Craig Cooper

We are a few days into the new year. I would guess that many of us have set some goals. I came across an interesting list recently. It lists six activities that influence the person you will be in five years.

First, the person you will be in five years depends largely on the books you read. I know that some of you don’t like reading. I get it. But, study after study shows that people who succeed at their goals read. I would add that if you can choose only one book, make it the Bible. No other book has the wisdom needed to become the person God has created us to be.

Second, the person you will be in five years depends largely on the people with whom you spend time. This is an important one. This doesn’t mean we shut ourselves away from the world or shut people out of our life because they can’t help us advance toward our goals. It does mean that we ought to intentionally seek out relationships with people who desire to grow and some who are further along than ourselves. I would encourage you to enter into a 1-1 discipleship relationship or a small group. These offer excellent opportunities to be around people seeking God’s best for their lives.

Third, the person you will be in five years depends largely on the food you eat. This is my least favorite on the list. I guess it’s because I struggle with this one the most. A mantra I consistently speak into my life is “I don’t live to eat, but eat to live.” It’s not that I can’t have some good treats here and there, but good food promotes good thinking. A healthier me is a sharper me. I know this is true. However, I do treat myself to a Big Mac on occasion.

Fourth, the person you will be in five years depends largely on the habits you adopt. If I seek to grow, I will need to drop some habits that don’t benefit my growth journey and adopt others that will. Habits like reading the Bible, prayer, times of reflection, exercise, and, well, you get the picture, are needed if we are to be the people God has created us to be.

Fifth, the person you will be in five years depends largely on the conversations you engage in. I am reminded that the Scriptures teach that I am to “Let no corrupting talk come out of my mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Eph 4:29). This is equally true of the words I let enter my ears. A corrupt word tears down relationships. Good speaking builds up both speaker and hearer. If we decide to grow, we ought to be in conversations that help us do so.

Sixth, the person you will be in five years depends largely on the time you invest to achieve your goals. This goes back to what I wrote earlier. Most of us have set some goals for the new year. The question is not our intentions but our commitment. I have learned that setting goals is only as helpful as writing and executing a plan. If it’s to be, I need to invest some time, which is up to me.

I would add one final thing to this list. It’s tied to this promise of Christ, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20b). Those of us in Christ are never alone. We never need to operate out of our wisdom or strength alone. Christ is with us, offering His wisdom and infusing us with His strength. So, if we seek to grow this next year, the list of six I have shared will help, but let me encourage us not to forget the One who has invited us to do life with Him. He is our Savior and Lord, and as we focus on Him, He will lead us to appropriate the things on this list and so much more in our pursuit of reaching our full kingdom protentional in Him.  God always provides for what He has called us to do and be. So, go take on this year with Him. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

On Christmas, we gather to celebrate Christ. Christmas literally means the celebration of Christ. According to recorded history, the first Christmas celebration on December 25^th occurred in 336AD under the rule of the first Christian Roman emperor “Constantine.” However, the first Christmas celebration happened on the night of Christ’s birth when lowly shepherds responded to the spectacular prompting of an angelic herald and choir to go and worship the Christ-child, born in a stable and lying in a manger. For nearly 2,000 years, believers have celebrated the coming of Christ.

I love the Christmas story. We have the young virgin Mary and her faithful husband Joseph (devoted to Mary and the Lord). We have the shepherds, and of course, the angels. We see this scene throughout our homes in our nativity displays. They serve as a reminder of the humility of Jesus and the profound gift offered to us in Christ.

I make a simple spelling error this time of year. I often misspell “manger” with the word “manager.” Only one letter separates the two words, but that one letter makes a big difference. Unfortunately, spellcheck doesn’t catch it because manager is a word. However, I would propose that the Christ-child born in a manger is also the magnificent Manager of life and eternity.

My wife collects manger or nativity sets. She must have around twenty of them. I like having them around the house during the Christmas season. But, I realize that one spectacular reality that no manger scene can convey is the truth that Jesus is God incarnate. Therefore, we must remind ourselves of this great reality when thinking of the Christ-child.

John makes it clear in his Gospel that Jesus is indeed God (Jn 1:1-5). In fact, John affirms three vital truths about the Christ. First, Christ, as God, existed in the beginning. John writes that Jesus “was with God,” which literally means “face-to-face with God.” In His divine nature, Jesus is indeed God. Secondly, all of creation came into being through Christ. Jesus was not part of creation but God’s agent in His creative work. Thirdly, Christ’s life constituted “light,” revealing God’s plan of salvation to us. Christ offers a whole new outlook on sin and righteousness, which comes when we accept eternal life in Him. The good news John shares is that “Christ, the light, shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn 1:5). Then, John writes in verse 14 that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

A central truth of the Christian faith is that the divine Christ became a man and “dwelt” temporarily “among us.” The God who dwelt in the Old Testament tabernacle now came as a human being. The apostles and other witnesses “have seen His glory” in the miracles He performed, in His being lifted up on the cross, and in the resurrection. The apostles and other witnesses knew that God was indeed among them.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, the baby lying in a manger was more than a cooing infant; He is the heaven-sent Manager who would offer a gift exchange of sorts. Christ offers to exchange our despair for hope, our worry for peace, our sorrow for joy, our detachment for love, and our death for life. Think about it. Managing a universe is one thing, but managing salvation for each of us is quite another. It’s a remarkable truth that the baby lying in a manger did more than manage it; He gave His life to assure it (Jn 3:16).

Jesus knew there would be more than a birthday to commemorate; He knew there would be a resurrection day as well. You see, Christmas without Easter is romance without a kiss, joy without reason, extravagance without purpose. God came in Christ to manage our deliverance, offer an exchange from death to life, and reconcile the world unto Himself (2 Cor 5:19). Here is the simple truth, for us to make the gift exchange of our death for life in Christ, it takes more than a manager; it takes a truly Divine Manager, Savior, and Lord. When we accept God’s offer of a gift exchange with Him, He becomes our Savior and Lord.

On that first Christmas night, the angelic herald proclaimed that the Christ-child was lying in a manger. Here’s a staggering thought. The place where the King of Glory (the Divine Manager) first opened His eyes and uttered His first cry was not in the great halls of a palace or the room of a princess. Our Lord’s first human glimpse of the world as the God-man was in a dark and dingy barn. Manger scenes surely display the loving humility of God’s gift to the world, but not the reality of Christ being the Divine Manager of everything, including our salvation.

I want you to try something this Christmas. When you gather around a Christmas tree, I want you to remember something. Remember that the tree used to bring salvation to the world (you and me) wasn’t an evergreen but a cross. If the manger displays the loving humility of God, the cross reveals the loving sacrifice of God as the resurrection His unlimited power to save us. Unfortunately, for too many people, the true gift of Christmas is still under the tree. The tree is the cross, and the gift is abundant eternal life. I invite you to come to the One born in a manger so that He, Christ, can manage your sin with the power of His love and offer you the gift of genuine life, only found in Him. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

It’s possible, especially this time of the year, Christmas, to feel alone. On study, I saw reported in Psychology Today noted that 40% of Americans describe themselves as lonely. It’s true that even amidst the get-togethers, crowded malls, Christmas services, one can feel lonely in a crowd. That’s why I am so thankful that God has offered us to exchange our detachment for His love. It’s important to remember that when we exchange gifts with God, He will always give us the grandeur gift, and that’s a good thing.

Let me acknowledge from the beginning that the word detached is an unusual word. It might help by looking at the words meaning. The definition of detached is “not connected” or “separate.” Simply put, detached is being alone. All of us know what it is like to be alone. However, in the same Psychology Today report I referred to earlier, an estimated 20% of Americans deal with chronic loneliness. So detachment is a big deal.

You may ask, “Why is the exchange for detachment love?” To answer this, we must look at one of the words for love in Greek. One of the words for love in Greek is “agape.” Agape love is self-giving love. What is interesting about agape love is that the giving is not determined by what the one loved desires but by what the one who loves deems as needed by the loved.

What does this look like? One of the best-known verses in the Bible, in fact, the one verse that summarizes the Bible, speaks of agape love. Of course, I am speaking of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

We read that “God so loved the world that He gave.” What did He give? God did not provide what people necessarily wanted but what God perceived they needed. God’s love for people is God doing what He thinks is best for us and not what we desire. I would guess that many people believe they know what they need, what’s best for them. They may say, “I need more money.” Or, “I need a spouse.” Even “I need a Big Mac.” I don’t know. Maybe you do. But, they are not your greatest need.

God gave His only Son. God’s gift to the world was not what people believed they needed but what they needed. God’s loving gift was a child. Thus, we discover these words in Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Now, that is a gift.

God gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. What is being spoken of here in John 3:16 and Isaiah 9:6? We discover a great truth and exchange that needs to take place. God created men and women to have a personal relationship with Him. God desires for this relationship to be centered on love. He wants to show His love to each and every one of us and have us show our love for Him.

The problem is that sin (disobeying God’s divine will for us) separates us from God. The good news is that God took care of sin, our sin dilemma, by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life then die on a cross so that a person’s sin could be forgiven, allowing us to exchange our detachment for His love.

How do we exchange our detachment for God’s love? It is not enough to simply know: (1) that God loves you, (2) that your sins keep you from the love of God, and (3) that Jesus Christ’s death on the cross saves you and offers you life as well as eternity in paradise. You must accept the loving gift of life from God. This life-giving relationship is only possible when you believe, trust, have faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This is what it means to exchange our being detached for love and salvation in Christ. This is what it means to begin a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. John 3:16 declares, “whoever believes:” We must believe to receive.

So, where would you place yourself? Are you detached, or have you received the Love of God? If you are detached from God, do you see anything keeping you from placing your faith in Christ and receiving His love and salvation right now? Accepting God’s loving gift of salvation is like receiving any gift. If I were to offer you a gift right now, when would it become yours? It would become yours not when I offered it, but once you received it. Salvation, a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, is the same. Christ’s loving gift of salvation is yours when you receive it by faith. You don’t have to be detached any longer; exchange it for God’s love. Now that’s a Christmas gift you will never forget. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

My children and their spouses started a new tradition in recent years. They put all their names in an app and the app divvies up the names. Then, they buy for only one other, but no one knows who has who. Of course, I hear them talk, and using the process of elimination, it’s pretty easy to know who has who. The fun part is seeing them exchange their gifts with one another. There is something wonderful about exchanging gifts. However, it is pretty extraordinary to do so with the Lord. Of course, when we exchange gifts with God, He will always give the grandeur gift, and that’s a good thing.

I enjoy the holidays, but there is little doubt that they magnify our sorrows and joys. This is true for all of us. I have fond memories of this time of year and enjoy making new ones. However, this means, for instance, that the loss of loved ones can be challenging. My Mom and Dad have both passed. They worked hard to make the Christmas season special for our family growing up and continued to do so for my wife, our children, and me. I really miss them, but especially this time of the year. One of my grandkids will do something, and I think Mom and Dad would get a kick out of that. I miss them, and yes, it brings sorrow, but I am thankful we had a relationship, shared a love, which is counted worthy of missing.

The truth is that sorrow is either the direct or indirect result of sin since we live in a fallen world, and sin is a normal part of life. Psalm 90:10 declares, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.” Not all sadness is caused by sin we commit. Sometimes it’s just living in a sin-cursed world where death and hurt exist alongside those who cause hurt. A simple truth is that on this side of paradise, we all will deal with sorrow. Since we all will deal with sorrow, how we deal with it is a big deal.

How do we properly deal with sorrow? We bring our sorrow to the Lord and embrace His filling us with joy. God does a remarkable work in us when we acknowledge our sorrows, bringing them to Him. A gift exchange of sorts takes place. His joy for our sorrow. Now that’s a gift.

It’s important to remember that Christ is no stranger to grief and sorrow (see: Isa 53:3-4). Think about it. God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, experienced grief and sorrow. Our Lord knows what it feels like to be rejected, hurt, alone. What is most amazing is that though He was filled with grief and sorrow, they were not His but ours. He bore them for us. Jesus Christ can identify with our grief and sorrow, but because of His salvific work for us is also the only one who can genuinely offer to exchange our sorrow for His joy. For instance, in Isaiah 61, we read of the Messiah announcing everlasting joy. Christ came, in part, to replace our sorrow with joy. We are offered a foretaste of His salvific work today and will experience complete fulfillment when we spend eternity with Him in paradise. Again, remember, when you give God your grief, He gives you His joy.

How does God exchange our sorrow for His joy? In part, God comforts us now by reminding us that He has walked through grief and sorrow and is willing to walk through it with us. But there is more. The good news is that there will be a day when sorrow will be no more. In Revelation 21:4, which addresses paradise, we read, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” So, in part, God comforts us today by reminding us that when we enter into paradise, dwelling unhindered with Him, He will tenderly remove all sorrow and pain just as He promised. Further, He will make all things new. He will do this because His promises are true and faithful.

The Lord turns our sorrow to joy through His finished work on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was resurrected for our salvation, He conquered death and made it possible for us to experience life with Him from today into eternity. The Lord turns our sorrow to joy when we possess the life that comes from receiving Him as Savior of our lives. The finished work of Christ does not automatically make someone right with God. We must receive Him as Savior and Lord. This is more than an intellectual acknowledgment that He is Savior and Lord. We must believe in Him for our salvation and walk with Him (not always perfectly, but following the same). The Lord turns our sorrow into joy by inviting us to take an eternal perspective. We must trust that He will comfort us today and completely heal our brokenness in the future. In Christ, we are healed, being healed, and will one day be healed entirely. Simply put, the risen Lord will turn our sorrow into lasting joy as we look to Him.

No doubt, on this side of paradise, we will experience sorrow. But, Jesus assures His followers that even amidst difficulty and sorrow, we can have joy because He has overcome the world through His death and resurrection and will return to take us to a place where all sorrow will cease, and joy will be constant (see: John 16:33). In fact, Christ triumphant is at the heart of one of our more popular Christmas songs. “Joy to the World” has been recorded and has more versions than perhaps any other Christmas song. It’s unique because this “Christmas” song is not actually speaking of the Lord’s birth, but His Second Coming when all who receive Him as Savior and Lord will share in His ultimate victory and sorrow will be nor more, only eternal joy. Now that’s a gift to cherish today and bring joy-filled hope for the future. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

I enjoy giving and receiving gifts. But, I have to say, gift exchanges can be a little stressful. I just want to make sure my gift is as valuable as the gift given to me. Of course, this is not the purpose of a gift exchange, but, all the same, I feel a little pressure. So, let me from the get-and-go make it clear that when we exchange gifts with God, He will always give us the grandeur gift, and that’s a good thing.

Yes, I like giving and receiving gifts. In fact, for many reasons, Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I like the decorations, the music, and most of the gatherings. I love Christmas Eve services. Yet, it can be stressful and worrisome this time of the year. We rush from one event to another. We frantically look for the perfect gift for our loved ones. We may stress about money and time. I have heard it said and believe it to be true that “During the Christmas season, our joys are magnified, but so too are our worries.” This may or may not surprise you; one study found that the holidays stress out 88% of Americans.

Let me give a working definition of worry: Worry is dwelling on the future without an awareness of God’s presence and workings, picturing a potentially negative outcome. Every one of us has wrestled with worry. The good news is that Christ wants us to exchange with us our worry for His peace. In Isaiah 9:6, we read of the coming Messiah (Christ), “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6).

One of the descriptive titles of Christ is Prince of Peace. Jesus brings lasting peace. The use of peace as a title-description of Christ also conveys that His kingdom is characterized by peace. The Hebrew word used here for peace (shalom) indicates not only the absence of war or controversy but a condition of rich, harmonious, and positive well-being. What does this mean for the Christian? In Christ, believers are offered a future peace, as we spend eternity with Him, a challenge to bring His peace into the chaos, as we pray and live “His kingdom come His will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” and are provided the opportunity to possess His peace even amidst of all the ups and downs of life. How can we receive such peace? First, we must receive Christ as Lord and Savior, then make a significant exchange with Him.

Paul writes about the exchange of our worry for God’s peace in Philippians 4:4-9. Verses 6-7 read, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” These two verses have much to say about exchanging worry for peace.

To exchange worry for peace, there is something we first must understand. We cannot remove worry until we exchange it with something better. Imagine not worrying about anything. It seems like an impossibility. We all have worries at school, at work, and in our homes. Even the Scriptures instruct us that there is no guarantee against hard times and suffering. But, Paul encourages us to present our worries to God in prayer and turn our thoughts to Him.

We aren’t promised the absence of chaos on this side of paradise. But, we can be confident that God is ultimately in control and that He always hears our prayers and answers them according to what will bring Him glory, bless us, and benefit others. There seems to be a principle here. Worrying less begins with praying more. Think of it this way. Worry or peace is a decision partly made by where we choose to allow our mind to dwell and wherever or whom we place our trust. To exchange worry, we must come to realize that there is a better option found in God, who is all-powerful, faithful, and available to us.

After we come to this understanding, in order to exchange worry for peace, there is something we must do. We need to ask the Lord to exchange our worry with His peace. We need to bring all our concerns to the Lord, no matter how big or small. If it’s on our mind, it’s on God’s heart. If it matters to you, it matters to God. Coming to God in prayer, asking His Spirit to fill you with faith, trusting in the Lord, will mean that God’s peace, not a stoic lack of concern, but a deep peace amidst life’s storms, will keep guard around your heart and mind, like a squadron of soldiers looking after something of profound value.

Christ’s peace is found in the confidence and courage that comes from the believer being indwelt by His Spirit. An essential truth is that even in our trusting, we are dependent on God giving us the strength to believe. John Wesley often prayed, “Lord, evermore give us this peace!”

We can choose to exchange our worry for God’s peace. The gift exchange God offers us is immense. We bring the things we can’t control and are worrying about, and He takes the worry from us and fills us with His peace, knowing He is in control and at work and has already provided for our ultimate victory.

The birth of Christ, prophesized nearly 2,700 years ago by Isaiah, is a reality. Christ has come, provided for our salvation, and is indeed the “Prince of Peace,” offering each of us His peace today and throughout eternity. If you haven’t already, receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Trust in Him, and discover His peace. As you continue to enjoy this Christmas season, it is my hope that you will exchange your worry for peace, inviting the Prince of Peace to bring you peace everlasting. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

We discover in Isaiah this remarkable verse of promise, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). The answer to a world that has turned its back on Him is a child, His own Son. He will be what no king has been, or any other king will ever be. Because He is the mighty God, He can be a true Father to His people. He can bring lasting peace, and He can give truly wonderful counsel. The promise of this child has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior.

One word we could use to describe the world is despair. Despair is an utter loss of hope. The good news is that an exchange is offered to anyone who receives Christ into their life. In this exchange, we give God our despair, and He replaces it with hope.

A believer’s hope is based on God’s faithfulness. Our day-to-day experiences and hardships are sometimes overwhelming; unless we can see that God’s purpose is to bring about continual growth in us. Without this understanding, we may despair. However, with this understanding, we have a sure hope in Christ. This hope is expressed in Jeremiah 29:11-12, ^“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” We can retain our hope even while we suffer when we understand that God’s mercy endures forever, and He is always faithful to His people.

A believer’s hope comes from trusting in Christ and remembering all He has done for us. Whenever I face a problem, I remember that a problem is something that can’t be fixed, and God can fix everything. After all, in Christ, we are reconciled with God. Paul writes, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom 5:1-2). Faith, hope, and love are at the heart of the Christian life (see: 1 Cor 13:13). Our relationship with God begins with faith that helps us realize we have been delivered and offered a new life in Christ. Hope grows as we learn who God is and that in His goodness, His plans are meant for us to flourish in Him. God’s love fills our lives with hope that is so abundant we can share it with others.

A believer’s hope grows as we remember the promise of the resurrection. We read in the Scriptures, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thess 4:13). Because Jesus Christ came back to life, so will all believers. We have the sure promise of living with Him forever. Therefore, we need not despair even at death. Jesus has conquered death, proving He has the power to turn our tragedies into triumphs, our pain to glory, and apparent defeat into actual victory. We need to remind ourselves and encourage others with this great hope.

The world needs today that child born in a stable who died for our sins and was resurrected for our salvation. The world needs to make a great exchange. We all need to exchange despair for hope. God offers this exchange to all who will receive Christ as Lord and Savior. I pray that each of us will come to Christ for salvation and receive the greatest gift of all, life eternal in Jesus Christ (see: John 3:16). This is the great exchange and the greatest gift anyone can receive, salvation and hope in Christ. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

This coming Thursday is Thanksgiving. Many people trace the origins of the modern Thanksgiving Day to the harvest celebration the Pilgrims held in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621. Although there is little doubt that this event inspired our current holiday, it did not become an annual holiday in the United States until 1863.

Interestingly, President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday – right in the middle of the Civil War. His proclamation requested that all Americans ask God to “commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” The intent of setting aside the day is to thank God for the harvest and other blessings of the past year and to seek God’s intervention for those with emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. It reminds us of our dependence on God and the need to show appreciation for His wonderful mercies.

The Bible has much to say about the importance of thankfulness. One passage I find very intriguing is 1 Chronicles 16:4-36. We read in verse 4, “Then he [David] appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel.” The ark had been brought back to Jerusalem. There was a great celebration that led David to establish certain Levitical families to be permanently in charge of thanksgiving.

We learn a couple of principles from this passage about the importance of thanksgiving. First, we should always express thankfulness. Certain Levites were appointed to give continual praise to God. We discover that praise and thanksgiving should be a regular part of our daily life. It ought not to be merely reserved for celebrations. When we praise God continually, we discover that we are less likely to take God’s blessings for granted.

Secondly, there are four significant aspects of thankfulness found in a song of David recorded in verses 8-36. (1) We are to remember what God has done, (2) telling others about it, (3) showing God’s glory to others, and (4) offering gifts of self, time, and resources. In a nutshell, if you are genuinely thankful, your life will show it.

There is an old song, “Count Your Many Blessings,” that has a line that goes, “When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings; name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. Count your blessings; name them one by one.” Taking time each day to think about how the Lord has blessed us not just rightly shows appreciation to God for all His marvelous provisions but also serves to encourage us as we align our thinking with the reality of God’s goodness at all times, even amid difficult ones.

Let me challenge us to not only make thanksgiving a priority one day a year but throughout all the days of the year. Also, as we gather at the Thanksgiving table to partake of a meal, especially the delicious stuffing, take some time to share the blessings of God for which you are thankful. It’s an amazing reality how our thankfulness ministers to others and the thanksgiving of others ministers to us.

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving Day. Let’s remember what God has done for us, as well as remember those who are in need emotionally, physically, and spiritually. May we be found to count our blessings, thankful for what the Lord has done. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

I have written before about the discipline of meditation, but a recent conversation with a friend encouraged me to dig a bit deeper. Meditation simply speaks of the action of engaging in contemplation or reflection. Unfortunately, some have avoided it due to wrongly associating the practice as mystical or somehow new age. This is not to say that it hasn’t been used by some in ways not helpful to the believer. But, I believe avoiding the practice of meditation because of the baggage it carries in the minds of many in our culture is a mistake. It is time to take back this discipline and practice it as the Bible instructs.

The Bible encourages us to meditate on God, His Word, and His works. The psalmist writes, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways” (Psa 119:15). Also, in Psalm 143, we read, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands” (Psa 143:5). The Bible mentions meditation specifically twenty-three times, nineteen times in the Book of Psalms alone. It alludes to it countless other times with words such as “consider” and “ponder.”

It’s common when someone is speaking about meditation to hear phrases like “empty yourself” or “clear your mind.” These phrases in and of themselves are not wrong but often mean to enter some mystic state of nothingness. This is not how a believer ought to think of emptiness. The believer’s goal is not to reach some transcendental state but to empty self of all distractions so that a focused, quiet reflection on God, His Word, and His works can occur.

I do this in part every day as I approach God’s Word, the Bible. I prayerfully study a particular passage in Scripture, asking the Spirit to guide me as I make some observations about the text. Then, I take some time to meditate on the passage to discover an application for my daily living. This leads me to a time of praying the passage over my life. As I seek to master God’s Word, I desire for it to master me.

When out and about in God’s creation, I like to be mindful (meditate) on God’s works. There’s something special and quite powerful about pausing and taking in the creative power of God. It draws me to reflect on His working in the world, my family, church family, and in my own life. I am often reminded that the God who spoke the world into existence is still present and active in the world and in my very own life.

I have heard people say that meditation “centers” them. I have to agree. However, the centering the Scriptures would encourage us to find is on Christ. If meditation has any calming effect, and I find it often does, it is due to its usefulness in realigning my thoughts and focus on the Lord. Stress increases when I am out of focus, picturing a present and future without the Lord’s presence and hand at work. When I realign with the Lord, focused on Christ, I am empowered to walk in step with the Spirit. It makes all the difference, relieving stress and inviting me to rest in the Lord as I walk through the highs and lows of life. Thus, meditation has become an important part of my walk with the Lord.

Let me encourage each of us to pick up the discipline of meditation. Regularly, let us reflect on God, His Word, and His works. Don’t let the world rob us of this powerful spiritual discipline. Instead, I challenge us to reclaim it for the Lord. Let our meditations be pleasing to God, as we rejoice in the Lord (Psa 104:34). Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

In His sermon, which we call The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs us on the Christian ethic, how believers are to behave and live. It’s important to realize that the Christian life must be understood as more than actions and words. Our walk with the Lord needs to penetrate our hearts where our minds and motives are brought under His lordship. In Matthew 6:1-8 & 16-18, He speaks against hypocrisy and for authentic faith. Jesus warns us to avoid self-promoting faith and challenges us to live out of God-honoring dedication.

In Matthew 6:1, Christ warns, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” Believers are not to perform spiritual disciplines or exercises to be seen by others. We are to participate in practical acts of worship because we love God. When we do spiritual things to be seen, the applause of people is our only reward. When we do spiritual things because we love God, the resources of heaven are poured in and through our lives.

Jesus then walks us through three spiritual practices that Jews saw as the most important for God’s people to exercise: giving, prayer, and fasting. Jesus does not condemn these spiritual acts but rebukes the expectation of rewards and public recognition. He also instructs us on the proper way to engage in these spiritual disciplines.

He begins in Matthew 6:2-4 with giving. It’s evident that Jesus expected His disciples to be generous givers. Jesus teaches that generosity is not enough; He is concerned with our motivation and our heart’s hidden thoughts. Jesus shares the wrong way to give: It’s wrong to give to be honored by other people. Such giving’s reward is the recognition of others. Jesus warns against drawing attention to our generosity. Then, Jesus tells us the right way to give: We are to give in secret. When we give properly, our Father will reward us. As believers, our giving is not to be for the applause of others or even ourselves, but for God’s glory flowing from a heart of love toward Him, being on mission with Him.

Jesus moves onto our prayer life in Matthew 6:5-8. Jesus presents the wrong way to pray: We are not to pray to be seen by other people. When we pray this way, we have already received our full reward. Praying to be seen by others is not praying; it is seeking praise. Further, we are not to pray with meaningless repetition and empty phrases. Praying this way falsely assumes we will be heard by our many words. By saying the same things over and over, the Gentiles thought they could force their gods to help them. Jesus tells us the right way to pray: We are to pray in secret. When we pray in secret, our Father will reward us. The essence of Christian prayer is to seek God. It’s important to note that Jesus did not reject public prayers. If all praying were kept secret, we would have to give up gathering as a church and give up family prayers. But even public prayers are not to be a time to gain attention for the one who prays. He continues by sharing that we are to pray, making simple, direct petitions. There is peace in realizing that God knows what we need before we even ask. As believers, we ought to trust in God, who already knows our personal needs. He knows but invites us to talk with Him about our concerns.

Jesus concludes by looking at fasting in Matthew 6:16-18. Fasting, strictly speaking, is a total abstention from food. However, it can reasonably extend to mean going without food partially or totally, for short or long periods. This is where we get the name for the first meal of the day, breakfast since we ‘break our fast,’ of the night period which we ate nothing. Fasting has to do in various ways with self-denial. The Bible speaks of fasting for penitence, special prayer, and self-discipline. I have found fasting quite meaningful in my spiritual journey. Jesus took it for granted that fasting would have a place in our Christian life.

Jesus begins by sharing the wrong way to fast: We are not to fast to show other people, by looking the part for others to know we are fasting. When we fast improperly, we have already received our full reward through the recognition of others. When Jews fasted, they covered their heads with ashes to show their mourning, humility, and penitence. The purpose of fasting is not to advertise ourselves but to discipline ourselves, to express our humility and dependence on God. As with prayer, so with fasting, if done to get people’s attention, we lose God’s reward. Then, Jesus tells us the right way to fast: We are to fast in secret, taking care of our outward appearance. When we fast properly, our Father will reward us. Jesus called for fasting to be accompanied by actions of celebration, not sorrow. Jesus commanded privacy, not publicity. God rewards the believer who fasts appropriately.

In these verses and throughout Jesus’ teachings, He warns against hypocrisy and promotes genuine faith. He instructs us that self-promoting faith is without any real reward while living out of God honoring dedication releases the resources of heaven in a genuine believer’s life. As we look back over these verses, it becomes clear that Jesus has been contrasting two alternative kinds of spirituality, Pharisaic (insincere faith) and Christian (genuine faith). Christ used the word hypocrite as a picture of insincere faith. Hypocritical faith is perverse because it’s destructive. Jesus calls us to genuine faith. Praying, giving, and fasting are all authentic activities in their own right. To pray is to seek God. To give is to serve others. To fast is to discipline oneself. Hypocrisy destroys the integrity of these practices by turning each of them into an occasion for self-display. Our Lord calls us to be so conscious of Him that we cease to be self-conscious. This is the key to genuine faith. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

In Christ’s sermon, which we call The Sermon on the Mount, He presents the Christian ethic, dealing with how believers are to behave. In Matthew 5:38-48, He presents a challenging call to active and practical love. In fact, our Lord calls His followers to self-sacrificing godly love. What Jesus shares in His sermon is radically counter-cultural. It is so radical that believers are drawn ever closer to the Holy Spirit, who alone can make Christ’s call possible in their lives.

Jesus begins in verse 38, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’” In the Old Testament, excessive punishment was prohibited (Deut 19:16-21). The penalty is to fit the crime. The purpose was to restrain evil. In the Old Testament, revenge was forbidden (Deut 32:35; Rom 12:19). The courts were to be let to do their job, understanding that God would ultimately repay the evil. The Pharisees and Scribes create a problem by extending the principle in verse 38 from that of just restitution occurring in the law courts (where it belongs) to the realm of personal relationships (where it does not belong). They misinterpreted and misapplied this law and principle to apply and support personal revenge even though the law forbids it.

Jesus’ reply does not contradict the law or principle as it was initially delivered but corrects the inappropriate application to justify personal retaliation and revenge. In Matthew 5:39-42, Jesus presents something quite radical and counter-cultural. The believer is not to resist an evil person (v. 39a). It’s important to be clear here. There is One in Scripture we are told not to resist and another we are explicitly told to resist. We are not to resist God, His will, His truth, or His authority. We are to resist the devil. John Stott notes, “What we are forbidden to resist is not evil as such, evil in the abstract, nor the ‘evil one’ meaning the devil, but an evil person.” Jesus does not deny the reality of evil. He does not call us to deny a person is evil or acting evilly. What Jesus does not allow is revenge or retaliation in our personal relationships, even to evil people.

Jesus shares four examples of radical love over revenge: What about personal insults? “Turn the other cheek” (v. 39b). How about lawsuits? “Let him have your cloak as well” (v. 40). What about forced actions? “Go the second mile” (v. 41). How about requests? “Give to the one who asks” (v. 42). It’s important to note that each of these examples had a cultural mooring in Christ’s day. Let me address two of them. To turn the other cheek is not a command to endure physical abuse. Still, in the Middle East today, it represents an insulting blow accompanied by a verbal insult. Physical safety is not in jeopardy, just one’s ego. To go the extra mile addresses a Roman soldier’s right to demand a subject to the empire, like a Jew, to carry their baggage up to a mile. Jesus says, “Don’t just carry it one, but carry it for two.”

The call of Christ here is not to be a doormat. He does not call us to allow ourselves to be verbally or physically abused. Instead, He calls us, empowered by His Spirit, to offer the utmost in love when we are tempted to take revenge. Jesus is not prohibiting the administration of justice but rather forbidding us to take the law into our own hands. Here is the point, Jesus declares that believers are to allow the principle of love, godly selfless love, to look for the ultimate wellbeing of all people, rather than taking revenge.

Jesus takes us further in Matthew 5:43, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’” The Pharisees taught incorrectly that their neighbors were only fellow Israelites. Of course, Jesus defines a neighbor for us as everyone (Lk 10:30-37). The Pharisees used God’s hatred for evil to allow personal animosity. The Old Testament actually taught to love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:17-18) and do good to your enemy (Ex 23:4-5; Prov 25:21).

Jesus in Matthew 5:44-48 teaches us to “Love our enemies” (vv. 44-48). Believers are to pray for those who persecute them (v. 44). They are to live as children of their heavenly Father (v. 45). Christians are to express love broader and more thoroughly than others (vv. 46-47). Then, Christ challenges His followers to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (v. 48).

To better understand Christ’s teaching, we need to remember that, like God, we are to love the sinner but hate the sin. We must realize that to love people who do evil is to desire that they repent and believe and so be saved. God never taught a double standard of morality, one for our neighbor and another for our enemy; after all, an enemy is our neighbor. Here is the point, Jesus declares that believers are to love everyone (enemies included) in tangible acts, words, and prayers.

We are to love people in loving acts like Jesus did. We are to love people with words as Jesus did. We are to love others through prayer as Jesus did. Hanging on the cross, Christ prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34).  John Stott observes, “It is impossible to pray for people without loving them and impossible to go on praying for them without discovering that our love for them grows and matures.” I have found this to be true in my life.

This statement by Stott is incredible, “Divine love is indiscriminate love, shown equally to good and bad people.” This is what Christ is calling believers to when He said, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Christ calls believers to have and express self-sacrificing godly love to all people. After all, this is the kind of love God shows to us.

Here is the problem. All human love, even the best human love, is contaminated on some level by self-interest. Here is the solution. To love as God loves, Christians need the supernatural working on the Holy Spirit in and through their lives. Our love is not to resemble the world. We are called to live with a more profound love. We are called to be perfect in love, that is, to love our enemies with the merciful, all-encompassing love of God. The new (redeemed) life is based on divine love, refusing to take revenge but overcoming evil with good. Our Christian calling is not to imitate the world but to imitate God the Father. By imitating Him, through the power of His Spirit, the righteousness of the believer is seen through active and practical love, self-sacrificing godly love. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!