Yearly, the world considers our Savior in relative calm as a harmless, speechless and swaddled baby boy — the silent purveyor of peace in a world of pain and hopelessness. Admittedly, it is thrilling to reflect upon the miracle of Christ’s physical birth by the virgin Mary. We find ourselves blushing with her as she humbly struggled with the prospect of motherhood. We can almost hear the awe-inspiring words of the angels that announced His birth. We can feel the anxiety of Joseph and Mary as they fled to Egypt for refuge. We can rejoice with the prophets of old as the plan of God unfolded in unimaginable splendor. Yet, these events are merely a ripple in the pond of God’s mercies when compared with the gift of eternal life – a wonderful and glorious life that follows in the wake of Christ’s triumph over death. Our hope does not rest in the simple facts of Christ’s birth in the humble surroundings of Bethlehem. Rather, our hope rests in the Christ Who became the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18). This contrast in vision seems as foolishness in the eyes of the world (1 Corinthians 1:20-25) but has a wondrous attraction to those who cherish the true gift of God’s love (John 3:16). In His death is the celebration of life – the broken body and the New Covenant in His blood (1 Corinthians 11:24-26). The celebration of our own new birth follows baptism as we are raised from the

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV). Go! The Greek verb translated “go” is actually not a command but a present participle (going). The only command in the entire Great Commission is “make disciples” (“teach all nations” KJV). Jesus essentially said, “While you are going, make disciples of all the nations.” No matter where we are, we should be sharing the message of Jesus Christ and seeking to win others to Him. “Go” is a commitment to growth. New Testament growth was phenomenal (Acts 2:47; 5:14; 6:7; 9:31; 11:24; 16:5). If we are going to experience the same phenomenon, there must be absolute commitment to Christ (Luke 9:23; 14:33; Matthew 6:33; 10:37). Are you personally committed to Jesus Christ? “Go” is a commitment to love, unity and peace. Jesus said that love advertises Christianity (John 13:35), and He prayed for unity so that the world would believe (John 17:20). When love and unity exist, there is peace (1 Peter 3:8-12). Unfortunately, much of the strife in the church is not over Bible truths. Strife is usually the result of gossip, personality clashes,

“But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16 NKJV). This text describes some Jewish Christians who, because of their knowledge that Jesus was the Messiah, were no longer able to worship with other Jews. Praise and acts of service had become their sacrifices – ones they could offer anytime, anywhere. In other words, when they served others, God was pleased with the “sacrifice.” What was true for them, then, is still true for us today. God intends for us to offer sacrificial service to Him by serving others. We must serve others with a sacrifice that is costly (Acts 4:32-37). To give sacrificially requires more than a token effort or gift. God wants us to give voluntarily, but He wants it to mean something. Giving to God what costs you nothing does not demonstrate commitment. We must serve others with a sacrifice that is dedicated (Matthew 19:21). Does dedication mean that we should sell everything we own? Not necessarily. We should, however, be willing to give up anything if God needs for us to do so. This kind of attitude allows nothing to come between us and God, and that attitude keeps us from using our God-given wealth selfishly. If you are comforted by the fact that Christ did not tell all His followers to sell all their possessions, then you may be too attached to what you have. We must serve others with a sacrifice that is

Moses was a great leader of God’s people, keeping them aware of God and His will for their lives. Joshua succeeded him, and he also led the people in the way of the Lord. Under the leadership of these two men, Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt, led across the Sinai desert and ushered into the Promised Land of Canaan. However, when Joshua died, a great change took place in Israel. “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10 NKJV). God had convincingly led Israel through one of the darkest periods of its history. Yet, they did not know the Lord. Why did they not know Him? Why did their parents not tell them? Hardly had Israel left Egypt when they began to complain and to forget what God had done for them (Exodus 15:23; 16:1; etc.). In reflection, the psalmist wrote, “They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert” (Psalm 106:13-14). The potential threat of forgetfulness is as real today as it was for the Israelites. In order to minimize the threat, each member of the Lord’s church must get involved. Not only are we told to “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God…” (2 Timothy 2:15), but we also have the responsibility to continually remind ourselves

The apostle Paul, in stressing the motivational aspect of Christ’s resurrection from the dead and the dedication that it creates through unswerving faith, reflected upon the resultant threat from society by simply saying, “…I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31 NKJV). Unfortunately, this was the proper assessment of life for the early Christians; they went everywhere with their lives in their hands. Today, we are not often called upon to pass through the same kind of fearful persecutions. The tests of Christians at the present moment, though outwardly not so terrible, are still more likely to overcome us than even those of a far more turbulent age. It is not so much the sneer of the world that does the damage, which is of little consequence. The real test comes as a result of the world’s false flattery, soft words, oily speeches and blatant hypocrisy. The danger is in our growing rich and proud, giving ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world and losing our faith. If wealth is not our trial, be assured that worldly care is just as mischievous. How many Christians will successfully escape the ravages of the roaring lion, only to be hugged to death by the cuddly bear? In reality, it makes little difference to the devil so long as he destroys our love and confidence in Christ. Is it possible that the church is far more likely to lose her integrity in these soft and silken days than as in the rougher days gone

Do you ever feel as though you are the only one who is making any mistakes? Or, perhaps you feel everybody else seems to have it all together, thus focusing more attention on what you perceive to be glaring blunders? Well, think again! Imagine if you had been the president of a Michigan bank who advised Henry Ford’s lawyer not to invest in the new motor company, assuring him, “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty.” Or, consider Gary Cooper’s comment about Clark Gable accepting the role of Rhett Butler, which he had turned down. “Gone With the Wind is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history. I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling flat on his face and not Gary Cooper.” There was even a Boston sportswriter who summed up young Ted Williams by saying, “I don’t believe this kid will ever hit half a singer midget’s weight in a bathing suit.” Well, whatever that meant, Williams resoundingly proved him wrong! The above miscalculations from the public record are mentioned to emphasize one important point: At some time in our lives, all of us are going to make mistakes. Unfortunately, the shame associated with some mistakes causes an inordinate amount of suffering due to our own refusal to forgive ourselves. However, this self-imposed burden can be overcome when we realize that obedience to Christ removes the source of our guilt. Christians can take great comfort in the fact that as

People experience hurt in many ways. There is a pain beyond imagination caused by a disease with no cure. There is a temporary pain that comes with curable ailments. There is emotional pain that comes from loneliness, disappointment and hurt – hurt, perhaps, something we have experienced as the result of a friend turning his back on us. Pain may also come when our dreams suddenly seem beyond our reach or when we must bid farewell to a loved one who is dying. There is also a pain that commonly comes upon all of us as we attempt to engage the battle to maintain ourselves spiritually. Sometimes, it is the pain of growth and development or of seeing brothers and sisters hurt as we ache with them. It could be the agony of brethren who have gone astray or of seeing the church of our Lord split or divided – fuming and fussing. This kind of inner turmoil threatens to keep us from the great mission that God has set for us. The apostle Paul endured incredible physical hardships as the result of his service for our Lord, but he was nonetheless conscious of the dangers that were present for the church. Of all the pains and turmoil in his life, his ever-present concern was for the spiritual side of life. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night

The world yearly considers our Savior in relative calm as a harmless, speechless and swaddled baby boy – the silent purveyor of peace in a world of pain and hopelessness. Admittedly, it is thrilling to reflect upon the miracle of Christ’s physical birth by the virgin Mary. We find ourselves blushing with her as she humbly struggles with the prospect of motherhood. We can almost hear the awe-inspiring words of the angels that announced His birth. We can feel the anxiety of Joseph and Mary as they fled to Egypt for refuge. We can rejoice with the prophets of old as the plan of God unfolded in unimaginable splendor. Yet, these events are merely a ripple in the pond of God’s mercies when compared with the gift of eternal life – a wonderful and glorious life that follows in the wake of Christ’s triumph over death. Our hope does not rest in the simple facts of Christ’s birth in the humble surroundings of Bethlehem. Rather, our hope rests in the Christ who became the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18). This contrast in vision seems to be foolishness in the eyes of the world (1 Corinthians 1:20-25), but it has a wondrous attraction to those who cherish the true gift of God’s love (John 3:16). In Christ’s death is the celebration of life, for through the broken body and our Lord’s shed blood came the new covenant (1 Corinthians 11:24-26). The celebration of our own new birth follows baptism as