Morning NEWs

Happy NEW Year! It’s finally arrived. Our comments about it change with age. Young people say, “I can hardly wait!” Older ones say, “Where did the time go?”

Time is an ancient concept set in place by the Creator Himself. From the beginning, Genesis 1:1-2:4 declares that evening and morning make a day. We live our days on a twenty-four-hour basis, helped along by sunrise and sunset.

God is not bound by time, but He certainly understands it. Beyond the Genesis record, some argue for Peter’s statement that with God *one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day (2 Peter 3:8). When it comes to Genesis, I prefer to focus on the orderliness of Creation, not argue over the possible increments of time.

*Fiddler on the Roof, one of my favorite musicals, contains a song sung by Tevye, the Jewish Father. Sunrise, Sunset not only speaks of passing days, but passing years . . . one season following another, laden with happiness and tears

Who changed the counting of time from days to years? Encyclopedia Brittanica (sourced on Google) says the Egyptians were the first to create a “civil calendar” from the lunar one used for agriculture and religion. Their year was three seasons of four months, with thirty days each. At the end of twelve months, they added five intercalary days for a total of 365 days.

We are one of thousands of generations who have greeted a new year. To me, “Happy New Year” is a greeting that reminds me to stop, reconsider my life, and make changes where necessary.

We live our “new” daily. According to Lamentations 3:22-25, God’s love never ends, and because of His faithfulness, His mercies never cease - - - they are new every morning! That gives “have a good day” a whole new meaning.

Have a “Happy NEW Year!” But don’t stop there. Thank God for those daily NEW mercies. They’re not leftovers from last year or even the day before, and they’ll never run out. For that, I’m truly thankful.

*2 Peter 3:8 wording is from The Amplified Bible, and is used by permission of the Lockman Foundation and the Zondervan Corporation, copyright 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. 

*According to Wikipedia, Fiddler on the Roof was written in 1964 by Composer Jerry Bock and Lyricist Sheldon Harrick.

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The Advent of Christmas: Week 4

This week we focus on LOVE. Love is a great motivator, and one of the ways it shows up is in acts of giving. Who would argue with that idea at Christmastime? Let's look at LOVE shown in three different ways.

First, is God’s love. *John 3:16-19 (KJV) explains it in simple terms: God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Love is more than a feeling; it’s shown by action - - - God loved - - - God gave.

The word whosoever is very important. Revelation 5:9 (KJV) speaks of a song sung around God’s throne in praise of people redeemed by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ, John 1:29) from every kindred, tongue, people, and nation.

We once worked in a large church with a high-peaked entry. Above the doors, the pastor requested the placement of these words: Whosoever Will May Come . . . and come they did! I always said we had a “world-class church” because of the various ages, economic levels, and people groups that worshiped and served the Lord together. It was one of our favorite places of ministry.

Second, is Jesus’ love. In John 14:8-11(KJV), Philip said, “Show us the Father.” Jesus replied, “He that has seen me has seen the Father.” Jesus loved the Father and wanted to bring Him glory. In verse thirteen He said, “The Father is glorified in the works of the Son.”

If you are unfamiliar with the ministry of Jesus and His marvelous works, I would suggest you read the book of John. Of course, the first four books of the New Testament all shed light on the works of Jesus.

Third, is Our love. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15, KJV). His commandments are easy to find, especially if you have a Bible with Jesus’ words in red. One of His commands is this: Love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12 KJV).

This week let’s light the candle of LOVE and rejoice that God’s love was an action, not just a feeling. May our responsive love be the same.

*All scriptures from The Authorized King James Version of the Bible (KJV), The World Publishing Company, Cleveland and New York, Copyright 1945.

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The Advent of Christmas: Week 3

This week we focus on JOY! Are joy and happiness the same thing? I would say not, for a couple of reasons. In America, our forefathers made it a point to say we could indulge in “the pursuit of happiness.” That would imply action on our part, and I appreciate that sentiment.

On the other hand, joy is more of a spiritual value, something within us that does not depend on outward circumstances.

Out of curiosity, I took a detailed look at my *Strong’s Concordance. If you have one, you know the print is so small you almost need a magnifying glass to read it, but here’s what I found: Joy had one hundred sixty-five listings. In contrast, happy had only twenty-six.

In the spirit of Advent, let’s now consider JOY. My thesaurus says it's an inner contentment or satisfaction. Perhaps that's why joy is a gift to the poor as well as the rich . . . it does not depend on circumstances.

I keep thinking of Hebrews 12:1-4 NLT. Believers are being encouraged to run their spiritual race with endurance. Paul’s example is Jesus, who because of the joy awaiting him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame.

What better example of JOY as an inner quality? His crucifixion would certainly not be a source of joy or happiness! Jesus trusted His Father completely and had hope beyond the grave.

God sent Jesus into the world as Savior. People who believe in Him (John 3:16-21), receive another gift, the Holy Spirit. He indwells them and produces spiritual fruit. Galatians 5:22-23 lists nine, JOY being one of them.

In Creation, natural fruit shows promise as a tiny bud then gradually grows until it becomes obvious which fruit it is. Our spiritual lives grow and mature over time, too.   

Consider this proposal.  **Joy to the World! The Lord is come! Reverend Isaac Watts wrote this song as a hymn of praise in 1719. Then people turned it into a Christmas song, and why not?

It contains an enduring invitation: Let every heart prepare Him room.

Let’s do it! This Christmas let’s open our hearts anew to the Joy of Jesus, a gift from God like no other.

*The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., copyright 1984, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.

**Joy to the World, Author: Isaac Watts (1719), hymnary.org

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 Photo by Theo Crazzolara on Pixabay

The Advent of Christmas: Week 2

Wouldn’t it be great if the world could be peaceful . . . calm, quiet, without trouble anywhere? The keyword this week is just that - - - peace.

It’s not always easy to come by. You may be trying to seek peace, and pursue it, as suggested in Psalm 34:14; however, you may experience frustration because of opponents.

Opponents can rough up relationships. Some are like sandpaper, slightly annoying. Others act like a steel fence, cutting us off from our desired goal. The Apostle Paul gave this advice in Romans 12:18 (NKJV): If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

In the beauty of darkness, angels lit up the sky outside Bethlehem. Can you think of Christmas songs without *“It Came Upon the Midnight Clear?”

Perhaps, like me, the first phrase coming to mind is “Peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven’s all-gracious King.” It sounds so powerful and majestic,

Their message was God’s . . . offering us a way into His eternal kingdom. In the fullness of time - - - centuries of earthly time, plus the months required for a baby to grow in the womb - - - God sent His Son to be born the Savior of the world. John 3:16 gives the extended invitation.

Jesus, in His ministry, offered personal peace. In John 14:1(NLT) He says: “Don’t let your heart be troubled.” How is that possible? His answer: “Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

During this Advent Season let’s aim for personal peace. Only a few powerful people are called upon to achieve world peace, but personal peace is up to each of us.

Will we trust in Jesus and receive His peace, or will we let our minds focus on the world's lack of peace? It's a major opponent, but we have a choice. Personal peace can be ours.

*Hymnary.org says this song was authored by Edmund H. Sears in 1849 and has been published in 857 hymnals.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright 1982, by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Used by Permission, All Rights Reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by Permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Photo by Theo Crazzolara on Pixabay 

The Advent of Christmas: Week 1

The Christmas Season has arrived once again with the advent of Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales. This year they seemed extended even more days before and after Thanksgiving.

Advent means something is approaching and will eventually arrive, or make an appearance. We can add meaning to this Season by purposefully giving ourselves a spiritual focus four weeks before celebrating Jesus Christ's arrival as a baby in Bethlehem.

I did not grow up in a church that celebrated Advent. I was in my late twenties when I attended a Greater Los Angeles Sunday School Convention and chose that session out of curiosity. I must say that after learning about it, I felt a little cheated.

It wasn't that our church didn't celebrate Christmas. We always had choir cantatas and children's programs and plays put on by the young people. But our Christmas focus was usually just the week before Christmas, and then it was over.

As I remained in ministry, it was my joy to help churches celebrate Advent whenever I had an opportunity. It seems such a simple thing to do. The Advent wreath holds four candles on the outside ring, and one candle in the middle, The Christ Candle.

How you celebrate Advent is up to you. The types and colors of candles can vary. Some people use a circular wreath. Others set four candles in a row and do not add the Christ candle. I always chose four red plus a white candle in the center. Don't lose your focus! It's not the candles, but Christ's birth that we are celebrating.

One candle is lit each week and there are Advent Devotionals to help guide your thoughts. I checked several devotionals online and this week's word is a favorite of mine . . . every day, not just Christmas.

HOPE! Where would we be without it?

Here's my favorite scripture on HOPE: Lamentations 3:22-24 NKJV*

Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I HOPE in Him." 

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*NKJV: The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc.