Week of January 26, 2025 – For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness Psalm 18:28 kjv
We all have times when we feel heavy emotional burdens that make us anxious, depressed, and stressed to the point that our physical health takes a toll.
What we believe creates our habits. What we speak has the power to help or hurt. What we believe about ourselves will either create heaviness or strength to conquer the challenges of life. If we ask God to shine His light on the area of our mindset that needs to shift to bring healing and health to it. It’s in these very moments that God’s love shines the brightest.
God doesn’t just remove the darkness; He changes it. He takes our fears, doubts, and difficulties, and turns them into opportunities for growth, wisdom, and deeper faith. What once seemed so dark, and overwhelming becomes a place of intense revelation and intimacy with God.
Let’s allow God to lighten the burdens of this world off our shoulders by turning our circumstances over to Him. This world needs the light of Christ and kindness so much.
Week of January 19, 2025 – 23The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. 24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. 25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37: 23-25 kjv
God will not put you in unbearable situations, but he may put you in situations that seem unbearable. He does this so we will remember to turn to Him. He does not give His strength to use in advance but only when needed. We will always have what we need, so we can proceed each day with the confidence, hope, and joy that He is with us. We may, and probably will, stumble along the way, but we will never completely fall if we turn to Him. Carrying your cross will be hard if you do it alone. Remember to always turn to Him.
If you are tired of your sin, run to the cross. If you want a new start in life, run to the cross. If you feel like a failure, run to the cross. If you fear the future, run to the cross. If you need hope and encouragement, run to the cross. If you want to meet Jesus, run to the cross.
Week of January 12, 2025 – 3Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed in thee. 4Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. Isaiah 26:3-4 kjv
It is a known fact that daily our trust and faith will be tested. We all want to have the “fleshly” guarantee that we will be safe from all unpleasant events. When we are faced with an unpleasant event, that is the time that we need to start praising God and know that our safety is in Him.
The God that can, is the God that will deliver us from those events in His way and His time. He loves us and will not leave us on our own to deal with anything.
No matter what you are going through today, stay focused on God and His promises. If we let Him take over by having faith, then He will work miracles in our lives.
IWeek of January 5, 2025 –18Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43: 18-19 kjv
With all the evil doings in the world in addition to the individual struggles we personally go through, it’s hard to imagine new things happening that will be a blessing or valuable lesson in our lives. Society seems comfortable with the gloom and doom that happens and puts more trust in themselves than in God. We need to keep God first and foremost in our lives and trust what He has in store for us while in this world until we reach the heavenly eternal blessings with Him.
Week of December 29, 2024 – 22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness… Ephesians 4:22-24
The “old man” that we need to put off is our previous way of living. If it is not completely gone, let’s do so by having faith in the living Spirit. It takes no time to eliminate bad habits, thoughts, speech, and other unworthy behaviors. Let’s do more than that, lets “put on a new man.,” The idea is to have the likeness of Jesus who was created God through His life, death, and resurrection. To live this life, we need to have the help of the Holy Spirit every day.
A friend from school posted this on his Facebook:
“Today will never come again. Be a blessing. Be a friend. Encourage someone. Take time to care. Let your words heal, and not wound. As one year ends and another begins, I challenge you to try and do at least one random act of Kindness each day, even just a smile to a stranger, a kind word in passing, a hug to those that are hurting will change lives forever…. especially Yours !!!”
As the New Year begins, I challenge each of you to make this a routine for 2025.
Week of December 22, 2024 – “The Christmas Story”
1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the hoWee ose and lineage of David:) 5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2: 1-14 KJV
Let’s not get so caught up in gift giving that we forget that Jesus is the greatest gift of all. As we string the lights, let’s remember that Jesus is the
light of the world. As we decorate our trees let us remember that Christ gives us everlasting life. Let’s remember to thank God for the gift of His son, who is the only reason for the Christmas season. Mainly, let us all remember that without Christ there is no Christmas and there is no salvation. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I love you but Jesus loves you more.
There is no Christmas story without CHRIST!
HE is what Christmas is all about.
Let’s not get so caught up in gift giving that we forget that Jesus is the greatest gift of all. As we string the lights, let’s remember that Jesus is the
light of the world. As we decorate our trees let us remember that Christ gives us everlasting life. Let’s remember to thank God for the gift of His son, who is the only reason for the Christmas season. Mainly, let us all remember that without Christ there is no Christmas and there is no salvation. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I love you but Jesus loves you more.
There is no Christmas story without CHRIST! HE is what Christmas is all about.
Week of December 15, 2024 – “The Most Miraculous Birth”
18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew 1: 18-23 KJV
There are numerous “miracle baby” stories that we all have heard, but there is not one that can match the one found in these verses. A baby conceived by the Holy Spirit of God, inside an earthly mother, producing on earth the Son of God.
He was fully Man: a baby that His mother could be “with child”, and gave birth to like one would any other baby, but He was also fully God; conceived “by the Holy Spirit.”
We all have dark days when God feels so far away. The days when just taking the next step takes all the strength you can gather. We all have those days when you wish you could rest instead of fighting a battle. It is on those days the word Emmanuel has a whole new meaning: God with us. He is with us even when it doesn’t feel like it, even when we wish we were on a different path than what He has planned for us, even on those dark days, He is with us!
The purpose of the most miraculous birth was to bring Jesus into this world to be your Savior, so that you can always know, that “God is With You”! THIS is what this miraculous birth is all about. It’s what Christmas is all about.
Week of December 8, 2024 – “The Miracle of Christmas”
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Luke 1; 26-38 KJV
Mary proclaims herself to be “the servant of the Lord” and courageously accepts God´s will. Mary, a teenager, knowing that by saying yes to the Lord meant losing her life as she knew it to be, but she said yes anyway. It is a remarkable example of faith, love, obedience, and humility. I remember my first time visiting NAMBC, December 1, 2019. Pastor Tommy Muncey preached on the Annunciation to Mary. His message and the way he delivered it made a significant impact on me. I knew at that moment that God had led Bryan and I to this church. I desired to have faith, love, obedience, and humility like Mary. It all comes down to following and trusting in God during my everyday chaos even though I don’t know where that will take me. I struggle with letting go and letting God at times, but I am getting better at it. I hope you are too.
Week of December 1, 2024 – 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 5-7 KJV
Our Christian Walk should not be done in secret. Godly qualities should be clear and evident in our lives. Christian should be so good at it, that it shines through without us even trying. We need to communicate with God daily, several times a day, through prayer. Give all our anxieties, fears and worries over to Him. That will be when the peace of God will be shown to us, and He will keep, guard, and protect, our heart’s emotions and mind.
Week of November 24, 2024 – 17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk 3: 17-19
We need this reminder today, especially during a holiday that is focused on blessings. Unlike the world’s emphasis on being thankful only when situations are going well the Bible shows us that we can rejoice and give thanks even in difficult times. During times that we have financial difficulties, health issues, family problems, loss of a loved one, feelings of being overwhelmed, we still need to acknowledge that we can still find joy in the Lord, who was our strength. Circumstances in life may not always go well. Yet, even then, we can take heart and rejoice in the Lord. He is our good Savior, no matter what happens.
Week of November 17, 2024 – “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. Deuteronomy 4:39 KJV
This verse invites us to broaden our connection to God. It encourages us to examine our faith and commitment to Him. It also wants us to consider the significance of having a personal relationship with Him and to contemplate how our beliefs influence our actions and worldview. How does acknowledging God as the single divine being impact the way we live our lives and treat others?