Christmas Love!

The Christmas season reminds us of the great love that God has for us. It is through the incarnation -- God taking on human form to come and dwell among us that we truly begin to grasp what love is all about.
In 1 John 4:8-11, we find a description of God’s love for us. “God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
1. God’s character is defined by His LOVE
In 1 John 4:7-8, John tells us that we should love one another because love is from God and that those who know God will love one another. John goes on to say that those who don’t love really don’t know God. At the end of verse 8 we are given the reason. We are told in 1 John 4:8 (ESV), “Because God is love.”

When John tells us that God is love, He isn’t saying that God merely projects a friendly attitude toward us. He is saying that love is the essence of who God is. 
2. God’s love is displayed in His SON
1 John 4:9 (ESV) – “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” 

Think about what John says here in this one verse.
(1) God “sent” – the word describes one who is sent on a mission, as a representative of another. The perfect tense emphasizes the permanent consequences of this act.
(2) The purpose: is that “we might live through him.” The verb “live” implies that those to whom the Son was sent were in a condition of spiritual death, and His mission was to impart life to them.
(3) This life only occurs through Christ. There aren't many ways to experience life, or even a couple of ways. There is only one way to truly experience life and that is through Jesus (John 14:6).
3. God’s love is demonstrated in the ATONEMENT
1 John 4:10 (ESV) – “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
True love is not about words, but actions. God not only displayed His love for us by sending His only Son so that we might live through Him. He demonstrated His love for us by sending His Son to die for our sins.
Hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth, the prophet Isaiah foresaw Jesus atoning sacrifice for us.
Isaiah 53:4–6 (ESV) – “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”The origin of love lies beyond human effort and initiative. Left to ourselves we would not love Him, we would not seek Him. We would hate Him and oppose Him. 
It was Him reaching out to us in sacrificial love that broke our hearts of stone and drew us to Himself.
4. Our response to God’s love is to LOVE ONE ANOTHER
1 John 4:11 (ESV) – “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
Once we truly understand the great price that has been paid for our sin and the depth of God’s love for us, we are driven to love one another.
It is important for us not to miss this truth. Although John is speaking primarily to the love that we are to show within the Christian fellowship, his point goes far beyond the church and extends out into the world. We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Luke 10:25-37).

So how do we apply these truths during the Christmas season?

1) Have you personally experienced the love of God in your life?
2) What are some ways that we can love others within the fellowship of believers?

• Be forgiving. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 4:8 (ESV) – “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 
• Be patient with one another
• Pray for one another
• Bear one another’s burdens

3) How can we share the love of Jesus during this Christmas season?

• Smile and wish others a Merry Christmas
• Be patient with store clerks
• Pray for opportunities to share the love of Christ with others
• Be a courteous and good tipper at restaurants. It’s a sad statement that Christians have a horrible reputation with most servers in restaurants.

Christmas Peace!

In Luke 2, we find Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem because of the census that Caesar Augustus had declared. After what must have been a very difficult journey, they finally arrive to find that there is no room in the inn. Mary gives birth to the promised Messiah and He is placed in a manger.
At this same time there are a group of shepherds caring for their sheep out in the fields, when the angel of the Lord appears to them and tells them that in Bethlehem a Savior has been born.
And then we are told in Luke 2:13–14 (ESV), "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ¹⁴ 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'”
As we look back at the Christmas story, I want us to think about the peace that the Messiah has provided for us.
1. He has brought us peace with God
The Bible teaches that in our natural state we are enemies of God and that we are without hope. But Jesus came so that our sins could be forgiven and that we could be reconciled back to God. 

Ephesians 2:12–14 (ESV) -- "Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility."

As we reflect back to the first coming of our Lord as a babe in Bethlehem let us be reminded of the peace that he brought to us and let us look forward to our real home -- Heaven!

2. He has brought us peace within ourselves
One philosopher had called our era "an age of overt anxiety." It seems that everyone is worried about something. We are worried about . . .

• Our past failures
• Our unfulfilled expectations
• Our financial problems
• Our children
• Our health issues

You name it and there is someone who is worried about it.

For the follower of Christ, instead of worrying about things that we have no control over, we are to trust in God. The Bible tells us is in Isaiah 26:3 (ESV), "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

So how are we to do this? The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV), "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Instead of worrying about things for which we have no control, let us take our requests to God with thanksgiving knowing that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
3. He has brought us peace with others
It is God's desire that we live in peace with one another (Romans 12:18). It is a testimony to the world that we are truly His followers if we love one another (John 13:35). 
In the Old Testament we find King David expressing the same kind idea in Psalm 34:14 (ESV) -- "Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."

There is Hope!

When we look at the events of our day it is easy to become discouraged and to lose all sense of hope. We read of ministers who have blown the trust of those they are supposed to lead by choosing to fulfill the desires of the flesh instead of following the will of God. We read of political leaders who are willing to sell out their constituents for power and personal gain. We read of parents who have abused their sacred trust by abusing the children that God has blessed them with. The list could go on and on. 

But it is the Christmas story that reminds us that in the midst of the darkness we have an abiding hope. The Bible tells us in Luke 1:26–38 (ESV) -- "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” ²⁹ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” ³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” ³⁵ And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her."

Gabriel comes to Mary and proposes to her that an impossible thing is about to happen, a virgin will conceive and bear a son. What a hopeless situation! An impossible scenario to say the least! And yet, it is into this hopeless situation that we read that nothing is impossible with God.

Regardless of the failures of those that surround us, our hope is not found in people or in our circumstances. Our hope is found in the God who does the impossible. 

So when we hear of doom and gloom and the circumstances of our lives seem to be out of control, let us . . .

1. Stand firm in your faith
2. Stop worrying about things that you cannot control
3. Start proclaiming the goodness of God

A Note from Mrs. Mary Watson

I was going through my desk this morning and I find a note from a dear friend, Mary Watson. Mrs. Mary was full of wisdom and she always had a quote that she wanted to share with me. I'm not sure exactly when she gave it to me, but I know it was during a time when I was struggling in a relationship with a dear friend. 

The poem was written by Joaquin Miller.

Men Whom Men Condemn Ill

"In men whom men

condemn as ill

I see so much of goodness still.

In men whom men pronounce divine

I see so much of sin and blot

I hesitate to draw

a line between the two where

God has not"

As I thought about Mrs. Mary I was reminded of a picture that we took several years ago. I sure miss this dear friend and I look forward to seeing her again in heaven.

Why is Advent important?

I was raised in a Southern Baptist Church in Northeast Louisiana and I don't ever remember hearing the word Advent until I was an adult. When I finally heard the word I thought it was just a churchy word to describe the Christmas season. Years later I was visiting FBC West Monroe and they were celebrating the Advent in their worship service. This began me on a search to try and understand what is Advent and why is it important? This is the basics of what I discovered.

1. When is Advent? Advent is the season in the Christian year that lasts approximately four weeks. It begins four Sundays before Christmas and it ends on Christmas Eve.
2. What is Advent? The word "Advent" comes from the Latin word adventus, which means "coming" or "visit." For the church it is a time for us to remember the longing that the Jews had for the coming of the Messiah and for us to long for and be prepared for Jesus' return.
3. Why is it important? Over and over again we find Jesus telling us that His return will come at an unexpected time and that we are to be on guard and we are to be ready (Luke 12:40; Matthew 25:14-30). I believe that Advent is a perfect opportunity for us to celebrate the first coming of our Messiah, while refocusing our attention on being prepared for His final coming. 

The world is in desperate need of the church to live out the truth that our Savior is coming again! This will enable us to hold the things of this world loosely, knowing that this is not our home. It will help us focus our time, energy, talents, and possessions to be about the work of fulfilling the commission that we were given to make disciples of all nations!

Thanksgiving -- Part 2

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving Day, what are some ways that we can grow in gratefulness to the Lord?

· Experience Him

We can’t give thanks for what we haven’t experienced!

Psalm 34:8 (ESV) – “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

· Pause

Thanksgiving can’t be done in a hurry! We need to slow down so that we can experience the presence of the Lord.

In Luke 10 we find Jesus and His disciples traveling, when they entered Bethany a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home.

Luke 10:39–40 (ESV) – “And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving.”

When Martha noticed that she was doing all the work while her sister was enjoying Jesus' presence, she went to Him and asked Him if He cared that her sister had left her to do all the work.

Jesus answered her . . .

Luke 10:41–42 (ESV) – “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” 

We need to make sure that we pause each day and consider all the ways that God has blessed us!

· Count your blessings

Write it down. What are you grateful for today? If you’ve been going through a time of pain and suffering, isn’t it time to shift your focus from what you’ve lost or endured to what you’ve been blessed with?

Psalm 103:2 (ESV) – “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

Psalm 103:2 (NLT) – “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me."

· Express it

Psalm 109:30 (ESV) – “With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.”

1 Chronicles 16:8 (ESV) – “Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!” 

Let us take advantage of every opportunity to tell others about the goodness of God!

· Live it

Let us not be satisfied to just to consider and to sing about God’s blessings, let us live lives of gratitude.

Ephesians 5:20 (ESV) – “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

For the Christian every moment of our lives is to be lived in an attitude of thanksgiving. Let us not be dependent upon a special day that is declared by our president, but let us be moved by the grace and love of our Sovereign King to continually over to Him an offering of praise and thanks!

Thanksgiving -- Part 1

As we read through the Bible one of the commands that we read over and over again is that we are to give thanks! One hundred and nine times we find the Bible speaking about giving God thanks!

The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV) – “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

How does giving thanks to God impact our lives?

· Giving thanks brings peace to our hearts

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the crowds “not to worry about their lives.” He then names the things that we worry about the most: our physical attributes, what we are going to eat and drink, and our future.

Instead of worrying let us TAKE our concerns to the Lord with thanksgiving.

At the end of Philippians 4:5 we are told “The Lord is at hand.” The phrase emphasizes that the Lord is both near to hear our prayers and that He is near to help us and to strengthen us. It is because the Lord is near that we can “pray,” offer “supplication,” and let our “requests” “be made known to God” with “thanksgiving.”

THE RESULT: Philippians 4:7 (ESV) – “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

God’s “peace” brings a feeling of contentment and harmony to our lives.

· Giving thanks humbles our hearts

When we go to the Lord with “prayer, supplication, and requests” it acknowledges that we are completely dependent upon God.

The fact that our prayer is given “with thanksgiving” doesn’t mean that we say, “thank-you” in advance for gifts to be received. To bring our requests to God with “thanksgiving” describes a life that is lived with an attitude of gratefulness to God for His blessings!

· Giving thanks strengthens our spirits

Philippians 4:7 (ESV) – “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

When we bring our concerns to the Lord with “thanksgiving,” we are told that God’s peace will “guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.” The word “guard” is a military term that is used to describe soldiers standing on guard. The point is that God’s peace stands on duty to keep out anything that brings care and anxiety.

Psalm 28:7 (ESV) – “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

Thankfulness is living with an understanding that no matter how bad it is; we know that God is still in control and we can trust Him!

Evolution vs Creationism

      In an opinion piece in the November 24th issue of the Lufkin Daily News, it was stated that evolution is a proven fact and that creationism is as credible as the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus. 

    If we are going to discuss this issue, I guess we need to begin by defining what a “proven fact” is, in order to judge the truthfulness of this statement. In my educational experience a “proven fact” is absolute, conclusive, and unalterable. For instance 2+2=4; and 2x2=4. It doesn’t matter whether you use basic math or complex algebra it will always produce the same result. If evolution is a “proven fact,” wouldn’t scientists be able to recreate a sequence of change that transformed monkeys into humans? What we find is there are many varieties within a species, but there is no evidence of one species evolving to another. 

    Evolution flies in the face of established scientific law: the second law of thermodynamics, the law of cause and effect, and the law of biogenesis. Therefore, evolution is neither fact, theory, nor hypothesis; it is a belief system — and nothing more.

     If you are honest, you must admit that neither creation nor evolution is accessible to the scientific method, since they deal with origins and history. Neither can be proved; neither can be tested. They can only be compared. It is for this reason that I believe that students in our public schools should be allowed to study the pros and cons of both models. It is then they can learn critical decision making skills and make their own decision on what they believe.

     Which leads me to ask, "Of what are evolutionists afraid?"

World Hunger

World Hunger Statistics

• 1.02 billion people in the world do not have enough to eat. This means one sixth of humanity is undernourished. (FAO, 2009)

•  Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes - that's one child every 5 seconds. (Bread for the World)

• In 2008, nearly 3 million children died before they reached their fifth birthday due directly or indirectly to hunger and malnutrition. (Bread for the World)

Domestic Hunger Statistics

• 49 million Americans struggle with hunger, including 17 million children. That means 1 in 6 people do not get enough food to be healthy. (Feeding America)

• In our nation's cities, 1 in every 4 people in a soup kitchen line is a child.

• The cost of a meal at a Southern Baptist hunger ministry averages 30 cents per meal. (NAMB Report - PDF, 2011)

World Hunger Fund Giving Statistics

•  100% of all contributions to feed hungry people. (Personnel are already in place; thus, administrative and promotional costs are borne out of other budgets.)

•  In 2011, Southern Baptist hunger ministries fed more than 5 million meals to the hungry in North America. As a result, more than 33,000 professions of faith were reported. (NAMB Report - PDF, 2011)

   This Sunday, October 22, 2013, we will begin our World Hunger Emphasis. We will collect the offering on November 24, 2013.

   Please prayerfully consider how much you should give to this fund!

You can get more information at www.worldhungerfund.com

God is our Hope

"There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have 

grown hopeless about them." -- Clare Boothe Luce

      In ministry and in life it is easy to become discouraged and to lose our sense of focus. In 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 we are given the reason that we can always have hope. 

1. Our hope begins with desperation (vv. 8-9a)

2 Corinthians 1:8–9a (ESV) – “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.”

      We aren’t given any details about the affliction that Paul and his companions faced, but when you look at the language of verses 8-9 we find them in a desperate situation. Paul says that they were “utterly burdened beyond our strength.” This Greek word used here is often used to describe a pack animal that collapses under the weight of its load and is unable to get back up. 

     Paul goes on to say that they “despaired of life itself” and that they had “received the sentence of death.” We must not forget that this is the same Paul who was stoned, shipwrecked, snake bit, and beaten five times with in an inch of his life. And yet we find him here in Asia questioning whether he will survive this affliction or not.

      As we consider the future of Calvary Baptist Church, it is my hope and my prayer that God will bring us to a place of desperation.

2.   In desperation we find Hope (vv. 9b-10)

2 Corinthians 1:9b–10 (ESV) – “But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”

      In the last part of verse 9, the apostle tells us that God’s purpose in allowing the affliction was that He wouldn’t trust in his own abilities, but that he would trust in the “God who raises the dead.”

      Did you notice what tense the verb “raise” is in?

      It is in the present tense. If it were in the past tense, Paul would have said, “God who raised the dead.” But it is in the present tense to emphasize that we serve a God who continues to display that resurrection power in the delivery of His children from impossible circumstances.

      In verse 10, Paul drives home the message of our hope with these words: “He delivered us . . . he will deliver us . . . he will deliver us again.”

      The second part of my prayer is that as God moves us to a place of desperation that we will learn to not trust in our own abilities, but we will trust  Him completely!

3.   Our commitment to one another (v. 11)

2 Corinthians 1:11 (ESV) – “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”

      The phrase “help us” in the Greek carries the idea of working together or cooperating.

      The final part of my prayer is that we would not only come to a place of desperation and learn that God is our only hope, but that we would commit together to be co-laborers in the ministry of prayer!

      Let us commit to one another to pray fervently and frequently, so that many will give thanks for all the blessings God has granted us.

Today as you begin your journey through the New Testament, I want to give you some helpful tips to get the most of your daily readings. 

1. Don't multitask. Devote yourself fully to the task.
2. Read big. Don't try to catch every detail. Focus on the overall story. If you have questions, write them down and keep moving.
3. Don't skip the intros. The Books of the Bible includes brief introductions that unpack the context and literary structure of each book.
4. Subscribe to Biblica's daily email. You can subscribe at CBEresources.com/NT

We will meet on Sunday nights at 6:00 PM beginning April 7, 2013, to discuss what we have read the previous week. The five questions that we will address are:

1. What's something you noticed for the first time?
2. What questions did you have?
3. Was there anything that bothered you?
4. What did you learn about loving God?
5. What did you learn about loving others?

I am looking forward to hearing what God is doing in your life as we study the Word of God together!

Community Bible Experience

I am so excited about the possibilities of what God is going to do in the life of our church as we read the New Testament together over the next 9 weeks. 

If you haven't already committed to join us in this adventure, I want to encourage you to do so now. We will begin reading on April 1, and our first discussion will occur on Sunday night, April 7 at 6:00PM. 

If you didn't purchase a copy of the Books of the Bible - New Testament  you can still read along with us in your favorite translation. The schedule of our discussion is as follows.

• April 7 --  Luke
• April 14 -- Acts; 1 & 2 Thessalonians
• April 21 -- 1 & 2 Corinthians; Galatians
• April 28 -- Romans, Colossians; Philemon; 1 & 2 Timothy
• May 5 -- Matthew
• May 12 -- Hebrews; James; Mark
• May 19 -- Break (due to Church Picnic) use this time to review or catch up if you are behind 
• May 26 -- Peter; Jude; John
• June 2 -- 1-3 John; Revelation