THE BEAUTIFUL NAME OF JESUS!
(This blog is mainly written with my grandchildren in mind.)

"Jesus, oh, how sweet the name,
Jesus, every day the same,
Jesus, let all saints proclaim,
The precious name of Jesus."

I feel so deeply just what this song says so eloquently Peter said, "There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved." (Acts) Paul says, "At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow." (Philippians)

I fear the church has lost the power in that name. Many people over the years have been named Jesus, but only one carries the power to make a difference. I have been in Pentecostal churches where they sang for over 30 minutes, maybe 45 minutes, without one time mentioning the name of Jesus! That is reprehensible to me.

We have communion services where the name of Jesus is not mentioned, even though Jesus said to "do this in remembrance of me." Whole sermons and whole services are conducted without any mention of his name.

And yet, only the name of Jesus heals and forgives and saves. Only His name can calm fears and make doubts flee away. No other name can do this, and the absence of His name is a worship of uselessness. Let us all revive the name of Jesus in our hearts, in our speech, and in our worship. It's a beautiful name!

"I love the name of Him whose heart,
Knows all my griefs and bears a part,
Who makes all anxious fears depart,
I love the name of Jesus!"

So many songs about the name of Jesus, so many poems, so many scriptures! If the devil can silence the name, Hell can take a rest, and the world will be thrown into chaos.

"By what power or what name have you done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ...by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth...this man stands here before you whole." (Acts 1-11)

Had it not been for the name of Jesus, I wouldn't even be alive today. I love the name of Jesus!

"Some may wonder where the beauty lies in that name I love so dear,
Well, it's not just in the way it sounds when it falls on my ear,
And it's not just in the way it looks when it's written beautifully.
But the beauty of that precious name is in the power it gives to me."

"It's so beautiful, the Name of Jesus.
It's so beautiful, that precious name.
When I ask in Jesus' name,
Everything is mine just to claim.
How I love that precious name."

Jeremiah 20:11 says, "But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their  everlasting confusion will never be forgotten." (NKJV)

What a great thought! And a wonderful confession. Of course, most confessions have conditions to be kept. The main condition of any confession is that your heart is right with God, you have accepted Jesus (no man can come to the Father except through Jesus - John 14:6), and you are keeping your relationship with God in good condition. We all fall short, sometimes forget to pray, sometimes try to handle things ourselves instead of trusting God. But if we confess our sins (admit that we missed the mark), he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). So as we keep our walk with God in good shape, then we can say what Jeremiah said.

Confessions are great. But they aren't mantras, cliches, etc. They come from a heart that is alive to God. So Paul says to the Hebrews that we will overcome if we keep up the profession (confession) of our faith.

Another thing that happens when we make confessions of scripture, it builds our faith. Not more faith, but strong faith. God has already given to every believer "the measure of faith", we just have to work it out. James says that faith without works is dead - useless.

Consider if you were given a lump of dough. In that lump are biscuits, a pie shell, cookies - your choice. But you have to work it out or it is useless to you. So, begin to "work out your faith." Say what the Word says (Hebrews 4:14; 10:23, etc.), pray always in the Holy Ghost (Jude 20), and having done all STAND. Don't be shaken or move off your ground of faith. Some things come quickly, some take time - just stand.

The woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25ff) said, "If I can touch the hem of his garment." But she had to fight her way through the crowd. Not an easy task, but she held on to her profession (confession) like Hebrews 10:23, and she "stood" on that confession to touch the hem of his garment. And she was healed!!

So let us say, "But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.

Be blessed!!

Keep Your Heart Simple Before God

Moses was a man who had intimate communion with God. Exodus 33:11 says, So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. (NKJV)

Moses was a man who had an intimate relationship with God. Deuteronomy 34:10 says,  But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. (NKJV)

Moses was a man who had intimate privilege with God. Numbers 12:8 says, I (God) speak with him (Moses) face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings, and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses? (NKJV)

That puts Moses way ahead of all the Israelites of his day, and even in the days to follow after him. Yet he prayed in Exodus 33:13,  Now, therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You... (NKJV)

Notice that Moses prayed, even though he was face-to-face friendly with God. There is something to say about respect, even for those who are your close and familiar friends. Though Moses had remarkable access to God, he never presumed. Moses kept his heart simple before God. He could be stern and strict with those whom he lead; that is what leaders do when those given to follow them become diffident and lazy. But to God, although he knew that he had found grace in God's sight and was a true friend of God, he still approached God with great reverence, asking as a child asks his father for a favor. I believe Moses knew that God would grant his request before he asked, yet he still reverenced God and approached in a proper manner to the Ruler of the Universe. Even that approach gave him a better foundation for his request.

This was not subtle manipulation on Moses' part. On the contrary, this was deep, abiding respect for his dear friend. Respect goes a long way, and it never hurts us to give it to others. Yes, God has promised you as a child of God, washed in the blood of his Son that he will give you that for which you make earnest request. Still, it is good advice to say, keep your heart simple before God.

Make sure of your reason for asking and make sure of your reasonable approach to Him Who rules overall. It is just a wise thing. Even when asking is unnecessary - in the area of healing your body, for example - still your approach to him in respect and thanksgiving to take that which is yours is always a wise approach.

May God hear all your requests, and may you know that he does and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

Empowered to Serve

Once again, I have published a new book. This one is a compilation of sermons that I preach throughout South Africa, especially when conducting conferences on the subject: Empowered to Serve. I have dedicated the book to my spiritual son, Jackie (Oeloff Jacob) Badenhorst, who presently lives in Bethlehem, Free State, South Africa.

You can find the book on Amazon.com, both print, and Kindle (for your phones and tablets). It is a companion book to my first book, Victory Ground. Outside the US, it would probably be better to download the Kindle version to your Kindle app (a free app). Here are the URLs for both books should you choose to read either one or both. I really think you would enjoy the books, and they are quite inexpensive as a Kindle version.

Victor Ground: https://www.amazon.com/Victory-Ground-Gary-Gilmore-ebook/dp/B07KY24KQB/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1549117644&sr=8-11&keywords=books+by+Gary+Gilmore

Empowered to Serve: https://www.amazon.com/Empowered-Serve-Gary-Gilmore-ebook/dp/B07LCWRQ3V/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1549117644&sr=8-7&keywords=books+by+Gary+Gilmore

Sorry for the sales pitch. I really don't care about the money, I just want to bless anyone with the things the Lord has given me to say.

If you enjoy the books, it would be so nice for you to leave a review/comment on the Amazon.com site. Thanks.

Happy reading.

The Name of the Lord is a Strong Tower!

Here is my encouragement for you today. Trust in the name of the Lord! This Psalm is a great Psalm to pray over yourself, and/or over those whom you know that need a boost in life.

1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; 2 May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion; 3 May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah 4 May He grant you according to your heart's desire, And fulfill all your purpose. 5We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. 8 They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright. 9 Save, Lord! May the King answer us when we call.

Verse 1 is the Defending Name of God. Verse 5 is the Displaying Name of God. Verse 7 is the Delivering Name of God.

Know that the Lord defends his people, know that he delivers his people. So be sure to display the name of the Lord everywhere you go.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright. Hallelujah!!

This Is A Hard Saying...

In all of my Bibles, I have written three quotes in the blank pages at the back. These are quotes I do not want to forget. I read them often, and I read them to other people as well. I want to share them with you.

But before I do, let me just tell you that these quotes are horrible, hard, tough, invasive, hurtful, maddening, offensive - I could go on. I have lived troubled days, and spent sleepless nights, all thanks to these three quotes. Sometimes they nearly drive me mad. I often have wept before the Lord, just because of these three quotes.

Paul tells Timothy, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance." I have to tell you that these three sayings (quotes) are hard sayings - still worthy of acceptance. I do not remember, or maybe never knew, who said them. Maybe you do. But I fear that if I did know, they might not be my best friend.

Before I list these quotes for you, I pray that they will have the same effect on you that they have had on me. I pray that they drive you to your knees in surrender and tears and repentance. I pray that they produce good fruit in you. Now, the sayings...

"Jesus has no tenderness whatever toward anything that is ultimately going to ruin a man in the service of God."

"Our Lord never puts personal holiness to the fore when He calls a disciple; He puts absolute annihilation of my right to myself and identification with Himself - a relationship with Himself in which there is no other relationship."

"If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on your way, certain that the other person is more likely to be in the wrong than you are, it is an indication that there are whole tracts of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze."

Doing the Right Thing

Judy and I read the Bible together at breakfast every morning, then we read a few pages of a selected book and have prayer before we start our day. Right now we are reading Lester Sumrall's book: Genesis, the Crucible of the Universe.

We have also been reading through some of the OT books of the prophets. We have read the 3 prophets that deal with the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity, as well as Ezra and Nehemiah. We enjoyed the story of Esther. In it, we saw that Mordecai finished the job that was given to King Saul, a Benjaminite. Saul was supposed to annihilate the Amalekites, but chose to keep King Agag and others alive. Samuel, the prophet, confronted him and told him that God had ripped the kingdom from him and had given it to David. Many years later, during the Babylonian captivity, God chose Mordecai, another Benjaminite, to finish the job by killing Haman, an Agagite; that is, the last descendant of King Agag of the Amalekites.

Though King Saul elected to keep the best of the people and the livestock alive as spoils, Mordecai elected to keep none of the spoils. Righteousness does prevail, though it may take years to see it. God will always win every time. We may not see it. It may be left to our descendants to enjoy the end of the battle. But if we are faithful to teach our children and to encourage them to do the right thing all the time, regardless of how hard it may be or the cost, then we can be sure that the eventual outcome will be good.

So Mordecai encouraged Esther to approach the king, in the face of possible death, to do the right thing - the hard thing. He said, "Who knows but you have been brought to this position of Queen for this very time in history to save the Jews." And she decided, "I will approach the king, and if I die, I die."

Tough choices, big costs. But because of their willingness to obey the Lord, only good came forth. Today, will you be a Saul and lose the kingdom for a few choice spoils? Or will you lay aside the possibility of personal gain for the greater good?

I believe you will make the right choice. It may even save your country, your family, and your own life.

South Africa - Our New Assignment

It seems that our life has been sorted into assignments, and we have a new one. Our new assignment is huge - a move to South Africa.

South Africa has been on our hearts since 1985 when we traveled there to visit our Tulsa friends who had moved there. We had a wonderful visit, and we fell in love with the country, the people, and the work our friends were doing. In the last 15 years, we have desired to move there ourselves to help Ron Kinnear in his mission outreach throughout the southern African continent. (Check out his ministry.) We have served as his US office administrators for many years, but that was only marginally fulfilling to us. Now, the Lord has released us to move there and work in a more hands-on manner.

(I might take just a moment to explain why I use the word assignment. It is my habit to spend an hour in prayer every morning from 6-7 am. During Monday of this week, the Lord began to show me my ministry life in stages, although he used the word assignment. There have been 6 assignments, and now we have just been give assignment number 7.)

So, we are now South Africa bound. You may ask, "When are you leaving, and how long are you staying?" Good question(s). I will try to answer. (We will be living in Pretoria in the northern part of South Africa. See map at the bottom of this blog.)

We have no appointed date for leaving. There is much to do: raise monthly financial support for our And the Lord has been faithful every day in giving directions and supply for the tasks. Stay tuned for an announcement at some time in the near future for our departure date. Judy and I are planning for mid-June. But we have heard nothing from the Lord, so far.

livelihood while there, gather money for the trip there (and shipping a few small items), acquiring volunteer visas, finish up US obligations. Overall, we are daily looking to the Lord for HIS direction as to what to do, when to do it, and how to pay for it.

How long are we staying? I have never entered any assignment with an end-date in mind. To me, that creates an escape hatch, if things aren't going well. I have always begun an assignment with the idea of finishing my life in that given assignment. So I am naturally amazed when the Lord shows up to let me know that it is time to move on. I plan to stay in South Africa until the Lord returns, or I go to meet Him. Of course, we will have occasional visits back home.

The most important thing you can do for us is to pray for us. Pray as the Lord leads you to pray each time you lift us up. And if the Lord speaks to you, impresses upon you, or however you describe it, then please support us financially, either with a one-time or occasional gift, or with monthly support. We are trusting him with our every need, and him alone.

Keep checking back here for updates on our ministry to South Africa. And check this blog for my personal thoughts and stories.

Thanks for your prayers above all (and your good wishes).

A Most Powerful Christmas Story

Each year, as Christmas rolls around, I find new and exciting details about the coming of the Messiah to earth. In other words, Christmas just gets more and more wonderful to me. I have especially been drawn to the account recorded in Matthew chapter one.

It begins, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” It struck me, as I read this sentence, that it was Jesus who was the promised son of David (not Solomon), and the promised son of Abraham (not Isaac). I remembered that Genesis 3:15 was the promise of the coming “seed of the woman” who would totally defeat Satan who had misguided Eve in the garden.

Then I reviewed Acts 2:30, “Therefore, (David) being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne…” It was Jesus, not Solomon, whom God promised would sit on David’s throne.

Further, I returned to Galatians 3:16 to remind myself of the promise to Abraham, “Now to Abraham and his Seed, were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” So truly, the Holy Spirit speaks through Matthew to inform the whole world that Jesus, born of a virgin in Bethlehem, is the true Son of David, the true Son of Abraham. And this truth begins the whole New Testament, verse one of chapter one of Matthew.

The genealogies, beginning with verse two, are given for many reasons; but one special reason stood out to me in view of the first verse and the eighteenth verse. The coming of Jesus was quite different from the coming of all other people into this world. All people’s lineages are made up of men marrying women, men cohabiting with women – good women, bad women, good men, bad men. But not so, the birth of Jesus. And the Greek language especially points to this fact.

After having identified Jesus as the Promised Seed of Genesis 3:15 (Matthew 1:1), the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, Matthew finishes His genealogy with these words in Matthew 1:18. “Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise.” Or to translate the Greek more literally, “On the contrary, the birth of Jesus was like this.” The Holy Spirit specifically draws attention to the stark difference in the conception/birth of others and the conception/birth of Jesus. He was born of a virgin, before her marriage, and of the Holy Spirit’s impregnation. So verse eighteen becomes the centerpiece of the entire New Testament. Jesus was truly the only begotten Son of God!

People throughout the last 2,000 years have doubted and disbelieved this fact. But the fact still stands true, unwavering, and withstanding all contradiction. Jesus is the Son of God. And remember this truth; the Word of God trumps all other theories, ideas or experiences. It has stood the test of time.

So this Christmas, I pray for you, that you will see in a deeper way the beauty of the coming of the long-awaited Messiah. Christmas is more than the gift we give, it is all about – and only, ever, all about – the gift of Jesus to the world. And His coming the first time assures us that He will surely come again!

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

Have a Merry Christmas!!

The New Testament - Jesus' Letters in Red?

One whole shelf in my office library is full of Bibles of many different versions. The one I use the most, the New King James version, has the words of Jesus in red.

One theologian I read said that this is a travesty. By raising the words of Jesus above all other scripture, you naturally lower the value of the other words, he says. All scripture is inspired by God; therefore, all the words are of equal value because they are all God's words.

I don't know how you feel about that. You probably take the more common position that it is nice to separate the words of Jesus for identification purposes.

But here is my personal take on the matter. When I try to follow what Jesus taught, I find that I am woefully inadequate and powerless for the task! I mean, who can truly forgive his enemy, let alone love him? The good news is that through His death and resurrection, he accomplished for me what I could not accomplish for myself - on my best day!

So, His words are in red, because they leave me owing; i.e., in the red.
Then comes his sacrifice for me, and now I have all I need, in Him, to overcome and be successful; i.e., in the black.

In the Gospels, He removed my debt - the red; and in the Epistles, I am on victory ground - in the black.

What do you think about that?

This Tree Is A Testimony

This beautiful tree with its gorgeous limbs and the light through it leaves has a dynamic story. Let me tell you about it, and the man who's confession never wavered and eventually came true.

In April of 1979, 34 years ago, Doyle and Marlene Turley and 13 other families bought a huge tract of land near Lake Tenkiller, outside of Tahlequah, OK. All of these families grew up on the west side of Tulsa, or were family members of someone from the west side. They created the Westside Country Club on this purchased land. As often as they could, they would come from Tulsa for the weekend to this heavenly piece of property, until they eventually were able to retire here. 

At the beginning, the piece of property around this tree was the only open space on the entire tract of land, all the rest was forest. So they would come and camp around this tree and plot out and clear the rest of the land. They sectioned off the land among the 14 families, created roads, and a covenant. 

This tree was somewhat sickly. It was about 10-feet tall, split into two parts, and had an ugly, deep hole about 3-feet long on one side. Everyone would say, "This tree will die." "Let's cut it down." "This tree isn't going to make it.", etc. But Doyle Turley would always say, "This tree won't die. It's going to live."

So Doyle filled the hole with that expandable foam that comes out of spray cans for filling up cracks, etc., in walls and house trim. (It took a lot of the foam.) Then he sealed it over, and sprayed it every year. All the time, the others would say, "This tree won't make it."

The picture at the bottom of this article is the tree 34 years later. It is in the middle of the property, and the pride of the whole Country Club. (My own granddaughters would love to climb it, but are too small.) And never once has Doyle ever said, "I told you so." The picture also includes in it my wife, Judy, so you can see how big it is.

There is something to say about the importance of confession, and sticking with it. It may take months for your life to show the results of the confession, but if you hang in there, it will. I am thankful that God gives us such a powerful tool as confession. I am alive today because of it. I believe what God says about me, and I continually speak it out. My circumstances eventually catch up. 

Paul says, in Hebrews 4:14, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." And again, in Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

We have a Better Hope!

"18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God." (Hebrews 7:18, 19 NKJV)

People place their hope in others all the time, and often are disappointed. This is especially true with government. With every new leader elected - locally, statewide, nationally - we have hope that things will get better. It is natural to hope, and it almost seems just as natural to have our hope dashed. But it doesn't have to be that way, and here is why.

When we place our hope in men, we set ourselves up for failure for two reasons. First, all men are human and destined for failure. The Apostle Paul says, "They (boasters and those who commend themselves), measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." (2 Corinthians 10:12) Eventually, the greatest person with the most commendable record will fail because all men are fallen, since the fall of Adam. They may not mean to, but they will. Second, all men die; and when they do our hope for what they can do for us dies. And we are back to square one, looking for someone else to be our hope.

But Christians have a better hope! Why? Jesus came as a man, and was tempted; but, he did not fall to sin. And, though he did die, he rose again, and now lives forever in heaven. He sits next to God continually making intercession for us. Since he did not fail, and rose from the dead, when we place our hope in him, we have done a great thing. We have a better hope!

And the greatest of all hopes is that one day our Deliverer will come and rescue us from our present situation. He will take us to a better place! Everyone wants that, and all who place their hope in Jesus have it!

Have you placed your hope in Him! It only takes about 30 seconds to do so. Then just begin to walk with your head up, your eyes open, and a big smile on your face - because you have Hope!

Dear reader, if you have Jesus in your heart, then you have the Greater One in you; you can do greater works; you have a greater witness; you have better promises; and you have a better hope. So start living like it!

(Fifth in a 5-day, 5-part blog on Greater and Better Things.)

We have Better Promises!

"But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises." (Hebrews 8:6 NKJV)

There are lots of promises being made all around us every day. We often find ourselves thinking, "Yeah, yeah, yeah." And we have become very skeptical of what government, businesses and people promise us. But there is One Who has made great and precious promises to us, and they are just as good today as when he first made them. Time and wars and cultures and philosophies have not erased them, or made them ineffective. And they never will.

Jesus has given us a better contract (covenant) than anyone else ever could. And it has better promises. There are lots of religions floating around that make promises. But the covenant that Jesus made with you when you asked him into your life is so full of such great promises that it causes all other religious promises to fade - if you check out his promises. He said that he would die for us and rise again on the third day so that all the promises of heaven would become ours. And he did just that. History has tried with all their might to disprove his death, burial, and resurrection. But they have yet to do it. And since no one has - and can't - disprove him and his promises, it would be worthwhile to search out his promises and place our trust in them.

If we trusted him, and received his love and peace and strength, then we should also trust him for his promises. Why not give it a try today? Find his promises to you, and begin to trust him to bring them to pass. 

Here is one: "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8) Just work on that one for awhile. Believe him and see what happens.

(Fourth in a 5-day, 5-part blog on Greater and Better Things.)

The Greater Witness in us!

"9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son."  (1 John 5:9, 10 NKJV)

There are many people in the world that would tell us there is no God, Jesus doesn't love us, Jesus can't help us, Jesus isn't the Son of God, etc. But God says, "I am living inside of you, and my witness of myself is greater than what men say to you." We have a Greater Witness inside of us. Or as someone said, "We have inside information."

Nowadays, people are saying that God is dead. They say that Christianity is old hat, the truth is we can do what we want to. They tell us we are foolish to trust in Someone Whom we have never seen. But if we have asked Jesus into our hearts (remember? the Greater One is in you?), then we have an inside witness. The noise of this world tries to drown it out, but if we will get quiet for a moment...There it is! That inside witness is telling us that God is real, and he lives inside us. 

Once again, it doesn't say that the witness is around us, or behind us, or in front of us. No! This verse says we have "the witness in us!" We just need to develop our inside ears! We need to practice hearing his voice in us. He knows, he understands, he guides. He won't force you to hear him, or make you acknowledge him inside. But if you will listen, he will guide you. 

Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice." He doesn't lie. So if he said we hear, then we can hear. So every once in a while, just get quiet. Shut out the world, and begin to hear that inside witness - I love you, I'm with you, I can do it through you.

(Third in a 5-day, 5-part blog on Greater and Better Things.)

Greater Works are ours!

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."  (John 14:12 - NKJV)

Now here is something to think about: we will (and can) do greater works than Jesus did. Why is that so hard to believe? Jesus said it, and he doesn't lie. Some would argue that greater in this verse means more, not more dynamic. Even so, greater is still greater. There are Christians who have done virtually nothing all their lives, so to do one or two things would be a great thing for them.

But the word greater is a word with no limits. Suppose you could bless three people today with something? A good deed, a kind word, a prayer of help, an encouragement. And don't forget that the word (which is unlimited) would include a healing, a provision, etc. Just suppose...

This verse implies that Jesus has a part to fulfill and so do we. His part is to "go to My Father." He has done his part. Our part is to "believe in Him." Will you do your part?

The devil has done a good job lying to us, telling us that we are unimportant in the church, unimportant to God. We are small fries, not a very big catch. But Jesus just continues to whisper inside of us (remember? the Greater One is in us?) that we are important to him and he will help us do a greater thing(s).

Give it a try today! Push out! Reach out to bless someone! Let Jesus help you.

(Second of a 5-day, 5-part blog on Greater and Better Things.) 

The Greater One in You

"You are of God, little children, and have overcome them (the spirit of Antichrist, the evil one), because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."  (1 John 4:4 NKJV)

What a wonderful thing to know - the Greater One lives in us! If we have asked Jesus into our heart, then the Greater One is in us. We are so sin-conscious, so aware of the troubles around us. We allow what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears and feel with our emotions to override the truth that God wants us to know above all truths. Jesus lives in us - the Greater One.

God promises us that we have already overcome our enemies through Jesus living in us. What if we believed that? I mean, what if we put legs to that truth and began to walk and talk and act as though it were true - because it is. What if we said, "This is not going to defeat me because Jesus already defeated it. And Jesus lives in me." That would give us a different perspective on our day and days.

Notice that this verse says he is in us - not around us, or before us, or after us - but in us! So no matter where we are, what we are doing, who is with us, the Greater One is in us. 

He did say to us, "If you love me, I will come in to you and live with you and you with me." And he is true to his word. 

So stand up a little straighter. Put a little bigger smile on your face. Whistle a little happier tune. Because Jesus, the Greater One, is in you and you are an Overcomer! (And if you haven't asked Him into your life, do so right now! Don't waste another minute!)

(First in a 5-part, 5-day blog on Greater and Better Things.)

The True Message of Christmas (Luke 2:10-12)

The first message, announcement, of the birth of Christ was given to shepherds. Imagine, the lowliest, poorest, most disregarded class of Jewish society were the first to hear of Christ's birth. And not just a casual announcement, either. An angel came who was then joined by "a multitude of the heavenly host" singing praises to God for this great miracle. Let's look at this message given, because it was the most powerful, most complete, and truest message given of the Christ.

In verses 10-12 we have the message: "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger."

In the Greek, verses 10 & 11 are laid out like this:
     The Announcement
        The Time
           A Savior
           Christ
           The Lord
        The Place
     The Sign

You can see that the heart of the message is "a Savior, Christ the Lord." Let's look at that to discover why this is the strongest message of Christmas - and the only true message.

Not a helper, but a Savior. A Savior is for the lost. Jesus says of himself, "I am come to seek and save that which is lost." We are lost because He recognizes us as lost, whether we do or not. He is the One coming, He is the One dying, He is he One rising on the third day, He is the One Coming again - for us, whether we realize it or not.

Christ the Lord. He is the Lord of all power and might; therefore, He is able to save. In these three words we find the entire gospel. It is good news as to a Person. And it is distinctly Christianity, which is about a person, as opposed to Religion, which consists of Articles, Creeds, Doctrines, and Confessions - all that is outward.

The angels sang of a Person, not a new tradition. They sang of His majesty, not a prescribed litany.
     When they gathered in the sky, it was to adore the Savior.
          When the shepherds knelt before Jesus, it was to worship the
                      One of whom the angels sang.
               When the wisemen brought gifts, it was for the One Who
                           would save His people from their sins.

This Christmas day, should our lives not be for the proclamation of the Lord's Anointed, the One Who is full of grace and truth? The One Who alone can save us out of our every predicament? The only One Who can give true joy and light?

So I say to you, Merry Christmas! Christ the Savior is born!

Joseph and his dream (Matthew 1:19-25)

Joseph was a pretty important character in the Christmas story. In fact, of all the people in the whole Bible who had dreams, Joseph had the most - four dreams! And thank God he did, or Jesus may never have been born.

Joseph was a "just man". That is, he desired to obey the Law of God. So when he found out that Mary, his wife, was pregnant - and not by him - he was in quite a quandary. He was very kind, and had no desire to make this thing public. If he did, the Law demanded that Mary be stoned. So he made up his mind to put her away secretly, through divorcement.

Now the Bible says, "While he pondered these things..." (v. 20). While he was considering which of these two options to take, an angel appeared to him in a dream. In essence, the angel said, "Joseph, there is a third option, and here it is, and this is why."

Have you ever been in a quandary about what to do? And you feel like you have exhausted all your options? And none of them look all that good? Well, God still has ideas that you have never had. We can't see down the road and around the bend, but God sits up high above the earth and can see everything. So why not ask Him? And wait for His answer.

Satan was trying his best to stop Jesus from coming into the earth. He put pressure on Joseph to do the right thing. And there were two right things to choose from, according to the Law. But aren't you glad that God is more involved in grace than law? When it looks impossible, and Satan is trying to get the upper hand in your life, God in His grace comes with a totally unheard-of option. An option, that when revealed, makes perfect sense.

And when Joseph obeyed and took God's option, Jesus was born - the Savior of the World! You see, with God, there is no Plan B. Plan A always works, if we will obey God. Take a lesson from Joseph.
Start looking to God for Plan A, His plan, the one that always works. Be willing to wait until you relax and quit fidgeting (like, take a nap, dude!). God is never late, He is always on time!

Blessings this Christmastime!

Zacharius & Mary (Luke 1)

Boy! The messenger angel was certainly busy during that first Christmas season! Think about it, he sat around for nearly 400 years waiting to deliver a message to someone. Then suddenly, in a period of a few months, he was speeding up and down the land of Israel, delivering messages to men and women alike.

Two of those messages were to an old priest named Zacharias, and a young virgin girl named Mary. One was in the south of the land, the other in the north. Their messages were quite similar, but their reactions were vastly different, with quite different consequences.

Zacharius (Zachary, today, or Zach, if you please) was an old priest, married to Elizabeth, a barren wife. Here he was,
     ending his days in the priesthood
          with no successor,
               no child,
                    no grandchildren. Not a very promising picture, to say the least. But while in the temple, performing his required services, an angel appears with a message. It was a glorious message, too! (Luke 1:5-23) Not just some ho-hum event, it was a world-changer.
     He would have a son,
          his name would be John,
               and he would go around announcing the coming of the long-awaited Messiah.
Okay, finally after all these years of no children, we have paydirt!!

Here comes the problem: First thing out of his mouth was a wrong question. Did you ever want to grab what you just said and stuff it back in your mouth? Instead, it just hung out there in the air in vibrant neon color. Oh no! He said, "How shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years?" (v. 18) ...and the angel struck him dumb, until John was born.

Now, here is Mary.
     She is a very young girl
          (in today's standards),
               unmarried,
                    and no real prospects of a husband. She is just beginning life, unlike Zach, and her whole future is before her. The messenger angel shows up in her room with a glorious message (is there any other kind from heaven?), just for her.
     She would have a son!
          He would be the promised Messiah from heaven. (Luke 1:26-35)
               And she would call him the Son of God.
In so many ways, she was scared spit-less.

Here comes the question, just like Zach, sort of. She asked, "How shall this be, I am not married?" (v. 34) ...and the angel explained it to her, unlike Zacharias.

So what is the difference? They both had good reason to ask a question. Zacharias felt the promise had come too late. Mary felt the promise had come too soon. But Zacharias questioned the fact of the promise, while Mary only inquires as to the mode.

So be watchful this Christmas season. You may not know how Jesus will appear to you, but know for a fact that he will. For he promises, that if we will believe, he will come to us and make his home with us.

Be blessed this Christmas season!

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. Matthew 2:10

What a joyful sentence in the midst of this - or any - Christmas season! When they saw the star...

But wait a second, they had followed it for nights and days, and it led them to Israel to see the newborn King of the Jews. Why now did they rejoice?!

They were human, just as you and I are. Wouldn't you assume that the new king would be born in the capital of the country? Where the temple was? That is a natural assumption, if you hadn't read the prophecies, or hadn't read them closely enough. So, when they got to Jerusalem, they did the normal thing. They went to the palace and asked the present king. And they started a furor that caused many babies to die a terrible death.

Apparently, in their haste and wrong decision to go to Jerusalem and ask of Herod, the star vanished. In some way, they could no longer see it. But when they left Jerusalem without a solid answer to their question, the star suddenly appeared again, and (I believe) they realized their mistake and rejoiced that the star was still there. As it turned out, they were guided to Nazareth, not Bethlehem, and to the "house where Jesus was," and there they fell down and worshiped Him.

We all must seek Him and follow Him by faith. There is no other way. Sometimes the glitz and glimmer of this world, sometimes the noise and busyness, sometimes the schedules and demands, dim our view of faith. We lose our way, as it were, and we begin to come up with our own idea of what we should do. That is when we discover that we have made a mess of things and can't figure out how to get out of it all.

Repent means to turn and go another way. They left Jerusalem (repented?) and went another way when they saw the star. That brought great rejoicing!

May I encourage you, and me, this Christmas season? Keep your eyes on the Star of the season - Jesus. Turn away - in your heart - from all the noise, and schedules, and gift-buying, and gift-opening, and family gatherings, and dinners, and keep your eyes on the Star. That is where the change is. That is what will make Christmas - and your life! - different. It will cause you to "go home another way" (v. 12).

Like the chorus says:
     "Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
     Look full in His wonderful face,
     And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
     In the light of His glory and grace."
                                                 - Helen H. Lemmel