The sermon after Christmas
A cafeteria line of thoughts
The census brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem
1.Counting, or taking inventory, is an essential step in organization and moving forward. In preparing to enter the Promised Land Israel had to be organized - God is an organized God, and moves through organization even when we can’t figure it out! Therefore it was essential that Israel took inventory and saw where they were.
God counts things. He counts the stars and has a name for each one (Psalm 147:4; 3. Isaiah 40:26). God even counts and knows the number of hairs on your head! (Matthew 10:30)
Our Lives- God wants us to take inventory of who we are Luke 2:1
Our City- God wants us to take inventory of where we live Luke 2:3
Our Commitment- God wants us to follow through with what he has given us to do
Luke 2:39
2. Confirmation luke 2:19, Luke 2:26, Luke 2:36
3. Continuing luke 2:40
I wonder how many time the slaves of Egypt had planned to break free from there human slavery? It was reported this week that 4 inmates in the Bexar county jail had planned to escape. With the help of a guard they had what they needed. The plot was foiled when they discovered the hacksaws and the ropes they made with bed sheets.
Human plans are just that, Human, what is needed is supernatural intervention.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
not to soon
It is not to soon to start thinking about the new year. Actually if you've done some thinking about it you running alittle late. Here is a thought to run with.
10 IS THE NUMBER OF DIVINE PERFECTION. There are 10 commandments (Ex. 20); 1/10 of your income is a tithe; the were 10 plagues on Egypt (Ex. 9:14ff); 10 x 10 silver sockets formed the foundation of the Tabernacle (Ex 38:27); There are 10 "I AM's spoken by Jesus in John: 1) I am the Bread of Life (6:35); 2) I am the Bread of Life which came down from heaven (6:41); 3) I am the Living Bread (6:51); 4) I am the Light of the world (8:12); 5) I am One that bears witness of Myself (8:18); 6) I am the Door of the sheep (10:7,9); 7) I am the Good Shepherd (10:14); 8) I am the Resurrection and the Life (14:6); 9) I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (11:25); and 10) I am the True Vine (15:1,5).
10 - Biblical Meaning of Number: deals with completeness that happens in a divine order or completed during a course of time. There's nothing that is left wanting within the complete cycle the number ten has just completed.
10 - Ordinal perfection, perfection of order or rank.
It seems to me that 2010 should be a year in which we? I'll leave that up to you.
10 IS THE NUMBER OF DIVINE PERFECTION. There are 10 commandments (Ex. 20); 1/10 of your income is a tithe; the were 10 plagues on Egypt (Ex. 9:14ff); 10 x 10 silver sockets formed the foundation of the Tabernacle (Ex 38:27); There are 10 "I AM's spoken by Jesus in John: 1) I am the Bread of Life (6:35); 2) I am the Bread of Life which came down from heaven (6:41); 3) I am the Living Bread (6:51); 4) I am the Light of the world (8:12); 5) I am One that bears witness of Myself (8:18); 6) I am the Door of the sheep (10:7,9); 7) I am the Good Shepherd (10:14); 8) I am the Resurrection and the Life (14:6); 9) I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (11:25); and 10) I am the True Vine (15:1,5).
10 - Biblical Meaning of Number: deals with completeness that happens in a divine order or completed during a course of time. There's nothing that is left wanting within the complete cycle the number ten has just completed.
10 - Ordinal perfection, perfection of order or rank.
It seems to me that 2010 should be a year in which we? I'll leave that up to you.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Holy Day or Holiday
The old Christmas song says, "It’s the most wonderful time of the year." And for the Christian it should ring true. Yet for many, Christmas is a season to survive. Depression, grief and loneliness are often exacerbated by shattered family circumstances and increased debt loads. Christmas calendars are overloaded, causing us to think in terms of "getting through the holidays." We are left to wonder if the "postcard" Christmas exists anymore. What happened to the snowy white Yuletide of childhood?
Christmas has been hijacked by cynics, exploited by capitalists, and trampled by consumers. Christmas cheer comes under a withering attack. The checkout lines go on forever; we growl and whine when only one of 10 registers is open. There is no charity in the mall parking lot; we hunt the elusive parking space like wolves. Cheap-suited Santas charge a king’s ransom for a picture of little Eddie or Tiffany crying. December is full of long, clamorous days culminating in the wearied singing of "Silent Night." Exhausted by cantatas, parties, shopping, feasting, families and travel, we arrive at the Bethlehem manger suffering from heat prostration. Christmas Eve will find us lifting up our weary voices to sing, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come." Then we rush from the service to get one last gift, or visit one last party.
So soon it is over. We save the bows, burn the wrappings, strip the tree, and labor over our New Year’s resolutions. Too often we have missed the point. We’re like the man who goes to the coast but never sees the ocean. The threat of a holiday hijacking is all too real. Unless we engage our hearts in a true celebration of Christmas joy, we are easily caught up in a pointless and mindless holiday. When we lose sight of the meaning of Christmas, the season is deeply devalued.
Isaiah saw religious celebration divorced from true worship. The people loved their feasts and festivals, but they lost their perspective. God speaks words through Isaiah that fall like a blow: "The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them" (Isaiah 1:13,14, NKJV). The children of Israel turned their holy days into holidays and God declined to be added to the guest list. If Isaiah were around today, he could well offer the same prophecy without changing a single word.
The true spirit of a Christian Christmas must be reestablished in our hearts and homes. All is not lost. The ultimate story of God’s love is still true. The glory is still there to be witnessed by seekers. How shall we truly experience the joy of Christmas? How can we define a true "Christmas spirit"?
Christmas has been hijacked by cynics, exploited by capitalists, and trampled by consumers. Christmas cheer comes under a withering attack. The checkout lines go on forever; we growl and whine when only one of 10 registers is open. There is no charity in the mall parking lot; we hunt the elusive parking space like wolves. Cheap-suited Santas charge a king’s ransom for a picture of little Eddie or Tiffany crying. December is full of long, clamorous days culminating in the wearied singing of "Silent Night." Exhausted by cantatas, parties, shopping, feasting, families and travel, we arrive at the Bethlehem manger suffering from heat prostration. Christmas Eve will find us lifting up our weary voices to sing, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come." Then we rush from the service to get one last gift, or visit one last party.
So soon it is over. We save the bows, burn the wrappings, strip the tree, and labor over our New Year’s resolutions. Too often we have missed the point. We’re like the man who goes to the coast but never sees the ocean. The threat of a holiday hijacking is all too real. Unless we engage our hearts in a true celebration of Christmas joy, we are easily caught up in a pointless and mindless holiday. When we lose sight of the meaning of Christmas, the season is deeply devalued.
Isaiah saw religious celebration divorced from true worship. The people loved their feasts and festivals, but they lost their perspective. God speaks words through Isaiah that fall like a blow: "The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them" (Isaiah 1:13,14, NKJV). The children of Israel turned their holy days into holidays and God declined to be added to the guest list. If Isaiah were around today, he could well offer the same prophecy without changing a single word.
The true spirit of a Christian Christmas must be reestablished in our hearts and homes. All is not lost. The ultimate story of God’s love is still true. The glory is still there to be witnessed by seekers. How shall we truly experience the joy of Christmas? How can we define a true "Christmas spirit"?
Sunday, December 6, 2009
4 Reasons to be Joyful
During the Christmas season we are reminded that we are to be people who have joy. The truth is many have no joy. We forget the following.
1. We have Personal Significance. God loves us and proved it by sending Jesus to die for us.
2. We have the Promises of Scripture. the word of God is true. The word never fails.
3. We have the Pardon of sin. Thank God that ours sins are taken away by the blood of Jesus.
4. We have Participation with the Family of God. we can build good relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The joy of the Lord is our strength. Rejoice in the Lord always.
1. We have Personal Significance. God loves us and proved it by sending Jesus to die for us.
2. We have the Promises of Scripture. the word of God is true. The word never fails.
3. We have the Pardon of sin. Thank God that ours sins are taken away by the blood of Jesus.
4. We have Participation with the Family of God. we can build good relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The joy of the Lord is our strength. Rejoice in the Lord always.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
The Joy of Christmas part 1
Of all the wonderful promises contained in the Christmas story, the one that seems to be missing the most is “great joy.” How many people do you meet that describe their life as being full of great joy? Yet that is the proclamation by the angels to the shepherds. The Savior of the world would bring good news of great joy for all people. Angels declared joy. Wise men were filled with joy. Mary and Joseph were amazed with joy. The shepherds returned with rejoicing in their hearts. Even John the Baptitst leaped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb.
We could prepare a long list of all the reasons people give for the lack joy in their lives. Some of the general categories include; sickness, stress (physical and emotional), setbacks, suffering, struggles of life, sin in our personal life, and sin in the world. One important aspect of the shepherd’s story that we must consider before identifying some key factors of joy is the unchanging circumstances of their lives. When they returned after seeing the baby Jesus, they were still financially poor. They were still considered the lowest class of the social structure. Sheep still smelled bad and required constant care. They returned to the same wife and kids they had before Jesus was born, but they rejoiced! Their response illustrates a secret to joy that many miss. Circumstances contribute to joy, but they do not control joy.
We could prepare a long list of all the reasons people give for the lack joy in their lives. Some of the general categories include; sickness, stress (physical and emotional), setbacks, suffering, struggles of life, sin in our personal life, and sin in the world. One important aspect of the shepherd’s story that we must consider before identifying some key factors of joy is the unchanging circumstances of their lives. When they returned after seeing the baby Jesus, they were still financially poor. They were still considered the lowest class of the social structure. Sheep still smelled bad and required constant care. They returned to the same wife and kids they had before Jesus was born, but they rejoiced! Their response illustrates a secret to joy that many miss. Circumstances contribute to joy, but they do not control joy.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Always Christmas
The Christmas season is here again. For the business world it is the season to make money. For the student is a time to take a break. For families it is time to make plans for travel and gatherings.
For the Christian and the Church, Christmas should be business as usual. The message of Christmas is not seasonal for the Body of Christ. The birth of our Lord is part of the gospel message that we proclaim everyday. The birth of JESUS is clebrated everytime we gather as God's people.
For the Christian and the Church, Christmas should be business as usual. The message of Christmas is not seasonal for the Body of Christ. The birth of our Lord is part of the gospel message that we proclaim everyday. The birth of JESUS is clebrated everytime we gather as God's people.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Giving Thanks
We are truly blessed and we have much to give thanks for. The list is long. Here are a few blessings.
My family- I am blessed to have a great family who have been so good to me.
My health- I am so blessed to be in good health and happy to be living with purpose
My Church- I am blessed to be apart of a group of people who love and support me.
I thank God that my best days are ahead of me. My future is bright and I am blessed to live in a great nation, state and city. I wanted to thank God for every blessing that I know comes from Him and Him alone. To God be the glory for every perfect gift that come from above.
Have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving.
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