Tag Archives: Devotional

His Only Christmas Present

Luke 2:25-35 “25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. 34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (KJV).

Every year since salvation I have made a habit of reading through Luke 2 during the Christmas month. I also read this chapter Christmas morning. I believe this is a great way to be reminded of why we celebrate Christmas. While reading the chapter today, I was focused on the word “just” and how it is used to describe Simeon. I embarked on a quick word study; looking for other uses of the word “just”. Here are a few verses:

  1. Jesus spoke the same word in Matthew 13:49 “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just” (KJV).
  2. Pilate used this word to describe Christ in Matthew 27:24 “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it” (KJV).
  3. Herod used this word to describe John the Baptist in Mark 6:20 “For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly” (KJV).

Simeon was a man who lived by faith. A religious man, but he was different from the other religious Jews. Simeon was a prophetic man who was awaiting the coming Messiah. There was obviously something special about Simeon’s faith. I can only speculate, but I believe he was a religious leader who dug deep into the Old Testament writings. He dug so deep that he realized the true meaning of Christmas. Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (KJV).

I can remember how exciting it was counting down until Christmas morning. The excitement would begin a few weeks prior to the big day of opening new toys. But Simeon spent years waiting for this very day; a day he only knew by faith. We know that Christmas will come each year on December 25th and we have time to prepare for the festivities.

Notice in verse 26 “And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ”. As Simeon held the Lord in his arms, he blessed Him and then asked to depart in peace. All Simeon wanted for his one and only Christmas was to see the Lord. We can learn so much from this man’s faith; may we all be reminded to walk the same just and devout life as Simeon and stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas…

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher

One More Day

 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 “1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted” (KJV).

In keeping with the theme about past mistakes and dwelling in history, I think these verses are worthy of another post. Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. Notice how Paul addresses his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, calling for their immediate attention. His desire for the church is heartfelt and passionate. He is saying “Please don’t ignore the past mistakes of your forefathers, learn from them”. His focus was on the blessings they had received and yet, they were overthrown in the wilderness. Paul gives us an important reminder that our need for Christ should not be measured or weighted through our circumstances.

I’m afraid that many un-saved people today have the same ignorance that Paul speaks about. They believe that salvation only applies to those who are poor, drug addicted, or suffer through an habitual cycle of “bad things” in life. Paul reminds me that salvation is for everyone. Romans 3:22-23 “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. People may put on a persona and make it look like they are doing wonderful, but deep down they are hurting. Regardless, keep on sharing the gospel. Plant the seeds and let the Lord provide the Light and Water. My point is not to judge how others view salvation, but to address the need for all to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

For the Christian, we are reminded that the blessed days of our walk with the Lord are just as important as the darker ones. Whether we are on the mountain top or sitting in a valley, our faith needs to remain constant. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (KJV). Good days or bad days, it just doesn’t matter…They are all worthy of giving thanks, to the One who has blessed us with…one more day!

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher

Numbering Our Days

 Psalm 90:12-17 “12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. 13 Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. 14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. 16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. 17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it (KJV).

Moses is the author of this remarkable Psalm. It is also recorded as the oldest of all the Psalms written. I covered the first 4 verses in a previous post titled “Dwelling in History”. Moses begins his petitions to God in verse 12. He is not praying for himself but for God’s people. He prays that God will allow his people to learn from their past mistakes; not only to learn from past mistakes but to take them to heart.

When we take a look at our past mistakes, we have a few options:

  1. We can learn from them and never make the same mistakes.
  2. We may forget about them and continue making the same mistakes.
  3. Or we may dwell on them, allowing them to be a constant reminder of our failures.

I believe Moses’ prayer gives us some wisdom and instructions about handling past mistakes. Numbering our days is a great illustration of the Lords forgiveness, grace, and mercy. When we number our days, we have the power, ability, and authority to change. We are wise to remember our past mistakes, but foolish to think that the Lord replays them over and over. Those past mistakes are gone, they are numbered and that number can’t be replayed, unless we forget to number them (Repent).

In verse 13 we are reminded of the need to repent from our mistakes. After we repent we can rejoice and be happy. The day of salvation is such a wonderful day for new believers, so wonderful that angels in heaven rejoice. Jesus said “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” Luke. 15:10, KJV).

Numbering our days allows us to reflect on how important it is to repent our mistakes and learn from them. Think of it as a negative and positive. Those past mistakes are negative moments is life. When we repent we turn a negative into positive, and a positive points us to the cross +. Dwelling on your past mistakes will only hinder you from being all that you can be for Christ. We do not know how many days we will be able to number. Live for Christ today and be all that He desires for you to be.

2 Chronicles 7:14 – If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (KJV).

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher

Teachable Moments

  Zechariah 1:2-6 “1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers. 3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. 4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD. 5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us” (KJV).

The prophet Zechariah is delivering the Lord’s message and begins with a call to repentance. Not only is this a wonderful reminder of our need of repentance today, but the Lord’s call gives us a beautiful answer to the question “why”. The Lord was not pleased with the way the previous generation responded to His word. How could His people not learn from the mistakes made by the previous generations? Easy, we all possess some of the character traits of our parents and grandparents. This leads right into an easy application for us today. As parents, we must be careful about how we live in front of our children. It is important for our children to be part of a local church, they need to attend, and they need to be involved with the ministries.

Have you ever watched those infomercials where they always end their elaborate sales pitch with “But wait, there more”, then they attempt to offer you some additional product either for free or half price. As the Lord reminds his people, he gives them a beautiful call to repentance and there’s more, don’t be like your forefathers. Learn from the mistakes they made.

This leads me back to parenting. Parents have the ability to undo some of the poor examples they have set before their children. Meaning that the time is now, not only is it important to change your ways that are not in accordance with His word, but you have the obligation to teach your children why. Sometimes a parent will make better choices in life, but never take the time to explain the “why” to their children. These teachable moments are important, they may be the link of wisdom that will help them grow into adults who know the right things to do, but they will also know why they should do them.

Teaching a child by telling them what to do and not do, is only one method of teaching, and it is the simplest form of teaching a child. But adding the “why” allows the child to experience a deeper level of learning. But wait…there’s more, a parent needs to share those moments when they turned from doing something wrong and turned towards the Lord. Those moments will take a child’s learning to a Christ-like level. Be humble and teach your children the right way, through the examples written on the pages of your life.

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (KJV).

Malachi 4:5-6 “5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (KJV).

Matthew 18:3, Jesus speaking, “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (KJV).

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher

Finding Balance

 1 Timothy 6:1-11 “1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 2 And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. 3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself” (KJV).

Paul is speaking to the young Timothy, reminding him of the importance of maintaining a proper Christian perspective. As a Christian, living in a world with those who are opposed to our beliefs, it may become difficult to find the right balance. We are to live according to His word, follow His instructions, and defend His truth. Paul also reminds Timothy that it is important to remain respectful to others. The picture given is that of a slave working for his master.

In today’s workplace environment, there are Christians who struggle with maintaining a balanced life of faith. The boss or supervisor may not be a Christian; in fact they may dislike everything Christianity stands for. This may cause a great deal of stress in the life of a Christian. Paul reminds us that we need to be respectful toward those we work for and with, regardless of their faith or lack thereof.

How do we balance our faith? The word “Balance” may be a poor word choice for this application. A Christian does not have to balance their faith in the workplace. It may seem impossible to live your faith in an office filled with people who want nothing to do with Christ. Everything you are trying to live for and by seems foolish to others. How we live our faith at home or at church seems impossible to do at work. But this is exactly what Paul is addressing. We may not be able to openly bring the gospel message into the workplace, but we are told to continue living the gospel through our actions, deeds, and words.

Paul explains in the latter of verse 1, “…worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed”. We should not be focused on “how we are being treated as a Christian in the workplace”. The question should be, “how am I treating others, including my supervisor or boss”. Paul gives us a great reminder to “Lift Up” and not to “Put Down” others. That includes putting ourselves down because of the way we are treated.

Paul continues in the remaining verses, describing what happens when we focus on our own self-pity. We become filled with pride, envy, and strife. The “woe is me” syndrome is the opposite of how we should be as Christians. Self-pity is defined as the “psychological state of mind of an individual in perceived adverse situations who has not accepted the situation and does not have the confidence nor competence to cope with it”. 1

Our Lord was not treated kindly, but yet he walked this earth teaching us to love others, through our actions, words, and deeds. Paul reminds us to continue in our faith, walking, talking, acting, and living with a greater goal in mind. We are to respect our supervisors and co-workers; we do it because He did it for us on the Cross. When we respect others, work hard, and do the best we can do, we are putting the Lord first in our lives. Showing others what and who Christ is. There are many ways to share Christ, how we act is the outward display of what the Lord has done for us on the inside.

 Maybe the word “balance” is the right application here. The Christian balances what the Lord has placed on the heart (inside), in order to be able to share with others (outside). If the Christian has too much weight on the inside (heart), then it becomes difficult to shift the weight to the outside (others) and vice versa.

Think of it like this…A man who walks a tightrope has to shift his weight back and forth; otherwise he ends up leaning too far to one side and falls off. His balance must remain centered on the rope. He may use his arms or a long pole to help keep his balance, but no matter what, his focus must remain on the center of the rope.

Walking the rope is how a Christian should walk, straight and centered on truth. If we lean too far in either direction we fall off the path of righteousness. The longer we walk the rope, the more people will see our accomplishments, but if we don’t walk the rope, then nobody will be able to see how wonderful it is to live for Christ. In the workplace, we don’t have to stand around saying “look at me, I’m walking a tightrope”. All we need to do is stay focused and centered on the rope. The further we get, the bigger the crowd. It won’t take long until people will be curious or inspired and want to try walking the tightrope. The applications are endless.

Proverbs 12:28 “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is not death” (KJV).

Matthew 7:13-14 “13 Enter ye in the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (KJV).

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher

Reference

1 Self-pity Wikipedia definition. Retrieved 12/16/2014 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-pity

Striking While the Iron is Hot…

 Haggai 1:14 “And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,” (KJV).

The chapter begins, with what I refer to as a “teachable” moment. God’s people were hard at work rebuilding their homes. The detail and quality of their work is worth mentioning. They were building fancy interiors, lining the stoned walls with custom wood paneling. The type of interior you would find in a palace.

Haggai delivers a wake-up call, reminding them that the Lord’s work was not being accomplished. Instead of building His house; they were building their own. The rebuilding of God’s house was being delayed. In the latter part of verse 5 Haggai asks an important question “Consider your ways”. He continues with “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes” (Hag. 1:6, KJV).

The chapter reminded me of some familiar excuses. I’ll get to it later… If I work long hours, I can get that promotion…I’ll worry about my soul later… Mark 8: 36, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul”? Working hard, earning a living, having nice things, and climbing the ladder of success are commendable, but we have to slow down sometimes and ask ourselves to, “Consider our ways”.

Setting priorities can be a daunting task. You may spend hours or days establishing your priorities, figuring out a way to accomplish them all. But all it takes is one more item to “pop-up” and your carefully designed priority list goes out the window. I am reminded that my priorities need to begin by placing the Lord at the top of my “to-do” list.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (KJV). Proverbs 3:6 “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (KJV).

I thought about the saying “strike while the iron is hot”. The Lord stirred their hearts at a time when they were extremely busy. I have to wonder how many times the Lord tried to stir my heart, but I was too busy to listen. Quiet time in His word keeps the iron of our hearts warm.

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher

Character Traits

Psalm 1:1 “1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful” (KJV).

The psalmist begins with a powerful announcement and calls for our immediate attention. The verse describes the walk and character of a godly man. Character is defined as our moral, ethical, and mental qualities. Character is unique and specific to every individual. As we walk through life, we are taught different character traits, some good and some bad. We have the ability to choose which character traits to accept, reject, or influence our own personal character.

Be careful when given advice. Be careful of the people you hang out with. Be on guard about the character traits of others. The negative thoughts and actions of others can be infectious. You may not know that you “caught” the trait.

Here is an illustration I used in my Sunday school class. Take a church and divide it into two sections. Each section or side of the church has 50 people. They are seated in the pews, evenly filling the rows from front to back. On one side you quietly whisper the good news that a friend of yours at work got saved. On the other side, you quietly whisper that you saw a deacon’s wife with another man walking into a hotel together. Do you think the positive news of salvation or the negative juicy gossip will travel throughout the church?

The negative character trait of one person will quickly infect others. Before you know it, good people will allow that negative trait to become part of their own.

In Christ,

The Silent Preacher