Streams in the Desert.....

 Streams in the Desert

Put on as the elect of God, kindness (Colossians 3:12).

There is a story of an old man who carried a little can of oil with him everywhere he went, and if he passed through a door that squeaked, he poured a little oil on the hinges. If a gate was hard to open, he oiled the latch. And thus he passed through life lubricating all hard places and making it easier for those who came after him. People called him eccentric, queer, and cranky; but the old man went steadily on refilling his can of oil when it became empty, and oiled the hard places he found.

There are many lives that creak and grate harshly as they live day by day. Nothing goes right with them. They need lubricating with the oil of gladness, gentleness, or thoughtfulness.

Have you your own can of oil with you? Be ready with your oil of helpfulness in the early morning to the one nearest you. It may lubricate the whole day for him. The oil, of good cheer to the downhearted one--Oh, how much it may mean! The word of courage to the despairing. Speak it. Our lives touch others but once, perhaps, on the road of life; and then, mayhap, our ways diverge, never to meet again.

The oil of kindness has worn the sharp, hard edges off of many a sin-hardened life and left it soft and pliable and ready for the redeeming grace of the Saviour. A word spoken pleasantly is a large spot of sunshine on a sad heart. Therefore, "Give others the sunshine, tell Jesus the rest."

We cannot know the grief
That men may borrow;
We cannot see the souls
Storm-swept by sorrow;
But love can shine upon the way
Today, tomorrow;
Let us be kind.
Upon the wheel of pain so many weary lives are broken,
We live in vain who give no tender token.
Let us be kind.

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love" (Romans 12:10).

Jesus Christ the Sin Bearer..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Jesus Christ the Sin Bearer

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 26:26-27

The cross is so common in our culture that most people don’t think twice when they see one on a church. But unfortunately, familiarity with the symbol can actually get in the way of understanding what it truly means. So let’s stop to consider how Jesus became the bearer of sin.

We begin with Scripture written long before Jesus was born. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, explains how man chose to disobey God. Because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, their descendants are all born under the curse of death, having inherited a sinful “flesh” nature.

In Leviticus, God’s laws for the Jewish nation included observance of Yom Kippur, the day each year when the Israelites fasted, prayed, and sacrificed an animal to atone for sin. In essence, the goat would bear the wrongs done by the people and suffer the penalty that divine justice required.

Centuries later, Isaiah prophesied that a Savior would atone for transgression once and for all (Isa. 53:5, 8; Heb. 7:27). After another 700 years, John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The Messiah had come, though He was totally different from what the people expected—so much so, in fact, that they rejected Him and requested His crucifixion.

In all, God gave 613 laws through Moses. But none of us can perfectly follow even the Ten Commandments. In fact, one reason He gave us these rules is to show us our need for a Savior (Ps. 19:7; Gal. 3:24). Meditate on those commands (Ex. 20:1-17), asking God to speak to your heart.

Aching, Asking, Singing ..... ARLENE PELLICANE

 Aching, Asking, Singing

ARLENE PELLICANE

“How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” Psalm 13:1 (NIV)

When the doctor walked into the room, I tucked my book into my bag. Looking back, God had been preparing me for weeks for the news I would receive at that final checkup.

I was carrying my second child, a little girl, but there were serious problems. A month earlier, during what should have been a normal ultrasound, we discovered our baby had chromosomal defects and would probably not make it. Oh, how we cried and prayed. We asked for a miracle. We prayed for God to heal that little girl in my womb, to make everything right in her body.

We had struggled with infertility, and I had been so happy to be carrying a child.

Sadly, during that somber appointment between Christmas and New Year’s Day, we confirmed her little heart had stopped beating. I was 26 weeks along.

God had not answered our prayers in the way we had wanted. I repeated David’s cries in Psalm 13:1, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?”

Psalm 13 has the heading, “For the director of music. A psalm of David.” This psalm of venting “how long” to God was to be taught to the people — to be part of the official hymnal of the nation of Israel. Isn’t this amazing? Apparently, God isn’t disappointed with or angered by honest venting — and even encourages it!

When our dreams are put on hold or ended, we have this example from David of pouring his heart out honestly to God. When we feel like God has forgotten about us, we can remember that the famous King David, the man after God’s own heart, felt forgotten too.

But David doesn’t park in the ache. He transitions to asking God for help in verse 3, “Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes …” (NIV). He wanted God to put the light back in his eyes.

Psalm 13 concludes with verses 5-6 (NIV), “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.”

David aches, then he asks, then he sings.

Even though he felt forgotten and forsaken, David trained himself to remember God’s goodness. Perhaps he remembered defeating the giant Goliath, (1 Samuel 17) or God’s deliverance when King Saul tried to pin him to the wall with a spear. (1 Samuel 19:9-10) Even though his circumstances hadn’t changed, David’s heart was changing. He was dwelling on the goodness of God.

When our hopes and dreams don’t come to fruition the way we imagined, God welcomes our venting and crying.

For a long time after that doctor’s appointment, I cried in the bathroom as I tried in vain to put on makeup. I cried when I sang worship songs in church. I questioned God about His plan for our family. Psalm 13 proves God is ready for our honesty. We can ask Him for help and sing praise by faith (or if we can’t muster the faith, we can sing simply because of who He is).

After delivering my heaven-bound little girl, I picked up that Christian living book I’d been reading in the waiting room. God spoke to me through this book, asking me to have faith in Him, be sure in what I believed about Him and myself, and persevere. I asked God to help me. I sang worship songs at church, at home, in the shower, in the car. Friends, I can say honestly that God put the light back in my eyes.

To this day, I still remember my sweet baby girl now with Jesus. But one year after losing that baby, I was back at the hospital during the Christmas season. But this time, it was to deliver a seven-pound, healthy baby girl. Noelle is 14 years old now, a freshman in high school. She’s a living, breathing testament of God’s goodness in my life.

Now when trouble comes my way, I look at my daughter and remember God’s goodness. I will trust for the future, because I know what God has done in my past.

Dear Jesus, You are the one who lifts me up. Thank You for listening to me and comforting my heart. I place my hope in You. In Your great love, God, answer me with Your sure salvation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 27:13, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” (NIV)

Psalm 69:16, “Answer me, LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.” (NIV)

Would You "Friend" the Apostle Paul?..... by Mike Pohlman

 Would You "Friend" the Apostle Paul?

by Mike Pohlman

May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me...
2 Timothy 1:16-17

In the church today we need more people like Onesiphorus. He's one of those biblical characters that can be easily overlooked as we tend to focus on the "giants" of Scripture (i.e., Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul, etc.).

Consider, for example, what we learn of Onesiphorus in 2 Timothy 1:15-18:

You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me--may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!--and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.

Three things in particular about Onesiphorus stand out:

1. When everyone else abandoned Paul, Onesiphorus went to him. Onesiphorus was not one to just "go along with the crowd." He risked ridicule, mockery and scorn to actually go against the prevailing tide of popular opinion regarding Paul.

2. Onesiphorus was not dissuaded by initial difficulties. So many of us have great idealism--until it gets hard. Then, we turn away. Not Onesiphorus. When he arrived in Rome and could not find Paul, the apostle commends Onesiphorus's perseverance: "when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me." Beautiful. What a friend!

3. Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Paul. This is far greater than simply saying "Onesiphorus refreshed me." If that's all Paul had said we might wonder if Onesiphorus did it quietly--perhaps at night when no one could see. Did he sneak over to Paul's cell when no one was looking because he was embarrased by his association with Paul? Not this friend. Paul, with perhaps the same tears I have welling up in my eyes as I type, wrote that Onesiphorus "was not ashamed of my chains." Onesiphorus did not care what people uttered or murmered--he was proud of Paul's determination to suffer for the sake of Christ.

What enabled Onesiphorus to act like this? What makes someone this counter-cultural, this counter-human? I can only conclude that Onesiphorus was so overwhelmed by his love for Jesus that he was now free from the approval of people; free from the fear of scorn; free from the allure of the world; free from indifference. Onesiphorus, by the power of the Gospel, was free to love.

What I see in Onesiphorus is the embodiment of Galatians 5:6, namely, "faith working through love." Onesiphorus's faith had an impulse--and that impulse was love. And this love was not weak or afraid or self-conscious in any way.

God help me to love like this.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What things might I do this week to demonstrate my love for a dear friend, family member or stranger? How can I practically show my faith working through love this week?

Further Reading

Galatians 5
1 John 3

A Prayer to Stop the Rush and Let Go of the Stress This Christmas..... By Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer to Stop the Rush and Let Go of the Stress This Christmas

By Debbie McDaniel

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

It’s just days before Christmas.

And if you've found yourself struggling with the stress of making it all happen, of making Christmas ultra-special, magical, or perfect in every way - deep breath. It's OK, it's not all up to us.

We may start to carry that pressure, especially during these holiday weeks, though often unintentionally. We long to make wonderful, lasting memories for our kids, we want to have the best Christmas ever, we want everyone to be happy and just get along. There's this pressure all around to see what others are doing, or to buy more, or to busy ourselves more, and we somehow step right into that crazy cycle of spinning…

The most wonderful time of the year can leave many feeling defeated, depleted, and completely overwhelmed by about this time.

But we don't have to stay stuck there. We can move forward out of that trap. And let go of the striving in it all.

So, whether or not the shopping got finished yet, or the Christmas cards were sent out in a timely manner, or the lights were ever hung this year, it doesn't really matter.

Because real life doesn't usually look like a Norman Rockwell painting. It just looks like "us." Ordinary. Kind of messy. Not quite polished and maybe a few steps behind.

And Jesus came. For us. Just common, real, ordinary people.

He chose to enter the world through young Mary, simple, ordinary, unknown to others. His earthly father was Joseph, a quiet, honest, hard-working man who didn't have a lot of money. The first announcement of His birth came to shepherds in the fields. Real, simple, ordinary, maybe kind of smelly, night shift workers.

He's the One who brought the "special moment" to Christmas, that one night years ago.

Miracle wrapped up in a tiny baby.

It's all about Him.

And still today, that truth remains the same. In whatever we get done, and whatever we don't, through the holiday madness or the simple moments that often mean the most, Jesus came, offering peace. Giving grace. Bringing hope. It's what matters most, at Christmas, and all year through. He's the Only One who makes it all amazing and special.

Dear God,

Thank you for the gift of Jesus, the One who alone can save us and give us lasting joy. Thank you that your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Thank you that you promise to give the worried, the hurried, the pressured, and stressed out - rest and peace for our souls - if we'll just come before you. Thank you for your reminder that we don't have to carry it all. Forgive us for the times we try to, for not taking time to rest. Thank you for the refreshing that comes from your Spirit, filling us again with joy, covering us with a shield of favor and blessing, leading us forward with hope. Equip us to be those who notice the lonely, the hurting. Help us to slow down, to take time, to point others to you, and to remember most of all, what this season is all about.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

SHOW YOUR JOY TO THE WORLD..... by Karen Ehman

 SHOW YOUR JOY TO THE WORLD

by Karen Ehman

“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.” Psalm 13:5-6 (NIV)

When you think of the phrase, “Christmas is coming!” … what sort of emotion does it evoke?

It might be any one of these:

Panic: I only have three more Saturdays of shopping before Christmas. I’m never going to get it all done!

Frustration: Ugh. There are so many activities this month. We are going to be running all over the place with very little time to just be together as a family at home, enjoying each other’s company.

Regret: Why did I say we’d host the family get-together? Now I have to straighten and scrub this place from top to bottom AND make the dessert I signed up to provide, as if I didn’t already have enough to do this month.

Envy: I noticed on Facebook the gorgeous holiday decorations my co-worker has in her home. They look like they are straight from an HGTV Christmas special. Our place looks like we bought ours from the clearance bin at the local secondhand store.

So many sentiments can invade our hearts and minds. But these emotions don’t stay there.

Often, they weasel their way into our behavior. We appear distracted when talking with a friend. Our frustration morphs into hurry as we frantically try to get it all done. Our regret makes us a grumpy and ungracious hostess. Our envy leads to ungratefulness and can prevent us from experiencing the joy that should come from the whole reason for the celebration of Christmas in the first place.

Are these the attitudes we want on display during the month of December? Or should we choose the attitude reflected in the old familiar hymn, Joy to the World?

Joy.

The emotion that ought to be deeply experienced during the Christmas season — and, in turn, displayed in our behavior — should be joy. Today’s key verse states, “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.”

This verse declares that our reaction to the salvation God freely offers — which began when Jesus came into the world as a baby that very first Christmas — should be that rejoicing.

In this Old Testament verse, the word translated for rejoice actually means “to exult, to go about or to be excited to levity.” What a stark contrast to the emotions we usually display during the yuletide season!

But what if we tried to take our roller coaster of emotions to God, asking Him to replace them with joy instead? If we choose to consciously thank God for the indescribable gift of salvation through Jesus, perhaps we could learn to recapture the joy of Christmas. And not just to feel it in our hearts, but to go about during the season, excited to the point of levity, exulting God in the process.

The word exult means “to leap for joy,” and it’s usually connected with a triumph of some kind. Through Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection, He triumphed over death. We need not fear the future because of the miracle of Christmas. If we have responded to the gospel — the good news about Jesus offering us salvation — we too can experience a victory over the grave and dwell with God forever in heaven someday. What a reason to rejoice!

Today, let’s chase down some Christmas cheer. But not just keep it to ourselves. Parking our minds on the truth of salvation through Jesus helps us show joy to the world during the Christmas season. A spotless house and homemade fruitcake are optional.

Father, may my mind dwell this season on the incredible gift of salvation through Jesus that is the source of all joy in this life and the life to come. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 89:15-16, “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness.” (NIV)