Sunday’s Blessing – 12/21/2025 – 4th Sunday of Advent – Love

Sunday’s Blessing – 12/21/2025 – 4th Sunday of Advent – Love

The past few weeks I’ve heard several different people comment about their pastors quoting pop lyrics in their sermons. Strangely enough, some of the most accurate words come from a Beatles song called, All You Need is Love. The strongest emotion humans can experience is love. This theme is at the very heart of the celebration of Advent.

The fourth and final Sunday of Advent focuses on Love. Scripture declares that God is Love! An Amy Grant song phrased the meaning of Advent this way: “Love has come For the world to know As the wisemen knew Such a long time ago. And I believe that the angels sang That hope had begun When the God of Glory Who is full of mercy Sent His Son.” Advent begins with the focus of Hope, followed by Peace and Joy. The full experience of embracing Christ, the Messiah, is to know Love. Paul put it this way saying, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8a ESV)

I’m so glad I finally learned the difference between Christmas and Advent. After seeing the blazing rhetoric and vitriolic criticism from those claiming to know Christ, toward anyone who “took Christ out of Christmas” totally missed the powerful truth they have available to them. Instead of going to war over the commercially motivated celebration of Christmas (the holiday was created for commercial purposes) they have the ancient celebration of Advent, purely centered on the truth of the birth of our Messiah, Jesus, born of a virgin, to save the world from sin. 

Christmas (the commercial celebration) is carnal (meaning of the flesh) but is not sinful or evil. It’s like going to Disney World. There is nothing spiritual about it, but it is not sin. But Advent is purely spiritual. Instead of burning so much energy trying to spiritualize a secular event (Christmas) let’s spend our time exposing others to the celebration of Advent. It is quite possible that by introducing others to the source of true Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, we can bring others back to the Father by allowing them to get to know His Son!

Today’s Blessing:

May you come face to face with the Love of God, embodied the Baby of Bethlehem

So you can immerse your hurts and pains in the healing balm of Christ

Restoring you in every way back to the way the Creator intended

And be the Salt and Light to your world and beyond

May the reality of Advent fill you with Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love

So you may keep your eyes and heart heavenward

Following the lighted path provided by the Comforter

To lead you into all that the Creator has planned for you

God's Names at Christmastime - Prince of Peace

The following is from my book, The Names of God.

Isaiah 9:6 (ESV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah prophesied that there was One coming that would be The Prince of Peace. This phrase is made up of two Hebrew words: “sar”, which means “a head person (of any rank or class)”, and “shalom”, which means “safe.”

When Jesus came as Messiah, He also came to demonstrate to us how to be safe, how to live at peace with everyone. Our mission is to bring as many into this “peace” as possible, by introducing them to The Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

There is much confusion (I choose to say that, even though it may be blatant ignorance) among many politicians and members of the media regarding the religion of the Muslims. They speak of Islam as a “peaceful religion.” They arrive at this notion by asking imams and other Islamic leaders questions like, “Is this a peaceful religion?” To which, they always reply, “Yes, we strive for peace with all people.”

Here’s the truth. In Islam there is only one goal: for Allah to rule the world. Within that premise, there are only two states of being for a region. If Allah rules it is considered a “house of peace”, but where Allah is not acknowledged as god, it is a “house of war.” The “war” is aimed at ANYONE that does not bow to Allah. The notions of "houses" or "divisions" of the world in Islam such as Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb does not appear in the Quran or the Hadith. Early Islamic jurists devised these terms to denote legal rulings for ongoing Muslim conquests almost a century after Muhammad. (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/daralislam.html)

You cannot come to any other conclusion when looking at the barebones truth of Christianity and Islam. They cannot coexist. We cannot be “tolerant” of Islam. What is our recourse as Christians? Evangelize!! It is not our purpose to oppose them with force. That is the role of governments and the military. (I do not support the notion that Christians should not be involved in politics or the military.) Our job as the Church is to win them for Christ. We must tell them of The Prince of Peace, because that is the reality for which their hearts are searching.

God's Names at Christmastime - Counselor

The following is from my book, The Names of God.

Isaiah 28:29 (ESV) This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

I know one of the most amazing counselors. She can listen for hours on end to others as they share their problems or concerns. She has such compassion that it motivates her to work with others to find the root of the issue, bring the truth of God concerning the situation, and see them totally delivered and set free from the bondage caused by the lies the enemy has introduced into their life.

She is an example of what the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, wants to do in our lives.

The meaning of the word used for Counselor means, “to give advice, plan, or show prudence.” It is from a root word that means, “to advise, to deliberate, or resolve.”

Part of the nature that God placed inside man is a free will. The Counselor comes to us to give information (advice) on what we should do as we face decisions in life. He has a plan for us if we will only submit our will to His. The scripture He has given is full of wisdom that, when applied to our life, will result in prudent decisions.

The Counselor is a primary work of the Holy Spirit, but remember that this same Holy Spirit has gifts that He has given to the Church to empower Her to live free from the bondage that the curse of sin introduced to mankind. We need to learn to live in freedom, but know that the Counselor is ever-ready to give us advice when needed, reveal His plan for us, and resolve any issue that might present itself.

Let’s learn to hear the voice of the Counselor and follow His advise completely.

God's Names at Christmastime - Emmanuel

The following is from my book, The Names of God, that I published a few years ago. In these days leading up to Christmas I thought it would be worth taking a second look to remind us that our life is saturated by the presence of our Creator.

Isaiah 8:8 (ESV) … and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.”

Matthew 1:23 (ESV) “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel”

The different spellings of this name come from the origin being referenced. Immanuel is from Hebrew; the Greek spelling is Emmanuel. The latter is the most common in our vernacular. Regardless of the origin the meaning is the same: God with us.

To me, this is one of the most comforting names of God in scripture. It is easy, as humans, to stare into the starlit sky, or cast your eye over the vast horizon from atop a tall mountain, or listen to the numbing roar of the ocean at the beach, and not see the awesome power of our Creator. It is nice to know we serve an all-powerful Sovereign that rules the universe.

However, when we face unbearable turmoil, or bend from the weight of cares that seem to overwhelm us, or hear bad news that shakes the very foundations of our existence, it is just as comforting, if not more so, to know that God is with us; Emmanuel! When you know God is with you it makes unbearable a bit more tolerable. The weight of cares is lighter because He cares for you; God is with us. Bad news is less destructive because you know that He already knew, and has a plan to move you beyond this moment; God is with us.

The incarnation of Christ is perhaps the most hope-filled promise ever given to mankind. When they learned that God was not just somewhere out there. He came and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, that of the only begotten Son of God – Emmanuel. He showed us that life as a human on planet earth does mean something. We can live in fellowship with our Creator to accomplish His purpose for us. God is with us.

As a matter of fact, He is with us when we are not aware of His presence. Even if we try to escape His presence we cannot, because God is with us. He will never leave us or forsake us. Allow this truth to become part of your conscious thinking. Brother Lawrence encouraged this in his book “The Practice of the Presence of God (The Best Rule of a Holy Life)”. Even in the mundane things in life we must realize that God is with us. When this becomes a way of life it makes it easier to allow God to help us through the “big” things that seem to make us shipwreck.

Emmanuel, God with us. Every day. Every moment. Right now. So regardless of what you are facing know that God is there, and He is able to get you beyond the current circumstances. He loves you … and He is here.

Sunday’s Blessing – 12/14/2025 – 3rd Sunday of Advent – Joy

Sunday’s  Blessing – 12/14/2025 – 3rd Sunday of Advent – Joy

In his book, Surprised by Joy, C. S. Lewis describes the various unexpected experiences bring joy into your life when you least expect it. The appearance of Messiah on that special night in Bethlehem was certainly unexpected … by everyone except Mary and Joseph. They had heard the truth about the One growing inside Mary’s womb, how He would “be great, and of His Kingdom there would be no end.” So there in the town of David, whose throne would once again be occupied by One sent from God, a new dispensation began which return God’s presence and dominion to the earth, and once again make it possible for the people to experience “joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

We saw last time that when hope is restored it makes room for peace. Peace, once fully embraced, allows joy to begin to bubble up. Just as Lewis described, in the middle of deep, dark despair, surrounded by hopelessness with no visible end in sight, joy can emerge, bringing light to illuminate the soul and expose the hope and peace brought by the great exchange which was made possible by Christ Jesus. He gave His life to buy us this joy, which will last forever.

I pray this Christmastime will be the season where you either discover this joy for the first time, or rediscover if it has faded with the pressing weight of life’s struggles. Give yourself room to hear these words again, or for the first time: Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright!

Today’s blessing:

May the Blessed Hope, the Prince of Peace, make room in your heart for Great Joy

So you may once again raise the corners of your mouth to smile

And realize that regardless of circumstances you have reason to rejoice

Which will allow the glory of God to shine through you to your world

May the joy of knowing Messiah has come reconstitute your entire being

Like the caterpillar transforming into the butterfly

So you can take flight into the fullness of all God has prepared for you

And find the purity of purpose which He place in you

May the joy of the Lord become effervescent and overflow

So others will be emersed in the wonderfulness of Christmastime

Which will allow them to find the Source of Joy

Christ Jesus, the Lord. Emmanuel, Mighty God, Prince of Peace

Sunday’s Blessing – 12/07/2025 – 2nd Sunday of Advent - Peace

Sunday’s Blessing – 12/07/2025 – 2nd Sunday of Advent - Peace

I missed the first week of Advent, thinking it started the first Sunday in December. It does not. It started November 30. The themes for each Sunday of Advent are Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Jesus came to return hope to the lives of humanity. After four hundred years of silence, known as the period between the testaments, the silence was broken that wonderful night in Bethlehem when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Once Hope was embraced, it brought peace to the hearts of those willing to receive the redemption provided when the Spotless Lamb born at Advent was crucified as the Sacrifice for sin which paid the price to restore fellowship between the Creator and His creation. That perfect Sacrifice saved us to the uttermost allowing us to once again enter the presence of God without guilt, without shame.

Celebrate Christmas any way you choose but never lose sight of the focus of Advent. Christ has come. Let the Christ-mass (celebration of the Eucharist at Advent) displace all fear and allow the Prince of Peace to fill your heart.

Receive today’s blessing:

May the Christ of Christ-mass become a reality to you

So you can know He is more real than the fears you face

So those very fears can bow their knee to the King

Which will allow you to enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven which came to earth

May the greatest gift you receive this Advent season is Christ in you, the hope of glory

And with hope, may you find the peace you long for

So you can become a source of peace for others

By revealing the glory of the Only Begotten of God to the world

Sunday’s Blessing – 11/30/2025 – Wisdom

Sunday’s Blessing – 11/30/2025 – Wisdom

I wrongly get accused of being smart. I always respond to these comments with this: “I just guess well.” One thing I do have going for me is the ability to reason. My background in mathematics trained me to look for patterns, cipher options to find the best alternative, and, for the most part, remember things. That last trait has become less reliable in recent years.

I love to fix things that are either broken or simply not working. A recent example: The charger on the battery-operated blower was acting strangely. Sometimes it would charge and other times it wouldn’t. Was the charger? Was it the battery? Was it an issue with the blower itself? I Googled solutions, tried several options shown, but still the blower would randomly work and randomly fail. Or, at least seemingly random. One day as I was placing the battery back on the charger, I noticed the charger engaged then stopped charging. That was the first time I ever saw the charger stop. I removed the battery and placed it again on the charger. This time I slid the battery in place very slowly until the charger engaged.

I noticed it was not seated all the way down on the charger. Apparently, over time, either the contacts in the fully seated position had worn, or the stop mechanism had gotten worn or broken. Regardless, since placing the battery in the “almost” seated position, the battery always charges.

This repair was the result of knowledge. I don’t know anything about batteries or battery chargers. However, I am observant. By using data from those observations, I can build a bank of options to explore. Sometimes one of those options become a solution.

That is a purely natural example of gaining what I call wisdom. It’s the application of knowledge to solve a problem. Scripture teaches us that there is wisdom available for the Believer because the Holy Spirit, who indwells the believer, can reveal things to you that you have not previously known. 

I have experienced this as well. It had to do with another natural (or carnal) situation. I had struggled with finding an answer to a client’s software issue. One morning on my one-hour commute to work I prayed and ask the Lord to help me with the problem. The client was growing weary of us not providing an answer, and that, in turn, cast a bad light on me. Shortly after this brief prayer, a word came into my head that I do not remember ever hearing. The word, or phrase in this case, was “depletion indicator”. As soon as I got to the office, I found the “guru” of our system design and posed the question, “Have you ever heard of ‘depletion indicator’?” He immediately explained the purpose of this option and where to find it.

I was so excited to contact the client and have them try this option, and it worked! I then went a told my manager what had happened. He said, “Keep praying!” This incident became an opportunity to witness of the wisdom provided by our Creator to those who have entered into the New Covenant with Him.

Now, for today’s blessing:

May the God of Wisdom reveal truths to you in time of need

So you can be a testimony of the goodness of God

So you can be spared the frustration of not knowing

So your purpose can be fulfilled by receiving needing information

May the Holy Spirit bring all things to your remembrance

So you can draw from the reservoir of knowledge accumulated over your lifetime

Brought forth at the appropriate time to help with the challenges you face

So you can appreciate the grace gifts extended to you by the Lord

May you live in a place of thanksgiving for the God-life given to you at salvation

And learn to hear and respond to that Still Small Voice inside you, the Holy Spirit

Who will guide you as you walk through your days

Leading you deeper and deeper into your purpose