Jesus Savior King and Creator

John 1:1-3, 14  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ESV

What kind of a God is this that would become flesh and live among us? Well, the kind of God that God is not for us to decide. God is who He is, and we can't change that. We can't change who God is. But we can seek His help in learning what He wants us to know about Himself.

Indeed, becoming born as a baby was a way for us to come to know more about God than any of what had been spoken and written by prophets over many centuries.

If we want to come to know God we have to come to know Jesus. We need to know about His birth, His life, His teachings, His miracles, His death on the Cross, His resurrection, and His return to Heaven. We can learn these things from the written word, the Bible.

The things we learn about Jesus we can ponder, and believe, and even sing about.

Today I came across this song, You're Here, by Francesca Battistelli. I hope you'll be blessed by it.

Every Way Of A Man is Right In His Own Eyes

Proverbs 21:2-3  Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.  ESV

People are stunned and grieved by the tragedy in Newtown, CT. How could anyone be so cruel and heartless as to break into an elementary school and murder children and adults?

Adam Lanza must have thought about what he did before he went into that school. Apparently he got the weapons at his mother's home, and first used them to kill her. Then walked with the weapons to the school to do the rest of the killing. As difficult it is for us to comprehend why anyone would do such a horrendous things, it seems Adam Lanza was doing what what right in his own eyes.

God tells us how to live. We're to love Him with all our mind, heart, soul and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. But people think they know better than God. They do their own thing. They do what they think is right for them. They don't want others telling them what they can or can not do. They especially don't want to be told by God what to do.

Some of the things people do that are right in their own eyes seem to be harmless to most people. But other things result in hurt feelings. Or broken relationships. Or divorce. Or any number of other sins that are as offensive to God as to anyone else.

 Let us all repent of doing whatever we feel like doing that is right in our own eyes with no regard for what God says in His Word. Let us learn what is right in God's eyes from His Word and seek His help to do that. Not to earn forgiveness, which we are unable to earn on our own, but in thanks to God for sending His Son to die for our sins.

I pray for those hurting families in Connecticut. And I pray that we will all seek to learn better to do what is right in God's eyes rather than what is right in our own eyes.

There are Hymnns We Seldom Hear

This afternoon I went searching for Christmas hymns that were not the typical ones that are song today. The birth of Jesus was a turning point in the history of mankind, and so there have been many songs written about Him. Some are quite popular, and others are unknown to most people.

Today I'll share a video of the hymn Once In Royal David's City, written by Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander in 1848, with music by Henry John Gauntlett in 1849. I hope you will be blessed by it.

Where Is It Appropriate To Sing About Jesus?

Earlier today DebbieLynne had a video of a Christmas Flash Mob singing at a mall. They weren't singing "Jingle Bells" or "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer." They were singing about Jesus and His birth.

Singing hymns and other songs about Jesus usually is limited to churches or the homes of Christians. But Jesus is the one who made all of Creation. (See John 1:3) Therefore I believe that anywhere in all of creation it is an appropriate place to sing praises to Jesus.

Unfortunately, many people oppose even the mention of Jesus, especially in public places. But the group who performed that flash mob event wanted to share their joy about Jesus with others who wouldn't be likely to stop by their church.

There was a time when groups would sing Christmas carols throughout their neighborhoods, going from house to house. This year a group from our church went to a hospital to sing carols for a man who couldn't get to church because of health problems. Both he and others at the hospital got to hear the carolers singing songs about the birth of our Lord Jesus.

Jesus is worthy of our praise. It is good to talk about Him and sing about Him. I hope there will be more of both for the rest of this Christmas season and throughout the year.

I hope you will enjoy this Youtube video of the Christmas Flash Mob by Journey of Faith at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach, California, which took place December 24, 2010.

About Jesus and the Chrstmas Shoes Song

The birth of Jesus was incredible because He who was God (John 1:1) became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14). This same Jesus died on the Cross, resurrected never to die again, and returned to Heaven.

Those who believe and trust in His atoning sacrifice as full payment of their sins can live and die knowing they will be with Jesus for all eternity. You can have that faith whether you are very young or very old. You can have that faith whether you are a graduate of a great university or have no formal education at all. You can have that faith whether you have much material wealth, and have barely enough to get by.

Those of us who love Jesus as our Savior and Lord also enjoy songs about Him. One such song I very much like lacks the wonderful teachings that many hymns contain but it does touch my heart. It's a song called The Christmas Shoes. It was song by the Christian vocal group NewSong and was released through Benson Records as a bonus track on their 2000 album Sheltering Tree.

As much as I like this song, I can't bear to listen to it very often, since I'm unable to listen to it with dry eyes. But it's good to listen to it at this time of year when we can get caught up in what gifts we should be buying for those we love, and wonder about what gifts we might  be given.

If you think you can bear it, you can listen to The Christmas Shoes. But keep a tissue handy just in case your eyes water a bit.

Emmanuel -- God With Us

When God sent His Son to be the Savior, He was wasn't quite what many Jews were expecting. But God always knows what He is doing and why He is doing it.

There was a purpose that Jesus was born in very humble settings, with shepherds being among the first to be told of His birth, and to come and see Him lying in a manger.

There was a purpose that Gentile wise men would see a star and search for the newly born King that they might honor Him with their gifts.

Even when Jesus grew up and spoke great truths and did amazing miracles, some still would not accept this was the Messiah. Some did. Many did not.

Today there are Jews who have heard about Jesus, read about Him, and have come to believe in Him as their Messiah, Savior, and Lord. I hope more will come to know the truth about Jesus. Jesus is indeed Emmanuel, God with us.

Song About Mary's Boy Child

Many years ago, when I was still in my teens and twenties, I enjoyed listening to a local Boston radio station that played popular music. At Christmastime there was one song that they played which I especially liked, and I'm going to share it with you today.

The song is "Mary's Boy Child" which was written by Jester Hairston in 1956. It's been song by a variety of performers, but it was the version done by Boney M that was the one that I enjoyed the most.

I'm not going to write a lengthy post today. I just invite you to listen to the song all the way through, and remember that the birth of Jesus does give us hope. If we will accept what He did for us, we can spend eternity with Him. If we accept Jesus as our Savior and our King, we will indeed have something great to sing about.

By the way. Be sure to look at the shadow on the manger displayed at the start of the song.


Sit back. Relax. And enjoy "Mary's Boy Child - Jesus Christ" as song by Boney M.

What Do We Give to Jesus?

If you have been following this blog recently you know that I've been sharing Christmas hymns and songs in my posts. Today I'll do the same, but not a hymn or song telling actual details of that amazing time when Jesus was born. Instead I'll share the "Little Drummer Boy" song, even though no such boy is ever mentioned in the Bible.

The birth of Jesus was extraordinary. Angels foretold and then proclaimed the event when it took place. Wise men were led by a star from the east, bearing expensive gifts to honor the one who they understood to be the new king of the Jews.

Jesus, the Son of God, had been born as a baby so that He could grow up, teach great things, demonstrate His diety in many ways, and then die on the Cross as a sacrifice to atone for our sins. He did what we could not do for ourselves. He is worthy of our thankfulness. He is worthy of anything we can do for Him to show our appreciation.

I guess that's why I mist up when I hear the Little Drummer Boy song. The little boy knew he was poor. He had no gift to give. But he wanted to do something. So he did what he could, he played his drum for the baby Jesus.

Jesus deserves whatever good thing we can do for Him. Maybe we can only do a little. Maybe we can do a lot. But we should not hold back. We should do whatever we can do.

But how can we do things for Jesus, now that He has resurrected from the dead and ascended back to Heaven. You'll find the answer to that question in a teaching Jesus gave that is recorded in Matthew 25:
"And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" Mat 25:40 ESV

What are we giving to Jesus today? What are we giving and doing for those He calls His brothers? Is it our best? Let's think about it as we celebrate His birth, and enjoy the songs we sing this time of year.

Below is a video of the song about an imaginary boy who did what he could for Jesus. I appreicate Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone for having composed the words and music for The Little Drummer Boy in 1958.It reminds me that I need to do what I am able to do for Jesus. I need to give Him the best I can give Him.

What Child Is This?

When Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph were away from home. The town they were in at the time was Bethlehem, and it was crowded. So when Mary gave birth to Jesus, the best they could do for Him was lie him in a manger, an animal feeding trough.

Why was Jesus born in such humble circumstances? Perhaps one reason was because God wanted shepherds to be His first visitors. After all, Jesus was the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. He was also the Good Shepherd.

Shepherds were not considered high class respected members of society. They would not have been welcome in a fine home if they showed up in the middle of night to see a new born baby. But God wanted shepherds to be among the first to see Him come in the flesh as a baby. Therefore He saw to it that He would be in a very humble setting where shepherds could come, see, and be amazed that what the angel had told them was indeed true.

God knows what He is doing. He always has, and always will do what is best according to His plan and purpose. We need to pay more attention to Him, and what Scripture tells us about Him. And since He is worthy to be praised, it is a good thing to sing about Him.

Some Came to Worship Him -- Some Were Troubled

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;  Matt 2:1-2 ESV

In a recent post on this blog I wrote about the shepherds who were told by an angel about the birth of Jesus. Those shepherds then went into Bethlehem and found the baby in a manger, just as the angel had said.

The shepherds weren't the only ones who came to know that Jesus had been born and was no ordinary baby. There were men from the east who had seen a certain star rise in the sky and somehow knew that it was related to the birth of the king of the Jews. They came a great distance to worship him. But when they arrived in Jerusalem, where it would be reasonable for them to expect a new born king of the Jews would be, nobody there had news of such a royal birth.

We don't know a lot about those men from the east, but they did come with the right attitude. They came to worship, to honor this new king. When they couldn't find him on their own they asked the people in Jerusalem, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?" But no one in the city had even heard that such a king had just recently been born.

When King Herod heard that men from the east were looking for a newly born king, he was troubled. He knew he was not of the line of David, and had no real right to be on the throne. If there was a true royal descendant of David, the people might rise up and accept him their new king.

King Herod was not the only one who was troubled by this report by the men from the east. All Jerusalem was troubled with him. A newly born king might complicate their lives more than they already were. If even a young child was proclaimed to be the rightful heir to the throne, no telling what difficulties would arise within the political and social systems that were currently in place. Would it mean more trouble with the Romans?

The wise men were right to be looking for the new king so they could worship him, even if they didn't have a clear understanding of how much of a King He truly was. Jesus was worthy of their worship, and worthy of the gifts they brought. It would also be good for us to realize how worthy Jesus is of our worship and whatever gifts we can give Him.

King Herod and the people of Jerusalem were also right to be troubled. If they were not going to seek Jesus to honor Him, then they had good reason to be troubled. Jesus had been born humbly. He would live and then die on a cross with great humility. We needed Him to be the sacrificial lamb to die in our place for our sins. But Jesus was then and is now still God of all. And He shall return. And there will be judgement. And then there will be a great many who will be troubled. Greatly troubled.

Let's follow the example of those wise men. Let us worship Jesus as our Savior and Lord. If we do, then we won't have to be troubled when we come before Him.

Mary...What Did She Know?

"... the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.  And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 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,  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" 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.
 (Luke 1:26-35) ESV

In my blog post yesterday I wrote about how the shepherds were afraid when the angel appeared to them with great light in the middle of the night. Angels sent by God in ways that can be seen by people are quite unexpected and when that happens it is normal for people to be afraid.

When the angel Gabriel was sent by God to Mary, she was greatly troubled. She was scared. She did not know what was about to happen.

What Gabriel spoke to her were words to calm her fears. And they were words to cause her to wonder. She was told she had found favor with God. And, even more amazing, she was told she would give birth to a son and was to call him Jesus, and that He would be called the Son of the Most High.

The words of the angel may have calmed her fears, but she still did not understand how what He had said could be true, for she was a virgin. Well, she got her answer. And I believe it is an important answer for us to know about. She was told that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and therefore the child to be born would be called holy -- the Son of God.

The name that the baby was to be called was Jesus, which means God is the Savior. For Jesus to be our Savior, and die on our behalf for our sins against God, He had to be one of us, a real flesh and blood man, and yet be perfectly sinless, so He had to also be God in the flesh. Jesus was and is both Son of Man and Son of God. He is the Savior we needed, and He came and did what we needed.

Mary had been told incredible things by the angel Gabriel. She knew the baby she would giver birth to would be extraordinary. But even with knowing that, there was much she would not know until that baby grew up and began to demonstrate how much He was the Son of God, and could do glorious things.

From the time the angel told Mary she would give birth to Jesus, to when He was born in Bethlehem, to His years of childhood, and to His years of ministry, then death on a cross, followed His resurrection, Mary continued to learn more about Him.

Learning more about Jesus is a good thing. Getting to know Him should be the focus of our lives. That is why it is good to read about Him in the Bible. And that is why it is good to sing about Him.

The Night The Shepherds Were Afraid

One night, more than 2,000 years ago there were certain shepherds keeping watch over their flock. I expect they were on the look out for animals or thieves who might sneak in and take away one or more of their sheep.

But what they saw that night wasn't a wolf or robber creeping in the darkness. No, they didn't have to strain their eyes that particular night. What they saw was bright, very bright, and it frightened them.

Today we sing about that event. But at first those shepherds did not feel like singing when the angel of the Lord appeared. If they knew it was an angel, they probably also knew it could mean judgment. Had God sent an mighty angel as an agent of His wrath?

But, thankfully, that angel had words from God which called for rejoicing rather than trembling. Those humble men were the first to be told that the birth of the savior, the messiah, the Lord, had taken place.

Indeed that was glorious news for those shepherds, as it is for us today. Indeed, it is news worth singing about.

Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus?

As we approach December 25 many of us are thinking about what gifts to give to members of our family. We're also enjoying the decorations that are going up around town. We even give thought to what gifts others might give us for Christmas.

As nice as those things are, we ought to remember that even we don't know the exact day of the year Jesus was born, the day is supposed to when people celebrate that He was born. That is why it is good that there are songs that remind us of that.

One such song is O Holy Night, a Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847. As we listen to the words of this and other Christmas carols we hopefully will be reminded of Who Jesus is and therefore why we should celebrate not only His birth, but also His life, death, resurrection, and eternal lordship.

Hearing and Doing What Jesus Says

Mat 7:24-27  "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."  ESV

Do you know what Jesus said while He was here? It's important to know what He said because He knows things that you and I do not know. He knows what is really important.

Even more important than knowing what Jesus said is doing what He told us to do. There are disastrous consequences for not hearing and doing what Jesus has said. He likened it to building a house on sand.

My grandfather owned a few houses in his lifetime. He even had a house on Cape Cod. But he knew not to buy a house near the ocean because on Cape Cod all the land near the ocean is sand. He'd seen too many houses near the water which after winter storms were severely damaged or gone altogether.

Sand isn't solid or steady. Torrential rains and wind can wash it away along with anything built on it.

So it is with what we build our lives on. Jesus is the one who made everything that is made and knows the purpose of everything. He knows how we are supposed to live and how we are to relate to Him and to one another. We might think somebody else knows better because he or she sounds so smart. Or we might think that we ourselves are smarter than Jesus, so we'll just go and do whatever we think is best.

But just as a hurricanes come and wreck havoc on buildings and property, so there will come storms that can do eternal devastation to ourselves if we don't heed what the Son of God says.

Do you know what Jesus has said? You can find what He said in the Bible. Read it. But don't just be content to just learn what He has said because that is not enough. We need to both hear and then do what He has said.

When we believe who Jesus is, and seek to obey what He says for us to do, and yet fail at it, we can still obey His command to repent. The more we honestly seek to obey Him, and yet not ever perfectly succeed, the more we can and should repent. That, too, is hearing and doing what Jesus has told us.

Get prepared for the various kinds of storms that will come. Know that the only way to prepare for some of those storms is by hearing and doing what Jesus says,

What If God Told You To Do Something?

What if God told you to do something? I'm talking about the God who created everything that was created. The God who has the final say in everything. If that God told you to do something, what would your response be?

Would you tell the almighty God, no I won't do what you've told me to do because I don't feel like doing it. Maybe another time, God, but not right now.

Would you tell God that you have better things to do than obey Him. Or that you have more important things to do than pay attention to what He wants you to do?

Try that sort of response with you boss when you're at work. Tell your boss that you can't be bothered doing what he or she wants you to do. See what sort of consequences you face if you try that with your employer.

Well, God has told us to do some things. For centuries He did the telling through people like Moses and the prophets. Then He came in the flesh, being born as a human being, Jesus Christ. As Jesus one of the incredible things He did was to suffer and die on the cross on our behalf, the sinless one dying for our sins. Another awesome thing that He did is speak to us and tell us directly what we need to be told.

Jesus told His disciples what to do. What He told them wasn't optional. What He told them weren't suggestions for them to consider whether or not to obey. He was God in the flesh. He knew exactly what was best for everything and everyone in the creation He had made.

One of the things Jesus said to His disciples was this in John 15:12-14  "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you." ESV

Commands from God are not simply things we find in the Old Testament. God is still God and He is still the Lord. He's still the boss. We're still to obey Him with no excuses for not obeying.

To make it clear that His commands were not just for the disciples Jesus chose to follow Him while He was here in the flesh, He told them before He ascended back to heaven, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20) ESV

So we are to be taught to observe all that Jesus commanded His disciples. We're to look to what is written in the Bible and learn what God commands us to do and how to do it.

For example, when it comes to His command to love one another, we can learn more of what that means in John's first letter:  1 John 3:16-18  By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? ESV



There are times when my wife and I have been in need, and we're thankful that those in our church and others came to our need. She and are both disabled, but we know we're not exempt from obeying God's commands. Each week at church we do our share in contributing financially to the needs our church helps meet.

I'm pleased that those in our church helped form a group that provides groceries and other basic necessities to families facing hard times in our area. I'm also pleased that our church supports missionaries who help people in poor communities and nations with both their physical and spiritual needs.


Before I close this blog post I should add that I'm not suggesting that we can earn salvation by doing good works in obedience to what God commands us to do. The sacrifice of Jesus as the only sinless offering is the only basis for our salvation. But in God saving us, He has a purpose for the rest of our lives and all eternity. God has things for us to do.  Eph 2:8-10  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ESV

God has told us to do things. The things He commands us to do are written in the Bible. Let's not make excuses. Lets discover what is in the Bible and do what God wants us to do.

Grace is Amazing

Click the image above to hear about the grace of God.

The grace of God is amazing. He has provided sinners a perfectly just way for sinners like me (and you) to spend eternity with Him and have joy that is so good that we can't even imagine how good it will be.

We are all sinners because none of us obey even the basic commands of God which are to love Him with all our mind, soul, heart and strength and also love our neighbor as ourselves. Yet God has made provision for our forgiveness because His Son, Jesus Christ, suffered and died in our place.

God treated Jesus as if He had sinned our sins. When we trust in that work of Jesus, and come to Father God on the merits of what His Son did for us, then we can be treated as Jesus alone deserves to be treated. We can look forward to an eternity with the Father and Son.

It is amazing. It is grace, unmerited favor. We don't deserve such grace. It is a grace worth thinking about and praising God for.

At Church We Learn and are Reminded of Things

Heb 10:24-25  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ESV

My wife and are both disabled and use power wheelchairs to get around. In the morning we need help to up to get up and ready for the day. On Sundays we need to have people come early in order to be ready in time for the paratransit van to take us to church. There are times due to circumstances such as sickness or severe weather when we can't go, but whenever possible we do go.

There are Sunday mornings when we're tired and not feeling the best that we would like to take it easy and stay home. There are also times when my wife knows it will be quite likely that she'll get a migraine headache by mid day if she goes off to church, but she doesn't let that stop her from going. We know that it is important to attend church Sunday school and worship services if at all possible. We get encouraged by others when we're at church, and we can encourage them as well.

Today my wife and I arrived in church in time for most of one of the adult Sunday school classes which was about the pilgrims who settled in Plymouth in 1620. One of the fascinating things we learned was that there is a National Monument to the Forefathers that I'd never heard of before, even though I've been to Plymouth, Mass., several times.

The monument was dedicated in 1889 and is the largest solid granite monument in the United States, standing 81 feet in height. The monument honors the pilgrims and what they held as important in life. The tallest figure at the top represents Faith. Other images portray Law, Morality, Prophecy, Evangelism, Justice, Mercy, Education, and Liberty.

I'm hoping that my wife and I will be able to visit that monument some day. I'm glad we were at Sunday school today to learn about it. We also got to praise our God, hear a good sermon, and have fellowship with our friends. Yes, my wife got a migraine, but she believes it was worth it.

There are Christians in parts of the world who risk their lives when they gather to worship and learn more about Jesus Christ. They sacrifice far more than we do to meet together as a church. But they do so because they know from Scripture that God wants them to gather together. Let's all take heed to the Word of God and spend time in church on a regular basis whenever we are able to do so.

Anybody Have No Sin?

Rom 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  ESV

1Jn 1:8-10  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. ESV

These passages in the third chapter of Romans and the first chapter of the first letter of John say that we have sinned and that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. God is the one who knows what sin is. If we want we can disagree with Him regarding what we call sin, but our opinion on the matter doesn't really count. We're not the ones who determines the final consequences of our sinning. We have no ability whatsoever to override God.

Anyone who takes the time to read the Bible will find that none of us complies with what God commands us to do. None of us loves God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength, as we're commanded to do. By our words and actions every day we reject God as our Lord. Again and again we choose to do what we want when want. In other words, we sin against God. Therefore God, being just, is right in rejecting us.

Nevertheless, God has made provision for us to be forgiven. Even though we all deserve to be totally cut off from God, He sent His Son to take our judgment for us. Jesus was rejected by men, and condemned to death on the cross. His blood was shed while He suffered the rejection of His Father in heaven, being treated as we deserve to be treated for our sins against God. That sacrifice by Jesus is the basis for our being redeemed and forgiven. As it says in Ephesians 1:7 "In him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace," ESV

By God's standards, we are all sinners. If we claim we are not, then we're saying that God is a liar. I'd rather agree with God, confess my sins, and trust the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross to be the basis for God forgiving me. I hope you will do the same.

How Should Husbands Love Their Wives?

Eph 5:28-30  In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. ESV

This passage of Scripture is important to me because I am a husband, and I should know how God wants me to relate to my wife. We husbands don't always do a good job of expressing love to our wives. So God inspired this portion of the Bible so that we might have a better idea of what should be involved in loving our wives.

I'm to love my wife as my own body. When it comes to my body I want it to feel good. If my body is hungry I want to eat something that will satisfy that hunger. If at all possible I want that food to taste good to me. Not what somebody else says is tasty, but what tastes good to me.

Therefore, when it comes to loving my wife I should strive to discover what will satisfy her hunger and appeal to her tastes. That should be true in regards to food and everything else in her life

 Today my wife and I were at a mall to do some shopping and have lunch. We took our time to browse and purchase some clothing items, a jar of preserves, and have lunch together at a restaurant we both like. In one store we saw a Kinkade calendar for next year that included one of his pictures that used to be displayed in a gallery at a mall she frequently visited when she lived in California. She loved that picture and so instead of getting a Spider Man calendar (that was also in the store today) I bought the Kinkade calendar.

Buying the calendar for my wife was not a big thing. But the more I learn about what pleases my wife, and the better I get at doing that, the happier she will be. And the happier she becomes, the happier I become. Indeed, he who loves his wife, loves himself.

Want to Know What Eternal Life Is?

Joh 17:3  And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  ESV

1Jn 5:20  And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. ESV

Have you given any thought to eternal life? Do you think it means living in heaven forever? Jesus has something to say on the matter. He referred to eternal life in the prayer that is recorded in the 17th chapter of the book of John.

The apostle John also wrote about eternal life near the end of the 5th chapter of his first letter. Neither place does it mention Heaven. Nor do these passages refer simply to living forever. If we want to understand what eternal life really is we ought to consider what God has to say about it in Scripture.

Take a look at what Jesus said. This is eternal life. That they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3)

Eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ whom God sent. Notice that it doesn't just say that eternal life is to know God. It says it is to know God and Jesus Christ whom God sent. I believe Jesus worded it that way because God is spirit and we are incapable to truly knowing God on our own. God had to come in the flesh as both the Son of God and Son of Man so He could be observed and heard and clearly written about for following generations of people like you and me.

Consider this other thing that Jesus said: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:;6 (ESV)

 Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is the life. To have the life that is eternal we have to have Jesus. To know what eternal life is we have to know Jesus. To truly know Jesus, He has to make Himself known to us and the principle way He does that is through what is written in Scripture.

Do you want eternal life? You can't have it apart from knowing Jesus Christ. So if you do want eternal life then look to the Bible to see what God has to say about Himself and His Son who is God in the flesh. Keep in mind that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus. We may not like that to be true but we're not the one who decides what is true or fair. We're not perfect. God is.

How Well Do We Use Our Gifts?

Rom 12:6-8  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. NIV

In the letter Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, which is now read by Christians everywhere, he told them that we have different gifts. Not everybody has the same gift or collection of gifts. But we all do have gifts. Whatever gift or gifts we have been given, we are expected to use them.

My wife gave me a Kindle electronic book reader this year, and I enjoy using it to read the Bible and other books. If I had taken the Kindle, put it on a bookshelf, and let it collect dust, my wife would have been disappointed. It would show I didn't care much for the gift she'd given me.

Using a gift demonstrates that we appreciate what was given and the person who gave it to us. If God has given us gifts, then neglecting them must surely grieve Him.

Nobody knows us as well as God. Unlike some friends or family members, He knows exactly what gifts are right for us. He doesn't make mistakes when if comes to gift giving.

Therefore let us, you and me, use the gifts God gives us. Let us use them wholeheartedly. Let us use the gifts generously, diligently, and cheerfully.

Whom to Serve? God or Money?

Mat 6:24  "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. NIV

The Bible has a lot to say about money. It does not say that money is evil, but it does say the the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim 6:10). If we love money we are apt to focus on accumulating and hoarding it, rather than using it to do worthwhile things.

Even though I've been in a wheelchair since childhood due to polio, with limited breathing, strength, and stamina, I've worked as much as I could. This year colon cancer, a heart attack, and other health problems have further limited my ability to work.

 Nevertheless, I still spend much of my time online seeking to earn modest sums of money. It wasn't amounting to much, but it was taking up quite a bit of the time when I used my computer to be online. I was attempting to find a way to earn the kind of income I had when I was able to serve customers around town as an AVON representative.

  Am I spending the time I have appropriately? Which would serve God better: my earning small amounts of money online and sharing it with my church, or using my writing and teaching abilities to share with others what I learn from Scripture?

 My health problems have landed me in the hospital repeatedly this year, and may continue to do so. I just turned 63, and it's unlikely I'll ever be able to hold a well paying job that involves a significant amount of work time. So how should I spend the time God gives me that I can be on the computer?

 I'm thinking that I should blog more. Still spend some time seeking to earn money online, but do more blogging about things that involve growing in understanding about what God has to say to us in the Bible.

God is more important than money. Money is useful and can help us do some things. But God is everlasting. I think I should seek to serve Him the best I can rather than just spending a lot of time trying to earn a bit more money.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post.

Does Jesus Want Me to Blog?

I believe that is a good question to ask myself. It's been well over a year since I've made a post on this blog. I have some excuses why I've neglected adding to this blog, but most of them are indeed excuses. I've excused myself from being diligent about sharing thoughts about Biblically Speaking - Who's the Boss?

I need to stop making excuses and determine if I should put as best an effort as I can into blogging here. If Jesus is indeed the one who made all things that are made, and is indeed Lord, then He deserves whatever I can do to give Him the attention of which He is worthy.

If you are reading this post, I would ask that you pray that I will be faithful to whatever God calls me to, and enables me to do, for as long as He enables me to do those things.

I thank you for reading this post, and thank you to all those who may pray for me. If Jesus wants me to blog I want to do so wholeheartedly.