SPIRITUAL GOALS

 “But grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and forever!  Amen.”
(II Peter 3:18)

What will 2012 bring? 

Who will the Republican nominee be for president?  Who will win the presidential election in 2012?  Will our economy recover or go deeper into recession?  Will there be any more I-gadgets introduced in 2012?  Will the world end in 2012 as the Mayan calendar & Nostradamus predicted?  What will happen in theMiddle East?  Will Jesus return in 2012?

It’s always interesting to think about the future. And it’s intriguing to hear predictions about the future.  I believe the reason we are so interested in the future is because the future is so uncertain.  There are simply no guarantees in life.  We just don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.

The good news, as Christians, is that we know the only One who does know the future.  Even though we don’t know what tomorrow holds, we know who holds tomorrow.  Nothing will take God by surprise in 2012.  You can trust Him!

What about your personal future?  Where will you be a year from now?  Will you be stronger in your faith?  Will you grow spiritually in the year ahead?  If so, how are you going to get there?  What are your goals for 2012? 

There’s an old saying that suggests, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”  Now, I know that most people today don’t like the idea of New Year’s resolutions because most of the resolutions we make are broken within the first week.  Nobody wants to set themselves up for failure.  So, instead of resolutions, I encourage you to set some annual goals – especially some annual spiritual goals.  Need some ideas? 

• How much time will you spend with the Lord each day in 2012?
• What’s your Bible reading plan for 2012?
• What’s your Prayer plan for 2012?
• How about a renewed commitment to Sabbath in 2012?
• What are your stewardship goals for 2012?  Do you have a giving plan?
• What are your ministry goals for the New Year?
• How about some fasting goals?  Or a spiritual journal?  Or a spiritual retreat?

My prayer for you in 2012 is that you may “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 

Dear Heavenly Father,
I want to grow closer to You in the New Year.
As I consider spiritual goals for the New Year; may your Holy Spirit
guide me to set realistic, yet faith-stretching goals.
May You be glorified through my life in 2012!
In Jesus’ name, Amen!

HOW TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS (Part 2)

“When they had seen him, they spread the word
concerning what had been told them about this child,
and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
(Luke 2:17-18)

The shepherds were just sitting around a campfire, minding their own business – eating mutton stew, telling jokes, and playing a common game of “I can top that.” 

- “I had to kill 2 snakes today.”
- “Well, I fought off a coyote with my club today.”
- “I had to climb down a steep ravine to rescue two sheep before wolves got them.”

You know how teenagers are when they get together:  lots of fun, frivolity, and gamesmanship.  But on this night, their laughter was suddenly interrupted by the brightest flash of lightning any of them had ever seen.  It almost blinded them.  They were scared stiff.  Then, an angel spoke to them and told them to chill out; there was nothing to be afraid of.  And the angel proceeded to tell them about the Messiah who was born inBethlehem.  They could see this child lying in manger on the outskirts of town.

As soon as the vast array of angels left, these shepherds looked at each other and almost in unison exclaimed, “Let’s Go!”  They left their sheep, ran into town, and found the baby just like the angel told them they would.

Even though it was the middle of the night, they couldn’t keep quiet on the way back to the fields.  After all, they were teenagers.  When people in town got up to see what all the commotion was outside, they found a bunch of rowdy and excited shepherds.  They told everyone they saw about baby Jesus and what the angels had told them.  The whole town was amazed at their story.

It reminds me of a dad whose wife has just delivered their first child.  He is so excited, he starts handing out cigars to complete strangers and telling them, “Hey, I’m a dad!”  Can you imagine what would happen inAmericaif people got as excited about Jesus as a father of a newborn child?  Can you imagine what it would be like if people got as fired up about Jesus as they do about politics?  What would happen if we got as excited about Jesus as we do about our favorite football team scoring the winning touchdown with no time left on the clock?  What if we were as excited about Jesus as those teenage shepherds were that first Christmas night?

The best way to celebrate Christmas this year is to tell someone in your oikos about Jesus.  After all, He is the reason for the Christmas season.  Tell your family; tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your co-workers.  The best gift you could share with anyone is God’s gift of eternal life.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Jesus is the reason for the season!
May I be more like the shepherds on that first Christmas?
Give me the courage to share the Good News of Jesus with my oikos.
In Jesus’ name, Amen!

HOW TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

“Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts
of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”
(Matthew 2:11)

How do you celebrate Christmas?  Most Americans celebrate Christmas by…

- Buying and decorating a Christmas tree
- Stringing Christmas lights on their house
- Attending several Christmas parties – at work, school, & church
- Christmas shopping and Christmas baking
- Buying, wrapping, giving, and exchanging Christmas gifts

So, where did the tradition of giving Christmas gifts originate?  Many people date gift-giving back to the 4^th Century.  Saint Nicholas, a Christian Bishop, was well-known for giving gifts to children, particularly to less fortunate children.  The most common gifts given were homemade foods and sweets, oranges, and handcrafted gifts such as socks, sweaters, and blankets.  By the 10^th Century, almost every country in the world celebrated Christmas by giving gifts.  In the early 1800’s, some entrepreneurial merchants inAmerica began advertising gifts for purchase.  Thus began the commercialism of Christmas.

But I like to believe that our tradition of gift-giving actually began on the first Christmas when the Wise Men worshiped baby Jesus and presented him with gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh.  Granted, they were strange gifts for a baby:  no toys, no diapers, no baby clothes, no stuffed camels or donkeys.  But, they gave Jesus gifts that represented who they were.

The odd thing today is that we tend to give Christmas gifts to everyone except Jesus, even though Christmas is His birthday.  So, this year, try something different – include Jesus in your gift-giving.  Don’t know what to give Jesus?  The gifts of the wise men provide some good ideas.

GOLD – Gold represents wealth & riches.  You could give a gift of your wealth to Jesus.  You could give a gift to a missionary, to some needy people, to a neighbor, or to a special project at your church – in the name of Jesus.

INCENSE – Incense was used inTemple worship.  You could give a gift of worship or service to Jesus.  You could give Him some time each day to read the Bible and pray.  You could give a gift of renewed commitment to Sabbath (Sunday worship).  You could give a gift of serving others.

MYRRH – Myrrh was an embalming fluid.  You could give Jesus your life.  If you have been holding back an area of your life, give it to Jesus this year.  Give Him that pet sin or habit.  Give Jesus a renewed commitment for the year ahead.

Be sure to include Jesus in your Christmas gift-giving this year!

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your gift to us that first Christmas.
You gave Your Son, Jesus.  You gave us the gift of eternal life.
This Christmas I want to include Jesus in my gift-giving.
I give You my life anew.  I am Yours, Lord.
In Jesus’ name, Amen!

COURAGE

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord
had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”
(Matthew 1:24)

We don’t hear much about Joseph during the Christmas season.  He has no major part in Nativity plays.  No lines to memorize.  No solos to sing.  He just stands beside Mary.  Joseph is the unsung hero of the Christmas story:  a carpenter; an ordinary guy like you and me.  But he was an ordinary guy with tremendous courage and faith!

When Joseph first discovered that Mary was pregnant, he was going to divorce her quietly.  But an angel appeared to him and told him the child she was carrying had been conceived by God.  So he went ahead and took Mary as his wife.  It makes for a nice story, but can you imagine the courage it took for Joseph to obey the Lord.  Would anybody believe the story about how this child was conceived?  Everyone would think their child was conceived out-of-wedlock.  Joseph put everything on the line:  his reputation in the community, his successful carpentry business, and his relationships with his family and with his friends.

A few months later, Joseph had another dream.  An angel told him to go live inEgyptfor awhile.  He had never been toEgypt.  It was a foreign country.  He had no family inEgypt.  He had no business contacts.  He couldn’t speak Egyptian.  How would he provide for his family?  But once again, Joseph demonstrated great courage.

A few years later, Joseph had another dream.  An angel told him to go back toNazareth.  Imagine the town gossip when Joseph and Mary showed up in their home-town again.  Imagine the scorn and humiliation they must have endured.  Imagine how difficult it must have been to rebuild his carpentry business after a long absence and a tainted reputation.  But once again, Joseph obeyed God with tremendous courage and faith.

What if God asked you to lay everything on the line for Him?  What if the Lord asked you to sacrifice your livelihood or your reputation for Him?  What if He asked you to step out of your comfort zone and talk to your family or your friends about Jesus Christ?  Would you have the courage to follow the Lord? 

We need a lot more “Joseph’s” in our world today!  Will you be a Joseph?

Dear Heavenly Father,
You use ordinary people like Joseph to do extraordinary things.
I’m an ordinary person, too.  But I’m available for Your Kingdom work.
Give me the courage to do whatever You ask me to do.
Here I am, Lord.  Use me!
In Jesus’ name, Amen!