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Psalm 39 Today was a day to reflect and meditate. Do you ever have one of those days? Perhaps they are of God. Surely, sometimes. Yesterday came to mind. It was still quite clear, although some of it was already growing dim, and some forgotten. There was mostly good; some really good. We were blessed. There were some bumps and a couple of stumbles, but God saw us through. God was in the day, as He is always. We are products of yesterdays. Did you ever consider? Our own yesterdays, in which we laughed, cried, worked, played, loved, worshiped, made choices, etc. These and a thousand other things have shaped us. But also, the yesterdays of others have shaped us as well. Things done and choices made, even by millions of other people, have helped mold us into the individuals which we are today. Then, tomorrow entered my thinking. It is rather hazy and clouded. Many of the usual things are anticipated - things we do every day. But some things are written on our calendar which we hope to accomplish. Then there is the unknown, that which we are not able to foresee. It might be a really good thing, or not. This is the nature of tomorrow. Nobody lives tomorrow. It is yet to be realized - a dream, a fantasy, a thought. The only sure thing of tomorrow is that God will be there. It is already in His hand. So, we turn to today. It is this day! It is the day the Lord has made. It is truly the only day we have. Today! In it we will accomplish the plans of yesterday, begin to fulfill dreams and encounter the unknown. In it we will make the choices, think the thoughts, speak the words and do the things which will shape us into who we are. God enabling, I will be a better person tomorrow because of what I’ve let Him do with me today. Remember. Tomorrow, today becomes yesterday; and tomorrow becomes today.

Luke 2:1-5 The prophecy was made by Micah (5:2): “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” Let us observe two things about this prophecy. Firstly, it came true roughly 700 years after it was made. That’s a long time. We often forget things after 7 minutes! But God is faithful to His word, and He did not forget. The Lord God had a plan from the very beginning, and He worked that plan throughout the various ages with different individuals and nations. Note here some of the things which God had in place to bring this all about. Rome was in power, and under Roman rule, people had to return to their “own city” to be registered in the census. Caesar Augustus made a decree that the inhabitants of the empire be registered. Joseph was of the house of David whose city was Bethlehem. Mary was with Child, carrying the Christ in her womb and very near to giving birth. Joseph complied with the decree. This is like herding seven cats in a field full of mice! We seldom pause to consider the marvelous capacity of God to bring together countless elements to accomplish His will. Secondly, it was “little” Bethlehem which was favored with the birth of the “ruler in Israel,” none other than the Christ. Bethlehem which sat about five miles away in the shadow of majestic Jerusalem which housed the kings of Israel and the very temple of God. Time and again, we see God favoring the small and the lowly. David himself was the eighth son of Jesse whom he had not even bothered to bring into the house for Samuel to consider. Among God’s prophets were farmers, shepherds and slaves. Jesus chose fishermen, a tax collector and a rebel as apostles. God will do what God will do. He will often surprise us with how He does it, but He will always get it done.

Matthew 28:18 The concept of authority is often greatly misunderstood, and we can clearly see that in our day. Authority of all types is present everywhere in society, and the concept of authority originated with God. The Lord God has all authority by right of creation; He is the lawful owner of the entire universe. At the present time, the Father has given to Jesus His Son “All authority...in heaven and on earth.” God has set up institutions to function using authority and submission. He has established governing authorities: national governments, states, provinces, counties, towns, etc. (Romans 13:1-7). All people, Christians included, are to be subject to these civil powers. If people are not submissive, what results? Chaos and anarchy. God’s desire and design is for order and peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). In the church, the shepherds (elders) are given authority to oversee the flock and watch for the souls of the members of the congregation (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-3). The “sheep” are to submit to the authority of these bishops for their own benefit. This is God’s design and one reason why every Christian is to be a member of a local congregation. In the home, the husband is given authority over the wife to provide leadership for the family (Ephesians 5:22-24). His authority is in the likeness of that of Christ who oversees the church and loved it to the point of sacrificing Himself for her so that she might become spotless and glorious as His own bride. Often those who have authority will abuse their power in some way. They will take advantage of their position and begin to do things for their own selves and forget that their authority has been given for the good of those whom they look over. Paul was quick to stress that his authority (as apostle) was for “building...up” and not for “destroying” (2 Corinthians 10:8). So those in positions of authority are to use their authority for the benefit of those who are to submit to them. This is God’s glorious design for the welfare of all people.

1 John 1:1-4 “Pronouns” by Karle Wilson Baker The Lord said, “Say, ‘We.’” But I shook my head, Hid my hands tight behind my back and said, “I.” The Lord said, “Say, ‘We.’” But I looked upon them, grimy and all awry. Myself in all those twisted shapes? Ah, no! Distastefully I turned my head away, Persisting. “They.” The Lord, “Say, ‘We.’” And I At last, Richer by a hoard Of years, And tears, Looked in their eyes and found the heavy word That bent my neck and bowed my head: Like a shamed schoolboy then I mumbled low, “We, Lord.” Not “My God” but “Our Father.” John is near breathless as he speaks of the fellowship into which Christians have been called. Community, family, brotherhood, church - members of the body of Christ. Members of Him and therefore members of one another! We are all of One. Remember.

Isaiah 55:8-9 Sometimes we humans lose sight of the fact that we are “on the earth” and “God is in heaven” (Ecclesiastes 5:2). In other words, we need to be reminded that we are the creature and the Lord God is the Creator. We are dust, and He is spirit. Though made in the image of God, we are not God! You will probably say: “I know all that.” Well and good, but sometimes we act as though we don’t. We look around us at the various problems and evils in the world and wonder what on earth God is doing. Now it’s good to ponder and consider the happenings in life in light of scripture, but when we begin to think that we could fathom all that God is doing and why He’s doing it, we start to overstep boundaries. The Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah of His ways and thoughts being higher than ours, even as high as the heavens are above the earth. That’s really high. He even states that His thoughts and ways aren’t even the same as ours! Why is this the case, if we are made in God’s image? Two things come to mind. First, the capacity of the human brain (mind) is highly inadequate to grasp all that God knows. Although marvelous creations of God, we are still human beings endowed with sufficient capacity to know what we need to know in this life, but unable to approach to the vastness nor depth of all the knowledge of God. Second, sin has corrupted our ways of thinking. We often fail to consider this or even to accept it. Our presuppositions and prejudices cloud our thinking. We tend to play favorites, our most favorite being our self. Lusts and passions (i.e. fear, anger, sadness, greed, etc.) get in the way of clear understanding. So Paul writes: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Romans 11:33) As it is, the Lord has given us more to learn in this life than we can possibly absorb. Be thankful that God knows all things. Let God be God, and you be you.

Matthew 10:40-42 Sometimes we seem to be at a loss about what we can do personally to help the congregation grow stronger in Christ as well as grow in number. But the list of helpful things which anybody can do is virtually without limit... 1 Keep a prayer list, make some quiet time and pray daily. 2 Greet your brothers and sisters at the assembly. Visitors, too! 3 Share the good news and the hope you have with somebody. 4 Read and study the Word of God. Share what you learn. 5 Learn everyone’s name, including children, and speak to each person by name. 6 Speak enthusiastically about the congregation and its works. 7 Make a good assessment of the gifts and skills which the Lord has given to you and put them to use. 8 Thank people for what they do: the songleader, the brother who led prayer, a teacher, a shepherd, a deacon, the custodian, the preacher, the person who ministered to you... 9 Speak with and encourage the young people and children. 10 Respond to every request for help which you can. 11 Send cards of thanks, encouragement, sympathy, get well, and just to say “You are appreciated.” 12 Make phone calls to encourage those having difficulties and those who have been away from the assembly. 13 Get in touch with (visit, call, Skype, etc) the sick and shut-ins to encourage them; pray with them. 14 Speak of the great things the Lord is doing in your life. 15 Smile! (You belong to Christ!) Jesus spoke of just giving “a cup of cold water” to a child as a blessed deed. Such “little” things we do in His name make a huge difference.

Matthew 10:21-31 Our ingenious Creator has made a veritable profusion of birds to inhabit the earth. They come in an assortment of sizes and colors with varied diets and habitats to match. The soaring eagle, the lazing hawk, the slashing falcon bring our admiration. The robin, the cardinal, the blue jay and the gold finch flash their colors. We delight in finches, the wren, the blue bird, the woodpecker and the hummingbird. Pelicans, sandpipers, gulls and others populate the ocean shores. Geese and ducks of all kinds abound in the wetlands. We marvel at (and shy away from) vultures and crows. The red-winged blackbird, the indigo bunting, the oriole, the starling, the dove ... the list goes on and on. Then there is the sparrow. Nothing out of the ordinary here. Nothing flashy - brown, tan gray, white. No special call nor melodious song. Small, numerous and found nearly everywhere. They hardly draw the notice of the astute birder. When we see one, our response is something like, “Oh, it’s just a sparrow.” And what matter when one is killed? They are certainly not an endangered species. Strangely enough, Jesus spoke of the lowly sparrow noting that two were sold for a “cent” (copper coin; assarion; worth about 1/16 of a day’s wage). Yet, not a one of them would fall to the ground without our heavenly Father noticing. Among all of the other glorious creatures He made and amid all of the hubbub of humanity on the earth, the lowly sparrow is not overlooked by its Maker. Jesus continues: “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” How often do we fret about what life will bring? How many times have we wondered if God sees the difficult circumstances in my life? Recognizes all my enemies? Knows my fears and concerns? Understands my heartache? The question is often: “God, are you there?” Well, fear not! Go, look out your window or stand on your porch. Watch a sparrow. Remember, God is watching it, too - just as He is watching over you. Jesus said so!

Proverbs 13:24 Being a parent is no easy task. In today’s culture, one might well argue that rearing children is even more difficult than in years past. Being a Christian parent adds still another layer of concern and difficulty. Numerous joys and sorrows, thrills and disappointments dot the landscape of the lives of parents. You will learn many things as you rear your children. But this one thing you will learn for certain: What kind of person you are! As a father or mother, God has given you the full responsibility of training up the children which He has given you (Psalm 127:3) in His ways (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4), and you will quickly find out if you are equal to the task. You, in fact, will have to grow and change more quickly than your children, or you will fail. One thing which parents must learn early on and take to heart is that their child is bent on self-destruction. “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child...” (Proverbs 22:15). A child does not know right from wrong nor what is best for him/her. The sooner a parent learns this the better. But this is just as important: accepting that truth! Some parents have that weak spot which continually makes excuses for their child. It is never their child’s fault; it was just a mistake; my child would never do that. The excuses are endless, and because of the parent’s lack of love for their child, the child suffers. What happens is this: the parents do not discipline the child as they should. The child “gets his own way” (“is left to himself”; Proverbs 29:15), and he or she brings shame to them. Solomon goes so far as to say that a parent who refuses to discipline their child actually “hates” him (Proverbs 13:24)! To be a godly parent, a person must have the heart for discipline, just like our heavenly Father (Hebrews 12:5-11). This is really the heart of love. So, parents, are you teaching and training your child in the ways of God? Or are you letting them “figure it out for themselves”! Believe me, the devil would love to teach your children his ways.

Psalm 42 See the deer come bounding down the hillside in a fit of terror. Fear is in its eyes. It is trying to outrun the wolves who have spotted it and have given chase. Its flight has been for some time now, and drawing breath is becoming more difficult while its mouth is parched, dry from the run. Two things are of immediate concern. To find a stream so it can slake its thirst, and to put enough distance between itself and its pursuers so as to get a short respite. Down the embankment it comes, at times sliding on the soft forest floor, more concerned about creating distance than not making noise. The stream is over the next rise; one more hill to climb. The wolves maintain their deliberate pace. One of the frequently recurring themes in the Psalms is the oppression of God’s people by their enemies, and their crying out to God for rescue. This should not surprise us since God’s children have been opposed and attacked by the world since the beginning, witness Cain and Abel. When Satan deceived Eve, this war between good and evil, truth and lies, righteousness and wickedness began. It has never stopped, nor will it, until Jesus returns. This Psalm may well depict the writer in exile as he recalls going in procession to the “house of God,” and desires to “appear before God” again. He remembers God as he did “from the land of the Jordan and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.” He is desperate for God. In our times of trouble, are we desperate for God? Do we thirst “for the living God”? Do we cry out to Him for rescue from our enemies? Do we remember His rich blessings of days gone by and anticipate that He will again bless when the current trouble is past? The words “pants,” “tears,” and “pour out my soul” challenge us. Whether we get relief or not, it is God for whom we long. As the deer pants for the water, so my soul pants for You, O God.

Ecclesiastes 7:4, 14 Thinking is not something which people seem to do well these days. I’m not implying that they have lost the capacity to think, but that they have forgotten the importance of thinking things through. You may agree or disagree, but let’s consider how this may be. Ours is a “hurry up and do it now” culture with virtually instant access to everything. We can get instant credit approval, apply for jobs, and find companionship on line. We drive with cell phones in our cars, and we text while watching movies, doing work, and eating. Our social media friends are always posting something we need to see, and I need to post something as well. Ads on TV tell us to “Call now!” We can shop online: Add to Cart; Express Check Out; Submit; get it TOMORROW! Who needs to think?! It seems the faster we go the less time we have to get everything done around the house and still have some fun and relaxation worked in. Right? Besides, thinking is so much like work. It takes time and effort to research, ponder, consider alternatives and outcomes. Who has time for that? Anyway, we have educators, doctors, and government officials to do our thinking for us, right? Why even preachers can buy a whole book of sermons or even download them from the internet since they do not have time to study and think either! Ah, yes, Satan plies his trade well. The father of lies and master of deception continues to hoodwink the human race into living lives of self-destruction. Is it any wonder that when we do open up a portion of God’s word that it often seems strange to us? “The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.” “Man, what a downer! What’s that all about? Is this book for real?” Well, yes it is, and it portrays reality better than any other book on earth. It is God’s book of truth and life. We all need to read it, think upon its truths, take them to heart, and live them! But, do you have the time?

John 17:17 ‘Tis the season for political talk (Does it ever end?!). “Vote for me; I’m the better candidate.” “Look at my record.” “My plan is to do this.” “My administration did that.” “My opponent failed.” “My opponent flip-flops.” “Blah, blah...” “Yak, yak...” Whose words can you believe? A voter must sort it all out. We should be ever grateful that the Word of the Lord is not like the words of men. By this I’m not speaking of the fact that the Scriptures have been preserved for us down through time, although this is a strong indication that these are the words of God. We are talking about the meaning of those words written on the pages of God’s book, the truths conveyed by those words. “Your word is truth.” Jesus affirmed. We take for granted that people speak the truth. We rely upon that. Suppose this happened to you: “I know I told you the time was 8:00, but we started at 7:00. Sorry.” What about?: “I know our ad said it’s $14.99, but it’s really $34.99. Sorry.” We can rely upon God’s word being true because it comes from God who cannot lie. It is totally reassuring to know that whether we are reading about historical events, creation, Noah, sin, salvation, Jesus, judgment, forgiveness, et al ... that it’s true! We can absolutely count on it! Listen to these words from David (Psalm 12:6-7): “The words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them; You will preserve him from this generation forever.” The absolute truthfulness of God’s words are affirmed by David. It is clean of any falsehood or deceptiveness. It is perfect in what it intends to say. With this word of the Lord having been written thousands of years ago, it is vital for us today to know this: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:6-8) It is as true today as it was when God first spoke it, and when it was first written down. It is still true. It will be true for every generation of mankind. It will never change. Amen!

Philippians 3:2-11 We have all heard of the American dream. This is usually seen as being able to hold a good-paying job, having a family, owning your own home, possessing a vehicle or two of your choice, being able to take a vacation each year, etc. The American dream isn’t a “bad” thing in itself, but it can get in the way of the Christian dream. Did you know there is a Christian dream? Perhaps not. And therein lies the danger of making one’s focus the American dream. It can easily over shadow and supplant the Christian dream. Paul presents this Christian dream better than anyone else in the New Testament. In fact, he had been living the “Jewish dream”! You can read in our text about his high standing, superior stock and track record in the Hebrew religion. He was “a Hebrew of Hebrews.” But he gave that all up for the Christian dream. So what is that? Paul states that he counted “all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” This included having the righteousness of Christ through faith, sharing in His sufferings and becoming like Him in His death. This all takes on more significance when we understand that eternal life is defined by Jesus as knowing God and His Son (John 17:3). This isn’t simply factual knowledge, and it isn’t just being able to say that you’ve been baptized into Christ (although that is a must). It is experiential knowledge. Learning to think like God and to see things as God does. It is living like Christ. It is loving like Christ. This all brings a person into the relational aspect of eternal life of oneness with God (John 17:20-23). If these aspects of the Christian dream are true in a person’s life, then the final goal will be realized - to “attain to the resurrection from the dead.” A new, never-ending life in a new body in a new place with the Lord! This is a dream which Jesus wants to come true for every person. He gave His life so it could happen. Do you have anything you need to throw in the garbage or toss in the trash so that this Christian dream can become true for you?