Unity of the Brethren

As we begin a new year, I pray we work together in unity. Jesus left us with a command.
Matthew 28:19,20 Go ye therefore and teach all nations ....
Mark 16:16 Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel ...
To accomplish this we must work together. Work is a key factor.

Monday Readings: John 6.
When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. (vs.15)

The Jews wanted a Messiah who would overthrow the Roman government. They wanted a government that would fix their problems without fixing their lives.

Today we say we want leaders who will fix our healthcare, unemployment, educational system, etc., etc., etc. but for the most part, we don't want our personal lives affected. We don't want to take responsibility for those changes. For our nation to be changed, we first must be willing to change our hearts to follow the truth.

Father, help us seek Your will in our personal lives, that we might make a true difference in the world in which we live. In Jesus name. Amen.

Tuesday Readings: John 18
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight,.... (vs36).

Jesus stood before Pilate but did not fight against the Romans. It was for this purpose that He came into the world, to give His life for the world.

Jesus desires unity among the brethren. He wants us to understand that we are to make a difference, not through fighting with the world but through unity of preaching the gospel.

Father, teach us to love one another so we might make a difference in bringing the gospel to the world Jesus died for. In Jesus name. Amen.

Wednesday Readings: Matthew 6
Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (vs.10)

Jesus' kingdom is a spiritual kingdom that He taught His disciples to pray for. Daniel spoke of this kingdom in Chapter 2 when he told Nebuchadnezzar of the little stone that grew into a mountain that filled the whole earth. The only way to reach the world with the gospel is through unity of the brethren in the truth of God's Word.

Father, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. In Jesus name. Amen.

Wednesday Readings: Matthew 16
... upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (vs18).

Jesus was explaining the church to his disciples. Do we get it? A gate is a defensive object. If you walk down the street, a gate will not jump out and get you. It is there to prevent you from coming in. But, if you see a child drowning in a pool or the house on fire, won't you jump the gate or tear it down to get to the people in danger? The gate will not prevent you from rescuing those inside if you are determined to be of help. The world is drowning and on fire. It is our job to present them with the gospel so they have the opportunity to escape. Rescue the perishing. Hell cannot prevent it.

Father, help us to be united in presenting the gospel so a lost world can see the way of escape. In Jesus name. Amen.

Thursday Readings: John 17
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also maybe one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (vs.21)

Jesus prayed for us to be one in Him as He is one with the Father. That is unity. He desires that unity that the world might believe. If the world sees discord in the church and inconsistency in our lives, they see no reason to believe the gospel.

Father, help us to seek to be one in the Son as You desire us to be, that souls might be saved. In Jesus name. Amen.

Friday Readings: Mark 9
And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbade him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part. (vs.38-41)

The disciples had the same problems we see in the church today. If others didn't do exactly as they did, then they weren't true Christ followers. Disunity. Today we quibble over dress codes, styles of music, number of services, versions of the Bible, and whether the service is in person, on TV, radio, or satellite. All this disunity causes the world to be confused as to the truth. If people are coming to Christ, as seems to be the case in this chapter, is that not the point? Christians unite. The world needs to hear a unified voice proclaiming repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

If it were not possible, Jesus would not have taught us to pray for it.

Blessing for the New Year.

Gail

The Tree of Christmas

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isaiah 11:1

There is a little bug in many of the classrooms today. It’s called an EETCHY worm. It’s made of colored beads and it helps kids organize their thoughts to tell a story. I want to use an EETCHY worm today to help us tell about a Christmas tree.

• The first bead of the worm is green to remind us what group we are talking about.

Our group is Christmas Tree

• The second bead is blue to ask us what does it do. A Christmas Tree represents the various meanings associated with Christmas.
• The second bead is yellow with an eye on it. This asks us what does it look like.

A Christmas Tree looks like a tree covered with red, gold, blue and white balls, stars, angels, ribbons, and bells.

• The next bead is brown to ask what is it made of. A Christmas tree is made of wood.
• The next bead is pink to ask what are its parts. A Christmas tree has a trunk, branches, and evergreen needles.
• Then there is a white bead to ask where is it? A Christmas tree is placed inside or outside of a home where everyone can see its beauty.
• The last bead is orange and asks what else do you know. By now most of us have a pretty good picture of a Christmas tree in our minds and our answer to the question what else do you know may be, “That’s all.” Or that there are presents under the tree. But that’s not all!

Let’s go back and examine what we said about the tree. The blue said is represents the various meanings associated with Christmas. What meanings? In the yellow we answered red balls; red is the color of blood. Christ shed His blood on a cross made of wood. The tree is made of wood. We also said gold balls. The wisemen brought Jesus gold and frankincense and myrrh. Blue balls are the color of royalty. Jesus is King of Kings. White balls are the color of purity. Jesus was without sin. Wisemen followed a star. Angels announced His birth. Ribbons held the breastplate to ephod on the robe of the high priest. Bells were sown around the hem of his robe so all could here him as he preformed his priestly duties. Jesus is our High Priest.  The evergreen needles tell us that Jesus gives us eternal life. The trunk and the branches lead us back to our scripture: And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

We display our Christmas trees where all can see their beauty. So should Jesus be displayed in our lives that all can see His beauty. We want to come to the tree and receive the gifts. May all the world come to Jesus this Christmas and receive His gift of salvation. May there be Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.

What else? Won’t you tell us the what else that God is doing in your life?

Blessings

The War on Christmas

Yes, if you haven't noticed someone is always fussing and fuming over Christmas. Some call it a war on Christmas. I think we may gain some insight this week by looking to the book of Daniel and noticing how the Babylonians dealt with the Jews and how the Jews took their stand for God.

Monday Reading:
        Daniel 1:3,4 One of the first things Nebuchadnezzar did was to search out the leaders of the Jews, those of the King's seed, those of the lineage to Christ. Satan, as usual, was on the prowl to destroy God's plan to send his Son to die for our sins. To accomplish this Nebuchadnezzar wanted these leaders trained in the way of the Babylonians, but first he needed to find those that were usable and trainable. Satan still uses the same tactics to thwart the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Let's make some comparisons.

                                Babylon                                                                  America

1. Without blemish.                                                               Concerned with our looks/makeup
2. Well favored .                                                                    Idolize movie stars and athletes
3. Skillful in wisdom                                                              Professors use education for gain
4. Cunning in knowledge .                                                     News media manipulate people
5. Understood science                                                            Scientist push evolution
6. Ability to stand in the kings palace.                                   Politicians-confident, well-mannered
7. Teach learning and language                                             Teach secular ways and secular-speak

Babylon was looking for leaders that the Jews would respect and would look to for leadership. The plan was to train these people to lead the people to be Babylonians. They wanted them to turn from their God and serve Babylon. Doesn't that sound familiar? We are free to worship just don't do it at work or in school or in any public place. Leave your religion at home. Learn the ways of the secular world if you want to get ahead.

Father, help us to never leave our religion at home but have a relationship with God that is evident in all we do. In Jesus name. Amen.

Tuesday Reading
        Daniel 1:8 But Daniel ..... He also influenced his friends to take a stand, vs 11.
Daniel 1:17-21 God gave the four of them all the things the king wanted but from God's point of view. These four, out of many Jewish prisoners, were used of God to influence their country of captivity for good as long as Nebuchadnezzar reigned. Not everything went smoothly, but God is still in control. Are there ways we can be Daniels in our country under our circumstances?

Father, help us be wise as serpents but harmless as doves as we influence our nation for You. In Jesus name. Amen.

Wednesday Reading:
          Daniel 2:44 Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. He looked to his magicians and astrologers first. When they couldn't give results, he was ready to lop off the heads of all the wise men. When Daniel got word, he answered with counsel and wisdom. Daniel went in and calmed the king by giving God the credit for knowing the dream and the interpretation. Daniel gave the interpretation of the kingdoms of Babylon(gold), Media-Persian (silver). Greece (brass) and Rome (iron and clay). In the dream God was also showing the time line to the Messiah. The Jews looked for an earthly kingdom that would overthrow the other kingdoms that ruled over them. Jesus was the stone that filled the whole earth . Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world. He taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10. He told us the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. Matthew 16:18. He said "Fear not little flock, it is his pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32.

God's people will prevail when we take a stand for God.

Father, help us be ever mindful that we are not soldiers of this world but soldiers of the cross. In Jesus name. Amen.

Thursday Reading:
        Daniel 3:4-6 Two weapons yet used by Satan today - the consent of the multitude and the cruelty of the punishment. It was not used to change their hearts but little by little to make them forget their God. Peer pressure is a common weapon used for good and bad. It moves multitudes. The media uses it all the time with advertisements and news to sway us, to change our habits. We are told we may not pray in Jesus name. e may not display our religion in any way. We may no solicit others in His name. It is to cause us to forget God and it works well. The little children I teach do not know Christmas except as Santa and presents. They do not know Easter except a bunny and candy. We shake our heads that people are in prison and tortured in other countries because of their stand for the gospel. The three Hebrew children faced death and Nebuchadnezzar saw a forth man in he fire like unto he Son of God. Stand up! God will go with us through the fire as well.

O God, forgive us and help us make a public stand for You. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done in earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name. Amen.

Friday Reading:
      Daniel 4:34-37 At the end of chapter 3 Nebuchadnezzar seems to be a changed man, vs.29. We see by his actions that it was only lip-service. He really had no relationship with the true God. He thought he was in control of his destiny and that of the rest of the world. It's not until he loses all that he lifts his eyes to heaven and blesses the most High. Then he got the real deal - real salvation.

So many people say they are saved but their lives lack evidence. Do you have the real deal?

Father, help us all check up and make our salvation sure. May we be filled with life service and not just lip service because of our love for the One who died for us. In Jesus name. Amen.

Philippines 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.(KJV). The doing through Christ gives us strength to do a little more. Be doers of the word and not hearers only. Christmas is a good time to start.
 

Wise Men Still Do

Monday Reading:
        Luke 2:1-7 No room in the inn. I stayed in the Country Inn and Suites this fall. Lots of places were displaying a No Vacancy sign. Thankfully, we had reservations. It makes me think what was an inn in Bethlehem and how many were there? Probably only one in that small town just a few miles outside of Jerusalem. An inn in that day may have only had one large room where straw was scattered on the floor for visitors to lay their bedding. Hmm. Just wondering if the innkeeper really didn't have room or noticing Mary's condition, he thought it better not to subject his other guests to the possibilities and probability that the night would bring. Who knows if he actually offered them the stable? What would the stable have been like? A town full of visitors, lots of animals filling a common stable in what was probably a damp cave opening. Did I say lots of animals? When was the last time the stable was cleaned? Was there fresh hay? A damp cave with lots of animals -pewwww!

Jesus came into a filthy stable and into a filthy world. Isaiah 64:6 says all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. But Isaiah 1:18 says though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. It always amazes me how the snow makes the ground look level. All the ditches and potholes are even with the ground. Our sin makes us all filthy but the blood of Jesus cleanses us white as snow and we are all on the same level.

Father, we thank you that you are not a respecter of persons but we are all equal before you. We are all as filthy rags until Your Son cleanses us, Then we are all white as snow and every sin is covered.
Blessed be Your name Lord Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday Reading:
         Luke 2:8-20 The shepherds were considered the lowest of the low in society's eyes. They lived out among their flocks, unkempt and unclean. Just working the third shift, talking, dozing, keeping watch over the sheep when unexpectedly the Angel of the Lord appears with the news of the Messiah. Then a host of heavenly angels appears and sings. Wow, what a night!

When my husband worked third shift, it was hard, dirty work, often in bad weather.  One Christmas it occurred to us that the shepherds were third shift workers. It made us aware that things can happen in the strangest circumstances. God knows our stiuati9ons. He's looking, watching, caring about us. He cared that lowly shepherds knew about the birth of His Son.

Lord, how amazing that You see us in all our circumstances and You care. You want to encourage us and show us great and mighty things if our hearts are right. Make us ever aware that You are here. In Jesus name. Amen

Wednesday Reading:
        Luke 2: 21-40 The circumcision was in eight days but the days of purification was longer depending on if a boy or girl was born. Mary was following God's laws from the beginning of Jesus birth.

Proverbs tell us to train up a child in the way he should go. A child needs a Godly home before it is born. Just because a baby enters the family is no reason to use it as an excuse to stop going to church or doing what God has commanded. This would be the time to ramp it up, to train the child. Verse 40 should be the story of every child in a Christian home.

Dear Lord, we pray for families everywhere that they train their children in the Lord. In Jesus name. Amen

Thursday Reading:
          Matthew 2:1-10 The wise men from the East  followed the star, but it seems to have gone away. They ended up in the natural place, Jerusalem. Herod had no knowledge of where the baby was to be born. There was no baby at his house. When he called the priests and scribes, they informed him of Bethlehem, but they didn't care enough to go. The wise men were still willing to seek Him.

Are we wise? Are we seeking Him or are we allowing people to influence our decisions?

Father, help us that we are only influenced by Your word. In Jesus name . Amen.

Friday Reading:
        Matthew 2:11-23 The political leader of the day was afraid for his job. The religious leaders didn't care about God's Son so long as their coffers were full. The babies died for the security of their politics. Sound familiar?

IN the name of unity and fairness prayer has been disallowed in schools since the 1960's. Abortion followed . Now millions of our babies are dead. The terrorism of 9/11 brought scripture from our politicians but Isaiah 9:10 is a scripture of defiance, not of repentance. Now the religious leaders of our nation; have allowed a Muslim prayer service in our National Cathedral. II Chronicles 7:14 If my people....

Father, show us how to repent. I'm not sure we even know where to start. In Jesus name. Amen.