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Good
News
(Luke
2:10-14)
December 28, 2003
When one is traveling in distant places, few things are as welcome as
good news from home. No news has ever equaled the "good tidings of
great joy" brought that night in Palestine so many years ago. The
angels were the first proclaimers of the gospel in what is now known as
New Testament times, and their proclamation included the essential
elements of the message God had purposed from the very beginning. The
news of Jesus is a message of great joy. There is much misery and sorrow
in this world. War, disease, poverty, and death fill our consciousness
and shape our lives. Yet we are not doomed to unhappiness. God loves us
and desires to redeem us from the evil that has overtaken the world.
Christians rejoice, for Christ has come.
The
news of Jesus is a universal message. The message of joy is to be for
all people. No one is excluded on the basis of race, color, social
status, wealth, or age. Christ has come for all. Paul states, "For
whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Rom.10:13).
There are no exceptions.
The news of Jesus is a message of peace. He is the means of
reconciliation of man to God, man to man, and man to self. Through Jesus
we find "the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding"
(Phil. 4:7). In this world of constant war, terrorism, and crime, peace
is the goal we all strive for. In Christ we find it.
The news of Jesus is a message of Divine Glory. He is God's act
of redemption. Man did not compel him to descend to the earth. Man did
not earn God's love. Jesus is the gift of grace, showing God's infinite
love, wisdom and justice. Because of the good news of Jesus we praise
God and bring eternal glory to his name.
[Doug Post]
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The
New Year Closes
By Neal
Pollard
Like racers running, we mark time
As past us whisk days sad and sublime
Ordinary moments, all compounded
Rush past. In contemplation we're confounded
As we relive the year now fleeted
And pray for another. 'Twill soon be greeted.
Review this annum, how do you remember
The way you lived, January to December?
Do regrets crowd around you, the marks you missed,
The goals you squelched, the opportunities dismissed?
Or, despite human errors that all must yield
Are you satisfied with your effort, how your time you filled?
Next year, this time, again you will come
To the end of all months, then you'll add the sum.
Live well, serve true, give the Lord daily best,
So that next year you can call it your very best!
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Pig-tail
Religion
In a South Pacific Island, a feast is prepared with a pig as the main
course.
They devour the entire pig except for the tail. This they present as
an offering to their god.
1) Some give God what is left of their
loyalty (Matt. 6:33).
Is there a difference
in loyalty and commitment?
2) Some give God what is left of their time (Eph. 5:16).
3) Some give what is left of their money (1 Cor. 16:1-2).
4) Do you remember the story of the leftovers (Lk. 16)?
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An
Official Language
The United States has an increasing number of individuals who are
unable to speak English. It has an increasing number of
individuals who want their language (other than English) to be
used in official documents and government business. I don't know
how you feel about this, but it probably has a lot to do with
whatever your native language may be.
Christians have one official language. It is not English.
It is not Spanish. It is not Russian. It is better known by the
nature and quality of its content rather than by nation of origin.
God had Paul put it this way in Ephesians 4:15, "...speaking the truth in love."
This is the official language of Christianity--truth in
love. While truth without love is still truth, its effect can be
greatly hindered by a bad attitude. While love without truth may
still be some form of love, it is devalued by the presence of a
lie. Here's a thought! Write your senator or representative and
demand that the United States adopt one official language--the
truth, spoken in love! What could help communication more than
this?
[Doug Post]
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IT'S
ABOUT TIME
How
sad when one "wastes time" failing to use the precious
moments that Heaven bestows. Soon, God will declare that "time
is no more". Before this becomes a reality, we must ask,
"What time is it?" Someone compiled a time chart taking
the age of seventy as the normal life span, and likened it to the
dial of a clock. Supposing that six a.m. is birth and midnight is
age seventy.
Using
this analogy:
If you are 15, it is 8:51 a.m.
If you are 20, it is 11:08 a.m.
If you are 25, it is 12:25 p.m.
If you are 30, it is 1:25 p.m.
If you are 35, it is 2:59 p.m.
If you are 40, it is 4:16 p.m.
If you are 45, it is 5:33 p.m.
If you are 50, it is 6:50 p.m.
If you are 55, it is 8:07 p.m.
If you are 60, it is 9:24 p.m.
If you are 65, it is 10:41 p.m.
If you are 70, it
is almost midnight.
Since "time is filled with swift transition", we need to
take hold of
"God's unchanging hand" while there is time.
May we all "take time to be holy" as "time marches
on".
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