Christmas is a great time to demonstrate the kindness of God to those we meet. While Christmas can be a really happy time for some, it can be a really lonely and miserable time for others. As Christ’s ambassadors of kindness we should be on the LOOKOUT for those who need a little kindness in their life.

Kindness can be a Christmas card with kind words; an encouraging phone call; a small gift; prayer for someone who is sick; visiting a house-bound invalid or someone in prison or in hospital.

For the church (the individual members of the church) to truly be Christlike it must demonstrate kindness as a way of life. To be kind means we will need to stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about others. We musn’t wait till someone has first been kind to us. We need to start the ball rolling.

The Lord’s kindness towards us caused Him to leave heaven and come to earth to die for people who were His enemies. Christ-like kindness causes us to even bless our enemies. This may require us to change the way we think. However it is worth it and it what we were born to do.

The First Miracle
by Francis Frangipane

Life. It is the most unique commodity in the universe and inconceivably rare. As far as we can verify, in a cosmic sea of vast, immeasurable emptiness, earth alone is blessed with life.

But what is life? The answer I seek is more profound than a mere catalog of what life contains; it is more fundamental than identifying the joys and sorrows of earthly existence. I am asking, what is the substance we call life? We are so completely ingested into life itself that we cannot appreciate its actual substance; we do not esteem the singular glory found in this teardrop from the eye of God.

Some will argue that life is plentiful on planets throughout the universe.

I ask you, what planets?

For all the interesting possibilities science fiction has put before us, these imaginative writers have done us a disservice. They have convinced us we are just one of many civilizations in a universe brimming with alien societies. Yes, their speculations widen our imaginations, but they have also caused us to devalue the spectacular rarity of life in our own world.

And life is rare.

We imagined it could be found on Venus. But, according to NASA, the temperature of Venus is over 800 decrees, hot enough to melt lead. The equatorial winds on Venus blow a constant 220 mph and its atmospheric pressure is 90 times that of earth. We expected to find life on Mars. But Mars has almost no atmosphere. Its temperature drops to a frigid minus 130 degrees at night. It is a barren, lifeless planet.

Of the one thousand stars nearest earth, not one has an orbiting planet, much less life itself! In the farther reaches of space, NASA has found 421 stars with a combined total of 500 planets. Yet earthlike planets, zero. http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov

Astronomers have scrutinized the celestial heavens, peering at stars thousands of light years away. A light year is the distance light travels in a year speeding at 186,000 miles per second (or 6 trillion miles a year). They’ve searched from points above and beneath the equator in every direction, but no planet with the capacity to support life has been found.

My point is that this substance we call life, while plentiful on Earth, is utterly rare in the cosmos. By way of perspective, imagine Planet Earth at the center of a huge circular orb tens of trillions miles in diameter. The area inside the orb represents the reach of scientific exploration through the use of satellites, optical and radio telescopes. The only place of verifiable life within that immense realm is the Earth. From the planet outward in every direction all that exists is the incomprehensibly vastness of blazing stars and lifeless space.

There may indeed be extraterrestrials, but to reach us they will have had to discover a different means of space travel, one that is not linear. Otherwise, they will have had to travel thousands of years through space to find our tiny world.

The fact is, at least within the sphere of our explored universe, we remain starkly alone, one tiny bluish dot of life in a vacuum of deep darkness and unfathomable emptiness.

A View From Space
In 1968 a unique opportunity was granted humanity. For the first time we were given a chance to step outside our world and look at life from the universe. The day was Christmas Eve. It was the first lunar voyage of the Apollo 8 crew. From the surface of the moon they gazed upon the earth. The following is NASA’s account.

“First, they showed the half Earth across a stark lunar landscape. Then, from the other unfogged window, they tracked the bleak surface of the Moon. “The vast loneliness is awe-inspiring and it makes you realize just what you have back there on Earth,” said Lovell. The pictures aroused great wonder, with an estimated half billion people vicariously exploring what no man had ever seen before.

“For all the people on Earth,” said Anders, “the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to send you.” He paused a moment and then began reading: “In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth.”

After four verses of Genesis, Lovell took up the reading: “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.”

At the end of the eighth verse Borman picked up the familiar words: “And God said, Let the waters under the Heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.”

So here we are on the good Earth, each summoned to the most exquisite adventure: we are alive! How shall we spend our precious days? Watching television? Or living in fear or anger? Let us not squander our wondrous opportunity!

Finally, allow me to answer my initial question: What is Life? To all on Planet Earth it is a gift from God to be cherished and protected; it is the first of His many miracles.

What we make of it is our gift to Him.

Many years ago a pastor shared with me some words that I have never forgotten. They are words that convey a couple of important truths that can help us to live a highly effective Christian life right to the end.

The words are, “I may not be a big shot; I am just a little shot that keeps on firing.”

Most people are not “big shots” who are known throughout the world for their great words and deeds. But then “big shots” don’t necessarily impress God. He seems to like working with those unknown warriors who don’t need the acclaim of man and are happy to be pleasers of God and lovers of ordinary people.

Some people are waiting till they get their “big” opportunity to do something significant. Most don’t make it and as a result never do much at all. Don’t wait till that “big day” arrives. Don’t wait till that “big door” opens up for you.

Our opportunity is NOW. Every day we can do something to make a difference in someone else’s life. Today I can prayer for someone, encourage someone and be kind to someone. Today I can praise God and be thankful for His grace and mercy.

Most truly great lives are made up of a whole lot of little acts of love, courage and kindness, rather than one big special deed.

Determine to use the opportunities that you have today and to “keep on firing” until you have finished your “race” here on earth. God’s grace is always sufficient for today.

I wouldn’t be surprised if every time we come to “H” in our Faith-Builders I write about humility. It is that important.

It was characterised and demonstrated most clearly and deeply by Jesus.

Philippians 2:3-8 (NIV)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  ⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

We often confuse humility with timidity. Humility is not having an attitude of self-abasement or self-denigration. Humility is maintaining a realistic and balanced attitude about who we are, about our achievements, about our worth – but without arrogance.

It’s about a quiet confidence that does not need to boast of our position or abilities.

It’s about being content to let others discover the layers of our talents.

David Packard, the co-founder of Hewlett-Packard is quoted as saying: “You shouldn’t gloat about anything you’ve done; you ought to keep going and find something better to do.”

1Peter 5:5(b) “God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble”

Humility says, “I need God.”

Humility attracys God’s favour. Pride pushes it away.

Humility says, ‘Lord, You’ve done it all.’

Humility says ‘I need other people.’

Humility admits our own shortcomings and congratulates others on their successes.

Humility is developed in the presence of God.

The mark of a leader who practices humility is his or her treatment of others. Such leaders treat everyone with respect regardless of position.

It has been said that the sign of a gentleman is how he treats those who can be of absolutely no use to him.

Here are a few more suggestions on practicing humility as a leader:

1. Stop talking and allow the other person to be in the limelight.
2. Be willing to say “You are right” and “I am wrong” whenever it is the case.
3. Seek others’ input. Ask: “How am I doing?” It takes humility to ask such a question. And even more humility to consider the answer.
4. As a leader share credit for your successes with others who are on your team; and personally accept the responsibility for mistakes made by you and your team.

Humility is an attitude. It is a choice.

Scripture - Luke 4:38-39

“Now He…entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.”

Observation

Jesus demonstrates how he deals with sickness. He deals with the fever by speaking to it. This is typical of Jesus and the New Testament approach to healing the sick. Jesus doesn’t pray to God to heal His mother in law. He uses His authority and rebukes the fever. The result is immediate.  The fever leaves and she is free to serve her guests.

Application

We are discovering that Jesus’ way is the way. Rather than long prayers to God, interspersed with Scriptures, and our efforts to make something happen, we just do it the Jesus way. We are discovering that simply commanding sicknesses to go in Jesus’ name gets the results.

Prayer

Lord, help me to remember to keep it simple, be open for opportunities and to do it!

Scripture – Micah 5:4-5a “And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God, and they shall abide for He shall be great to the ends of the earth. And this One shall be peace.”

Observation – This is a prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. He has made a stand and does feed His flock with the strength of God. His flock shall and does abide (John 15) with Him forever. He is known and is great to the ends of the earth. Multiplies millions throughout the earth know His name. Many have and do speak of bringing peace, but He is the only one who shall bring peace because He is Peace.

 Application – We can trust God’s word. It shall come to pass. As many words were fulfilled regarding Christ first coming and we can be just as sure at He shall fulfil every word of prophecy concerning His final coming. We can also be confident that He is our Shepherd and feed us with His strength and that we shall abide with Him forever. He saves to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25) and He lives forever to make intercession for us.

 Prayer – Lord, thank You for being my always faithful, life giving, abiding Shepherd. Only You bring the peace that passes understanding. I shall abide in You and Your words shall abide in Me. I am saved to the uttermost and shall be with the Lord forever. I am indeed very blessed. You are my peace!

Scripture – Hebrews 6:12 “That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

 Observation – We are being exhorted to continue on in faith with a full assurance of hope until the end. Obviously some who ‘had tasted the heavenly gift…’ had fallen away from the faith.

There is a danger that when we grow lazy, we can open a door to unbelief. There can be a long time between the receiving of the promise and inheritance or ‘actual’ fulfilment of the promise. Abraham is a good example of someone who needed faith and patience before the promise came. His example in Romans 4:17-25 is a good one. “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but strengthened himself in faith, giving glory to God.”

 Application – Abraham becomes our mentor when it comes to inheriting the promises through faith and patience. We need to stop looking at our natural feelings and circumstances but be proactive in giving thanks for the promise and ‘seeing’ it by faith. Just because we haven’t seen it yet in the natural realm doesn’t mean we haven’t got it in the spiritual realm.

 Prayer – Lord, I want to thank You for Abraham and his example. I will continue to thank You for all the promises that You have made and that are mine in Christ Jesus. Some I won’t see until the end but I believe in them. They are certain. Help me to continue in faith and patience to receive all Jesus died and rose to give us.

Scripture

Hebrews 4:14-16 “Seeing then that we have a High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the thrown of grace, that we may obtain mercy and grace to help us in time of need.”

 Observation

Jesus understands. He is a wonderful High Priest who is touched with our weakness. He has been on earth and suffered the attack of the enemy.

Two things we are exhorted to do:

1. Hold fast our confession.
2. Come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

Application – Our confession of faith, that we should hold fast to, is a confession that Jesus is our High Priest, that He has provided a rest and that He has opened the way to the throne of grace in heaven.

This confession helps to build the faith that gives us the confidence to go boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace in time of need.

Sometimes when in the very difficult times we need a simple formula to help us. As we keep it simple and hold fast to that which is true we can have confidence that something good will happen.

Prayer – Lord, right now I need this to be the reality in my life. I do confess that You are my High Priest and that you have done the work and I can enter in the Rest and I can find grace to help me in this time of need.

Scripture – Jude 1:19 “There are sensual persons who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.”

 Observation – One of the characteristics of sensual people is that they cause divisions. This is closely connected to them not having the Spirit, who is the unifier and maintainer of unity. It is not unusual to see people who ought to be demonstrating unity in the midst of their differences, actually causing divisions. In spite of their protestation one can easily see that they are not being influenced by the Holy Spirit. Their own selfishness and sensuality exposes that it is the flesh and not the Spirit.

 Application – When discord, division and dissention are coming to the surface it is not the Holy Spirit. Love, unity and longsuffering will always accompany His presence.

I not only want to be known for being filled by the Spirit because of the gifts being used, but also to be so filled and influenced by the Spirit that the fruit of the Spirit is obvious to all.

 Prayer – Lord, I give the Spirit full control. This life is too difficult to walk according to flesh. I must be a person who walks according to the Spirit. Help me to be aware of His prompting and stirrings. Holy Spirit fill me, lead me and help me to be a person who causes unity and one accord among the Christians.

 Our Armour and Our Weapons                          Part 3 – Gospel of Peace

Standing in Peace

Ephesians 6:15 “…your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace…”

Last time we looked at the “breastplate of righteousness” The breastplate of righteousness protects our vital organs and especially our heart. Wounded, guilt-ridden, condemned hearts cause many would-be champions to retreat from the battle. Knowing we have “right-standing with God” enables us to have confidence in our relationship with God and therefore confidence when confronting the enemy.

Today we look at the sandals Roman soldiers wore. These had cleats on the bottom of them. Those cleats were to dig in and stand in the face of battle. We don’t want to be a “push-over”. In the midst of the battle we need stand strong.

What is meant by “the preparation of the gospel of peace”?

“Preparation” is the Greek word that refers to the basis of something, the foundation of something and the firm footing of something.

“Gospel of peace” is the good news that Christ has made peace between God and man. “Peace” is a condition of freedom from disturbance. It is the gospel of “shalom” which implies health, well-being, and prosperity. It is the gospel of “reconciliation” which means it brings together those who were previously separated.

In the Amplified Bible we read, “And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.

Putting it all together we are given a picture of a person who is at peace with God, others and himself. Such people will be able to go into battle to preach the gospel, heal the sick and help others in need because they are not self-centred, anxious or worried about themselves and their relationships with others. Such a person is not easily toppled by offence, criticism or accusation. Whenever we go into any situation with a lack of peace in our heart we are susceptible to stumbling.

Because of the Gospel of peace we can be at peace and let others know that they can also live with peace in their heart.

Through Christ I have peace with God and His peace dwells in me!