Who Will YOU Tell?

Many people seem to have forgotten that Christmas is not about the decorations, the presents under the tree, a fine meal, or the pageantry that so many experience. Christmas is a time for giving...giving of ourselves just as Jesus gave Himself to us. 

Some of my favorite Christmas memories had to do with reaching out to others with a message of love and hope and peace. I remember one Christmas here in Central Florida. It was December 25th 1989, and it was the coldest day we had experienced in a very long time. We had planned to spend the day ministering in the local prison, my two teenaged sons along with another dear friend and her family. 

Off we went to join the prisoners in a church service at their chapel and then to help the chaplain give out toys and gifts to the prisoner's families as they left the institution that day. That morning, as we drove along the long deserted road that was lined with orange groves on the left, there were icicles hanging from the trees...a sight that was very uncommon in our area. 

New Year's Thought

"Insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results".

Here's a New Year's thought: If you want different results in your life, you're going to have to do some different things.

Spend some time in prayer and then start now planning what you want to change in your life in 2025, and write down your plan of how you're going to get there. And then...work your plan!

"If you aim for nothing, it's guaranteed that you will hit it...100% of the time!"

Being Content With What You Have

When I retired, I knew my income would be cut in half, and at that time, I had a car payment and about $18,000 in credit card debt...and that was besides normal living expenses like rent and food. Needless to say, it was REALLY hard for a while. I was constantly worried about how I was going to pay my bills. I ended up getting rid of the car and then working hard for the next several years to pay off the credit card debt. THAT was one of the best things I ever did for myself. I still make very little money and I live a very modest lifestyle, but I am no longer stressed about finances and for the first time in my life, I have been able to put a little extra aside for emergencies. Friends, let me tell you, it is so much more peaceful to live with little than to have a lot of expensive things but be in over your head in debt! God only promised to provide our needs...NOT our greed!

"The highest probability you have of building wealth is to be debt-free." ~Dave Ramsey~

"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content" (Philippians 4:11)

 

The World is Changing Rapidly

Seems much of the world has been thrown into a tailspin! France is in a mess, along with Syria and South Korea. And that's besides the mess in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Iran and probably some other places I've missed. Friends, the world is ripe for an alliance to rise up that will offer a path to peace for all, and a world leader to "confirm a covenant with many for one week". Please don't get so caught up in America's politics that you miss what's going on all over the world.

"Then he shall confirm a covenant (or a treaty) with many for one week;

But in the middle of the week

He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.

And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,

Even until the consummation, which is determined,

Is poured out on the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)

The Value of Guarding Our Mouth

One bit of wisdom I've learned over the years is that we don't always need to spout out everything that comes to our minds. Our opinions, thoughts and ideas aren't nearly as valuable to other people as we think they are and very few people actually care about what we think. Unless we are asked for our thoughts or opinions, most of the time it's wise to just keep our mouths shut and continue doing what we KNOW is right.

What I have seen is that many people today, especially a lot of young people, freely share their opinions LOUDLY, and they think that everybody else needs to line their opinions up with what they think. And if someone happens to disagree with their opinions, they want to call it "hate speech".

Well Friends, I have been around for a while and I have learned a lot of difficult lessons the hard way. I have learned that there are some things that are just right and true, but if a person is unwilling to hear the truth or they are too stubborn or set in their own way to listen to what you have to say, the best thing to do is to simply maintain an atmosphere of peace and pray for that person while allowing them the privilege of learning life's lessons the hard way.

Also, once they have learned the lesson the hard way, it takes a great deal of discipline to never...NEVER...say "I told you so." It doesn't make anything better to remind them. Everyone has the right to live however they see fit, and your life lessons are not necessarily what they are ready to hear.

Solomon once said, "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction." (Proverbs 13:3)

Jesus Came to Save Sinners!

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."

Friends, we need to remember that Jesus did not come into the world to perform miracles...though He did perform miracles. He did not come into the world to cast out demons...though He did cast out demons. He did not come into the world to heal the sick or to feed the hungry or to raise the dead...though He did all of that. The PURPOSE that Jesus came into the world was to save sinners and all those other things were means He used to reach that goal. The whole purpose He came, the whole purpose He created "The Church" was for the same purpose...to save sinners!

Friends, I'm afraid we sometimes miss the whole purpose of becoming a Christian. Our purpose is the same purpose that Jesus came into the world in the first place. It was TO SAVE SINNERS! We need to get back to the real reason we are here...we need to long for people to know Jesus and to commit their lives to Him. His instructions to the Disciples was clear...He told them to "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel" and His plan hasn't changed today. There has never been a time in history when people needed the Lord more than they do today! We MUST tell people everywhere that JESUS SAVES!