and my Lord. Help me to honor Him … and thus honor You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today: Luke 2:11-14

Ominpotent

Good Morning! 

God is omnipotent! 

You may find it strange that I begin today’s Good Morning message with such a statement … but it is true and we should always acknowledge the fact.  What brings about this exclamation is today’s verse of the day on Biblegateway:

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. Luke 2:1, 4-5 ESV

What makes me exclaim that God is omnipotent?  Well, let’s read Micah 5:2:

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.

The decree from Caesar Augustus was not happenstance.  God was moving to fulfill the prophecy of Micah that was given centuries before and to fulfill the promise He had given to David.  The Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem and to be born from the lineage of David.  Think about how impossible it would be for a human to accomplish both of these promises.  God can and God did! 

But what does that mean for us?  Think about the promises God has made in His Word that apply to you.  Do you really believe that His Word is true … that you can rely upon God to fulfill the promises He made to you?  You can!  He has. And He will.  If you truly believe God’s promises, you can walk in confidence … even in the most difficult of times … because you know He is powerful enough to keep them.

Have a great weekend … the weekend before Christmas.  I am sure the malls will be hopping with people doing their last-minute shopping.  I hope you will take the time to gather with your brothers and sisters in Christ to worship and adore Him. God bless …

Mr. Jim

  

Prayer: Dear Father, everything we are is in Your capable and powerful hands. Guide us in our steps so that we might see Your power and glory every day. Teach us to rely upon Your power to live out our days.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for today: Luke 2:1, 4-5; Micah 5:2