Giving Thanks for Jesus!

Jesus Christ is coming! Get excited! Jesus is coming. Many generations waited for the news that Jesus Christ would be born. Prophets told us so much about our Messiah in our Holy Scriptures. The prophets have given us a lot of news about our coming Messiah who will be born in a few weeks. Do you realize how fortunate we are that we will be alive for the birth of Jesus Christ?

Imagine waiting for Jesus to be born! Generations have anticipated that the Messiah will be born. We are so blessed. Patience has never been one of my virtues. I am thankful that I don’t have to wait for Jesus to be born. We’ve lived our whole lives with the promise of Jesus Christ. The prophets foretold about Jesus to generations and now Jesus Christ will be born in a few days.

Jesus will be born in a manger in the city of David. He will be born of the Virgin Mary. Now, we can embrace the son of God and the son of Man as our Messiah. Will we get distracted by all of the Christmas lights, holiday shopping and even Christmas programs this year? Are we trying to find a gift that we can take to our Messiah or are we wondering what gift we will receive this year?

Jesus is the best present that we can hope for during our lifetime. This Advent Season is a time of preparation. Let us prepare our hearts and our minds for the reality that Jesus Christ is coming. He will be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2) He will be called Immanuel, “God with Us.” (Isaiah 7:14)

God has tried all kinds of things to reach us and to redeem us. Now, he is sending his only son, Jesus Christ, to walk this earth. Jesus will preach and teach us the mysteries of the gospel. Jesus will ask us to follow him and to worship him and to serve him. Some people will hear and see Jesus and yet not believe. Will we believe without seeing Jesus? Will we need to see signs, miracles, and wonders before we believe?

The news that Jesus Christ will be born is like the taste of the sweetest candy. I remember daydreaming about Atomic Fireballs, Red Hots, and big gum balls when I was about seven years old. The Atomic Fireballs were in a big jar at the general store in my grandmother’s hometown of St. George, Georgia. The counter had a whole line of jars with candy in a variety of colors.

We spent a lot of time thinking about the joy of the Atomic Fireball candy in our mouths. The candy was in clear wrappers so that the kids could see what we were missing. We spent a lot of time describing each jar and the amazing candy that was contained inside of each one. We talked about whether the Atomic Fireballs or the Red Hots were the hottest in your mouth. We talked about which gum could make the biggest bubbles or stay juicy the longest.

We were always talking about candy especially when we weren’t able to eat the Atomic Fireballs. We knew that one day we would be able to save up enough dimes and nickels to buy some of those Atomic Fireballs. We were so excited about something that was sweet and yet would be gone in a few minutes. I didn’t spend my summers daydreaming about the birth of Jesus Christ. Why didn’t I spend a little energy to prepare for the day that Jesus Christ would come into my life?

Can you believe that people used to daydream about the Messiah like I did about the candy? Many of the prophets would tell stories about the coming of the son of God. They would describe all of the wonderful things that Jesus would do when he came to this world. Each story told us more about Jesus Christ. Each story was like each piece of Atomic Fireball candy in one of the jars. We talked about how great the candy was when we couldn’t afford to buy any. We knew we had to save up the money to buy the candy. The people waiting for Jesus knew they had to wait until God was ready to give us his son.

God will FREELY give us his son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is a freely gift. We don’t have to save up our dimes, nickels, or even dollars to pay for the sweet taste of our Lord and Savior. We just have to go to Jesus. They tell us that a star will shine brightly in the night sky that will lead us to Jesus Christ when he is born. Will you come with me to see the Virgin Mary and the baby lying in a manger in swaddling clothes? What gifts can we bring?

King David was promised that Jesus Christ would be born from his family tree. In Isaiah 9:6-7, Jesus will be called “the mighty God, the everlasting Father and the heir to the throne of King David.” Abraham was told that Jesus would be one of his children’s children one day (Genesis 12:3). Jesus is coming to fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah, Micah, Hosea, Malachi, Zechariah, Daniel, Jeremiah and even Samuel. Even the scriptures in Psalm, Deuteronomy, Genesis, and Exodus tell part of the story of who Jesus will be and what he will do for us as our Messiah.

As Jesus lives of this earth he will fulfill these prophecies. He is the only one who will be able do all of things that the prophets foretold about the Son of God. Jesus Christ is coming. Jesus Christ wants to be part of our lives. Will we open hearts and open our minds to make room for Jesus this Advent Season?

The prophet Jeremiah explained in Jeremiah 23:1-2 the problems that are in the world today: “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. ² Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the LORD.” God decided that it was necessary to give us Jesus Christ his only son because the world is so messed up.

In Jeremiah 23:3-4 God promises that he will gather the believers together: “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. ⁴ I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD.”

Now, the next verses in Jeremiah 23:5-6 give us the promise of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah tells us “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. ⁶ In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior.”

Jesus is our savior. It is through the birth and his death on the cross that we experience God’s grace and salvation. Our salvation is a free gift. Our salvation is a gift that is so much better than anything that we will find under the Christmas tree this year.

The scripture from Colossians 1:3-20 gives thanks that we have faith in Jesus Christ and that our love and hope is stored up in heaven. Let’s read the scripture from Colossians 1:3-7 (NIV) that is talking about you. “ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— ⁵ the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel ⁶ that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. ⁷ You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ⁸ and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.”

Jesus Christ is coming! The gospel is bearing fruit and growing in Franklin County, Virginia, and the whole world. The prayer in Colossians is that we truly understand God’s grace. God’s grace is shown in the birth of Jesus Christ. We are here to experience that birth once again this Christmas season. Don’t let the hectic pace of this season distract you from the knowledge of the true message of the gospel that Jesus Christ was born as a gift for our lives here on earth and our eternal lives with God in heaven.

It takes prayer to transform and to change us. Colossians 1:9-20 continues “⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, ¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

“¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

We have a joy to share with the nations. Jesus Christ is coming not just for you and me, but for the whole world. It is up to us to spread the news that Jesus Christ is the true this Thanksgiving and Christmas Season. We have so much to be thankful for this year. The gift of Jesus in just a few weeks is the ultimate gift that we are urged to share with as many people as possible. There are people in this world who need the faith, hope, and love that is the promise of the Christ child. The love of Jesus Christ can perform miracles in our lives and in lives that still needs to open the present that God gave to all of us if we just open the Bible and read the stories that promised that the Messiah would come to this world and redeem us from our sins. Jesus Christ is coming to you this year in just a few weeks. Prepare your hearts and your mind to embrace a child who will change this world for all of eternity. Amen!

Return Hate with Love

We are not born with hate in our hearts. We are born with love in our hearts. We are created by the love of Jesus Christ. We experience the love from a mother to her child. We learn about the warmth of a hug and the sweetness of a kiss as we grow. An infant is too busy eating and sleeping to learn about hate. Hate has to wait to get a foothold in a person’s life.

I saw Pastor Jason Bryant’s eight pound baby girl at the New Hope UMC yard sale yesterday. She is almost one month old. The infant knows that she is loved by her mother and father, but she doesn’t know that she is supposed to hate people because they worship in a different way or the color of their skin. She will have to learn about hate from TV, friends and even the internet.

God told Moses in Leviticus 19:17-18 (NIV) “Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”

It has been nine years since the planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in New York on September 11, 2001. We learned that members of Al Qaeda took over the planes so that they could use them as missiles to inflict fear and terror into the hearts of Americans. They also wanted to hurt and kill as many people as possible. Most of all, they wanted to plant the seeds of hate.

The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia wrote this article today:

“Police sent reinforcements on Saturday to separate angry activists gathered outside the US church where Korans were to be burned, even though the church's controversial pastor called off the event.

Signs in red letters stating that "Islam is of the Devil" are still posted outside the Dove World Outreach Evangelical Church, but a large sign announcing that some 200 Korans would be set ablaze on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks was taken down.

After a back-and-forth lasting several days, the church's firebrand pastor, Terry Jones, said on Saturday his church will not burn the Korans. "We will definitely not burn the Koran, no," Jones, who was in New York, told NBC television. "Not today, not ever."

The mere threat of torching the Muslim holy book triggered riots and protests around the world - and attracted supporters and opponents to his tiny church in north-central Florida.”

The Bible wants us to love one another instead of spreading hate. 1 Peter 3:8-18 (NRSV) explains “8 Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing. 10 For "Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; 11 let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." 13 Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?”

“14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God's will, than to suffer for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God.”

How do we have unity of spirit with people that don’t understand that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World? God created all of us. God loves all of his children. God’s spirit and God’s love is available to all. We need to understand why people hate and have lost hope to the point that they are willing to commit suicide and kill other people at the same time.

I stood on the second story of the school in the slums of Kumasi a few years ago. I looked out over the slums to the houses of the very poor. Those children want an education and to learn. The children will have hope for the future if they are able to get an education. If someone shows that they care, the children will do everything possible to return that love and concern. It is very hard for the seed of hate to take root where faith, hope and love have sprouted. Those children can become terrorists or share the love of Jesus Christ. We have a part to play in that decision.

The seed of fear was planted in my heart after September 11^th. I believed what I read in the newspaper and heard on the network and cable news programs. I was lucky. I didn’t have any Muslim friends and neighbors so I could rest easy, I thought. I still worried about the parts of the world that had Muslims because it must be a terrible place because the people hate so much.

God has a sense of humor. God sent me to work with Muslims in Ghana. God made me go to face my fears. I had to meet Muslims. Now, I have friends that are Muslim. It is hard to hate Muslims when you know their name and you respect their faith and their life.

They know that I am a Christian by my love. I remember going into a village called Kpalbe (paul bee). I realized that the whole village was Muslim. I was the only Christian in that village. They knew that I was a Christian. I knew that they were Muslim. I wondered what they would do. We were installing a mechanized water system to make the water safe for their children to drink. The water would be free of a terrible parasite called the guinea worm.

Guess what happened? The chief and elders welcomed me into the village. The children were laughing and playing in a mud puddle just like kids back home in America would do. The kids smiled and laughed. The parents loved their children just like American parents do. The parents wanted their children to be healthy just like American parents do. I began to realize that we had more in common that I ever knew.

On my last mission trip to Ghana in August 2010, I met with the pastors and assistant pastors of the churches in Bugiya, Sagadugu, Nabari, and Diani. They wanted to know how they could become Methodist pastors because they knew that I am a Methodist pastor here at New Hope UMC. I told them that I would work on finding an answer. I also offered to pray for each of the pastors. We took turns praying for each other and anointing our foreheads with oil.

A Muslim businessman came up while we were praying in the lobby of my guesthouse. He asked if we would pray for him and bless him, too. We smiled and told him that we were praying and anointing in the name of Jesus Christ. He told us that it was okay. He just wanted people to like him and to use him as their general contractor when they built a home or business. I anointed his forehead with oil and prayed that he would be liked and that his business would be blessed in the name of Jesus Christ.

A Muslim engineer wrote me this past year and said that he wanted to become a Christian because he admired the work that I did. He basically saw me walking the walk instead of talking the talk. We dig wells and drill for boreholes in the poorest places and where the most people are sick. The poorest places many times are the Muslim villages. We go to help their children have a healthier life.

I preach in many Muslim villages. I don’t tell them that they are wrong. I preach about the love of Jesus Christ. I preach from John 1 and John 3. I tell the gospel stories of Jesus. I tell about God’s grace that saved even me. I share the stories of grace, faith, hope and love. I tell them the stories because God loved me first and now I want to share those stories with as many people as possible.

Our driver on the trip was a devote Muslim. We were in Ghana during Ramadan. I asked him about praying fives a day. We talked about fasting. We talked about the ritual needed before someone can enter the mosque to pray. We shared a room for several nights on the trip. He had to get up at 5 AM to pray and to eat breakfast before the sun came up. He was quiet, but I still woke up some morning to hear him praying. His faithfulness inspired me to pray to God as well. He inspired me because he was faithful and he worked very hard to drive us to visit all of our wells and to drive us to our Christian church services on time. He knew that I was a Christian by my love of his people and my desire that they have a better life. God touched my heart years ago and I will not be the same.

I went up to Washington, DC and Baltimore this week for two reasons. First, I went up to visit Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Tuesday and Wednesday to visit David Smith’s son, Dave and his buddy, Mark Holden. I felt a need to visit with both men and their families as well as offer a time to pray. Both men are seriously injured and they are still in the intensive care unit. I explained that I was the pastor here at New Hope UMC where Dave’s dad plays the piano. I had a great visit with Dave on Wednesday. I was nervous about going. I didn’t know if I’d have the right words to say or be brave enough to offer to pray with them. God took care of the details after I made it there.

I also went to Baltimore between visits at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to meet with people to ask them to help give people water to drink in Africa and to help get rid of a flesh eating disease called Buruli Ulcer. The people thought that it was a big risk to say that we could make a difference with the flesh eating disease because we don’t know how people get sick. I explained that I’ve looked people in the eye in a village where they were sick and promised that I would bring back bandages and medical supplies and find ways for them to recover from this terrible disease. These people need hope and faith in the future. We can be part of the answer to give them that hope and faith.

I am officially paid to be your pastor 25% of my time. I spend the other 75% of my time trying to raise money for wells and medical awareness, education, and supplies in Ghana. This week, it was hard because I felt that I needed to travel to pray for a son of our church family who I had never met. I also felt that I needed to try to get people to want to do the impossible. I wanted them to believe that we could impact a neglected tropical disease in a remote part of Africa. I also spend time encouraging the four churches that we started in Ghana. I’m also a husband and father. I need to find a way to accomplish more and still take a day off for a Sabbath each week.

My heart is torn. I want to serve you the best that I can as your pastor, but I also feel that I need to tell the story that people are thirsty and sick in Africa. I need help on my faith journey. It would be easier to hate people that I do not know and to only look where it is easy to see. It is hard to be comfortable when people need hope and faith in the future.

The way that we seek peace is to share the love and peace of Jesus Christ. Not with hate, but with hope. I believe God has given me the task of sharing hope with a cup of water, a place to worship, and a promise that children may grow up healthier than their parents.

I don’t have all of the answers. I just know that hating others doesn’t work. Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:38-45 by saying “Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' 39 Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. 40 If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, gift wrap your best coat and make a present of it. 41 And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life.42 No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. 43 "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' 44 I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, 45 for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.”

We are responding to God’s call in my life to make a difference. We need to love our enemies with all of our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength. We need our enemies to bring out the best in us, not the worst. Muslims are not the enemy. People are trying to plant seeds of hate that will grow and expand, but it is up to use whether we repay hate with love. We must love the Lord and love our neighbor as our self. Our neighbor is anyone who is in need here at home and around the world. It is hard to hate our neighbor when they have a face and a name and children that laugh and play in a mud puddle. Go out and find someone who is different than you and turn them into your neighbor. Amen.

Can We Believe, Too?

It is time to hear the message that God sent to Mary using his messenger, Gabriel. God wanted us to know that he was sending his son, Jesus Christ, to be the savior of this world and to give us the gift of salvation and eternal life. Rejoice! Open our hearts and minds to understand the story that was told so long ago.

Would you believe if you were told God is with you? Would you believe if were you were told that the impossible is possible? Would you believe if you were told that something that can’t be done would happen? Would you believe if you were told that you were highly favored by God? Would you believe it if I told you all of those things were true? Would you believe it if an angel appeared to you and told you? Would you believe? Would you be afraid or would you have faith and believe?

Isaiah 12:5 encourages us to “5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all of the world.” We are singing many songs to about the glorious event foretold in the scripture from Luke today. The whole Christmas story hinges on us understanding the announcement that Gabriel made to Mary.

Would you think that you were sleeping if an angel said hello? How would you tell your fiancé that you saw an angel today? How would tell your fiancé that you were going to have a baby and it wouldn’t be from the usual way? That is the situation that Mary faced in our scripture today.

We’ve celebrated a lot of women of the Bible this year. Ruth stayed faithful to her mother-in-law and believed in God. Hannah stayed faithful even when she couldn’t have children. Hannah waited her entire life for a child and still believed in God.

The Virgin Mary is very young in our story. She is just starting her teenage life. Mary had no plans for children yet. She wasn’t even married to Joseph. They probably hadn’t set the date to be married. She was pledged to Joseph when her life changed forever.

The story starts in Luke 1:26-28 at the same time when Mary’s cousin Elizabeth is six months pregnant. It says “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

We learn a lot about Mary very quickly. She is pledged or betrothed to Joseph. A pledge to marry or betrothal is different from our modern idea of being engaged. Mary and Joseph were pledged to each other probably by their parents. It could be a long time between the pledge and when they would actually get married. Mary learned that she was highly favored by God. God highly favored Moses, King David and the prophets. God’s favor allows things to happen with God’s help that would not happen otherwise. She also learned that God was with her. We can have God’s favor as well.

I doubt if Mary ever expected to meet the angel Gabriel. The term angel comes from the Greek word angelos meaning “a messenger.” The only angels with names in the Bible are Gabriel and Michael. Gabriel’s name can be translated “strong man of God.” Gabriel is also described in the book of Daniel as being able to help Daniel understand visions. Gabriel was also trying to help Mary understand God’s plan for her.

Gabriel’s interaction with Daniel is described in Daniel 9:21-22 (Amplified Bible). Daniel tells about Gabriel “Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the former vision, being caused to fly swiftly, came near to me and touched me about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22He instructed me and made me understand; he talked with me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give you skill and wisdom and understanding.” Daniel understood that Gabriel was not man, but an angel. Gabriel was there give skill, wisdom, and understanding to Daniel and later to Mary and finally to us.

In Luke 1:29-33, Gabriel is trying to reassure Mary that she is favored by God and that she should not be afraid. It says “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

Gabriel moved from trying to make Mary feel safe to telling Mary that she is going to have God’s son. Did you hear that? Mary is going to be pregnant with God’s son! Mary is told to name the future baby boy Jesus. Wow! Gabriel said a lot very quickly. Gabriel connected Jesus back to King David who was promised that Jesus would be born from King David’s family tree. Gabriel also told Mary that Jesus would rule forever and that Jesus would have an everlasting kingdom that would not know any limits.

Now, we know that Mary was human by her next question in verse 34: “34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" Gabriel looked like a man, but he had a powerful presence when he spoke to Mary. Mary understood that a woman could not be a virgin and be pregnant at the same time. This is the impossible part. Mary was asking how the impossible could be possible. Mary realized that she would have to tell her family and her fiancé Joseph. She better be able to explain how the impossible becomes fact.

The angel answered in Luke 1:35-37, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God."

Gabriel’s answer is the key to understanding how to be used by God. He tells Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon you. The Holy Spirit is where the power is found. We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Immaculate Conception is quickly explained by the power of the Most High overshadowing Mary. Gabriel also tells Mary that Elizabeth is six months pregnant with a child who would grow up to be John the Baptist. Gabriel also ends by telling Mary a wonderful fact: “For nothing is impossible with God."

Nothing is impossible if we have God in our life. Mary’s cousin Elizabeth had been barren her entire life. It was a well known fact that it was impossible for Elizabeth to ever have children. Now, Gabriel is telling Mary that two impossible events would be happening: 1) Elizabeth was having a child and 2) Mary was going to have God’s son, Jesus.

Mary’s answer sets a wonderful example for us to follow. She says in Luke 1:38 “I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.” Mary had the sense to believe that God could make the impossible come true. Can we tell God today that we are God’s servant and that we will live our lives according to God’s plan for us?

Gabriel’s job as God’s messenger was to make confusing and complex ideas easy to grasp. He basically told Mary that all things are possible with God. Gabriel also told Mary that the Holy Spirit was our personal connection to God. Gabriel also explained that Jesus would be the Son of God and also the Son of Man. Gabriel foretold that Jesus would rule this world forever.

Philipians 4:4-9 says to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Rejoice! The birth of Jesus Christ is near. We are his people and he is our God. Gabriel came to us to tell us about the birth of Jesus Christ. Gabriel is our messenger that we should celebrate and rejoice that Jesus Christ is in our lives. We need to pray and petition God when we are sad or fearful. God will bring peace to us if we just ask. Philipians 4 is commanding us to think about that conversation between the angel Gabriel and Mary. It is also telling us to give thanks when we pray. I believe in thanking God before the prayer is answered. We also need to spend time thinking about what God’s message is for us today. Rejoice! Jesus Christ is coming into our lives. Jesus Christ is renewing our hearts, minds, and souls. God is asking us to take action just like Mary agreed to do.

We also must guard our hearts and minds to keep the fear and doubt of this world out. We need to allow the faith and belief in Jesus Christ to enter our hearts and minds. We must think thoughts that are true, pure, and admirable. We must also take action just like Mary did that day. She didn’t just listen to Gabriel. Mary took action. She listened, she questioned, she believed and she said “May it be to me as you have said.”

God gave us a wonderful gift many years ago. God is also renewing the gift of Jesus Christ is our lives today. Let us sing with joy and praise that Jesus Christ is born in our hearts. Isaiah 12:2-6 promises us a celebration to have Jesus Christ in our lives.

Isaiah 12:2-6 says “2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all of the world. 6Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great are the Holy One of Israel among you."

Water has a special place in God’s story and my own story. The well verse could be talking about my life. “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” It makes me think about a source of water without end that provides us with God’s salvation. That source of water without end is Jesus Christ! Let us sing to the Lord that he has done glorious things and let the world hear this year that Jesus Christ is born on Christmas Day! Let us shout aloud and sing for joy that Jesus Christ is our gift of salvation and that gift of salvation will flow out of a well that does not run dry.


It is time to hear the message that God sent to Mary using his messenger, Gabriel. God wanted us to know that he was sending his son, Jesus Christ, to be the savior of this world and to give us the gift of salvation and eternal life. Let us pray to God to understand the message that he sent for us to receive that an infant would be born in Bethlehem. Rejoice! Jesus Christ is alive in our hearts! Open our hearts and let the gift of the Christ child be born again into our lives. Amen!

Giving the Best Gift

This week we are talking about giving the gift of Jesus Christ to our family and friends. God promised the gift of Jesus Christ to King David. Last week we learned about celebrating the gift of Jesus Christ. Today, we are going to talk about the gift of Jesus Christ and share it with the world.

Are you like me at Christmas? We buy a few really good Christmas presents. We find places to hide the presents in our home. I put some of the presents in my attic or in my dresser or in my closet under clothes that I don’t wear anymore. The hiding places are so good that I almost can’t find the presents on Christmas Eve.

We hide the really good presents that God gives us, too. The gift of Jesus Christ is hidden deep in our heart. We risk not even opening the gift of Jesus Christ on Christmas morning. The gift of Jesus Christ is hidden in our closet under some unused clothing, too. We have good plans to find that most precious present and give it to our friends and family, but we get distracted.

We can’t find the most precious present at Wal-Mart, the dollar stores, Target or at the shopping malls. The most precious gift cannot be purchased. The most precious gift is free. God gave his only son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross so that the price for our salvation would be free. The most precious gift can’t be found under a Christmas tree unless we remember that Christ is inside of our Christmas tree.

I’ve had a lot of conversations this week about the gift of Jesus Christ. There are so many people who are experiencing trials and tribulations. Susan and I have our share of heartache and pain. I’m mourning the death of my brother-in-law, Dave Haldaman. It was a reminder to me that life is very short and precious. The funeral service was a wonderful celebration of Dave’s life preached by Rev. Brad Dulaney.

In Matthew 11:25-30 Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” “29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Jesus is offering in Matthew 11:29 to take our heavy burdens, our fears, our pain, and our heartache. My lovely wife Susan, loves the translation from the Message for Matthew 28-30: 28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

We are worn out because we’ve tried to handle all of the problems of this world by ourselves. Jesus Christ will give us a real rest. Jesus Christ can take all of our burdens and troubles off of our shoulders. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. Walking with Jesus Christ is the way to learn the unforced rhythms of grace. If the troubles of this world are getting you down, you need the unforced rhythms of grace in your life.
I’ve told several people this week that it is much easier if we have God at the center of our lives. In our weakness, God makes us strong. God can make our lives so much better than it is without him. Last Sunday, I had an unexpected “God moment.” I had a lot of business after church. We talked about the Pastor and Parrish Relations Committee business. We talked about decorating the church for Christmas. I talked about driving a friend to Bedford to accomplish a long awaited goal.

The church was almost empty last Sunday when someone asked me to listen. The person told me about all of the troubles and heartache that the family is experiencing. I listened. I felt the family’s pain as I heard the story. My heartache is different, but the same. We talked until all of the pain was out on the table. It was at that moment I said that their family needed Jesus Christ in their life. The troubles and heartaches are too great to handle without Jesus Christ.

I talked with my friend about the unforced rhythms of grace. I asked if the person had been baptized and I was told the answer was yes. I learned that they were living and walking alone. They weren’t walking with Jesus by their side. They had forgotten to include Jesus in their life. The problems in their life were so heavy that the weight was bringing them so much pain.

I realized that the person needed to be anointed with oil. I looked in my Bible case and bag for my anointing oil, but couldn’t find it. We were sitting at the kitchen at New Hope UMC so I reached for the vegetable oil on the counter. I poured some of the vegetable oil into a cup. I took the oil and anointed the person’s forehead with oil in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I asked that the family who had been waiting outside the kitchen door to come in. They laid their hands on their loved ones shoulder.
I said a simple prayer for the love of Jesus Christ to cover the person and their family. I asked God to take their burdens. I asked for their fear and worry to be replaced with faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Fear cannot exist if we place our trust in the faith of Jesus Christ. Worry is unnecessary if we believe that Jesus can carry our burdens because we will receive the grace of Jesus Christ in our lives.

It was an ordinary prayer up until the moment that I stopped praying. It was at that time that the Holy Spirit took over. We experienced exactly what Romans 8:26 assures us. “In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Holy Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” The Holy Spirit prayed with such power and might that we all felt God’s presence with us. We felt God’s love in a powerful and wonderful way.

The person who came to talk was transformed. The broken person was made whole with a wonderful pouring of the Holy Spirit’s love over our bodies and our hearts. It felt like we were under a waterfall except the waterfall had been changed into a waterfall of God’s love. We were drenched in God’s love. We felt God’s assurance that he would lift the burdens from our shoulders and carry not only our burdens but also us. Wow!

The name Emmanuel is used a lot during Christmas time. It is translated into English as “God is with us.” God was with us as we prayed. God is real. God was truly with us as we prayed for him to take the heartache and our burdens from our shoulders and shower us with God’s grace.

We experienced Christmas yesterday at the high school. Wayne, Jewel, Dakota, Irene, Milton, and I packaged meals along with about three hundred and fifty people. It felt like Christmas. We are feeding people around the world. If we help others, it is easier for us to forget our troubles. If we help others, we continue on our walk with Jesus Christ.

Do you realize that God is present in a powerful way at our church? We’ve celebrated baptism in a wonderful and magnificent way. People are being transformed because they are coming back to God. We are willing to turn our lives over to Jesus Christ. Last Sunday’s experience after church is another confirmation that something amazing is happening to us.

It is time to bring our family back to church. Joshua said that he and his family would worship the Lord. It is time for us to make the same promise to dedicate our families to God. I am asking you to pray for your family members who are not in church. I am asking you to pray with faith for your family members who have moved away from God.

It is time to experience a harvest. In Luke 10:2, Jesus tells us "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” It is time for us to live these words. The harvest field in America is plentiful. There are many people who are hurting right now. Why don’t we give them the gift that will help them overcome their problems? Why don’t we give them the gift of Jesus Christ?

We have so many family and friends who don’t have a personal relationship with God. Can we make a prayer list of our family and friends who need to have God in their lives? I’ve been inspired by Richard’s walk with Jesus this year. He shows us what is possible when we just give God thirty days. Let’s give our families the gift of Jesus Christ for the next thirty days to celebrate Christmas. The gift of Jesus Christ is a present that we need to give to everyone that we know and love.

I’ve seen a country hit rock bottom and turn to Jesus Christ. I’ve also seen a person hit rock bottom and turn to Jesus Christ. The result is nothing short of a miracle. The impossible becomes possible. The heartache and pain turns into faith and joy. We have the best gift to give to our friends and family this Christmas season. It is a free gift that can be given over and over again. In fact, the more we give the gift of Jesus Christ, the more that Jesus Christ is real in us.

I feel God in amazing ways when I pray and when I preach. I feel God flow through my body when I lay hands on someone to pray. It is like being in heaven for a few moments during that prayer because we are in the full and complete presence of God. I want everyone to experience God in that way. God has given us a wonderful gift if we just accept it in our heart.

I tell stories about God in Africa because that was where I saw God work in amazing ways. Now, we are seeing God work in amazing ways in our lives right here at home. Our scripture tells us that God will give us the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We can feel God in ways that are beyond our imagination when we are willing to be used to serve God with our gifts and talents.

Philippians 1:3-11 was written by the Apostle Paul, but it is my prayer for you today. “3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

“7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”

I know that the work that God has started in each of you will grow until we see the fruits of the Holy Spirit in you. The heartache and pain will be a distant memory. Faith, hope, love, and joy will be what you remember. It will be difficult to remember the hard times because God’s blessings and joy will overcome the dark and painful times.

In John 16:33, Jesus tells us “33"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Jesus promises us peace, love, and joy. We must have Jesus Christ at the center of our lives. We also have a responsibility to share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone that we know and love. We have a gift in our heart that we must also give to the least and the lost.

Please remember to wrap the gift of Jesus Christ today. Give the gift of Jesus Christ to everyone that you know and even those that you don’t know yet. Our fears and worries will be taken by Jesus. Jesus will carry us on our journey when we are weak. Our pain will be replaced with dancing and singing of God’s praises. If we realize that Jesus is the best gift that we can give, why haven’t we given the gift of Jesus Christ to all mankind yet?

“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 Jesus Christ has commanded you; and lo, Jesus Christ is with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen!” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Celebrate Promise of Jesus Christ

Last week, we learned that God promised Jesus to King David and the world. Today, we are celebrating the promise of Jesus Christ. The promise of Jesus Christ lives inside each and every one of us. We must discover the promise of Jesus Christ in our heart. God is there. Open your heart and find him.

I want to celebrate the promise of Jesus Christ by telling part of my personal story. I didn’t always realize or see that the promise of Jesus Christ was inside of me. I want to tell you my story. I can see the promise of Jesus Christ now looking back on my life. I wish I had seen the promise of Jesus Christ at each milestone.

Now, I see the promise and we are here to celebrate that Jesus Christ was promised to each one of us.
There were many people in my life as I was growing up who shared their love of Jesus Christ with me. I now see how God shaped my life. God had a plan all along. It was my choice whether I took God’s path or my own. I even see how adversity helped me. God was shaping and forming me. God was preparing me for when I would be ready for me to serve him.

God made provisions for me. I graduated with a Marketing degree from Virginia Tech in 1983. That’s the year that the unemployment rate was as high as it is now. I didn’t have the right education for the job at Mobil so I told them that I could learn and work really hard. I got a great job as a programmer analyst at Mobil Oil. I had a lot of jobs at Mobil Oil that groomed me for better jobs to come. Mobil Oil was a wonderful company with great people and challenging work to do.

I worked there for almost ten years when the people I admired the most at Mobil were getting laid off. My last boss at Mobil made my life miserable enough that I wanted to quit. I had no idea where I was going to work. I just knew that it was time for me to look for a new job. Now, I owe my old boss so much for making me want to continue on my life journey. I had the faith to leave Mobil Oil without a job so that I could find the job that God wanted for me.

There are times when we need to continue to grow and change, but we are comfortable doing what we’ve always done. It took months before I found a small company that no one knew called America Online. I was hired as a programmer analyst in the Marketing Information Systems department to support the marketing, billing, and customer care computer systems. I became the liaison for AOL’s relationship with Apple Computer.

I realize now that I was a firefighter at America Online. I had different titles, but I was a problem solver. I was given stock in the company every time that I put out a fire at AOL. I was trusted for my advice. I was trusted that I could take lemons and turn the problems into lemonade. I was learning that I could be thrown at any problem and be able to handle it.

I wasn’t the best programmer, but I had the skill to talk in a way that was understood by the most technical folks and also the business people. My communication skills enabled me to cross a great divide to get things done. I think God gave me that skill to be able to talk to vastly different people in a way that made me useful at AOL and later in Africa.

I had fun working on the international online service in a castle in Gütersloh, Germany. I also spent a lot of time in Cupertino, California working on the online service that Apple Computer wanted. I went into the building where the first Apple McIntosh personal computer was designed and built. I lived history as it was being written. I worked with the most amazing and dedicated people at AOL. My job was a dream. I loved it because we were building the internet without knowing how before we tried to overcome every new challenge.

In late 1998, I felt like I had done the things that I wanted to do at AOL. I had put out most of the fires that I could put out. I was restless. I called Dad and asked him if I could retire. Dad asked what I planned to do after I retired. I told him that I did not know. He told me that I had to keep working until I figured out what I’d do when “I grew up.” Luckily for me, AOL laid me off so I didn’t have to face Dad.

I retired at the age of thirty-eight in early 1999. I realized that I no longer needed to work for my family and I. I slowly realized over time that I was working for God instead. I didn’t know what my “God job” would be, but I knew that my life would never be the same. I would be the steward of the resources that God entrusted me to manage. My new employer was God.

Later in 1999, I read the scripture from Luke 12:48b “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” I am blessed by God with my wife, Susan and our four children. I realized I had been given a special family and financial wealth. I knew that God would demand much from me. I began by praying to God what he asked in return.

Joshua was very adamant that we must choose the right path for ourselves and our family. I believe in what Joshua stated in Joshua 24:15 “but if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

I didn’t know how my family and I would serve the Lord, but my heart was in the right place. We went to church and did the usual church stuff. We were busy in the church, but we hadn’t found the promise of Jesus. We found a Sunday school class called Cornerstone that taught us a lot. We realized that we needed to take in depth Bible studies to continue on our journey.

First, I prayed to God to use me. While I waited for God’s answer, I welcomed mission teams to the Henry Fork Service Center. I took mission teams to help families recover from Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi. The door at Henry Fork Service Center was closing when my work in Africa was opening up.

I was slow to realize that my work was in Africa. The Lord revealed to me that I was to be a missionary. That was not an obvious answer for me. I didn’t plan to work in Africa. God just sent me there. Now, I can’t imagine my life without my work in Africa.

God used me to build classrooms, a kitchen, and a dorm for a school in Kumasi. We’ve built four churches. We’ve baptized people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We’ve preached God’s word. We fixed up a hospital and eye clinic. We’ve dug wells. We’ve reduced water borne illnesses like guinea worm and trachoma. We’ve fed the hungry. We’ve built an orphanage in Zambia. I didn’t do any of these things. God did these things using my hands, my mind, and my voice.

I’m always thinking about the next well to be dug and the next way to make a difference in Africa. God puts the needs of the people heavy on my heart. I never expected to be digging wells in Africa. Jesus Christ said “I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat.” I realized somewhere along the way that it is possible to have the Bible come to life. I write the date in my Bible when I see God’s word come alive for me.

In September 2008, I met with our District Superintendent, Bruce Tuttle, to ask his advice how to better serve God. Bruce told me about New Hope United Methodist Church’s need for a pastor. It is obvious that God had a plan for me to serve you. I did not imagine being a pastor, but God keeps asking me to do things that are beyond my imagination. The amazing thing for me is that I can do whatever he asks with the help and promise of Jesus Christ.

I think small. I think that God will only use me in Ghana. God sends me to Zambia just to show me that he can use me in more than one country in Africa. I think my skills are limited and God surprises me. The key fact is that I am willing to go wherever God sends me. It is the promise of Jesus Christ that moves me to serve. God promised us his son, Jesus Christ. If we just open our hearts to Jesus we can do so much more than we can ever imagine.

God expands my work whenever I think that I can only do what I’m doing. God gets upset with me because I’ve limited what he can do through me. At that moment, God tells me that I haven’t seen anything yet. He’s right. The next journey God sends me on is so awesome that my jaw drops to the floor. I never thought we could pray and God could use us to answer that prayer.

Okay. Yes, I was able to retire at a fairly young age. My family and I had a choice to make. Would we serve the material gods of this world or would we serve God? It is the same question posed by Joshua. We choose to serve God. I’ve tried to live under the radar of gossip and just be just a guy raising a family, but I have a story to tell.

In 1 Chronicles 4:10, it tells about a man named Jabez. “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.”

God’s favor and protection has also been with me. I’ve known spiritual attack while being in Africa and here at home. I am here today because God has kept me safe while I was doing my work. We just have to call for help in the name of Jesus Christ. I’ve learned so much about God by just calling on him. Try it!

“This is what the Lord says in Jeremiah 33:2-3, “He who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it--the Lord is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' I learned I had ulcerative colitis when I was 25 years old. It was hard to work in Africa with such a bad disease. I asked God to take away ulcerative colitis so I would be able to work in Ghana. God took the incurable disease away so I could work. Now, when I have a checkup with my doctor we talk about how great God is instead talking about an incurable disease.

Jeremiah 33:14-15 brings up the promise of Jesus Christ. These verses say "'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 'In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land.’”

Did you realize that we are the fulfillment of Jesus Christ? We are living the gracious promise that Jeremiah described when we invite Jesus into our lives. We need to remember that Jesus Christ was born, crucified, died, and rose on the third day. We also need to remember that Jesus Christ is alive today and he will come again to this world. We are created in the image of God so it is reasonable to realize that are the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to serve us so we should also serve.

Carolyn Rakes asked me recently what I do during the day. My day is packed. I try to spend time each day praying and writing part of our Sunday sermon. My goal is to be able someday to get the sermon done before Saturday. Writing the sermon and printing the bulletin takes a lot more than the theoretical ten hours a week for a part-time pastor. My goal is to visit every member of our church. I’ll get the job done one of these days.

I’ve enjoyed working on the addition when I’ve had time. There’s joy in being knee deep in mud together. I believe the men of our church are stronger and closer because we get dirty together. I don’t have a lot of building expertise, but I like mud! The amazing thing is God uses me to build churches and schools even though that is one of my weaknesses.

I belong to a lot of boards. I’ve been on the General Board of Global Ministries for the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church for about five years. I’ve been on the Board of Trustees at Ferrum College for one year. I’m the Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout troop. I just stepped down from the Franklin County Parks and Recreation Department Board. I’m also on the W.W. Naff, Jr. /Rocky Mount Rotary Club Foundation which awards a scholarship to a Franklin County High School graduate going to Ferrum College.

I’m also President of the Rocky Mount Rotary Club. I’m also Treasurer of the high school Band Boosters.
These organizations promote missions, educate college students, provide college scholarships, build parks for families and children, help children play in the band, and build boys into men. I never imagined that I would be doing any of these things.

I’m trying to make a difference at home and around the world. I’m emailing, texting, and calling folks in Africa almost every day. We are planning where to dig the next well. I also spoke on Wednesday to the Hollins Rotary Club about the need for clean water in Ghana. I went from speaking about clean water to working on the new steps for our church addition.

The latest clean water grant for Ghana has a budget of over $88,000. The money is raised from Rotarians in Grapevine, Texas to Watertown, New York to Aarau, Switzerland. We have Rotarians in many states and countries around the world working together to raise the money. I’m just the glue that gets it all done. I’m the guy who tells the story. I’m the guy who gets dirty in Africa if work is needed. I’m the guy who goes where God sends me.

All of these projects keep me really busy. I’m also very active as a Dad and father. It is hard to keep up with four wonderful children. Jessica went on Wednesday to package Christmas gifts sent to children overseas in shoe boxes. Missy is planning to go Haiti on a mission trip in January. All of the kids are very active with their faith. They have a stronger faith now than what I did at their age. Missy spent her summer vacation hosting mission teams for Summer Project Youth at Fieldstone UMC.

I do not have all of the answers yet how God is going to use me. Every day is a surprise. My day is full. I keep asking God if I’m doing the right things. I try to stop doing the things that don’t bring me closer to God. I try to open my heart to the promise of Jesus Christ in my life. I also know that I haven’t seen anything yet.

We are wealthy in the promise of Jesus Christ. All that we have and all that we are belong to God. We are just the stewards of God’s blessings. God has blessed us and enlarged our territory. We are not thinking big enough about the people that we can help and the lives that we can touch. Go out into the world and pray the prayer of Joshua for your family to serve the Lord. Go out into world and pray the prayer of Jabez that God will enlarge our territory so we can serve God in ways that we can only imagine right now.

God gave us his only son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the promise for this Christmas season. I’ve unwrapped the gift and promise of Jesus Christ. Open your gift from God and let God do things that you can only imagine today. We will celebrate the promise of Jesus Christ together!