BLESSED AND JOYFUL

The word "happy" comes from the word "happen." When good things happen, it is assumed you will be happy. I'm not wishing you a "Happy New Year" because my prayer for you is that you will have "the joy of the LORD as your strength" no matter what happens. May GOD'S finest gifts, both temporal and spiritual, overflow to you in 2024 and in all the years ahead, but if your portion includes sorrow or loss or sickness or injury, I pray the joy you have in your heart as a believer in the CHRIST who died for you will be your all-sufficient strength. May you awaken in 2024 to joy, peace, hope, truth, faith, love and every wonderful thing your heart could yearn to hold. May you never doubt how completely JESUS loves you and may your love for HIM wrap all those you love in the wonder of salvation. May 2024 be good to you. Have a RICHLY BLESSED AND ABUNDANTLY JOYFUL NEW YEAR !!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Dear JESUS, YOU see the state of our world. YOU see the turmoil, the strife, the anger, the wars, the rumors of war. YOU see the hearts of those of us who occupy this sphere. We cry out to YOU, the PRINCE OF PEACE, when our own hearts harbor war. We know that within ourselves is no good thing. We know our lust for power and wealth consumes us. We know we have no greater potential for peace in the year ahead than we have had in the one we leave behind tonight. We know we are so consumed by the things of this world that we give little thought to the ETERNITY YOU have prepared for those who love YOU. So we turn to YOU. We ask YOU to remove our hearts of stone and give us hearts that reflect the heart of GOD. We ask YOU to help us to see the treasure of earth as the refuse that it is. We ask YOU to help us to look beyond the horizon of a new year and let us see YOUR KINGDOM. We ask YOU to help us to see beyond ourselves and see YOU. No matter what the new year brings -- whether peace or war, whether love or more animosity, whether the dreariness of time or the glory of Heaven, let 2024 be a year of REVIVAL. Let 2024 be a year of foolish mankind turning back to the wisdom, the joy, the peace, the love, the hope, the glory of the CHRIST who died to set us free, who holds our true treasure. May our LORD'S finest blessings, both temporal and spiritual, overtake you in the NEW YEAR as you leave the mundanity of earth behind and follow after the glory of ETERNITY. HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Remembrance of Death

A Remembrance Of Death by Dr. D. James Kennedy “What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?” Psalm 89:48 Tonight we say goodbye to the old year and usher in the new. It’s a special time of reflection and tradition, and perhaps tonight you’ll engage in your own celebration as this year passes into the next. Perhaps you’ll look back on favorite memories of the past year and anticipate some new adventures in the year to come. But many will spend their New Year’s Eve getting drunk. Have you ever wondered why so many people feel the need to do that? Think about it. Is it just a tradition? Or is it something more? Perhaps the Romans of old knew. They had a phrase for it: momento mori, a “remembrance of death.” The old year is frequently pictured in art as a doddering old man staggering his way into oblivion. If you think about it, the picture is quite fitting. The Bible tells us that Satan has held the whole world in bondage through the fear of death. With that truth in mind, I can realize why the unregenerate, who have never been delivered from that fear, who do not have the blessed assurance of eternal life, feel the need to get drunk. If another year’s passing brings them that much closer to death, it’s no wonder they want to obliterate that reality with alcohol. It is really ironic, for the whole world prides itself on its realism and chides Christians for believing in “fairy tales.” Some realists! These people can’t face the greatest reality that every human being must inevitably face: the fact of death. But that doesn’t stop some people from trying. If we go back to 300 B.C., we find the hedonist philosopher, Epicurus, who said that death doesn’t concern us, for as long as we exist, death is not here, and when death comes, we no longer exist. But that isn’t so. We cannot remove death through philosophy, science, or medicine. It is only in Christ that our mortality ceases to be frightening. For only in Him do we know what awaits us after death or, more accurately, Who awaits us after death. Christians can echo the apostle Paul: “To live is Christ; to die is gain.” Tonight, as you say goodbye to an old year and usher in a new one, rejoice that you’re one year closer to meeting our Father in Heaven. Death’s door holds no fear for you; you’re on your way to eternal life united with Christ. Now that’s something to celebrate. “Not what we call death, but what [is] beyond death is … [what] … we fear.” T. S. Eliot

Heavenly or Earthly Minded

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away …” — Revelation 21:1 Many years ago I heard a man derisively described as someone who was “so heavenly minded that he was no earthly good.” We may hear that from time to time, but for every one person who fits that description, ten thousand people are so worldly minded that they are no heavenly good at all. Where do your thoughts dwell: on the concerns of this world or in anticipation of eternity spent in Heaven? Once I was in an unfamiliar building. When I was ready to leave, I opened a door, thinking it was an exit, but instead I had stepped into a tiny broom closet. Of course, I stepped out instantly and closed the door. I was probably in there only one or two seconds at the most. Now, wouldn’t you think it extraordinarily odd if I spent the rest of my life thinking about that little closet when I had spent such a short time in it? In the same way, why do we spend all of our time thinking about this “little closet” of earth that is but a fleeting moment in the framework of eternity? Many people spend more time preparing for a twoweek vacation than they do preparing for eternity. The more we dwell on our final destination, the more we’ll be prepared to live eternally in Heaven, thanks to Jesus Christ, who has experienced and conquered Hell on our behalf. And in anticipating our eternal destination, we’ll experience a foretaste of Heaven in this life as we seek to know the Lord more every day. I pray that you and I will live each day with eternity in mind. As you go through your day today, remember that there are eternal consequences to your choices. Dwell on Heaven today, and allow those thoughts to guide your actions. Thanks to Jesus Christ’s free offer of salvation, we can become both heavenly minded and earthly good at the same time.

Prophetic Terrorism Against Christians and Jews

Prophetic Terrorism Against Christians and Jews by Bill Wilson The Judeo-Christian world is repulsed by the brutal, barbaric display of Hamas terrorism against Jews in Israel. On another continent, the Fulani are terrorizing Christians very similarly. Hamas and the Fulani share radical Islamic beliefs that teach it is their religious duty to rid the world of Jews and Christians. Over Christmas, the Fulani massacred some 150 Christian men, women and children as they slept in villages across Nigeria’s Plateau State. The Fulani are a nomadic Islamic tribe that roams across West Africa grabbing land illegally and daring governments to stop them under the threat of terrorism. We have had such experiences in our food and clothing outreach in Ghana, West Africa. It’s what we face. Ministry partner, Pastor William Agbeti reported in July 2021: “Fulani herdsmen residing in and travelling across Ghana, from Nigeria, in search of green pastures for their cattle, remain a major challenge to the nation and people of Ghana. Death, bloody confrontation, destruction of farms and properties, pollution of water bodies, rape, robbery, rampant theft and open disregard for authority, follow their trail wherever they go. In Bosuafise where we have a physical presence of our ministry, the Fulani have set up a permanent camp, from where they launch out into neighboring villages with their cattle, destroying crops and degrading land.” The Islamists have become very bold in rural areas where there is little law enforcement and intimidation replaces rule of law. And it has not improved in two years, despite efforts to stop the Fulani. Pastor Agbeti’s report today is yet another reminder: “The Village and community of Bosuafise remain the only traditional hot spot in our fields of operation, where gangs of Muslims have physically settled and are causing havoc to life and property. A couple of Sundays back on a periodic distribution in the area, I was informed by the leadership of the local church we support that the situation has become much more serious. The leaders reported that Islamic land grabbers have come to encircle them, forcefully raising their own communities in their backyard on seized land. An Elder narrated a blood-chilling experience when he dared to stop the illegal and nefarious activities of the Muslims. He said they retaliated by coming to his house in a group and subjected his whole family, including himself, to severe beatings with iron rods.” We have seen Islamists and Hamas supporters rioting in the streets of New York City during Christmas. They have rioted in England and even Bethlehem (trying to appropriate the blame on Israel). There is an international approach by Islam toward Jews and Christians. As the world approaches the end of times, the prophets of old—who were Jews—prophesy of the nations coming against Israel, and they are Islamic. They persecute supporters of Israel and believers in Christ. Psalm 83 speaks of those who sound much like the Hamas and Fulani terrorists today. Verse 4 says, “They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may no more be in remembrance.” Whether Jew or Christian, the times ahead are perilous for the enemies of God come to kill, steal and destroy. Be vigilant. Be strong. Sources: https://helsinkiherald.com/2023/12/terrorists-kill-150-in-christmas-eve-attack-on-sleeping-christian-villages/ https://www2.cbn.com/news/world/very-terrifying-christmas-140-villagers-massacred-christian-area-nigeria https://www.persecution.org/2023/12/26/at-least-96-nigerians-killed-in-christmas-eve-rampage-in-plateau-state/

The Lord's Day

The Lord’s Day by Dr. D. James Kennedy “The Sabbath was made for man …” Mark 2:27 At the end of a given week, do you often find yourself tired and weary from the toils of work? Are you ready to relax and give praise to the Lord? That is exactly what the Sabbath is for. We should reserve it as a day of rest and rejoicing. In fact, do you know why many churches (including the one I pastor) choose not to have kneeling benches? Because in the early church, Christians were forbidden to kneel on Sunday. They instead observed Sunday as a day of rejoicing in God for His mighty deeds. The Sabbath is a blessed day, and so it should be, for even the Lord rested on the Sabbath after creating the universe. On this day of the week, we remember that God made us as special creatures, designed to lift our heads toward God, honoring Him for who He is and for what He has done. The Sabbath is a pledge of that eternal rest which is ours. Not only should we rest on the Sabbath, we should take advantage of it as family time. For those of us with children, we can take that day to spend time with our kids, to model rejoicing for them, and to teach them spiritual truths. But we so often compromise the Sabbath. Amos castigated the ungodly people in Israel who eagerly awaited the end of the Sabbath so that they might sell their crops. In the same spirit as these sinful Israelites, many people today don’t even wait for the Sabbath to end before they engage in work. Some people may have to work on this day, but many without Sunday work obligations choose to work anyway. In doing so, these people demonstrate how far their hearts are from God. They dishonor God by not keeping His day holy. This week, plan to set the Sabbath aside as a day to rest and rejoice in the Lord. Give your responsibilities to God, and allow Him to hold them while you enjoy Him and the day He has made.

CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS Christmas is unique. There is no other holiday, no other season of the year that can begin to approach the wonder of this glorious day. Those of us who believe in JESUS CHRIST as SAVIOR and LORD of our lives immerse ourselves in the significance of the day. We remind ourselves that our LORD took upon HIMSELF the weight of the sins we cannot carry and paid the price for them that was far beyond our means. Anyone who has ever been in a non-Christian country knows that at this season, even unbelievers are caught up in the wonder of the day. No, they do not accept CHRIST as their SAVIOR and LORD but they do embrace the celebration of the glorious event that took place in the little town of Bethlehem; they do enjoy the festivity of the believing world. But, what about you? What is Christmas to you? Are you a fervent believer who praises your GOD for sacrificing HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON to save you from eternal separation from HIM? Or do you stand on the periphery of faith and simply celebrate the joy that is brought by the candy canes and colored lights? If you are familiar with the Biblical account of the birth of JESUS, you know it was prophecied hundreds of years before HE arrived in Bethlehem. You know HIS birth was announced to shepherds -- the lowliest of men and that HE was sought as a glorious KING by the wisest and wealthiest of mankind. The lowest of the low and the most esteemed of the lofty came to lay their hearts at HIS feet. But, where are you? More important than where you stand today in this season of anticipation and celebration is the question, "Where will you stand on that great day of judgment when all humankind will either bear the penalty of their sins against GOD or be redeemed by the blood of the LAMB?" In the glorious realm of heaven or cast into outer darkness? Where will you spend eternity? May I wish you the Merriest Christmas and a Glorious Eternity.

No More Curse

No More Curse by Dr. D. James Kennedy “… Cursed is the ground for your sake … In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread …” Genesis 3:17, 19 Do you remember the last time you blew it with God? Do you remember what that did inside of you? You’re not alone. People have experienced those feelings since the beginning of time. What happened to Adam and Eve when they sinned? They died spiritually. Their minds were darkened. They stubbornly followed their own wills, their spirits out of tune with God. Through their sin, Adam and Eve allowed sorrow, separation, guilt, fear, and self-centeredness into Paradise—into the lives of all humankind—bringing hatred, crime, violence, war, death, and Hell in their wake. The Curse resulting from Adam and Eve’s sin has not only spiritual implications, but also physical ones. God pronounced the Curse first upon Satan for deceiving and tempting the woman, condemning the Serpent to crawl on its belly and eat dust. Then God cursed the woman, increasing her suffering in childbirth and subjecting her to her husband. For the man, God took the delight from work, relegating the man to a life of labor and toil in the midst of thorns and thistles. All of the animals came under the Curse, and what had been kindly and loving pets became dangerous, wild, and poisonous creatures. Finally, all creatures would eventually succumb to physical death most often preceded by disease, illness, pain, and weakness. Maybe you’d rather not dwell on such depressing issues at this time of year. And, fortunately, you don’t have to. Why? Because Christmas is all about Christ’s coming to take away the effects of this horrible curse. Christ came to earth as a baby to absorb the Curse for us. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus destroyed the Devil’s works and created a way for us to be restored, perfect in God’s sight. God begins that work in you and me when we surrender to Him and become His children, born of the Spirit. That work continues throughout our lives in the process of sanctification. Fully and perfectly, we will be restored when we reach Heaven; Christ will have completed His work in us and eliminated the Curse. In a perfect world and in perfect bodies, we shall dwell forever with Christ. This is the message of Christmas, the reason Jesus came to earth as a babe. As you and I anticipate Christmas this year, let’s rejoice that all curses are reversed in Jesus Christ.

QuoteFollowing the Star

Following The Star by Dr. D. James Kennedy “… the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” — Matthew 2:9-10 Have you ever gazed at the stars in the sky and wondered what Christ’s star—the star of Bethlehem—looked like? What a magnificent star it must have been for the wise men to pack up and take off after it. They left everything to follow that star. Many people have speculated about the exact physical nature of that star, but in the end, all speculations are merely guesses. But we do know that this star heralded Christ’s coming, and as it did so, it communicated His nature to us. The star of Bethlehem was a star of love that pointed to the incarnate yet divine love of Jesus Christ, God’s perfect love that had come to earth in human form. The star of Bethlehem was a star of hope that led the wise men to the fulfillment of their expectations, the success of their expedition. Nothing in this world is more fundamental for success in life than hope, and this star pointed to our only source for true hope: Jesus Christ. The star of Bethlehem was a star of joy. “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” All true joy comes from Him. From deep within the well of our souls, Christ’s joy bubbles up and overflows. Those who know Jesus the best rejoice the most. The star of Bethlehem was also a star of witness. It witnessed about the one true King and Messiah Who came to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. But most of all, the star of Bethlehem was a star of guidance. The star guided the wise men through the desert and across great distances. It guided them to the Lord Jesus Christ. We also are guided by our Star—God’s Word, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. As pilgrims through this barren land, God’s Word guides us to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. Today thank God for the love, hope, joy, witness, and guidance we gained when Jesus Christ was born under that star. May the light of His star guide you this day and every day until together we bow down and worship Jesus with the wise men in Heaven.

Censorship and Persecution

Censorship and Persecution by Bill Wilson There has been much documentation of how large corporations worked closely with government agencies to manipulate media messaging and conduct outright censorship. COVID is the poster child for this kind of corporate-government coercion. Indeed, American citizens were experiencing the same during the entire Mueller investigation of President Trump over Russian election interference, the Hunter Biden/Joe Biden/Biden family corruption, the impeachment trials of President Trump, 2020 election integrity, January 6 information, and now, claims of Israeli genocide when we all know it was Hamas that conducted genocide. This manipulation of information is real. Here’s a first-hand account. On Tuesday, December 5, The Daily Jot wrote about how the mainstream news media, gathered together as the Press Coalition, went to court and wrestled away from the DOJ the previously withheld search warrant by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is investigating Trump. Smith obtained the warrant in January against X (formerly Twitter) to seize all content, records, and other interactions between Trump’s Twitter account and other Twitter users. This included any IP addresses, bank and credit card information, email addresses, any third-party websites, and more. It is the gateway that the DOJ is using to collect any information on people who followed Trump. With multiple sources and direct quotes from the search warrant, The Daily Jot underscored how the Democrats used the court system and corporate media to assist the DOJ in building an authoritarian infrastructure. Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell, appointed by President Barak Obama in 2010, “forced” X (formerly Twitter) to give the data to the DOJ. Howell was the “supervising judge” in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections and ruling in favor of the Democrat-led House Judiciary Committee’s impeachment proceedings against Trump. The result of this type of collaboration is authoritarianism. Twitter, Facebook, and other corporate media, posing as open platforms, have worked with the DOJ to censor free speech and discourage dissent. DOJ seizing twitter data is another step toward tyranny. But then The Daily Jot encountered another form of censorship. The story was blocked to nearly 2,000 subscribers. In checking into it, this was the reason: “The contact’s Internet Service Provider decided not to deliver the email. This is usually due to reputation or content (images, links, text, etc,), or a filter on the recipient’s end.” Point is, Yahoo apparently is censoring what you receive in your emails. Be aware that you may not be receiving truthful information because an internet provider is able to regulate what you read or see. Censorship leads to persecution—look at what is happening with the Hamas atrocities. The media downplays them; politicians downplay them; the government morally equates them AND THEN Jews become the persecuted ones. As Christ said in Matthew 24:4, “Take heed that no man deceive you.”

Holocaust Denial

Holocaust Denial Almost Twice As Many Democrats As Republicans Believe The ‘Holocaust Is A Myth,’ New Poll Finds – Daily Caller Democrats are leading the charge when it comes to believing the Holocaust is a myth, a new survey by YouGov showed. Of those who answered the YouGov survey, 10% of Democrats believe the Holocaust is a myth. Conversely, 6% of Republicans also believe the Holocaust is a myth. While the majority of Americans do, in fact, believe the Holocaust was a real event, most who deny it are under the age of 30, according to the poll. Roughly 20% of people from ages 18 to 29 believe the Holocaust is a myth, while 36% in the same age group said Israel “exploits Holocaust victimhood,” YouGov found. Roughly 10% of all men deny the Holocaust took place, while only 4% of women thought the same, according to the poll. More Americans said antisemitism is a major problem in 2023 compared to 2019, although Democrats and Republicans disagreed on if boycotting Israel is antisemitic, according to the poll. Democrats and Republicans also reportedly disagreed over which demographic was most victimized by hate crimes. (Read more) - Precious Lord, the blindness in our country is grieving us daily. From pro-Palestinian protests to people who deny the Holocaust, we cannot comprehend the lack of knowledge. We pray that You will so whatever it takes to show these people the truth and reveal Your heart-changing Spirit. - “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6)

Light in the Darkness

Light In Darkness by Dr. D. James Kennedy “Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.” Isaiah 9:2 “Why are there so many lights, Daddy?” Have you ever wondered the same thing at Christmastime, when you see hundreds of houses decked with colorful, twinkling lights? The question about the Christmas lights came on a dark December night from a four-year-old girl. Her father perceptively answered, “Because Jesus is the light of the world.” Before the Light of the World came to earth, the world was very dark. The Golden Age of Greek philosophy had passed, and an intellectual barrenness had covered the landscape of the mind. The faith in the Homeric gods had all but vanished completely, and skepticism had paled the souls of many. The moral structure of society had collapsed everywhere, and humanity had sunk deep into the mire of depravity and vice. When there was nothing but discouragement, disillusion, and despair—when everything was the bleakest and darkest and grimmest—Jesus came. By no mere coincidence does Christmas come in December. Christmas comes after the season when the dead leaves have flown across the ground with every gust of wind. Christ did not arrive in the time of blooming flowers and balmy breezes. Christ did not arrive in the time of fields ripe for harvest. He arrived when frost lay sheeted over the earth. He came in the midst of a bleak and dark December under a glittering star. This reminds us that Christ came for those who feel frostbitten by life. He came for those who are snowed under. He came for those overwhelmed by the cold realities of life. He came to soothe and rock and cradle and kiss and lullaby a cold, hurt, crying world. Christmas makes December beautiful and bright. Christ makes His birthday a time of joy, miracles, and light. Thank Him today for the Light He brought to the world at Christmastime and for the Light He brings daily to your life.

The One to Come

The One To Come by Dr. D. James Kennedy “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up …” Matthew 11:4-5 Do you ever wonder whether Jesus is all He claimed to be? Whether He’ll fulfill all the promises He made to us? Well, even John the Baptist, the one sent to prepare Christ’s way, had his moments of doubt. And when we wonder if Jesus is really the One, the answer He gave John should suffice for any of us. John was very familiar with the prophet Isaiah, and he knew the ancient prophecies concerning the Messiah (Isaiah 29:18, 35:4-6). So when Jesus wanted to prove to John His true identity, He told John, in Isaiah’s words, how He had fulfilled prophecies. In the same way, when we have doubts, we can look to how Jesus fulfilled Biblical prophecy, proving that He is the Messiah. According to just a few of the 333 concrete prophecies in the Old Testament, the Messiah would: be Abraham’s descendant; be of the lineage of Judah and of David; be born in Bethlehem; be born of a virgin; come 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem; exercise a benevolent ministry; open the eyes of the blind, heal the lame, and cure the deaf; be betrayed by His friends; be sold for thirty pieces of silver which would be cast down for a potter’s field; give His body as a ransom for others; endure the piercing of His hands and His feet; die amid transgressors; lie in a rich man’s grave; and rise from the dead. And the list goes on. My friends, God has given us enormous evidence of Jesus’ identity as the Christ. We need have no question about the granite foundation upon which our faith rests. We may know that just as these prophecies of the Old Testament came to pass, so will the promises of the New Testament come to pass. We can trust in Jesus, come what may. The next time you find yourself doubting Jesus Christ, remember how He has fulfilled every promise He made. Then dwell on the truth that in the same way He’ll fulfill the promises He has made to you.

Born / Born Again

JESUS was born to die so we might be born again to eternal life.

The Sinless Savior

The Sinless Savior by Dr. D. James Kennedy “[Christ] committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth.” — 1 Peter 2:22 A man able to walk through this life yet never sin—doesn’t that seem an impossibility? Only one human has ever accomplished this feat: Jesus Christ. In our society, we raise up many as heroes, but upon closer inspection, we find they have feet of clay. Yet Jesus could say, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46). Holy men and women confess their sins. They keep short accounts with God. As holy people grow closer to God, they recognize their own sinfulness more and more. One of the greatest Christians in the history of the Church, the apostle Paul, called himself “the chief of sinners.” Conversely, people guilty of heinous crimes often claim innocence. (Visit a prison, and you’ll be amazed at how many prisoners claim they’ve been falsely accused.) But Jesus Christ towers above all people, sinners and saints, in the perfection of His character. Through the centuries people have tried and failed to find any blemish in Jesus Christ’s flawless life. One time a Hindu Brahmin, alarmed at the spread of Christianity in India, set out to write a tract to expose Christ’s weaknesses. But the Brahmin abandoned this task because he could find no weak points or sins in Jesus. There aren’t any. Even skeptics have shown their respect for the Savior. Listen to what one of them, Ernest Renan of France, said about Christ: “Whatever may be the surprises of the future, Jesus will never be surpassed.” He is the perfect one. Today praise Jesus Christ for His sinlessness. Thank Him that because He lived a sinless life, you can live for eternity.

Danger of Birch Sugar to Dogs

'ATTENTION! We want everyone to know that xylitol is now being labeled as "Birch Sugar" This is a sweetener used in food. Most common beannt butter and candy. It is VERY toxic to dogs. Keep you your pups safe.'

The Joy of the Father

The Joy Of The Father by Dr. D. James Kennedy “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep, which was lost.” Luke 15:6 Have you ever had the thrilling experience of participating in something bigger than yourself, bigger than your town, bigger than your world? If you and I attend to it, we can have that privilege every day. How can we participate in such an exciting venture? By finding the Good Shepherd’s lost sheep and returning them to His fold. In Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who, upon losing one sheep, went out to search for it. The shepherd traveled everywhere looking for that lost sheep. He trudged high and low, far and wide. He peered down precipitous ravines. He traveled into the valleys of darkness where the wild beasts had their dens. Finally the shepherd found the sheep trapped in tangled briars, and after freeing the sheep, he joyfully placed it upon his shoulders and brought it home. When the shepherd returned to his home, he called together his neighbors and said to them, “I have found my sheep that was lost. Rejoice with me. Enter into my joy.” But could his neighbors really do it? Oh, they could come to the party that he provided and enjoy the delicious food he served, but could they rejoice with him? Perhaps they could if they had searched with him on the rain-swept, storm-driven moors. If they had dared to face the dangers of the wild animals and the cold night, if in those circumstances they had found the sheep, then they would have truly rejoiced with him. Christ’s joy is to find His lost sheep. Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents and comes to Christ. And we experience that joy when we witness a lost sheep return to the Shepherd. Today, be on God’s search party, and reach out to a lost soul. If you live your life searching for lost sheep, caring for them, and feeding them, then you will one day hear the Good Shepherd say to you, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant … enter thou into the joy of the Lord.”

Self Examination

Self Examination by Dr. D. James Kennedy “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” 2 Corinthians 13:5 Did you like taking tests when you were in school? If you didn’t, you’re in good company. Most of us dreaded tests, unlike the blessed few with natural smarts and good study habits. I hate to say this, but today is test day. Are you ready? In today’s passage, Paul commands us to take a test—an open-book test comparing our lives with God’s Word. We must administer the test to ourselves, for this test is a self-examination, a test for Christ’s presence within us … a test with eternal consequences. When it comes to making moral and spiritual judgments, we’re often prone to examining everyone but ourselves. All of us have something of the critic within us, always willing to point the finger at others. The Corinthians had the same tendency. In fact, they were the hypercritics of the ancient world. They criticized Paul’s apostleship, and in reaction to their criticism, Paul urged them to examine the reality of their own faith. We still have Corinthians with us today. In fact, we so often are the Corinthians. How many of us have left church saying such things as “Well, what did you think of that sermon?” or “How did you like that preacher?” Sounds like Corinth, doesn’t it? But we shouldn’t judge God’s servants. Instead, we need to place ourselves at Christ’s feet and submit ourselves to the judgment of God’s Word. The Word of God explains that one day we shall give account of ourselves before Christ. On that day you won’t criticize your spouse, your parents, your neighbors, your church members, or your pastors. You’ll give an account of your own life. No other statements or input will be allowed. That’s a sobering thought. As hard as it is, take that test today. Use the psalmist’s prayer to aid in this process: “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts. And see if there be any hurtful way in me. And lead me in the everlasting way.” Amen. Make sure your heart is right with God. Let’s get our own act together before we try to direct everyone else’s.

ATTEND CHURCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Attend Church! It's not a suggestion in the WORD, it's an admonition. "Forsake not the assemblying of yourselves together." Hebrews 10;25

Beside Still Waters

Beside The Still Waters by Dr. D. James Kennedy “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters.” Psalm 23:2 What is the pace of your life these days? Do you feel as if you speed from one event to the next with barely enough time to catch your breath? Or do you regularly allow yourself time to rest and rejuvenate, to ponder life’s mysteries, to reconnect with God? These days, our lives run at almost terrifying speeds. With the advent of the automobile, then the airplane, and later the jet plane—not to mention the telephone, computer, and many other technological discoveries—life races along like a motion picture played at ten times its normal speed. Our mobility has offered us great opportunities, but it has also cost us dearly. One-third of Americans move every year. People change jobs frequently. Because of our pick-up-andmove mentality, we lack the roots our parents and grandparents once had. We pay for our busy ways in our relationships, and we pay for them physically as well. Stress takes a major toll on our bodies. Today, over one million people die each year from stress-related illnesses such as heart attacks, some forms of cancer, and a multitude of other diseases. Did you know that stress destroys the walls of your arteries? Once the walls begin to deteriorate, your body must respond. So what does it do? It lays down plaque inside the arteries. The plaque builds up until it finally blocks the arteries, and once that happens, you’re in for a stroke. All this talk about the effects of stress can add even more stress to our lives. But the Bible has a time-honored solution to all this. God’s Word calls us to stillness. In Psalm 23 David wrote that God leads us “beside the still waters.” In this hectic, frantic, busy, noisy world, we need to find a calm, quiet place to spend time alone with the Lord. Studies have shown that a regular time of prayer or meditation does, perhaps more than anything else, remove stress and its effects. God wants to lead you beside still waters today. Will you let Him take you there? I urge you drop your responsibilities at God’s feet, come away to a quiet place, and just be still and know that He is God.

Christmas, the Holy Day of the Holidays

Christmas, the Holy Day of the Holidays As we enter into Christmastime, I ask you to consider this: The word “holiday” comes from the term “holy day.” We have always recognized that there are certain transcendent things that call for us to set aside days to honor them. But sometimes even Christians can lose sight of the full nature of what happened at Christmas. The secular world competes to convince us that joy and love at Christmas are brought to fruition by just the right gift, or reuniting with loved ones, or the perfect feast on the table. While none of these are bad, let's remember that at Christmas we are celebrating the fact that Jesus took onto himself a fully human nature. He was born of a woman and set in a manger, not to whisk us away from here, but to reclaim, restore, and glorify His creation for us to dwell with Him eternally. Let the CHRIST of Christmas wash you clean from sin in HIS shed blood of Calvary.

Home for Christmas

Home For Christmas by Dr. D. James Kennedy “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3 Have you ever felt deeply homesick, wishing with all your heart to return to home and family? Well, as Christians, we are far away from our true home—Heaven—and we should feel “homesick” for it, anxiously waiting for the time that Christ will take us there. Advent is upon us, and this time of year is a little bit about feeling homesick for Heaven. At this time of year, we celebrate Christ’s first coming and eagerly anticipate His return to take us to our true home. Advent means “to come,” taken from the Latin “ad venio.” At the first Advent, Christ came with much humility. He laid aside His robes of glory and came to earth in a humble stable, in a manger, as a baby, seen only by a few people: the shepherds, the Magi, and His immediate family. But when Christ comes again, every eye will see Him. We wait fervently for that day when Christ will come in glory with all of His angels and ten thousand times ten thousand of His saints, to receive His own to Himself and to destroy all wickedness and evil forever. For Christians, Christ’s second coming brings the greatest excitement and joy. We lift our heads and pray the final prayer of the Bible: “‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). As Christmas works its annual enchantment around us and the songs of the kingdom float on the airwaves, the Christian longs for even more. “I’ll be home for Christmas” sounds so right. It sounds like belonging and peace. For a child of God, the most wonderful Christmas will not take place on this earth. Our climactic Christmas is the one we shall celebrate anew, home in Heaven … when we will forever be truly home for Christmas. Today dwell on that truth, and pray that the Lord will quickly come.