Christmas Advent 2012 Day 4

December 5, 2012 Growing up in Borger, Texas was a unique experience. My dad had played semi-pro baseball for the Borger Gassers in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Needless to say he was known all over town. Whenever I would meet adults, after hearing my last name they would ask two question; “Are you Gilly’s son?” and “Do you play baseball like him?” Needless to say, the rebellious son could never get away with anything because people would always tell on me. If something happened at school, He knew it. If something happened anywhere He knew it. It wasn’t until I was older that I really came to appreciate the heritage of my father. You see his reputation was one of integrity based upon his faith in God. Jesus’ earthly heritage was prophesied to be a king of the House of David. Jeremiah 23:5 says, “Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and act wisely, and shall do judgment and justice in the earth.” All through the history of Israel they looked forward to a coming king who would deliver them from the oppression they had endured for so many years. Looking back we can see that when Jesus was born he had an earthly heritage through Joseph going back to Abraham, according to Matthew, and Adam according to Luke. His birth was a fulfillment of the Hope for all mankind and the one Israel looked forward to. As we look forward to the celebration of Christmas, let us put our Hope and focus upon the one born in the city of David, to the earthly father of his heritage. It’s something to think about.

Christmas Advent 2012 Day 3

December 4, 2012 Do you remember when you found out that you were going to be a parent? And then the long wait for the coming out party. With Those months were some of the longest months as we anticipated the birth of our children. There was that time of preparation of the "Baby's Room". Everything had to be perfect and just the right color, Safety approved bed and toys. It was a time of anticipation and preparation. With our first child, getting to that point of announcement seemed like it was never going to happen. A very unique thing happened with us. We were at the funeral of a very dear member of the church we were serving in. After the service, one of the many favorite people walked up to my wife and told her not to worry that she would be pregnant within a month. And sure enough it happened. Most of the prophecies about the coming Messiah happen within the context of something else that is happening. When God is speaking to the devil in Genesis 3:15 he said, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." The first statement of the coming of the Messiah came during a time when man had disobeyed God by giving in to temptation by the devil. God spoke of the one who would redeem mankind back. All the Old Testament builds toward that great day a baby was born, swaddled and place in a feed trough. In the same way we anticipated and prepared for the birth of our own child; let us make the same preparation for the coming Savior. It’s something to think about.

Christmas Advent 2012 Day 2

December 3, 2012 One Christmas my older brother and I asked for a leather football. It couldn't be rubber or artificial leather it had to be leather. As the presents began appearing under the tree, there was one particular present that caught our eye. It was the one that was the shape of a football box. We were so excited. Every day we would check under the tree to make Shure it wasn't gone, anticipating Christmas morning when we could actually hold it in our hands. One day we were home alone when the anticipation (temptation) got to us. Very carefully we opened the end so as not to tear the paper. There it was a leather football. So we took it out to see how it felt. But the living room isn't the best place to throw a football; so we took it outside. After playing football with neighborhood boys, we very carefully put it back into the box and resealed it till Christmas, living with the anticipation. Christmas morning the first present we wanted to open was that present. When we opened the football box what we found were soap horses for the bathroom. We never saw that football again. But we never peeked again either. God promised Abram in Genesis 12:3 and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed. This was referring to the coming of Jesus. Abraham lived in anticipation of that promise being fulfilled. He lived with his focus and faith upon the promised word of God. Abraham's faith in God is what was counted for his righteousness. As we anticipate Christmas, let's consider our focus and faith in the promises God made and fulfilled in the baby born in the stable. It's something to think about.

Christmas Advent 2012 Day 1

December 2, 2012 The auditorium was almost completely decorated; the wreaths were hung, the garland was up, the Christmon tree decorated, the poinsettias were on the stage steps and each piece of the Nativity was placed on the Communion table. From the congregation came a child's voice saying, "You forgot the baby! You see everything was in place but one thing. It was the baby Jesus. This year as we prepare for the Christmas celebration let's not forget the baby. He is the real reason for this season. The apostle Paul said in Galatians 4:4, "But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that we're under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." It's something to think about.

Walking with God

Before the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, there was a great fellowship. Imagine, God and man walking and talking in the garden. Man’s disobedience toward the word of God to not partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil broke that relationship. But God’s love provided a plan of bringing man back into relationship with Him through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Anyone who will trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord can experience the relationship of walking and talking with God. According to Galatians 4:4-6 “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, coming into being out of a woman, having come under Law, that He might redeem those under Law, so that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Modern King James ). Fifteen minutes with God walking and talking. It’s something to think about.

40 Days of Prayer

Today is the beginning of the days leading up to the celebration of Easter. Some refer to this as the Lenten season which begins with Ash Wednesday, a day of repentance to God. During Lent, many commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxury as a form of penitence.
One of the most precious things that we have is time. There are twenty four hours in a day and 1,440 minutes. During this Lenten season what would happen in our life if for the next forty days “give up” 15 minutes of our day to spend time in prayer and reading the Word of God. It just might be something to think about.

What if?

What if you were told you only had a short time to live, say a week. Would you live it any different? People who have been diagnosed with a terminal disease usually spend time getting their "house in order". They then live as if evey day was their last day to live. For Christians it is living with the anticipation of seeing Jesus face to face and the comfort that brings wth knowing in your mind and heart by faith where you are going.

What if the hand of God wrote in the sky that Jesus was coming back in one week, would it change anything about the way we live? Would it change the way we act and react to our family members? Would it change the way we see other people? Would it change our understanding of who God is and what Jesus Christ did on the cross as the sacrifice to God for our sins?

What if we lived each day as if Jesus was coming back, just like it says in the Bible? It is something to think about.