It's Beginning to look a lot like CHRISTmas...

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." Luke 2:8-12 NKJV While it's unlikely that Jesus was actually born on December 25th, that day has been chosen to celebrate His birth. Many would say that the day is a pagan ritual centered around the Winter solstice and that it has been defiled with Santa, reindeer, snowmen & the like. But they all play into the spirit of the holiday (that word is rooted in holy day as Christmas is rooted in Christ's Mass of Catholic tradition). The Winter solstice occurs, just like others & is part of the nature of this world we live in. Santa, St. Nicholas, or Father Christmas is based on a real person who lived somewhere around the 4th century & was known for his acts of kindness. While there's nothing wrong with indulging childhood fantasies, it's important that we teach the real reason that we celebrate. Can you imagine being there in those fields that night? A heavenly & royal light show began and angels appeared to announce the birth of the long-awaited Messiah! What went through the minds of those lowly shepherds? We read the story of how it happened but they we re there in the flesh, living it as it unfolded. What were they thinking as they made their way to that manger stall to see with their own eyes the fulfillment of God's Promise? What a gift! What did they expect? When one thinks of a King, you anticipate a royal home & furnishings, not a feed trough in a stable. You expect people of high stature, not peasant teenagers as parents. You expect a purple robe, not swaddling clothes & hay. You expect groomed royal stallions, not sheep & donkeys. But, were they fixated on the surroundings or were they simply in awe of the Gift they witnessed? As for me, I think they knew they were part of God's great plan to bring salvation to man, although they had no idea how it would eventually unfold. They probably thought that baby would grow to be a mighty warrior King who would overthrow the Romans & give them back their nation and identity. How could they know that tiny baby would one day sacrifice Himself for the sins of mankind? How could they know that each step He took & each breath He drew brought Him closer to the Cross? While His birth was the beginning of the plan, His death & resurrection were the culmination and completion of the plan to ransom lost mankind. The reality is that we, as recipients of God's Great Gift are now part of that plan to share Him and the gift of salvation with others who have yet to receive it. So, while we celebrate Christmas with all the worldly festivities, our goal should be to recognize the real reason we celebrate (Jesus) and share our celebration of Him with those around us. The world & it culture are constantly changing & evolving. However, God & His Word remain constant and unchanged. We are in, but not of this world (John 17:16). Our efforts should be focused on pointing others to Christ. I'm reminded of Linus in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" as he he says "Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about," and recites verses 8-14 of the second chapter of Luke before taking his blanket & walking off stage. It's child-like faith and sincerity of heart that make Christmas really CHRISTmas (emphasis mine). We celebrate the birth of our Savior, the Christ child, The One who came to rescue us in our time of need. That's what CHRISTmas is really all about. Keep Christ in your celebrations & you'll find that it's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTmas... Blessings! Tony

Thanksgiving and Praise...

"Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation." Psalm 100 NLT It's the season of Thanksgiving...ironically, we should be thankful at all times, but somehow we choose to set aside one day to be thankful. It makes for good holiday family gatherings & hopefully acknowledging God as the Source of our blessings in this life. But, are we really grateful? I fear that in these United States of America, we take much for granted. Because we were blessed to be born here, we assume we are entitled to live the American Dream regardless of the cost. I've been to a poor country & seen poor people with my own eyes. I've worked with groups ministering to the homeless. I've helped get basic needs & holiday gifts for kids in foster care. I've visited veteran's homes, nursing homes & sick children wards at the hospital. I've witnessed hatred, prejudice & even death. I've made a lot of poor decisions through my life that not only negatively impacted me, but also those connected to me via family, friend, coworker & church member associations. Thankfully, God has seen fit to preserve my life through my stupidity & somehow found a way to use all that to minister to others. He truly uses all things & the least among us to be useful in the Kingdom! Truth is, for the most part, that Americans are spoiled, ungrateful, gluttonous people. The more they achieve & the more they possess, the more they desire. Their appetites never seem to be satisfied... How do we go about changing this? Well, the same way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time! If we stand aside & wait for someone else to do it, it may never happen. One person can make a huge difference. Any movement has to have a beginning. I grew up in the Birmingham area during the Civil Rights struggle. I remember school riots, church bombings, and the ugliness of the era. I remember watching a friendship develop between Reverend Billy Graham & Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. via television & newspapers. It was not well accepted by the white churchgoers of that time. But, over time, acceptance came & segregation became a thing of the past. We Christians need to do the same--peaceably assemble and make our voices heard, Support what is right & godly and boycott that which is not. We're a large group, but most are sitting silently waiting for someone else to be the one to make the first move. Let's turn our nation back to God! "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance." Psalm 33:12 Let's be a joyful & thankful people! "Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe." Hebrews 12:28 Let's let our praises be heard! "I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done." Psalm 9:1 We are a blessed nation & we have much to be thankful for. We, the church, have missed the mark in doing our part to point people to God, to share the gift of salvation, to help meet the basic needs of those around us who are hungry, hurting or homeless. It starts with us. We must repent of our ungrateful & gluttonous ways and begin again. "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 Then, how about we really enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise, sing praises to him and bless his name? thanksgiving & praise should be an everyday thing, part of our Christian lifestyle, and should make people want to have the joy we have in our lives. Happy Thanksgiving & blessings to you! Tony

Putting Limits on God?

"And now the Lord says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, And My God shall be My strength), Indeed He says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.' " Isaiah 49:5-6 NKJV Isaiah is my favorite Old Testament book. I find great wisdom and direction as well as great comfort in it. Here we see Isaiah with a limited vision, a vision to reach Israel. In itself, that's not a bad thing as God calls us all to reach out & minister to those in our peer group, those we have influence with. And, that's a good beginning...but we shouldn't stop there. God has a way of putting us into places & situations where we can minister to people who are quite different from us, people we wouldn't normally encounter in our day to day life. God's intention for Isaiah was for him to reach a much wider circle, to the ends of the earth. That sounds a little like the Great Commission recorded in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." We limit God by limiting ourselves. If we are truly saved, blood bought children of God, then we should have a desire to share Jesus with others. Our cup should be filled to overflowing & spill and splash out all over those we come into contact with. But, we need to think outside the box, get outside our comfort zone, dare to be bold & different (some of you are already thinking that I myself am quite different without accentuating that fact in any way...), so we can share the love of God with a larger group, so we can make Him known to our friends' relatives and friends, so we can go to different areas of our town, our state, our country, and the world...so we can have seemingly chance (but really God-ordained) encounters with people in real world, life and death situations and tell them about Jesus. We have to meet them at their time & place of need. There is no limit to what God can do in & through a life that is totally surrendered to Him. What has He called you to? He's been whispering something to your spirit for some time. Are you ready to trust Him & step out in faith and act on it? I'm reminded of an old song some friends & I used to sing may years ago. Ponder its words... "Step into the water, wade out a little bit deeper. Wet your feet in the water of his love. Oh, Step into the water (children) Wade out a little bit deeper, come join the angels singin', praises to the Lamb of God. It's time we the people, stand up for what is right. It's time we squared our shoulders back, and raised our swords to fight. For the Bible is our weapon, and the spirit is my shield. The church needs more of its members to be workers in the field." Are we putting limits on God by putting limits on ourselves? Shouldn't we listen to that gentle nudge of the Spirit as He woos us and say, "Here am I, Lord, send me!"? Isn't it time to trust Him and step into the water? Isn't it time we stood our ground, prepared to fight for His Cause & His People? Step out today, God will walk with you through the fires and the floods (Isaiah 43:1-3), He loves you & has called you for such a time as this, to be His mouthpiece and proclaim Him to those lost in sin. Are you ready? Do you have your armor on? Then, raise your sword, soldier, and march into battle in the Lord's Army! Our Great Commander will lead the way. We just have to walk in it... Blessings! Tony

Living Under a Death Sentence...

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die..." Hebrews 9:27 We are all living under a death sentence. Unless the Lord returns, we will all face death. There are many scriptural references to death & dying, "A time to be born, and a time to die..".Ecclesiastes 3:2 is a well-known one. Research it, there are many more... How is it that a person can know that every minute of life is a minute closer to death and be unconcerned about their eternal destination? How is it that one can grow up in these United States, being exposed to the church & Christianity on a regular basis and deny the existence of God? How is it that despite the fact there are churches on every corner throughout each city, in each state, all across this nation, a person can claim to have no knowledge of Jesus Christ? We don't have any way to know when this life will be over. That's why we have to be prepared when death comes to claim us. The truth is that if we know Jesus, we die an earthly death only to raise to a Heavenly, eternal life. "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die..." John 11:26 If we accept His Free Gift of Salvation, we just change our address to Heaven when we take our last breath on earth. It's a pretty good deal! But, you have to be ready... How is it that even those who claim the Name of Christ can see the lost daily, knowing they are hell-bound, & do nothing to point them to a loving Savior? How is it that Christians can be so caught up in their own lives, that they see no need to assemble with other believers at church? How is it that a Christian can work alongside others for years in a factory or office & their coworkers have no idea they are a person of faith? We have a mandate from God to share our faith with others and to rescue the lost, "Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter." Proverbs 24:11 Or, how about "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20? The whole world is living under a death sentence & it's our job to tell them there is a better way, a way that leads to Heaven! I fear we are missing the mark terribly in this area. Don't assume it is the preacher's responsibility to get everyone saved. It is the duty of every believer to minister to those they have contact with & influence over. If not you, then who? We will all be held accountable at judgement. I want to know where I'm going to spend eternity & I don't want anyone else's blood on my hands because I failed to tell them about God's love & salvation. What about you? Are you willing to save someone living under a death sentence? Something to ponder... Blessings! Tony

Your Story...

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV So, I've written & spoken on this Scripture many times before--usually emphasizing the segment, "looking unto Jesus" in that we're supposed to keep our eyes on the cross (I refer to it as being Cross-eyed), and we should do that. However, another portion caught my attention this time, "the author and finisher." Think about Who wrote your story...God did! He wrote it in eternity past. It's a done deal! Satan can't change it...unless we give him permission to, that is. The problem? We have free will, so we can in essence take the pen of authorship from God's Hands & place it into those of the devil, giving him control of and full access to our lives. That's completely crazy! Why would we do such a thing? The way I see it, that free will is a blessing and a curse at the same time. Freedom is found in Jesus Christ--"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:36 It's available to every one of us. We have to freely receive it. God's grace is inexhaustible, but we have to tap into it--"As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12 We have to be willing to look beyond the guilt & shame of our past & see that God created us for a reason and with a purpose. When we utilize our free will to follow the plan He has for our lives, we find our reason for being, our purpose, our niche in life if you will. But, that same free will can lead us into some pretty stinky and sticky situations when we rebel against God & try to go our own way. Don't give the devil a chance to rewrite your story! Line yourself up with God's story and follow the path He has for you. He wrote your story and intends for you to spend eternity future with Him in Glory. Leave it as it's written. You'll encounter some obstacles along the way, but He'll be there to help you navigate through them. When you feel like you're trapped in a maze, look to Him & He'll turn that maze into something completely amazing that will be another part of the testimony you'll have to share with others as they too seek His story for their lives. Jesus finished the work & took His place, seated at God's right hand. It's completed. Stand ready to share His already written version of your story. No one else can tell your story like you can! Blessings! Tony

The Camouflaged Church...

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 1 Corinthians 6:14-18 Have you ever been hunting? If so, you know that when you hunt, you try to blend in with your surroundings so as not to be detected by your prey. You dress in camouflage to hide yourself, so you can fade into the woodlands you've entered. Then when an unsuspecting deer wanders near, you take aim & shoot. Well, that seems to be what the church of today is doing. She's trying hard to blend into the culture of the world around her. When I attend church these days, I see a people who are doing their best to fit into the world's mold. We dress like the world, our music sounds like the world's, and we do our best not to offend anyone because nowadays we have to be politically correct & God forbid that anyone's feelings get hurt in the slightest. Heavens, they might cry & need a safe place to run to! While the church should be a safe place for people, we are supposed to be different from the world itself. How do we find that balance? Paul makes reference to being all things to all people in order to reach them (1 Corinthians 9), however, I don't think he meant to actually live their lifestyle in order to open the door. We can't compromise the message of the Gospel, although we can change our method of delivery in order to appeal to our contemporaries. Far too many churches preach & teach a feel good Gospel in order to attract people. The full Gospel is not being presented. When did you last hear a pastor speak against sin, or preach that you must be saved to enter Heaven, or that hell is a real place, or about the shed blood of Jesus for that matter? Romans 12 warns us against being pressed into the mold of the world & tells us that the transformation comes through a renewing of our minds. Well, our renewed mind should be reflected in our relationship with God, our relationships with others & in our lifestyle--our words, actions & choices. We do no one any service if we fail to tell him/her the full Gospel story. If we continue in our quest to be like the world around us, we are simply escorting the lost to the gates of hell itself. We are in, but not of, this world & it's time we got back to our Gospel roots & started living like it. To be true sons & daughters of the Father, we must carry out The Great Commission. We can't be effective at that if we're more concerned about being politically correct & keeping up with the Joneses than we are in sharing the Gospel with the lost. May God forgive & restore us, and may He give us a passion once again to win the world to Him, one soul at a time. Bring REVIVAL, Lord! May it start within the church walls and ignite the earth... That's my thoughts. Blessings! Tony

The Path of Life...

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11 The path of life is a most interesting thing. I was recently reminded that God is in control of our lives & He directs the path we take. Truly we have free will & God allows us to make choices via that free will that impact our lives & the lives of others along the way. However, He uses even our bad decisions to bring about good. Coincidence doesn't really exist. God has a plan & a purpose for everything & He allows us to cross paths with people for a reason. Sometimes, we don't see the reasons behind things until years later. That young preacher you're praying for today might be the one to lead one of your loved ones to Christ in years to come. That struggling young couple in church might one day teach your children & grandchildren in Sunday School or minister to them when they encounter struggles in life. The junkie in rehab that's on the church prayer list might be the next great evangelist to proclaim God to the world. We don't have the ability to see the future, but God sees the entire path of life that lies ahead of us. I'm sure Mordecai Ham had no idea he was leading a great evangelist to the Lord when he preached a series of revival messages heard by a teenager named Billy Graham. He was simply following God's Call & the leading of the Holy Spirit. Yet, God used that encounter to bring a young man to Himself who would become known as one the world's greatest evangelists, a man who would minister to millions, including US Presidents & assorted world leaders. And, it all began with a seemingly chance meeting in Charlotte, NC. It was all part of a greater plan. In my younger years, I taught Sunday School to teenagers & worked with youth groups. There were fun times & there were difficult times in it. I'm blessed to have lived long enough to see some of those young people pursue ministry so I know my efforts were not in vain, although I questioned my own sanity at times through the process. I now work with the ministry of Alabama Teen Challenge--talk about a challenge! Teen Challenge is a ministry to people recovering from addiction issues. It is real, it is raw & it sometimes tests every ounce of your being. But, God uses that ministry to bring about change in people's lives & impacts many families. I've seen men at their worst & I've seen them at their best. I've watched men succeed & I've watched men fail. It is gutwrenchingly heartbreaking at times and completely and wonderfully fulfilling at others--a complete & total paradox of emotions. I've been blessed to watch as God put the broken pieces of lives once devastated by drugs & alcohol back together and birth ministries through them. While I've questioned the path God has for me & I've not understood at the time they occurred, the events of my life (both the God-ordained & the self-inflicted, the good--the bad--the ugly) have prepared me to minister to others when they were walking a difficult path themselves (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). Only God can take a life riddled with sin and make something of it. I ran from Him, I wrestled with Him, I tried my best to renegotiate the call I knew He had on my life, I resisted in every possible way, I opened many doors in my life that never should have been though poor decisions & my own free will--which is both a blessing and a curse, but God took all of that mess & turned it into a message of hope. You see, each life touches so many others along the way & as we walk the path, the journey of our life, and you never know who you may be having an impact on. Your testimony might be exactly what someone needs to hear to help them see that they are not outside the reach & realm of God's grace and mercy. You could be ministering to the next Billy Graham and be completely unaware of it. You matter! You make a difference! You are important in God's eyes & you have value in The kingdom! Never doubt the path God has for you. He has a plan for everything He allows to touch our lives. Remember the word of the psalmist, "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." Psalm 119:105 Trust Him and obey Him as you walk the path of life... Blessings! Tony