“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3

I was in shock! Having almost purchased a replacement valve for my pool, I found several sizes available. Not sure of the part number for what I had, I looked up the company and called to see if they could give me the details so I could buy the right one. A very kind gentleman helped by asking me questions about what I had.

Looking carefully at the valve, I answered each question based upon his request. When finished, He told me, “You have valve number 4715!” I thanked him for his help and said, “now I can buy the right valve!” His next words shocked me! “BUY?” he replied. “That valve has a lifetime, forever warranty. Give me your name and address!”

I couldn’t believe my ears. Asking me how long I’d had it, I told him that pump was here when I bought the house 32 years ago! “Lifetime means lifetime,” he replied. “But it may take a week to get this to you. Is that OK?” I laughed. Having had it 32 years, I certainly could wait a week to receive it. Then I thought of Jesus’ guarantee.

The message of Christmas was the start date for the special delivery of eternal life and relationship between God and man. The cross was the finishing touch in the manufacturing of that product. When I agreed to take delivery of His Life and Grace, ‘The Package’ came with the promise in today’s verse. I have it. And I’m waiting.

The problems and pains of this life have not gone unnoticed by The Creator. Even after receiving His ‘Free Gift’ by faith, I am waiting, by that same Faith, for delivery. His Promise, Spirit, Word and Work in my life continue to provide me assurance that what He has promised, He WILL deliver! Knowing HIM is all I need to know.

When prodded to ask what kind of life valve my heart had, I looked carefully, and answered The Manufacturer’s questions honestly. My life was moving along, but had no real quality worth eternity. God asked me to take advantage of His offer and eternal guarantee. I did! And no matter the circumstances, He keeps pumping me full of life.

Do YOU have the confidence and joy of the Christmas, and Easter, promised eternal life? If so… you know the peace of His ‘lifetime forever guarantee!’ Merry Christmas! If not… what are you waiting for?

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36

Christmas is coming! In fact, being almost HERE, we are running out of time! The date’s always the same, but there never seems to be enough time to do what needs to be done to PREPARE for it! Work, Church, duties, wants and even rest seem to compete for the remaining seconds until Christmas is here and we will be DONE!

For us, the ‘TIME’S UP’ is late afternoon on Christmas Eve. By then, all the decorations need to be put up and the house cleaned. Church family, folks and friends will be arriving around 7:30 on the 24^th. After that, it’s just a matter of enjoying and appreciating people and things God has blessed us with. Until then.. we work!

But even after Christmas has been celebrated, and the decorations put away, there is another date that looms larger. Jesus lays that out in Matthew 24. After He talks about the destruction of the Temple (wait.. HUH?), Jesus then finishes that long chapter without interruption. He tells them about the END of TIME, with a warning!

I, like the disciples, would LOVE to know when ‘The End’ will come. At least then I could make some plans! I could put off some ‘NO FUN’ projects and throw in some FUN ones. Taking it easier would be easier if I had a time to measure with! But I have a feeling that is EXACTLY why Jesus went on to say that NO one knows.. except our Dad!

I have to face facts. This world is WAR. The battle between God and satan continues to dominate life. I made the choice on whose team I will fight for long ago and read His warrior guide… ‘The Bible.’ In it He tells me things I NEED to know and do, then leaves my ‘DOING THEM’ untimed… with an open ended ‘someday!’

Jesus came from Heaven to Earth with a military assignment. To ‘RESCUE’ His people. And to DEFEAT His enemies. Time and space are simply the battlefield He created to satisfy satan’s challenge to Him… AND to woo a Bride! I am His Bride (or other half)! So are you, if you have chosen Him as your Savior and Lord.

But the clock is ticking! Time is slipping away. Am I ‘READY?’ Do I look forward to His return with anticipated Joy? Or will I be surprised and shamed when I see my life through HIS eyes? THAT is the question I must ask every day. Because TIME is running out! Are YOU prepared?

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:17

My wife is a murderer! The plant, left unwatered, screamed out in dying plant language… “HELP!” O.K. I didn’t HEAR it.. but I SAW it! When I asked Katie what happened to the plant she said, “I’ve been busy!” And she has! This is a crazy time of year for both of us. And neither of us are running at 100% healthwise.

It wasn’t intentional. The plant was in the corner. I don’t look over there and, because she has a million things on her mind, neither did she. Until!!! So she stuck it in the sink and watered it. I came upon it this morning and trimmed all the dead stuff off, and placed it outside saying the words “Hope ya make it!”

My condition was MUCH worse. There was no fault by anyone but me. Sure… I was BORN human and inherited sin by nature. But I’ve PLENTY to be found guilty of WITHOUT any title to my name. Sin, in God’s Kingdom, is forbidden. Dying… I needed a Savior. Thank God He looked into my dark corner… and MOVED!

He didn’t just pat me on the back and say, “Hope ya make it!” There was NO chance of ‘making it’ on my own. The price of sin is eternal death and absence from His Heavenly realm. But He noticed! And He cared FAR too much! So much so in fact, that the remedy for my life, was the price of His blood. And He PAID IT!

Death never saw Him sneak in. The enemy was looking elsewhere. So under a cloak of darkness, the only place left to ‘slip in’ undetected… was a stable. The only place the Son could shine was in a dark place. And He came anyway. The sun brings life to plants. The purpose of the Son.. is to bring life… to ME!

God’s Word, to me, is Living water. And like water to a plant, it is not only important… it is absolutely necessary for LIFE! Are YOU in a dark place. Do YOU need Living water and Light? Jesus invites you to come for both. Because He isn’t a murderer. He’s The Savior! And YOU’RE why He came!

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11

The realization of ‘Two Noel’s’ came while watching a teaching video online. And it wasn’t even about Christmas. It was about the scientific evidence pointing to proof of God’s existence. The word ‘impossible’ came up, as evidence mounts to prove otherwise. I learned there are only 2 things IMPOSSIBLE with God. 2 NO ‘L’s

First, the Bible, God’s written Word about Himself, tells me that God CANNOT ‘L’IE! Because of that fact, and believe me I’ve tested Him out on this, EVERY WORD of God’s Word is 100% reliable… to me. When it says ‘I am a sinner’ unworthy of ‘Salvation’ is written on my heart, but ‘A Savior’ has been BORN to me. I rejoice!

The second ‘L’ came as a marvelous revelation and blessing. I’d just had ‘an incident,’ having several propensities toward sin that come out when my emotions get the better of me. Feeling guilty over ‘blowing it’ yet again, I smiled when I heard, God cannot ‘L’EARN anything. My sin was no surprise to Him, cuz He already knew!

Suddenly, 2 NO ‘L’s popped into my head… which, directed by the Holy Spirit, came in a perfect Season’s Greeting! Going online I looked up ‘NOEL,’ Only to discover that it is a French word that means ‘to be born.’ Looking at HUNDREDS of Images, ‘Joyeux Noel’ showed only ONE image of a manger scene with Jesus!

It appears the French have replaced the celebration of Christ’s Birth with a catchy phrase, much like many Americans have with ‘Happy Holidays!’ Which leaves God’s TWO magnificent promises of 2 NOEL’S… out of their reach! How sad! But knowing the 2 NO ‘L’s brings MY CHRISTmas even MORE Joy! How about YOU?

God does not even HAVE a ‘naughty list.’ YOU put yourself on that list when you refuse to ‘Believe’ and ‘Act’ by Faith in His Son Jesus Christ! Does YOUR life show evidence of 2 Noel’s… 2 births? Do YOU KNOW The Savior?

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

“I’m going to the store, would you like anything?” I asked. Katie then told me she needed something for the next day. Putting that into my memory bank, I headed off. Little did I know my jaunt would become a marriage lesson for a perfect stranger.

It was at the checkout line when the man at the register made the comment, “OOO my wife loves those.” I responded with, “I know, right? Mine too!! And they’re ON SALE!” “Oh! Now I’ll definitely have to tell her about them.” he said. Then I blurted out… “Dude! Don’t you love your wife?” He looked at me funny!

Knowing I’d already crossed over the line and into Jesus’ territory, I instructed him. “Here’s an idea… since you’re already here, why don’t you just go buy some for your wife, take them home and tell her, “When I saw these, I thought of you!” You might even want to add, “I love you” to cap off the surprise!” I saw the light go on!

I’ve said it for a long time, because I learned it a long time ago… “LOVE is not a feeling… it is an action!” If I truly love someone, I am going to look at them with special interest and see if there is anything I can do to help, encourage or show them by my ACTION! That’s the kind of love Jesus meant when He said the words.

The lesson is so simple it isn’t necessary to blab on a long time about it. The question this Christmas season is… are you acting in love toward those closest to you? And here’s one a step above… what about the others’ in the world Jesus is sending you to? GO SHOW THEM!

“If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” Isaiah 7:9b

Having to be at an appointment at 11:30am… 4.3 miles away, I realized I also needed to drop something off somewhere else after THIS appointment… 3.7 miles away. The time was 11:07am. Calculating…calculating… I ran to my truck and, and based upon my calculations, hastened to complete the circle. Then forgot the thing I needed to drop off! Do I turn around? And yes… I made it!

Most of us do this rush around every single day. Some folks, like me, tend to press the envelope more than others. But the fact remains. We ALL face situations where time, distance, obstacles and potential hazards lie in wait! We ALL make calculations and then execute a plan to accomplish something. And it is ALWAYS BY FAITH IN HOPE!

Over 700 years before Christ was born, an evil King was challenged by GOD to ask for a sign that GOD would protect and save His own people. King Ahaz played a fake humble attitude and refused to ask God. So God gave Ahaz His OWN sign. “A SAVIOR!” 2700 years later we are STILL celebrating the miracle of Emmanuel! Well…some of us anyway!

Living on Earth is DANGEROUS! If God were to take away oxygen we wouldn’t last 3 minutes! Car accidents may pale in comparison to death by virus or bacteria. Yet we get in our cars and drive head on toward people doing the same thing from the opposite direction…separated by a yellow line… less than 10 feet apart! Then we tell God what we cannot, or WILL NOT do!

The world is going crazy and it seems the news media are in competition to be ‘The Expert’ in the announcement of fear and mayhem! And the world is so riddled with contestants, you’d think the prize was world domination! Yet as crazy as that sounds, the saddest people are the ones who choose to believe the lies! The common denominator of both… is selfishness.

God and I have a deal. I let Him be God and He lets me see what only His Children can see. The tool is Faith! And as I see it, my Faith is either growing…or fading. Having seen SO much from God in the past, I EXPECT to see even more in the present and future. Being a Faith guy, I can verify that the Bible verse today is ABSOLUTELY TRUE! And exercising Faith in a VERY BIG GOD… isn’t so hard to swallow!

So… what are YOU standing on?  Will YOU make it?

“Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?'” John 14:9

“It was a tie!” Last night’s ‘Annual Congregational Christmas Quiz’ was held between the Red team and the Green team. Both sides had male and female, and young and old participants. When it was all said and done, most folks were happy, smarter and shell-shocked at what they didn’t know! It was fun… ending in a tie!

What really stood out for me was the delay on the start time to discuss ‘rules,’ ‘scoring’ and ‘fairness!’ After disagreeing, and then agreeing to the terms, the quiz got underway. Obviously, some questions were easier than others. When a person considered smart got an EASY question, “that’s not fair” could be heard!

The story of the Birth of Jesus Christ takes only 4 chapters of the entire 1189 that exist in the Bible. The first Chapters 2 of both Matthew and Luke tell the complete story. Based upon traditional Christmas pictures and scenes, MOST of what people THINK happened… didn’t! Or DID! Depending on the question.

We have NO idea how many wise men there were… and we know they weren’t Kings. We also know they DIDN’T show up at the manger scene, but came to a HOUSE where Jesus could have been as old as 2. The Bible story doesn’t say there were camels or donkeys at the manger scene either! Shattering traditions hurts!

One thing I know from experience and observation, is that people do not like tests! Lots of folks stayed home for ‘The Quiz,’ opting to opt ‘out’ rather than ‘in.’ And while attendance is neither mandatory or indicative of a person’s Christian walk, it CAN be a determining factor for something else.

I asked someone yesterday if they ‘knew’ Jesus personally. Their answer was similar to the question, “Do you know your neighbor Bill… the guy who lives 4 doors down from you?” ‘KNOWING’ has many different degrees. What many don’t understand is that getting into Heaven requires INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE of Jesus.

I made a joke yesterday, “Heaven will contain NO illegal immigrants.” Most laughed. What most do not understand is that there WILL be a quiz… a TEST… in order to get INTO Heaven. It will consist of only 1 question! And if you know neither the question… NOR it’s answer… you are NOT getting past the Pearly Gates. So… Do you? Because your life… is the proof! Nervous???

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'” Mark 6:15

“GREAT JOB GUYS!” is what I said… even though 2 of the 5 guys were girls! It was the last JYC meeting before Christmas Vacation. JYC is a Christian Ministry our Church sponsors at the local Middle School where Jason, Amanda, Randy, Max, Vicki and I (and sometimes John) teach Bible lessons to about 15 kids!

Jason heads the ministry up, and he decided to have a Christmas Bible Quiz like we do at our church… then pass out gifts. When he was all done, there was still some time on the clock. He came over to me and whispered, “hey we’ve got 15 minutes if you have anything you want to add.” It took 30 seconds to respond.

Standing before all those Jr. Christian Knights, I asked them, “what is something you might say to a stranger to get them to talk about Jesus?” Every eye in the place stared back… blank! That’s how I knew it was ‘Jesus’ asking the question, and not me. Rewording the sentence a few times got nothing. So I suggested!

What if you were to ask, “where do you think you’ll go when you die?” Eyes began to light up, and other suggestions were made. Within 15 minutes, we had a bone fide, warrior, army of Evangelists… giving thought to how they could become evangelists for Jesus! Then I told them about the Command to “Go Tell!”

People do not usually think about dying during the day. But everybody dies. And unless they have already received Christ as Lord and Savior, people rarely give thought to Jesus Christ at all. It takes an outside force to create inner thought! And that outer force is SUPPOSED to be ‘Jesus’ saved people!’ ME!… and YOU!

So this Christmas season… will you join me, and the ‘Guys,’ in boldly asking strangers questions to get them thinking about the one for whom the Holiday Season is named? Jesus CHRIST! It’s on WE THE PEOPLE to do just that. So… why not ‘GO TELL!’ It’s YOUR TURN!

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:15-16

The man’s expression said it all! I had simply asked him how he’d been doing. The look on his face spoke volumes without him even having to open his mouth! When he finally DID speak, his words were few… “I hate this world!” So, what am I, ‘The Preacher,’ SUPPOSED to say in response? I said it… “GOOD!,” I replied!

I said what I said, because I knew this Bible passage from experience. I too have said those same words… “I HATE this world,” and meant them every time I said them. The common response I get is, “Well you shouldn’t!” But that response, stated beside the words from the Bible, are in obvious conflict! An Oxymoron!

Yes… God created the world. But He did NOT create EVERYTHING IN IT! Sin and evil were created by a rebellious decision, first by satan… then received, birthed then perpetuated by woman herself! Adam followed! If I had the opportunity to see the ‘GOOD’ world God created, for just a few seconds, I’d never want to leave.

Now I’m not prescribing myself a life of misery on this evil planet. Nor am I contemplating a leap off a tall cliff! What I simply MUST do is take God’s Word as Truth, and adjust my view to fit HIS view of the world. He saw it as lost, then sent His Son, and now His Church, into the world to proclaim Good News to lost souls.

When I find myself enjoying something enormously, there needs to be a quick checkup as to WHY! If it is because my worldly flesh is wallowing in fleshy mud, I need to back up and make a correction. If it is a Godly Joy… I may continue. But looking for and knowing the difference is what makes me Jesus’ Guy!

What do YOU love and think about! Is it for a Godly reason? So what’s YOUR opinion of “The World?”