"She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" -- "Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid." - Luke 2:7/23:53

"Be the proud owner of ..." These words are heard and read in various ads for cars to computers. The most important part of the equation is ownership. We are driven by the need to be proud owners. The best commentary on this subject is the bumper sticker that reads: "He who dies with the most toys wins". It's ok to own, but never ok to be owned by what you own.

Jesus said in Luke 9:58, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” His comment was vividly seen in his birth and in his burial. He was placed in a borrowed manger at birth and a borrowed tomb in death. Jesus was a steward, not an owner. He used this world for one purpose... eternal values. That's where his heart was.

What are your goals for the year ahead? Will you be driven by ownership or be led by stewardship? Will you own more of this world, or will you use it to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:20)? The choice is yours but ... "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21)

"... to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” - Luke 1:77-79

The holiday season has now passed with all the joy and celebrations. The lights and decorations are being packed and stored until next year. Winter days are upon us with weeks of cold and cloud filled days. With all the parties, gifts, songs and laughter gone, is there any sunshine and joy for the days ahead?  The reality of life has set in.

A small but overwhelming ray of hope is found in the song of Zechariah. We have a God filled with "tender mercy" who brings "the rising sun from heaven to shine". When we know the Christ of Christmas as Savior and friend, we can have sunshine every day of the year. The reality of light has set in. 

My dear friend, please don't allow the hard winter days to get the best of you. Remember the One who loves you with a heart of "tender mercy". Jeremiah the prophet once said ... Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”  (Lamentations 3:22-24)  You can know peace and joy today because... The reality of love has set in.

"... for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young..." - Proverbs 1:2-4

Who was voted "Most likely to Succeed" in your graduating class? Have they really made it big? What's the real difference between success and failure? Success requires more than just knowing what to do; it's all about doing what you know. Too many voted "Most likely..." are on the sidelines because they never put their knowledge into practice. Success is not just in knowing... Success is in showing and growing.

Solomon was a man of great wisdom, but he knew that successful spirituality would be seen in the everyday life. He didn't write just to create philosophers, but to produce "a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair" in his readers. Successful spirituality is more than a life challenged by the Word of God, it's a life changed. Success is not just in knowing... Success is in showing and growing.

As you begin the year reading the Scriptures, what are your expectations? Are you looking for greater knowledge of the Bible? Do you want to get a better handle on the Names of God? Or, are you trying to figure out God's prophetic program for the return of Christ? While all these may be worthy pursuits, how will they improve your walk with God? Spiritual success comes from reading the Word for change, because success is not just in knowing... Success is in showing and growing.

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." - Psalm 1:2-3

One week has now passed since Christmas. You received various gifts from loved ones and friends that still work and give you a lot of joy. In a few months, those same gifts may still work and will give you a little joy. By this time next year they may no longer work and be nothing more than a faint memory. There is one gift though, given by our heavenly Father, that will keep on working and will bring great joy to your heart every day because it's a "gift that keeps on giving".

The psalmist found delight in the Word of God and thought about it day and night. As a result, every day was a fresh and fruitful experience. As he carefully reflected on the life changing message, he found ancient words with timeless insight. The wisdom of the ages became good words in season. The end of every year was better, brighter and more refreshing than the beginning, because he had a "gift that keeps on giving".

As you enter this New Year and begin afresh, take inventory of the gifts you have received. Which ones will give you what you need for the daily challenges? Which ones will be as beneficial for you next December as they are today? You will find the best gift is a simple love letter from God. He has written from his heart to your heart so every day will be better than the one before. Take time this year to find delight in the "gift that keeps on giving".   

"For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds." - Psalm 149:4-5

Do you carry pictures of your family to show the entire world? Some people carry around a ton of pictures in their wallets. They have pictures of wives, husbands, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews and nieces. When you see the size of some guy's wallets you understand why they sit lopsided all the time. People carry pictures of those they deeply love and that fill their hearts with joy. With this thought in mind, someone once said that God carries your picture in his wallet. What an honor!

It's a wonderful thing to know that God loves you. But have you ever thought that he "delights" in you? Do you remember when Satan came before God in the book of Job? One of the first things God said was, "Have you considered my servant Job...?"  It's a very humbling thought, but God brags about his children. He delights in them and crowns them with salvation. What an honor!

 Tomorrow will bring a new year with hopes of better days ahead. But, whether they be better or worse, one truth will remain the same; you are loved and God will carry you through it all. How do I know this you ask? Because he delights in you and he carries your picture in his wallet!

““Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city." - Revelation 22:12-14

The year my son and I began to follow the San Francisco 49ers they lost their season opener to the Philadelphia Eagles with a score of 40-8. We both wondered if this was a team worth following. That same year the 49ers went to the Super Bowl and steamrolled over the San Diego Chargers 49-26, becoming the first team to win a record five Super Bowls. You see the beginning doesn't always determine the final outcome.

As we open our Bibles and begin with the first three chapters of Genesis, we find Adam and Eve prohibited from eating of the tree of life and escorted through the Garden gates. Their sin brought about the fall of all mankind and eternal separation from God. History tells the sad tale of continued rebellion and godless living throughout the ages. Would there be any hope for ever returning to the Garden and the tree of life? The last page of our Bibles gives a resounding YES!.  "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city." You see the beginning doesn't always determine the final outcome.

Did this past year start with a cascade of failures? Do you feel that there will be nothing "new" about the New Year? Well, you can end this year successfully by coming to the Lord for a new beginning. Jesus is one beginning that will always determine the final outcome because...  He is the "Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." 

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God... I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." - Revelation 21:3;22-23

"Home is where the heart is". We all know that a house in nothing more than wood, brick and mortar. But, a house becomes a home through the love of family. Church buildings are made of the same materials as houses, only bigger and more ornate. Whether the temple of old or the churches down the block, they are nothing but buildings without the glory of God's presence. Church is where the Lord is.

If there is no house of worship in heaven since the Lord is the temple, what about that building we meet in from Sunday to Sunday? The church building, as the temple, was never meant to be anything other than a place where the people of God gathered to commune with and worship the Lord of Glory. Until we get to heaven, God has blessed places where his people can assemble together to meet with Him. When we become caught up in the beauty of the building and all its trimmings, we end up with nothing more than a building. Church is where the Lord is.

Do you look for the Lord when you attend church on Sundays? Are you listening for his voice to speak to you heart? When you leave church to enter the week ahead, do people notice that you have been with Jesus?  Church is where the Lord is.