Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

"Jesus Is Returning"

"For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." Acts 17:31

Advent is the time of the church year when we remember that Jesus will return for a second time. It will also be on that day that God will judge whether our first love and devotion and service was for Him, or whether our first love in life was for money and materialism and the lotteries.

If we are driven by the values of this world, then our main concern for the coming weeks will probably focus on materialism and commercialism. But if we are guided by the Spirit of God this Advent season, then this will be a time for us to prepare our hearts and lives for the glorious second coming of Christ.

This means that we will humbly confess our sins—not our neighbors' sins, but our own failures and shortcomings. Advent, you see, means that we will receive, by faith, the Jesus who was crucified on the cross and raised from the dead to save us from our sins.

My friend, let us prepare our hearts and lives for the coming of Christ. Welcome His presence with sincere repentance and faith. Rejoice that God, in Jesus, has totally forgiven you all your sins. And, by faith, believe that because of the sin-atoning work of Christ you and God can be friends again.

Clinging by faith each day to Christ and His saving power also means that you can face your day of judgment with confidence and with great joy!

[Soldier4Christ]

"Judgment Day Is Set"

"For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." Acts 17:31

The Christian church all over the world is preparing to celebrate the historic occasion of the birth of the Savior from sin. But, throughout history, the Christian church has always reminded one another that the blessed Savior's first coming is a solemn reminder that the Lord Jesus Christ is going to return the second time to judge the world. The date for that event has already been established, and we are rapidly moving toward that day.

As you and your family think about Christmas and the fun-filled celebrations, the gifts, and the family get-togethers, it also is the Lord's will that you re-examine your life.

So let me ask you a question that is quite personal: If Jesus Christ returned this Christmas season to judge you and the entire world, would you welcome Him with great joy and expectation, or would Christmas 1990 become for you a time of shame and even fright? Might it be that this anxiety and fright, at least for the most part, would be a result of your having been living your life pretty much apart from God?

My friend, but for the grace of God, you and I would have no choice but to be condemned to the fires of everlasting hell, forever and forever. However, God has not destined you for wrath. God's desire is that you obtain salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, when the great Day of Judgment comes, you will not need to tremble in fear. But, instead, with a conscience cleansed by the blood of Christ your heart shall be filled with joy.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Prepare the Way"

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Romans 7:24-25

During Advent we prepare for the second coming of Christ when He will judge the world. It is also that time when we take a good look at ourselves and make a special examination of our lives. What we so often see is not very encouraging; in fact our self-centered lives are often very depressing.

Advent is also when we take a new look at our Lord Jesus and see once again how He helps us and gives us hope. God is the "author" of our living faith. A living faith pleases God by serving men. This same blessed faith prepares us for Christ's second coming and for the great Day of Judgment.

Therefore, especially during the Advent season, let's always remember that visiting the sick, the elderly, and those in prison is not something any of us is going to do naturally. Putting others first is totally against our sinful human nature. The good we would like to do we do not do; and that which we should not, that we do. The apostle Paul cried out: "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from this body?" This same spiritually newborn man fortified then by faith in his blessed Savior, exclaimed: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25).

It is through the Lord Jesus Christ that the apostle Paul had the strength and the power to become the world's greatest missionary. And it is through this same blessed Lord that you will be given the strength to look outside of yourself and to serve others first.

[Soldier4Christ]

"God Can Cover Up Your Mistakes"

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38

The words of hope from this passage are for you, my friend. Because, you see, no matter what your family or your neighbors or your friends might be saying about your past mistakes, God is different. Instead of rubbing your nose in the dirt of your failures, God is willing to forgive you and to take you back.

The blood of God's Son, Jesus Christ, shed on Calvary's cross, has already paid the complete price for all your sins. God has already prepared a gift of forgiveness for you and this great gift was completed and all wrapped up when Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished." And now God is inviting you to receive this gift of perfect and total forgiveness. With this gracious gift from God, with no strings attached, you can then start over with an entirely new slate.

These words of the Gospel regarding the saving work of Christ were penned nearly 2,000 years ago. However, these same words remain powerful for the believing father now living in Pittsburgh in 1995; and for the heartbroken mother in San Francisco; and for the disillusioned teenager in Edmonton; and for the depressed grandmother in Boston; and also for the many discouraged pastors and teachers who all too often incorrectly feel there is so little they can do and that their work frequently seems so useless. Oh, unto all of you, to whom God has entrusted the proclamation of His Gospel, never forget, never forget, that God's Gospel is the power of God unto salvation unto all who believe.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Joy Stirs the Unborn"

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:41

As we launch into this Christmas season, it also might be good to remember a most unusual event that took place during the first Christmas. The evangelist Saint Luke states in our text: “When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb.” Yes, that's exactly what the Bible says: “The baby (that Elizabeth was carrying) leaped in her womb.” One Biblical scholar dismissed this incident and casually stated: “These and other details should be passed over in respectful silence.” We disagree.

Of course, we don't know exactly what caused the unborn child to respond, but let us never forget that the sacred Scriptures state clearly that this momentous event came about when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting. “Blessed art thou among women,” Elizabeth stated. Mary carried within her the most special baby that would ever be born. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist, nestled in the womb of Elizabeth, understood this.

This should not surprise us. The announcement that the Savior was soon to be born was so momentous and so extraordinary that it impacted the young and old, the born and the unborn. The next time you think of the excitement of the Christmas season, think of the joy that Jesus brought to John the Baptist, even before the baptizer was born. Most important of all, my friend, consider the joy that Jesus brings to you this Christmas season.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Afflicted, Yet Joyful"

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 2 Corinthians 4:6-12

People are unhappy today. A mood of depression has settled down upon the whole world. There is conflict between nations and within nations—the kind of conflict that in the past has produced wars of worldwide proportions and bitter civil strife resulting in mass misery and the death of many people.

People are unhappy today, not only because of conditions in the world, but because they are dissatisfied within themselves. Discouraged and disappointed, confused and embittered, they find it difficult to put their heart into anything. As a consequence, they stumble through life with one obsession: to put off the day they dread the most—the day when all of this will come to an end.

Is there any road to happiness and satisfaction in our unhappy and dissatisfied world? Saint Paul suggests there is. “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

Happiness, said Saint Paul, is not escape from reality. It is joy amid ugly reality. It is not immunity from tragedy or tranquilization against pain, but the joy of being in meaningful and moving relationship with the ultimate reality of all of history and of all of life, the joy of knowing God in Jesus Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Empty Manger"

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Philippians 2:8

Imagine the world to be a great estate. You cannot see the owner, but you can draw conclusions about his intelligence, wealth, and power simply by looking at the estate. Certain signs are posted: “Do not trespass.” “Watch the speed limit.” Pamphlets on how to use the facilities have been written by guests who report they had instructions from the owner himself. Soon it becomes obvious that the vast majority of guests are behaving as if they were proprietors instead of guests. They give no thanks for the good things they enjoy, but freely criticize. They deliberately break all the house rules. They have so many fistfights with one another that half are sporting black eyes. One cannot help wondering what the host will do if he ever pays them a visit.

We know what happened when the Creator of the world paid us a visit. Though equal with the Father in every way, the eternal Son of God laid aside His privilege, became like a servant and dwelt among us. He was born the Babe of Bethlehem, but He did not remain a cute little baby making no moral demands on the rowdy guests living on the good ground of God's earth. He reiterated the flaming truths preached by the prophets, that God is the Lord and will execute righteousness.

Yet the visit of the Son was more than a call to reform. He demonstrated the mercy and goodness of His Father, promised to all who confess their sins. The empty manger testifies to the unmatched and unrepeatable event which is Jesus Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Mary and Joseph"

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Acts 1:14

This passage in the book of Acts is the last authoritative word we have regarding Mary in the Holy Scriptures. Having learned all her life the art of waiting, she waited once again for that reunion with her Son, faithfully promised to all who fall asleep in Jesus.

Mary and Joseph waited for God, and they were not disappointed. God answered their expectation with Christ. Christ, the promised Savior, was born. That's Christmas.

What Mary and Joseph were called to do appeared unspectacular at the time. God called them to care for His Son. Though sinners, they were to be ready and faithful. They did what God expected them to do, and through them God opened a new world to the expectant eyes of men on every continent, of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.

The call to faith in Christ and to do for Christ is not spectacular today. Though sinners, we care for Christ when we do in faith and love what must be done for family and friends, for country and community, when we do it for Christ.

Just two people they were—Mary and Joseph, a maid and a man. They tell us today our God is down to earth. Fulfillment of duty is no meaningless drudgery but the working out of an exciting expectation because He has visited and redeemed His people. He is with us. Christ the Savior has come.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Shepherds"

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Reading or hearing the Christmas Gospel and coming to that part of it which tells us, "There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night," we are ready for what follows. "And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them."

We are ready for it, but the shepherds were not. The last thing those shepherds expected to see that quiet night on the fields of Bethlehem was an angel of the Lord. We are inclined to think of shepherds as homespun and plain-spoken fellows; poor but honest, close to the soil. By the people of Jerusalem or Bethlehem, however, shepherds were universally regarded as the scum of the earth. The first news of the birth of the Son of God came to men with dirty hands and smelly clothes, far out on the fringes of society, some of whom may have been pious in their peasant homes, and some again may not.

The shepherds ran to Bethlehem to see if it could really be true. It was. They worshipped the Christ. And then they returned to their vocation. They were still shepherds, but now they were glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The shepherds all became preachers. They went back to the jobs they had to do. Their religion did not take them away from ordinary life. It just transformed the ordinary into something extraordinary.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Herod"

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem. Matthew 2:1

He was called "the Great," this dictator Herod. He had big ideas and wanted to be remembered and liked. He had a strange way of showing it. His wife's brother was put to death at the age of 18 because the people had shown signs of taking a liking to him. His wife's grandfather, who once saved Herod's life, was executed at the age of 80. Herod publicly executed his wife and her mother. Two of his sons were strangled in prison by his orders when another son put the finger on them as possible conspirators. Later on the king had the other son killed, too.

Jesus was born at Bethlehem in Judea during Herod’s reign. Dictators always live in the shadow of one great fear: the rise of a successor. If he had sent spies to investigate this new arrival threatening to become his new rival, they would have found just two people and a child. No court and no courtiers, no weapons but His two tiny hands; no trumpets but a child's cry.

Herod was troubled, but for the wrong reason. This was God's anointed, the Promised One, the Messiah come to redeem the world from all its greed, ambition, and hatred. Christ came to save even Herod.

No man is beyond the reach of the love of God. No man is so bad, not even a Herod, that he cannot be changed by the Christ of God. No life is so worthless and so misspent that it cannot be transformed through faith in the Christ, born to be King.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Repent!"

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 3:2

A striking painting of John the Baptist portrays him as lean and sun-bronzed, rough-skinned clothing, full beard, and one remarkable feature: his piercing eye. It is not the eye of a fanatic, driven wild by religion, but of a man with one mission and one message. The title of the painting is: "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at Hand."

The only people surprised at John's preaching of repentance were those who felt deep down in their hearts that repentance was for others. They were the same people who were surprised when our Lord told the story of the shepherd, leaving his 99 sheep in the wilderness in order to go out and find the lost one.

The world is filled today with righteous people. Like the religious people of John's time, they know exactly who should hear this message of repentance: their neighbors, the great sinners, the unbelievers, the non-church members. They point to everyone, in other words, except those upon whom John put his branding iron: "Repent and quit bragging about what wonderful people you are, what wonderful ancestry you have enjoyed, and what marvelous resources you have at your disposal."

You can never say to God, "I repent. I've completed my part of the bargain. Now You take care of Your share." Repentance sees the forgiveness of God as the only hope. It accepts the forgiveness of God as the only gift.

[Soldier4Christ]

"A Real Christmas"

But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:25

Christmas is real all right, made real by the ferocious jealousy of Herod, the cold religiosity of the scribe, the “I-can't-be-bothered” attitude of the man on the street, and the “why-didn't-somebody-tell me?” bleat of the innkeeper who could find no room for the world's Redeemer on the night of His birth in Bethlehem.

Christmas is real all right, in a sinful world still so sure of the wrong things. Sure that there is no God. Sure that if there is a God in this immense universe, He cannot be concerned with men on our little planet. Sure that if He has a care for men, it would not have expressed itself in the birth of a baby at Bethlehem.

To real shepherds on the Judean fields, keeping watch over real sheep on the dusty hillside below Bethlehem, there came angelic Good News: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

Make room for Christ this Christmas. Don't assign Him to the stable; give Him place in the living space of your home. With uncluttered heart receive Him, giving Him the honor He deserves.

Christ alone makes Christmas real. I wish you a real Christmas, full of the presence and power of Christ, adorned with the joy of faith in the Savior and radiant with His glory.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Christmas’s Contrasts"

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7

The more we reflect on the events that lead to that special first Christmas, the more we get a sense of total amazement. On that night, God was reconciling the world with Himself, thus fulfilling a long-announced promise. The Savior of all generations to come was born in a humble stable. It’s no surprise at all, then, that the angels would praise God, and the shepherds would glorify Him after all the things they had seen and heard. It’s no surprise either that the Magi would travel from a far away land to present gifts to baby Jesus.

To most of the people, that night was no different from any other night. But, in reality, that night was preceded by many events and circumstances, both in heaven and on earth. The decree issued by Caesar Augustus calling for a census of the entire Roman world mobilized thousands of people, including Mary and Joseph, who needed to go to Bethlehem to be registered.

God’s plan is taking place… and then, the night— sky blue and covered with stars— opens up and a celestial messenger announces to the shepherds the birth of the Savior.

Let us go back to that humble manger and look at the baby through the eyes of our soul. Can you see the cross on which He’s going to die? Darkness has been lifted up, fear has been conquered by love, and hell has been defeated forever.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Oh! Little Town of Bethlehem"

"'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" Matthew 2:6

What an honor for the little town of Bethlehem! God chose this town, small and insignificant to human eyes, to be the place where the most important act of all history would take place! Bethlehem, the place where God Himself became man. What an unprecedented privilege!

But Bethlehem was too busy, too crowded, and too sleepy to acknowledge what was happening. There were no messengers running down its streets and telling the people about the holy birth. There were no parades to celebrate the coming of the Savior. Everybody was so busy, that they didn’t have time to acknowledge the coming of the long-awaited Messiah.

The only ones that heard the message were the shepherds out in the fields, and the small audience to whom the angels announced it. The glory of God was shining, but only a few saw it. Wise men came from afar looking for the King of the Jews, but the local authorities didn’t dare go look with them. The little town of Bethlehem was missing history’s greatest event!

How blessed are we today! The Bible tells us not only the whole story of that birth, but also what it means for us: Jesus came to fulfill the Law on our behalf and to atone for our sins, so that we can be forgiven and have unrestricted access to God.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Why Did Jesus Come?"

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19:10

Why did Jesus come? Why did the Eternal One limit Himself to live an earthly life? Why did the Son of God become the Son of Man?

Jesus Himself answered this question when, while visiting Zaccheus – a rich tax collector and publican – He said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Jesus came to save each and every one that comes to Him. He said, “… whoever comes to Me, I will never drive away” (John 6:37). He came to save the prodigal son as well as the older son. He came to save respectable women like Martha and Mary, and also adulteress ones, like the Samaritan woman He met at the well. He came to save notorious men like Nicodemus, one of the leaders of the Jews, and also the criminal crucified at His side.

That same Jesus is the one we’re expecting in this Advent season, the one who’s birth we’ll commemorate in a few days, and the one that comes to us today and every day of our lives through His Word.

He wants to walk with us as we go through this life. He knows us by name. He wants to free us from the things that enslave us. He wants to forgive all that needs to be forgiven.