Looking forward to God’s plans

The first questions Christians should ask about the new year should be directed toward our heavenly Father:

  • Father, what do you have planned for 2023?
  • Lord, what are the areas for spiritual growth I should focus on this year?
  • God, you know what the future holds. How should I adjust my life to be ready?
  • Jesus, whom are you calling me to shepherd or influence this next year?
  • Creator God, what are your high and holy goals for me in 2023?

We will look forward to 2023 with joy and anticipation if we see it as time spent with God as we honor and accomplish his purpose in our lives. 

The news vs. the Good News

Television news advises us to think about inflation, upcoming political changes, and how our lives might be impacted by other countries’ choices. It all sounds a bit overwhelming until we realize Who holds the world in his hand. 

It’s good to be aware of world news, but it’s important to govern our lives according to the Good News. The gospel message is the truth that defines our values, our hopes, and our futures. 

Nothing will happen next year that God does not cause or allow. Nothing will happen next year that God cannot bless or redeem for his higher purpose. That said, God accomplishes much of his will for our world by using those who walk according to his plans rather than their own.  

Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lᴏʀᴅ establishes his steps.” It’s always been true that people make plans, but the success of our plans will depend on whether or not we have submitted our plans to God’s will.

Christians have been created to accomplish great things

It is impossible to know what God has planned for 2023, but it is possible to know we are to play an important role in whatever those plans will be. 

Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 

God already knows what we will accomplish next year that will serve his kingdom purpose for our lives. We just need to walk with Jesus so that we can walk in God’s perfect plans.

Looking forward to God’s plans

We can look forward to 2023 because God is in charge of the future and there are a LOT of God’s people who stand ready to allow their lives to be his “workmanship.” There are good works to accomplish that God will reveal as we walk with him. 

I hope you have been able to download the Foundations app (all Android users can click here to download the app) that will enable you to receive Wisdom Matters on your cell phone each evening. It is our gift to each of you and anyone else who wants it. 

I wanted to help people spend—and end—each day with a word from God. This world doesn’t make it easy for us to focus on God’s priorities. I hope receiving a short message from God’s word each evening will quiet the roar of the world and help us submit our lives to the higher truths of the Bible. “At the end of the day . . . wisdom matters.” 

Together, we’re accomplishing good work

Finally, it is the end of the year, and, as always, it is time for me to ask all of you who read this blog post to consider helping our ministry do what we do.  

God’s word is the foundation for our lives, for our walk with God. I serve this ministry because I know God has called me to produce content that helps people apply God’s word of truth to their daily lives. God’s word is always our best counsel, our best advice, and our best guidance, and I want to help people come to know and trust God in deep, life-transforming ways. 

Every gift matters. Your gift matters. And we serve a God who blesses us now and eternally for living his high calling for our lives. We are “God’s workmanship,” and we have been re-created by our faith in Christ Jesus to do “good works.” 

I won’t share our statistics, but they tell one simple story: We are helping a LOT of people know God, trust Jesus, and walk with him in their daily lives. Will you help us accomplish our good work? 

You can make a tax-deductible donation here.

I, and all of us who serve at Denison Ministries, are grateful to those of you who make our ministry possible!  

I wish ALL of you a blessed 2023!
God’s plan is perfect, and we look forward to seeing it unfold.
With gratitude . . . 

 

The last blog post of 2021

Another year comes to a close. 

We began this year with hope and expectation of a vaccine, and we end the year hoping that vaccine is good enough for the next year. 

World news continues to offer uncertainty. 

I’m privileged to write this last blog post of 2021 and speak of what I know is certain. 

Hope is a good thing, especially when we can hope with certainty. 

Contentment is key

Paul wrote the book of Philippians while he was under house arrest in Rome and offered them hope they needed to hear. His words offer a great perspective for 2022. He said, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11–13).  

I’m not sure when I reached the age or stage of “content”—but I did. I enjoy looking at the new styles of furniture, but I like what I have more than I like what I don’t. I wish I could have written a novel like Gone with the Wind or a devotional like Jesus Calling. I have several places in this world that I still want to visit. But, I am content with what I do, where I have been, and I will hopefully, like Paul, be content wherever the Lord plans to take me. 

Contentment is part of this new stage of life and I like it! 

The biblical path to contentment

I enjoy sharing biblical thoughts with people through this blog post and my teaching ministry. I prayerfully share this biblical path of contentment with you, in this final blog post of 2021. There will probably never be an era without “newness” or change. Each January ushers in a “new” year. 

I want to share a passage again with you, my readers, that Paul taught to Timothy. It is a biblical path of contentment. He told Timothy to tell the churches not to “set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17–19). 

I doubt I will ever feel content about what I have done for God’s kingdom. There is always going to be more work to do. As I have joked with friends, our “retirement party” will include flowers and a few eulogies. God called us to this ministry and continues to call us to stay at work! 

I made a video to send to those I teach that might express my heart for this ministry better than I can in this blog post. If you haven’t seen it, maybe you will take the time to watch?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9AP6N8VpQo

One more “good work” is needed

This is hard for me because I was raised not to brag. But, I want to brag on Jesus. 

Last year, Denison Ministries reached more than six million people! We have letters about changed lives. I have notes from people who are studying the Bible for the first time in their lives. Our ministry is making a difference in people’s lives and futures. God is using our work to draw people to himself. 

Our brand is simple. We give God’s truth, a biblical perspective, to a world that needs it. Most of the six million people who consume our articles, podcasts, Bible studies, social media, books, etc. will not spend anything to receive them.  

Those of you who understand Paul’s lesson to Timothy know how and why giving is one of the most important aspects of our Christian lives. Giving is a “good work” and a “good deed.”  

We have a lot more people to reach and a lot more “good work” to accomplish, and your generosity will help us do that. This is when I “ask” each year. And please know, I ask because we really need you to help. Giving is a pathway to being content with what we have and joy-filled because of what we have given and received. Giving is how we “take hold of that which is truly life.” 

Please give, with joy

Paul also taught this lesson: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). 

We need you to give with joy. We want your gift to be a blessing to you as well as this ministry. We want to help people know Christ as their Savior and be encouraged to walk with him as their Lord. We have a high calling, and we are faithful to use your gifts for a holy purpose.  

You can give a tax-deductible gift safely by using this link. 

Or, if you want to mail a check, our address is:

Denison Ministries
17304 Preston Rd. Suite 1060
Dallas, TX 75252. 

Please know we are grateful for any gift you are able to give with God’s joy. He will bless and multiply all of our efforts, as we give to advance his word in a world that needs to know his love. 

Blessings to all of you for the coming new year. It is a privilege to serve God with you. 

Gratefully, Janet  

A moment with Christ

The shepherds “went with haste” (Luke 2:16) to look for the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. I took some time this week to join them.  

I thought about what it would have been like to look for Jesus, the baby an angel had told them about. So, I placed myself in their group as they hurried through Bethlehem, inquiring about a newborn baby. When they found the stable, how did they enter? What would I have done if I had been invited to join the shepherds and be with the holy family? 

It only took a short moment of reflection to realize what I would have wanted to do. 

I’m a mom and a grandma. I would have wanted to do the same thing I did when I first held all my “babies.” I would have been enthralled with the tiny hand of Christ. I would have placed my finger in his tiny palm and smiled with joy when his little fingers instantly wrapped around mine. 

That was my moment with Christ. In my quiet meditation, I knelt at the manger and was held by the tiny hand that would one day be held to a cross, for my salvation. 

For me, that is the deepest meaning of Christmas. 

A quiet moment in a busy week

I have a lot to get done this week. 

I’ll be at the stores buying supplies for the holiday. How many people can Costco hold? 

It is a year of old traditions and some that will be new. I’m not a great cook, and now I have a “gluten-free” one to feed! But, I can cook his dishes with gratitude and love. I held his tiny hand as a baby too! It’s a great blessing to know that he will be here to hold mine one day when I need it. 

The gifts are under the tree and I’ll be ready for the family to arrive. It will be a Christmas with grandkids ranging from three to almost eight years of age. There will probably be someone with a cold and another who didn’t get enough sleep. There will hopefully be enough food for everyone to find what they like. And I think I remembered to install all the batteries so those toys come alive!  

As I look forward to the chaos, I’m thinking about that quiet moment with the baby Jesus. He was a three-year-old and an eight-year old too. I wonder what he liked to eat? I wonder what and who he loved to play with? 

I wonder if he looked at his hands and thought about their future?

We are called to be his hands today

Last week I wrote about giving to the great needs in our country following the tornado outbreak. My heart wrenched as I saw a woman interviewed who held her face in her hands and said, “I just want to go home. But I don’t have a home anymore.” I hope you were able to give what you can to a group that will help her be “home for Christmas” next year. 

As I was typing this blog post, I received a text from a friend. A forty-five-year-old Vietnamese evangelist just passed away. Debbie Tran worked to share the love of Christ with as many Americans as she could. She knew how amazing it was to live in this country and how blessed she was to have been saved through her faith in Christ.  

I’m glad I can spend Christmas with my Messiah. I can’t imagine what the holiday would be like without him. I hope the Lord will continue Debbie’s ministry through many others who will do the work of evangelism. We are in a season of history that requires “all hands on deck!” 

May the Lord’s presence fill your Christmas holiday

Whatever your Christmas will look like this year, I pray it will have moments for you with the presence of Christ. If you have the chance to hold a baby, think about that tiny baby in the manger and allow his hand to wrap around you. 

  • If you have grief, allow his hand to comfort you.
  • If you have chaos, allow his hand to quiet you.
  • If you have joy, allow his hand to joyfully squeeze yours.
  • If you have a chance, allow his hand to guide you to give, speak, and share the story of Christmas with someone who needs it.

Know that I, and all of us at Denison Ministries, are grateful for the chance to share God thoughts with you each week. God’s word is powerful, life-changing, and perspective-giving. So, I leave you with a picture of the newborn Messiah. Don’t move on with your day until you move to the edge of the manger and give the baby Jesus a chance to wrap his tiny fingers around yours.  

Scripture says, “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 9:6). Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.  

The tiny fist that grips us is the hand of God. 

Let’s meditate on that moment this Christmas, and rejoice. 

I wish you joy, peace, and God’s glory for Christmas!
Blessings to you and yours.
—Janet

The Giver of good things

’Tis the season once again. 

Somehow the coffee just tastes better when it is enjoyed with the lights of Christmas. 

Somehow, the quiet, colorful mornings of the Christmas season put the rest of the day in a bright, more God-filled perspective. 

The news is a bit iffy right now, but our joy doesn’t have to be. Romans 8:31 reminds us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” 

And we know that God is for us!  

God is the Giver of Christmas and the source of our peace, comfort, and joy. Let’s plan to celebrate this month with the Giver of all good things.

The Giver from a biblical perspective

Aren’t you glad that you have God’s presence in your Christmas season? 

The non-believing culture has always tried to foster belief in anything but Christ. Santa isn’t a bad story; he just isn’t the true story. God has given us the perfect understanding of Christmas in his word. 

I’ve often said that we can’t understand Christmas without Easter. If we only think of Jesus as a babe in a manger, we miss the enormity of his birth. Paul gave us an important message for Christmas in his letter to the Roman church. He wrote: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). 

The Giver gave us Christmas so we could have Easter. The Giver has graciously given believers all things, now and forever.

The Giver from a novel perspective 

I read Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver when it was published in 1993. The book made waves in our world and in the church. It is on the list of the most banned books in the United States. Many say it is unsuited for the age group it targets because it addresses dark subjects. 

I understand the angst, but I’ve always held to the idea that we should educate children rather than indoctrinate them. Our relationship to Christ is a choice, and no one can choose if there is only one side presented. I didn’t fight the message of the novel; I used it to present the difference between truth and fiction. And, frankly, I took some heat from fellow believers over my position. 

I think the novel is an interesting read and provides a message about our world from a non-Christian perspective. The Giver won the Newberry Medal for young adult fiction in 1994 and eventually became a movie. Chances are pretty good that most junior high schools have it in their libraries as recommended reading. I read the book when it was assigned to my son and it sparked some great conversations.  

The Giver is a science-fiction novel that describes a dystopian world that aims for a utopian experience. The book teaches that truth can’t exist in utopia because people passionately desire freedom, choice, and love. Utopia can’t exist in a controlled, non-feeling existence where people are taught to obey rather than care. 

Jonas is a young man in the novel whom the “Giver” is hoping to influence. The giver, in the novel, is the one who knows the “truth” about their existence. At one point, Jonas tells the giver, “You and I don’t need to care about the rest of them.” As soon as Jonas speaks those words, he knows they aren’t the truth. The paragraph continues, “Jonas hung his head. Of course they needed to care. It was the meaning of everything.” 

The Giver is a well-written novel that attempts to inspire truth. Sadly, truth cannot exist without its Author. The giver in the novel is a man, not God. 

The true Giver of all good things 

There is so much about Christmas that sparks joy, especially this year. Or at least, hopefully this year. 

If I had to assign Satan a one-word description, I would call him a virus. As the news of this new virus progresses, it should serve as a reminder that our world continues to need our Christmas celebration. The world needs our Christian truth about the reason for this season.  

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16–17). 

I was inspired to write this blog post as I read the autobiography from Lois Lowry’s website in light of the verses above. It doesn’t help to condemn lost people for believing “lost” ideas. Christians aren’t superior people because we know the truth; we are just blessed by learning how to live it.  

Lois Lowry wrote, “My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane left a little girl fatherless and tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth. . . . I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another.” I thought it was profoundly moving that Ms. Lowry is most famous for writing The Giver, a book that proves her goal is humanly impossible. 

If I could share the truth . . . 

I wish I could talk to Ms. Lowry about God, the actual Giver of all good things. In some ways, I feel like I write for the same reasons Ms. Lowry listed.  

I believe we live “intertwined on this planet” too. I believe that “our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another.” But, Lois Lowry and I believe very differently about the Giver. I don’t believe human beings can do the work of God apart from the strength of God. 

Everyone we see this week is filled with the Christ of Christmas, or needs to be. God is the true Giver, who gives perfect gifts that are humanly impossible. His word tells us that he will “graciously give us all things” (Romans 8:32).  

Let’s enter this Christmas season with his perfect strength, his complete truth, and with his inspired goals. And, may the Christ of Christmas light our way through the coming weeks. 

If the Giver is for us, who can be against us? 

A cozy, comfortable, COVID Christmas

It sounds like it will be a while before most of us can line up for a vaccine, but it is definitely coming. 

I’m happy that those who need it most will have it first. But I am excited to know that I will be in line someday. 

2021 is looking up!

It’s a cold, blustery day in Texas as I type this post. The wind is blowing the cold rain sideways across the backyard. But, inside, the fire is going, the tree is lit, and the Christmas candle is burning. 

I have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas. 

FROM THANKFUL TO THOUGHTFUL 

I also have a lot to be thoughtful about. 

There are different seasons of life, and I am lucky. COVID has been difficult but doable. It’s just Jim and me in the house. We can work from our home office. We don’t have to make school choices for kids or keep up with their schedules. I can order what I need and it arrives at the front door. There have been some things to give up, but nothing that a vaccine won’t soon fix. 

But this is a random, indiscriminate virus, and not everyone has been able to avoid it. We all likely know someone who’s had to fight the battle. Most of us know someone who didn’t win their battle. There are a lot of families who will be thinking about loved ones they lost on Christmas morning. 

Everyone will have a different kind of holiday this year.

A MINISTRY OF PJ’S 

Yesterday, a friend sent me a front-page story from the Dallas Morning News about a woman we know. 

Jo Alch was a “regular” in the Sunday School class I used to teach. According to the article, “Alch is the director of Pajamas for Seniors, a Dallas nonprofit that provides new pajamas for low-income residents of nursing and assisted living homes.” 

“Pajamas for Seniors” is blessing a lot of elderly people this Christmas with a gift they need. In addition to PJ’s, they also receive love and attention they are often missing. 

I read the article with a smile because it was so good to read about her ministry. 

Jo was a hospice nurse when I met her, but the Lord has grown her life, her business, and her ministry in some amazing ways. I’ve linked to the article so you can read it. I was reminded of all the good God can accomplish through a person who wants to serve him. 

A lot of people are focused on what they have to “give up” this Christmas. Jo is focused on what we can give. 

So, from your former Sunday School teacher: WAY TO GO, JO!!! 

A lot of good can be accomplished through people who truly care. 

GOD USES YOUR LIFE MORE THAN YOU REALIZE 

D. L. Moody is one of the most quotable preachers of all time. A Christianity Today article described him this way: “With his boundless physical energy, natural shrewdness, self-confidence, and eternal optimism, Dwight Lyman Moody could have become a Gilded Age industrial giant like John D. Rockefeller or Jay Gould. Instead, he became one of the great evangelists of the nineteenth century.” 

D. L. Moody described himself as an ordinary man who sold shoes and had the equivalent of a fifth-grade education. Yet, he became the American preacher who is considered one of the finest evangelists in history. He preached the gospel to more than a hundred million people in his lifetime. 

D. L. Moody was a fan of ordinary people. He said, “If this world is going to be reached, I am convinced that it must be done by men and women of average talent. After all, there are comparatively few people in this world who have great talents.” 

Jesus had that same sense. When he chose disciples, he didn’t go to the synagogue in Jerusalem to find the trained talent. He went looking for the ordinary faithful. 

PURE PERSPECTIVE FROM D. L. MOODY 

I wanted to send some wisdom from D. L. Moody to you this Christmas. I’ve long thought that a great hindrance to living for Jesus is how we often allow our sense of “self” to influence our calling. D. L. Moody was right when he said, “I have had more trouble with myself than with any other man I have ever met.”  

In the Christian life, success isn’t about what people accomplish for God. Godly success is measured by what God accomplishes through people. 

Jesus taught his disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise” (John 5:19). If Jesus knew he needed to yield his earthly life to God, we should be making every effort to do the same. 

D. L. Moody could advise our 2020 Christmas with these words: “No one can sum up all God is able to accomplish through one solitary life, wholly yielded, adjusted, and obedient to Him.” When you are yielded to God, you are accomplishing much more than you realize. You are accomplishing what Jesus wants to do through you. 

GOD’S WORD + GOD’S WILL = GOD’S GUIDANCE 

D. L. Moody also said, “I never saw a fruit-bearing Christian who was not a student of the Bible.” 

If you are reading this blog post, then you care about God’s work in the world. Our ministry is called to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). It’s safe to say that our readers are likely servants of God. But I would point out a key word in Moody’s quote. 

He didn’t refer to a “reader” of the Bible, although that is a great thing. 

He said a fruit-bearing Christian needed to be a “student” of the Bible. 

I am occasionally led by God when I read his word. I’m often led by God when I study it. 

I think about what I’ve read, pray about it, and listen for his will in it. 

This equation has been consistently true in my life: God’s word + God’s will = God’s guidance. 

A COZY, COMFORTABLE, COVID CHRISTMAS 

This isn’t a season to contemplate only what we have lost because of the virus. 

I have believed since last April that God would redeem all of this for our greater good—if we are called to his purpose (Romans 8:28). That’s a promise from God’s word. 

Going forward, we will learn more about what God has done. I can promise you that this time has changed almost everyone in some way. Our ministry has received some amazing correspondence this past year. God’s word is powerful. The COVID quiet has been used by God to draw people to himself. 

We will get a vaccine, and we will get back to our new normal next year. D. L. Moody has a suggestion for all of us to consider before then: “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.” 

Which “matters” matter most? 

God wants to answer that question for us. 

So, get comfortable in your favorite spot and look around. 

  • What do you have to be thankful for this Christmas? 
  • What does God want you to be thoughtful about? 
  • How does God want to use your ordinary life in an extraordinary way? 

The Lord will answer those questions as you study his word. 

Get cozy and comfortable this COVID Christmas. God always has something to say to those who are willing to study his word and listen. 

A warm fire, a cup of cocoa, and a thankful heart can provide a great start. 

We could be in this together

I’ve often wondered what the week after Easter was like for the first disciples. 

His resurrection changed everything—and still could.

Easter 2020 

I told my husband, Jim, “This will be the only Easter of my life that I hear an Easter sermon and then go back to sleep.” 

His response: “That’s probably a good idea.” 

(In case you don’t know, my husband is also my preacher.) 

Easter Sunday actually turned out to be a wonderful day. 

Jim and I went walking in our neighborhood, waving at people (from a distance) and wishing them a happy Easter. As we reached our front door, we commented that, on any other Easter Sunday of our lives, we wouldn’t even have said “Amen” yet. 

This year, we were home with our feet up before noon. We made lunch and then enjoyed eating outside on our patio.  

Easter from a “preacher’s wife perspective” 

I will remember Easter 2020 with fondness. 

From a “preacher’s wife” perspective, it was calm and peaceful. I really missed our chapel family this year, but we didn’t have to work as hard as we normally do. 

When you are in ministry, Easter Sunday is the Super Bowl Sunday of the year. The preacher is the quarterback, and while he isn’t the only one on the field, he feels most responsible for the game. 

That said, every quarterback on Super Bowl Sunday wishes he were in the game. Jim probably felt a bit differently about Easter 2020 than I did. 

Are we “in this together”? 

“We are in this together.” 

Those words have become a community catchphrase for these COVID-19 days. It is in the TV ads, on T-shirts, and displayed on signs and banners. But, I tend to ponder what those words really mean to those who hear it. 

That phrase is usually spoken with the hope that it will make people feel better about their circumstances. In other words, “We all have problems in life; therefore, we are all in this together.” 

It sounds good, but, truthfully, we rarely share the difficulties of a person’s life—because we rarely can. 

COVID-19 has impacted everyone, everywhere. In that sense, we are in this together. 

But this pandemic does not impact everyone in the same ways.

  • Some people will lose a loved one to this disease. The rest of us will lose someone we knew.
  • Some people are risking their lives when they go to work. Others are working safely at home. Still others are out of work, not knowing if they will have a job when this crisis is over.
  • Some of us have plenty of stuff to sustain us during this crisis. (Okay, I confess. I might have “hoarded” just a bit.) Others didn’t have the ability to store things up in advance and have run out of things they need. People have been waiting in long lines for food, diapers, and other basic items.
  • Some of us have hope, believing that everything will be okay again. Others don’t know if they have ever been hopeful about their futures.

Maybe we are all in this together, but not in the same ways.  

The biblical “together” 

I think utter gratitude for Jesus must have dominated the hearts, lives, and conversations of those first disciples following the resurrection. 

Jesus was their teacher, their leader, their miracle-working Messiah. Then Jesus was killed, buried—and raised. People saw the risen Christ and knew he was God’s holy Son. Everything about their lives changed as a result. 

Those early Christians could have said, “We are in this together.”  

The book of Acts says, “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:32–35). 

Those early Christians lived with joyful abandon because they believed Jesus would return at any moment. 

Their stuff, in the meantime, was for anyone who needed it. That is why they were together, “with one heart and soul.” 

An Easter perspective 

We should try to share the perspective those first disciples owned. 

Until Jesus returns, we should allow God’s grace to be powerfully at work in each of us when there are needy persons among us. Those of us who have stuff can share with those who have need, remembering that not every need is material. 

People still need what Jesus died to give. People need resurrection joy and assurance of their salvation. 

Pope John Paul II said, “We are the Easter people and Hallelujah is our song.” Hallelujah means “God be praised.” “Easter people” praise God with gratitude born from grace. 

A free download for the “Easter people” 

Jesus told his disciples, “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me” (Matthew 26:11). I think if Jesus were speaking to his disciples today, he might say something like, “You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have opportunities like these.” 

I think this pandemic has provided a unique season for ministry. The “Easter people” should be ready to praise God for giving us opportunities to help. 

Americans really aren’t in this together. People have different needs during these days. If you are like me, you are “tipping” more often right now. I’m picking up groceries, and sometimes things are delivered. I’m noticing people who have and others who are struggling. I wanted to be able to express my gratitude and help financially, but I wished for the opportunity to help spiritually as well. It was easy to say “God bless you,” but I wanted to do more. So, I wrote a flyer that I’ve been using whenever I leave a tip or want to thank someone. 

I would love to give it to all of you to use as the Lord leads. It is easily downloaded and can be printed at home. There are two flyers per page, and anyone is welcome to use it to offer a generous gift and your faith.  

Cut the page in half lengthwise and then fold each flyer in half. I put the money inside the fold and write a few words of gratitude on the blank page inside. I’ve given several away and they have been well received. It gives me joy to give more than just the money. 

Everyone appreciates being appreciated, and I imagine most can really use extra financial help right now. We are God’s “Easter people,” and we have a unique opportunity right now. 

Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Do you love me?” 

The apostle said, “Yes Lord, I love you.” 

Jesus responded, saying, “Then feed my sheep.”  

Our gratitude and love for Jesus can be expressed through our grace and generosity to others. It’s fine to say “we are all in this together,” but how much better is it if the Lord uses us to bring people to himself, through faith?  

In Christ, we actually could be in this together. 

Begin with a good deed

January 1 is always an important day, especially when it’s the first day of a new decade. 

What are your thoughts as you contemplate the next ten years?

I’ve been especially contemplative this year. This decade will mark a great deal of change in our lives. But then, we could say that about every decade as we look back. 

I’m not sure why we mark so much of our lives by a calendar. It’s just in our human natures to measure and value time.

The world keeps turning

King Solomon offered this wisdom at the end of his life: “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Solomon was writing about the cyclical qualities of our world. The sun rises and sets. The rivers run to the oceans, and then the rain comes and the water returns to the land. Seasons come and go. 

King Solomon watched Jerusalem change almost every day. The city was built and transformed under his leadership. Interestingly, the man who said “there is nothing new under the sun” saw change almost every day. 

But, at the end of his life, he called those types of changes “meaningless.” 

God has never changed 

Of course, we will be amazed at the changes that occur in this decade. There will be new technologies, new leaders, new styles, and new trends. We will also mark time as we watch our kids and grandkids age. Our bathroom mirrors will reflect the passage of time. 

This is a changing world, and it always has been. But, the things that matter most will still be the same: 

  • The seasons will still come, go, and return.
  • People will still need salvation through Jesus Christ.
  • The Word of God will still be pure and perfect truth.
  • Eternity will still be our hope and our promise.

It is January 1, 2020. Changes will come in this next decade, but the most important things in life are unchanging. You, and everyone you know, will still need a daily, Spirit-led walk with God. 

That is what mattered most on January 1, 2000, and January 1, 2010, and it is the most important thing today. 

Begin the year with a “good deed” 

I didn’t “ask” you to help this ministry as a year-end gift. A week ago, Jim and I sat together and wrote our checks to the various ministries we support, including our own. If you gave to the Denison Forum, you helped my ministry too. 

But, I also know that I have a lot of readers who are exclusive to this blog. I didn’t do a “year-end” ask because I wanted to take a “year-beginning” approach. You know the gifts you gave at the end of 2019. I would ask you to consider your first gift of the year. Will you make a gift to the unchanging needs in our world? 

Confession time: I just spent $80 to purchase a skin-care treatment that promises I will look younger by Valentine’s Day. Time marches on, and the bathroom mirror is a reminder of that. I’ll let you know if the treatment worked out! I know I can’t stop the changes, but I don’t mind spending some money to slow things down just a bit.

But, the point of my confession is this: it made me realize that if every one of my readers gave that same amount to this ministry, we would be able to reach thousands of new subscribers with the Word of God.

Those bottles of skin treatment will run out, and, let’s face it, ten years from now I’m going to look older because I will be older. But who will be walking with God because of the checks I wrote to ministries? Who will have the hope of heaven? 

Whose children will be reached and led to faith because Mom, Dad, Grandma, or Grandpa had the knowledge of God to share? 

Happy New Year / New Decade 

A lot of change will take place in this new decade but not the things that matter most. 

My favorite verses from Ecclesiastes are the last two of the book. King Solomon closed his final words of wisdom saying, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 NIV). 

Will you make your first gift of the new year a “good deed?” 

Our ministry will use what you give to speak biblical truth to a culture that needs it now—and always will. It is what matters most. 

Thank you for caring, for giving, and for helping us to fulfill our call to share God’s truth. Whatever else changes in the next decade, the need for this ministry will continue. People will always need a biblical perspective for the changing culture.

Make your first deed of the new year a “good deed.” We will faithfully honor your gift and use it for God’s good purpose.

Happy New Year, happy new decade, and may the Lord bless you each day with his holy guidance. It is a blessing to walk this journey with you.

The One Who Invented Christmas

The house was finally quiet after a wonderfully chaotic Thanksgiving Day. 

My daughter-in-law Candice suggested we watch one of her favorite Christmas movies, The Man Who Invented Christmas. The movie is based on the life of Charles Dickens as he penned his most famous novel, A Christmas Carol.

The movie was a fascinating look at the life and work of Dickens in 1843, the year he wrote his best seller in just one month. Dickens was in a financial crisis, and many people, his publisher included, were beginning to think he was a blocked, washed-up author. His past few books had not done well in the stores. Dickens actually had to pay to publish his Christmas story because his publisher said that Christmas was no longer a good topic in the industry. 

The movie is an adaptation of true events and an interesting look into the life, mind, and imagination of a gifted writer. How did Dickens invent and describe such interesting characters? What prompted Dickens to write A Christmas Carol? Why was he driven to extremes in his personal life during those days? 

I won’t give away those answers because you might want to watch this movie, if you haven’t already. The Man Who Invented Christmas was released in 2017, and I don’t know how I missed it. 

Maybe you did too?  

Did you know that you’re in A Christmas Carol?

I’ve always been a fan of great literature, and the movie was an interesting look at how some great literature was written. I can’t imagine using parchment paper, a fountain pen, and ink to create a book. I wonder what Dickens would have accomplished if he’d had a computer. 

Maybe if Dickens had owned a computer, he would have spent less time imagining, thinking, and planning his words. He spent a lot of time pacing the floor and walking the streets of London before he began carefully and meticulously writing each word in ink and waiting for each page to dry. I spend as much time deleting my words as I do writing them. Dickens didn’t have that luxury. 

One thing the movie makes clear is that each character in the movie was a reflection of Dickens himself. In other words: 

  • All of us are a Scrooge at some level, but there is hope. 
  • All of us know a Jacob Marley who died before finding redemption. 
  • We all can be Mrs. Cratchit and speak our minds more bluntly than we should. 
  • All of us know a Bob Cratchit who is faithfully doing his or her best. 
  • And everyone needs to pay attention to the pure-hearted Tiny Tim, who reminds us of the most important things in life. 

We can see a small part of ourselves in every character of A Christmas Carol. And we can all choose to remember why Christmas truly matters. 

A modern-day Christmas Carol?

If Dickens were writing his novel today, what would it look like? 

In the London of 1843, there was no middle class. People either had a lot or very little. Many of the poor resorted to crime in order to feed their families. If caught, their children suffered in the workhouses. Dickens had firsthand knowledge of those workhouses, and that’s why the subject is discussed in many of his novels. 

In 1843, many of the wealthy ignored, looked down upon, and abused those they didn’t see as worthy. But there are still Tiny Tims who serve as reminders of the real value of the Christmas season. 

Today, many of our priorities are revealed by the Black Friday and Cyber Monday ads that filled our inboxes this past week. Our calendar entries are a detailed list of what we believe matters. Our expenditures this month will paint a picture of our values. 

Do those thoughts give you peace, or make you cringe just a little? 

Wait, who invented Christmas?

I thought the movie title, The Man Who Invented Christmas, was an interesting choice. My first thought when I saw the title was “That’s Jesus, not Charles Dickens.” Even great literature doesn’t always point to the true meaning of the holiday. 

God invented Christmas. He wrote the story that has been the heart of the holiday for centuries. Charles Dickens turned God’s work into a book about good works. I think culture has been confusing the difference for a long time. 

“For God so love the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). That is the theme of the biblical Christmas story. 

The characters are more vivid than Dickens’: 

  • A group of shepherds who were the poorest people in society. 
  • An unmarried teen who is told she will give birth to God’s son. 
  • A fiancé who chooses to faithfully believe and serve. 
  • An innkeeper who finds a place for people in need. 
  • An evil king who tries to protect his throne by murdering innocent babies. 
  • Wise men who leave everything at home in order to search for the newborn King. 
  • And the all-powerful God of the universe who humbly reduces himself to be a dependent baby so that every person has the chance to choose eternity in heaven.  

A Christmas Carol is an amazing work of fictional literature. The biblical Christmas story is an amazing work of history. 

Take time today to consider his characters and the message he was providing the world. It’s similar to Dickens’ effort, but God’s message is holy and perfect. The Apostle Paul related that message well when he wrote, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). 

What will your Christmas story be this year?

We can all find ourselves in the characters of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. We can also find ourselves in the people who lived and experienced the biblical Christmas story. And all of us can use both stories as reminders of the deepest meanings of this holiday season.   

We are surrounded by, and one of, a cast of characters in our culture today. As Christians, we need to remember why we exist and that we are called to serve. We are God’s workmanship. We have been gifted to accomplish good works, which God long ago prepared for us. 

What has God planned for your Christmas season this year? 

Consider your past, your present, and your future. Ebenezer Scrooge did, and look how that journey changed him! 

Let’s remember the God who invented Christmas and why he did. Who knows? It only took Charles Dickens a month to write his most famous novel. 

What might we accomplish this December?

Best Practices for God’s people

It’s been months since I made the mistake. So why did I wake up thinking about it today?

That’s how God gives blog nudges and authors a message to teach. 

The problem with this one is that I have to be my own illustration. 

I only needed a few things 

It’s been months since I made that quick trip to the grocery store. I don’t usually shop in that store, even though it’s close to my house. It’s just not as “nice” as some of the others. But, I only needed a few things, and I was in a hurry. 

I grabbed one of those plastic baskets they stack by the door. The handle was sticky and I thought, “Yuck . . . I can’t wait to get home and wash my hands.” 

I quickly ran through my list of “needs” and decided to grab a dozen eggs as well. I went to the back of the store, hoping they would have the brand I like to buy. 

As I approached the refrigerator, I saw a woman moving small, cheaper eggs into the carton of the brand I like to buy. One by one, she exchanged those cheaper eggs for the better, more expensive eggs. 

I watched her do it, and so did her young daughter, who was sitting in the basket. 

I was appalled at her actions and she knew it. Yet, she just smiled at me and continued to steal. No remorse, no change in her behavior. 

A few minutes later, I told a manager about it. 

She just smiled and shook her head. “You can’t imagine what we see happen in this store.” 

No remorse, no change 

So why did I wake up thinking about that experience today? 

It was only a moment in my life and it took place months ago. A woman did something wrong. She stole with no remorse and no change in her actions. 

Has she done the same thing over and over again these past months? Maybe, but that isn’t the point. 

God didn’t wake me up with these thoughts so I could point out her sin. It was my sin that the Lord wanted me to fix. 

The woman stealing eggs had no remorse and made no change. She continued to steal eggs. 

The woman watching her, me, has remorse this morning. And the Lord told me I needed to change. 

I should have helped her switch the eggs back, and then I should have bought her the good eggs. I blew it and I know it. And I’m supposed to confess that in this blog post—for my sake and, possibly, yours. 

This morning, months later, God reminded me of my sin and gave me the chance to repent of it. Maybe, if I had done the right thing months ago, it might have helped that woman want to do better as well. And it would have been a good witness to her young daughter. 

I should have helped—but I didn’t. I just watched with righteous indignation. 

Maybe this blog post is my Romans 8:28 for a past mistake. It’s the first verse I ever memorized, and it’s the verse God gave me again this morning. That verse says, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

God’s in the business of redeeming our mistakes into something good. This morning, I’m writing a blog post because I believe it’s his purpose, born from my mistake. 

The Salvation Army’s best practices for our days ahead 

Most organizations have a “best practices” policy. Merriam-Webster’s defines the term as “a procedure that has been shown by research and experience to produce optimal results.”  

We can implement a best-practices policy for the days ahead. I’m adopting the message the Salvation Army has used in their work. Their motto is “Doing the most good.” 

The core value of the Army’s mission is “to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination.” Their website states, “Faith gives us the motivation that goes beyond simply doing good. We have a passion for doing the most good for body, soul and spirit.” 

The Salvation Army’s best practices are not simply to “do good” but, instead, they want to do “the most good.” 

That’s a best practice every Christian should adopt. 

Paul, Oswald Chambers, and us 

I’m spending this year teaching 1 and 2 Corinthians. In other words, I’ve been spending a lot of time with the Apostle Paul. 

In his early years, Paul condemned Christians and passionately pursued them, hoping to throw them in prison. The road to Damascus changed everything. His passion for what he believed was right became his passion for doing what God told him was right. He began to live redeemed, and his calling was for God’s purpose. 

Oswald Chambers wrote the content for his famous devotional, My Utmost For His Highest. The devotional was actually written after his death, by his widow. She wrote each day’s entry from messages her beloved husband had preached to seminary students. 

The title for the book came from a message to the students about the need to sacrifice anything for the sake of their ministry. Oswald spoke from Paul’s words to the Philippians: “It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20). 

Oswald Chambers told those students, who had chosen vocational ministry, “When we consider what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He does not know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point; He does know. Shut out every other consideration and keep yourself before God for this one thing only — ‘My Utmost for His Highest.’ I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and for Him alone.” 

Oswald Chambers thought he was preaching a message to students that day. He had no idea that millions of millions would be blessed by his words for decades to come. 

Do the most good 

“My utmost for his highest.” 

“Do the most good.” 

“I will not be ashamed, but with full courage . . . Christ will be honored.” 

Personal remorse, redeemed for God’s holy purpose, will do good and fulfill God’s purpose. That’s my hope for this week’s blog post. 

How will you be your utmost for his highest? 

How can all of us do the most good with the opportunities before us? 

I know this: next time, I will speak up, try to help, and buy her eggs. I passed judgment when God wanted me to give kindness. But I’ve felt remorse and will make a change. 

I’m adopting the best practices of Paul, Oswald Chambers, the Salvation Army, and countless others who live holy lives for God’s glory. 

My prayer today: Wherever she is, Lord, bless her life and her daughter’s. And please, Lord, give me, or one of my readers, another chance to help. You make all things good . . . if we just live for your purpose. Thank you for second chances. I pray my weakness will lead others to a place of strength. 

For your glory, Lord. 

Amen. 

It Was a Life Lesson

I have always appreciated the speaker I heard one Sunday night about thirty years ago. He taught me a lesson that changed my life, and one I have passed on to others many times since. I wish I knew his name, but I look forward to the moment in heaven when I can tell him, “Thank you for blessing my life.”

The lesson he taught that night was that we should never just sit and feel sad or helpless as we watch the news. Every day, there are pictures and reports of people who need our prayers. The news we watch on television is a list of God’s prayer requests. If there is a need, God wants to help. And, sometimes, God wants us to help. When you pray your way through the news, the Lord will tell you when and how.

The early Christians in Jerusalem were starving and in trouble, so the apostle Paul took up a collection from the Christians who weren’t. The words he spoke are so familiar that it requires some effort to make sure they sink in. But there is a fascinating lesson about God in these words, and we would be wise to rethink its truth.

Paul wrote, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6–7). There are a lot of ways to give generously. We can pray without ceasing for the lives of the people we see each night on the news. We can pray they know God. We can pray for their families, friends, and churches to provide and help. We can pray for God’s calling in our own lives.

Paul also said, “You should give what you have decided in your heart to give.” Paul said we shouldn’t give out of reluctance or because someone talked us, or guilted us, into giving. I’m sure all of us have put money in the plate that we didn’t feel that great about giving. God wants us to give out of a sense of generosity. “God loves a cheerful giver.” Those are the words that we forget to take to heart. They have commonly been used by the church to accomplish something that required a financial pledge. But, take a minute and think about those words again. “God loves a cheerful giver.” When was the last time you were excited to help? When was the last time God asked you to give just because you were praying and your heart was nudged? Isn’t that the gift you still feel good about giving? That’s because you have been blessed.

Here is the “feel good” promise from God’s word to all who have given with a generous, inspired heart: “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). Each time you give as God leads you, you have accomplished a good work that God is able to bless.

I’m writing this blog post to pass on the same lesson I was taught more than thirty years ago. And that is to pray your way through the news, the emails, and the “asks.” You are supposed to give when God prompts your heart. Those prompts receive his abundant blessings. The Corinthians weren’t starving, but the Christians in Jerusalem were. So, Paul told them to give from all they had, with cheerful generosity. God loves those who give like that.

Paul then quoted a lesson from Psalm 112. Paul was teaching the Corinthians about the timeless nature of God’s heart. He said, “As it is written: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever’” (2 Corinthians 9:9). God has always loved cheerful givers.

Two hurricanes have left a LOT of people without a home and without hope. There is a way to help them that will help your soul and life as well. God loves a generous heart. Christmas is around the corner, and there will be a lot of gifts to give. But today, there are people who just want a place to call home again. There are families who just want safe drinking water and a place to wash their clothes. And there are groups of people who have left their homes to go and help. Should your family help?

Jim and I enjoy giving to the Texas Baptist Men. They bring physical and spiritual help to people who have been touched by disaster. They continue to go long after the news has stopped reporting the needs to rebuild homes, churches, and lives. I share this with you not because I think you should give, but because I think you should give if God prompts. God loves and blesses a cheerful giver. The way to be cheerful about a gift is to be called to give it.

That is the lesson I was taught by the Holy Spirit one night in Midland, Texas, by a man whose name I might never know this side of heaven. I’m grateful to him for being used by God to bless my giving and my life. The way I say thank you for his lesson is to give it to others cheerfully. It is easier for me to watch or read the news now because I know God is using those men and women to help, and Jim and I are blessed to help them fulfill their calling.

If God has prompted you to cheerfully give to Texas Baptist Men, here is their link:  Texas Baptist Men