The greatest purpose for any human being is to glorify God. However, we often find this hard to do. We cannot glorify God, living for him, if we pursue the ways of the world. So we are distracted in our quest for money, for power, for comfort, for any other thing besides God. Most of us still have idols in our lives that need to be rooted out if we are to truly pursue God.

But we also face a challenge with other people. This world is hostile to Christianity and the things of God. Satan has so blinded the minds of people (2 Corinthians 4:4) that to many, the glory of God looks like a thing to be ridiculed. In our own nation, we see a growing hostility against God and his will for mankind. Those who seek to follow Christ face increasing levels of opposition and even, as the prophet says above, reviling.

But we need to remember three things. First, we must not be surprised when lost people act like lost people. They are still dead in their sins, blinded to the truth, and under the deception of Satan. Second, we need to remember our work toward them, to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, shining a beacon of truth into their lives. And third, remember the assurance above: no one can defeat God. He has the victory. His enemies will be crushed and his children will enjoy him forever.

How you answer that question reveals how you understand your life’s purpose. We were not created for food or for comfort or for peace or for any other thing. We might enjoy them, but they are not the purpose and goal of our lives. We were created for God – to enjoy him, to glorify him, and to be children of his love and grace.

I wonder how many people claim to follow God out of a desire to receive his benefits rather than a desire to receive him. But we were created for him, we need to live for him. We need to fix him at the center of our affections, the center of our desire, the center of our delight. We enjoy the blessings of life because we know they come from God. We will enjoy the peace and delights of Heaven because God will be with us. So delight in the Lord even now. Rest in him now. Glorify him now. He is your life’s purpose, both now and in eternity.

Many of you have given generously to our debt retirement fund. And many of you gave money to the fund in honor and memory of friends and family members who have gone to be with the Lord. God has been gracious to us, allowing us to remain ahead of schedule and never once have we had to pay for loans through the general fund.

Now, through the generosity of Horace and Mae Creamer, we have finished paying off the loans, ahead of schedule. This means Immanuel Baptist Church is now debt free.This does not reduce the financial needs of the church. The general fund continues to need your generosity, and we have some additional big expenses coming up that will also need generosity. But we can continue to rejoice in God’s goodness to us, allowing us to be debt free.

Laws and politics are not the answer for our nation. We need good and just laws but just laws will not make just men. What this nation needs is people committed to God who display their commitment by their actions: praying for the country and working to spread the light of Christ.

America will not turn around until God in his grace changes the hearts and minds of her citizens. Though this is the work of the Holy Spirit, God uses us as agents of the Holy Spirit to pray and work for revival. So pray for change. Pray for a massive work of the Holy Spirit. Live for Christ. Let your light shine with the glory of God and let your words fill this land with the grace of God’s good news.

So it is with sin in our lives. The fight against sin never ends. We fight and fight and feel we have made progress against this temptation or that struggle only to see sin and temptation rising up again.

But just as grass requires sun and rain, sin requires certain things in order to grow. What it requires is different from one temptation to another. What stirs anger or covetousness in you? What causes lustful thoughts? What leads you into lies or deception or divisiveness? Identify the root causes of sin in your life and seek to root them out. The old puritan John Owen said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” This draws from Romans 8:13 where Paul says, For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Never grow weary of this work of fighting sin. Never tire of striving for holiness. And hold fast to the promise of Philippians 1:6 that God will finish what he has started in your life.

One is Kate McRae. On June 29th, 2009, Kate, age 5, was diagnosed with a supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor, an aggressive, malignant form of brain cancer. Since then, Kate has had several rounds of aggressive treatment to try and kill the tumor. Just recently, Kate has been discharged with some evidence that the tumor might finally be dead. On June 29th of this year, the same day my own Naomi turns five, Kate returns to the doctor for an MRI. Doctors will put her to sleep then run scans on the tumor to see if there has been any growth. Please pray that doctors will find a healthy child without a spreading tumor. If any cancer is detected, Kate will have to resume treatment and there are no good treatment options left.

Also pray for Susana Whittaker, 3 years old, diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma cancer, meaning the cancer had already spread throughout her body before it was found. Susana’s parents are brand new missionaries to Haiti who had just arrived in Haiti when Susana started showing signs of sickness. Susana and her mom are now in North Carolina where Susana is receiving several rounds of aggressive chemotherapy. Pray for Susana, her health and her comfort. Pray for her parents as they see their little girl go through such sickness.

We live in a fallen world. My cry is regularly, “Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus.” But until he does come, may we be found faithful to pray for and serve the least of these.

John Price has been quite faithful to cut, trim, rake, and generally keep the grass under control. Horace and Mae Creamer, Mildred Brannon, Allie Mae Brannon, James and Sylvia Green, and several others have taken up the landscaping work. Johnny Lagos has done a lot of the hard, hot, dirty work, digging, planting, raking, climbing, fixing, spraying, pressure cleaning, and anything else he’s been asked to do. Roy and Murel Conrad have weeded out, swept up, picked up, and raked up Spanish moss and other debris. Dick Clagett and Francis Bolin keep things swept, blown, and tidied before the services each Sunday. Others of you have helped on our work days and in various other ways to keep the property looking nice.

The church is not the building, but by his grace the Lord has given us a great building, but like anything else, it takes work to keep everything in good working order. There is always work to be done, so please come on out and help! To those of you just named, and to all others who have worked to keep the church looking nice, thank you for your time and service.

Nonetheless, inviting people to church should be part of our evangelism. There ought to be a sweetness and joy in the fellowship of believers. Our joy in each other’s presence should demonstrate our joy in God’s presence. And as we gather, people should see the delight we have in our great God. These things work together to show them the daily blessings of being a Christian, the blessing of the fellowship of believers.

One challenge from this is that we must live in biblical community. If we fail to enjoy the kind of fellowship and worship and unity called for in Scripture, we are missing out on God’s blessings for us. And if we fail in these things, what is there to show unbelievers these blessings we have in Christ?

So as you continue to invite people to church, also be focused on nurturing peace, love, unity, and fellowship among the body of Christ, all for the glory of God, so that we might grow like Christ and lead the lost to Christ.

But in looking at his love, we see that the God we serve is a good, kind, merciful, loving Father toward his children. Those who are adopted into the family of God through Jesus Christ receive all the blessings of the children of God. This means our sins were paid for by Jesus, so we do not receive the penalty we deserve. This means the Holy Spirit of God is living within us. This means we have access to the throne of God our Father. This means we now have eternal life with the source of our chief pleasure, God himself.

But just as God loves us, his children, we also are called to love him. God does not love us so that we would feel better about ourselves, but so that we would in turn love him. His love should lead to our love. Thus we are told to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37; etc…). We demonstrate our love through our obedience and devotion to God.

Live for God and for his glory. We stand always before his face. Celebrate his love for you by loving him and by showing that love to the world.

If this is all there were to life, we ought to spend all of our time in despair. But part of the Christian hope is that one day God will bring all suffering to an end. Paul writes a bit about such things in 2 Corinthians. Consider his words in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Paul is saying that it ultimately does not matter that we are wasting away. Paul knew suffering and hardship most of us could only imagine, yet he considered it a light momentary affliction. This is because this world is not our home. Suffering does not get the last word. Cancer and heart trouble and kidney failure and liver disease and dementia and alzheimer’s and a host of other illnesses are momentary afflictions on the road to eternity. So we do not lose heart. We rejoice in God and we cry out, Maranatha! Come quickly, Lord. And until he comes we serve him, we glorify him, we show the world that we have a living hope that is greater than our trouble.

As I write this I keep glancing out the window, seeing green trees dancing softly in the wind with birds flying this way or that doing who knows what. It’s an overcast day but to me it still looks beautiful outside.

Tonight we will gather with God’s people as we enjoy fellowship together and as we share concerns with one another through prayer. It will be a blessed gathering of the saints, living in the joy of the body of Christ.

We live in a fallen world but the fall has not removed God’s grace. Every day and all around us we see examples of his mercy and kindness to us. We hear it in the laughter of children, feel it in a refreshing breeze, and enjoy it in the presence of God’s people.

All of these things are blessings from God. As we are told in James 1:17, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. His mercy never ends. Throughout eternity he will continue giving good gifts to his children. Let us praise him for his kindness to us. We deserve nothing good and yet he has richly blessed us. So enjoy his blessings today, and delight in him as you enjoy the kindness he has given you.

We must never lose sight of the fact that this world is not our home, that this world is not intended to last forever in its present state but will one day be purified by fire and made new. It is easy to despair over the decline of the world – the growing celebration of sin and immorality, the increasing corruption of people claiming to be believers, the continued self-motivated decisions of politicians, on and on… – but such things should never surprise us. We live in a world ruled by Satan and completely corrupted by sin.

But this world is not our home. Our home is with God. Jesus Christ is even now preparing a place for us, an eternal dwelling with God in the new Jerusalem on a pure, holy, untainted earth. We are the most blessed people in all the world because even in the midst of sin and suffering and depravity and terrible, painful illness or persecution, we know we have an eternal, unending hope. The pagans cannot say the same. As far as they know, the troubles of this world are all there is to life. We know otherwise – the troubles of this world are nothing compared to the wrath of God being stored up against them. The troubles of this world are also nothing compared to the glory in store for the children of God.

So do not despair. Rejoice! Celebrate God’s goodness in giving you a lasting hope. And while in awe of God’s good work, go out and spread the news to others. Tell them what God has done. Tell them why you do not despair. Tell them of Jesus Christ.

When I look back, I remember how hard things were, but I am glad I stayed the course. The same story could be repeated through many difficult circumstances and events in my life, times when I might have had ways out but stayed on a difficult path. Always, always, always when the hard time was over I was glad I stayed the course.

As Christians, we often have to make difficult choices, putting ourselves on hard paths. Jesus tells us as much in Matthew 7:14, For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. In our world of modern conveniences and cheap luxury, we are not accustomed to a hard path. But imagine the future for a moment. Imagine your entrance into Heaven. Imagine being in eternity and looking back on your life. However difficult things may seem now, at that moment in eternity you will look back and say, “I am glad I stayed the course.”

God is not glorified in lives of luxury but through the lives of people who look to the promised land, the home to come, the eternal dwelling, the glory of God. Do hard things for the glory of God. One day in eternity all the hardship of earth will appear as the tiniest speck and we will forever enjoy a rich and lasting reward.

Despite the sinfulness of man to turn creation into an idol, the people of God must not forget our responsibility to take care of God’s creation. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden, their responsibility was to tend the garden paradise. Although we are no longer in the garden, we continue to be responsible to rule over the earth.

Our rule must reflect God’s rule. He lovingly, carefully, artfully, purposefully crafted all of creation. Nothing was seen as waste, he said it was all very good. But since the Fall, corruption and decay have entered into creation, staining everything. One day God will redeem creation itself, bringing an end to its decay caused by our sin (Romans 8:19-22). Until that day, we must do what we can to preserve what God has made.

Psalm 24:1 tells us, The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein… This really is my Father’s world. When one day I stand before him, what will I tell him I have done with the work of his hands? Do not worship the earth, but do take care of it.

A few verses prior to this Jesus tells us, Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. I fear we sleep too often. I do not mean physical rest, I mean spiritual slumber. We do not know when our Lord returns but we know he watches us every moment and yet we feel comfortable with complacency. We are not as concerned with the things of the Lord as we ought to be. We do not pray, study his Word, live for him, or share his gospel as we ought. Far too often the words of Revelation 2:4 applies to the modern church: But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Our lives – our whole lives – are to be driven by a passion for God. We are to love him with our whole being and from that love we are to serve and honor him with all of our lives.

One day Christ will return. Perhaps today? What will he find you doing when he comes back?

In Colossians 1:13 Paul tells us, And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him… Then in 3:1: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Our resurrection is a future event but it is also a present reality. Paul says that we have already been raised with Christ. In Ephesians 2:1-2 he describes us as dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked… Christ took us, filthy, rebellious corpses, and made us alive with Christ. We were raised with him so that even now we can walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

Resurrection living means something. It means turning from those dead works we once pursued. It means turning from the pleasures the world pursues. It means finding in Christ our great delight and satisfaction. It means living for him each day. It means loving what he loves. And it means telling others how to receive this resurrection life.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. May he be risen in your life today.

In Colossians 1:13 Paul tells us, And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him… Then in 3:1: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Our resurrection is a future event but it is also a present reality. Paul says that we have already been raised with Christ. In Ephesians 2:1-2 he describes us as dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked… Christ took us, filthy, rebellious corpses, and made us alive with Christ. We were raised with him so that even now we can walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

Resurrection living means something. It means turning from those dead works we once pursued. It means turning from the pleasures the world pursues. It means finding in Christ our great delight and satisfaction. It means living for him each day. It means loving what he loves. And it means telling others how to receive this resurrection life.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. May he be risen in your life today.

A church is a body that straddles two worlds. God’s kingdom is not of this world but it is present in people who remain in the world. As Christians, we live in eternity even as we walk on the earth. Our power to live comes entirely from God and he is the source of every blessing. We trust him to provide for our needs. But as we trust him we must be wise with the resources he gives us.

As individuals, this means using our money and possessions in ways that furthers God’s kingdom, building treasures in Heaven rather than padding ourselves with luxuries on earth. We give to the church as a way of helping to ensure the church has the means to carry out God’s mission in the world.

God will take care of his church. Nothing will ever defeat the church of Jesus Christ. But without the financial support of the people, the work of the church becomes increasingly difficult. I am proud of the generosity of our people and I encourage you to continue giving generously. Not only that, continue working to fulfill the mission of the church: to be a light among the nations.

As a church, then, we are to support one another in times of need. On that, I have been pleased to see how well we support those in our church who are suffering in a time of loss or a time of need. We need to keep this up. In John 13:35 Jesus says, By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

But our love for the saints extends beyond our immediate body. We are members with one another at Immanuel Baptist Church. We are also members with the folks at First Baptist, Panama City; Capitol Hill Baptist, Washington, D.C.; the Methodists; the Presbyterians; the Anglicans… The list goes on. The body of Christ, which brings the kingdom of God on earth, is composed of millions of people in countless local churches spread across the globe and existing throughout time.

As we bear one another’s burdens here, we need to keep our eyes open to ways we can bear the burdens of saints around the world. This means pray for suffering Christians in Nigeria; pray for struggling churches in the United States; pray for devastated churches in Haiti. When possible, give to support them. When possible, go to aid them. In all these things God is glorified and the world sees the love of Christ in us.

Romans 12:2 tells us to have renewed minds so that we might discern the will of God. Hebrews 4:12 tells us how to be renewed, how to be trained in the work of discernment: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. If we want to discern truth from error we must be filled with Scripture.

We are surrounded on all sides by people in and out of the church who want to tickle itching ears. This should not surprise us, 2 Timothy 4:3-4 tells us that there will be such times. But it reminds us that we must be firmly grounded in God’s truth so when ticklers come we can see through the folly of their words.

In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus compares the wise man who builds his house upon the rock with the foolish man who builds his house upon the sand. Who is the wise man? It is everyone who hears these words of mine and does them. We are built upon the rock when we are grounded in the Word of God. Only then are we safe from the storm. Only then will we endure the flood.

There is something greatly relieving in waking up and feeling somewhat healthy after a period of sickness. It is like a breath of fresh air or a great weight taken off of your shoulders. My tendency sometimes is to revel too much in health, overtaxing myself and getting sick all over again. I pray that doesn’t happen this time.

But periods of sickness and health serve as a foreshadow of something far greater. If we feel such relief and strength after recovering from illness, just imagine what it will be like when we enter the fullness of salvation and experience the complete healing of glorification in Heaven. If healing is like a breath of fresh air I can’t even begin to imagine what it will be like to step from this world of sin and pain and decay and death, entering into the world of fullness of life and peace and joy.

We labor in this world because we know there is something greater in store. We labor because we know our future is not tied to this world but is secure in God. We endure suffering and hardship because we know the day will come when we step into eternity and all the troubles we faced will be nothing more than a light momentary affliction (2 Corinthians 4:17) compared to eternity spent with God. So labor hard, saints of the Lord! And wait with eager expectation the coming glorification.

Pray for wisdom as we seek ways to expand our ministry in these age groups. Pray that God would send us families who desire to help us grow in these areas. Pray that the work we do will bear fruit by leading people closer to Christ.

Also pray that we would see growth among people not already part of a church. It is possible for our church to grow and yet no one be added to the kingdom of Heaven. Christians change churches all the time. What we really want to see is an impact among lost people, that our outreach would be blessed by God to be effective in leading many people to Christ. Pray for wisdom in planning outreach events, pray for workers to be sent into the harvest, and pray for the harvest, that it would be rich and bountiful.

God is in control and he continues to shine his light through Immanuel Baptist Church. Let us praise him for his grace to us and serve him with full faithfulness and zeal.

How might one enter the courts of the Lord? By trusting in the Lord and living out righteousness. We see this elsewhere in Psalms, Psalm 24:3-4: Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. In other words, those who live in obedience to God. We see something similar in Psalm 18:20: The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. In the light of the New Testament we would say it is those who live like Christ that will enjoy the blessings of God.

The difficulty is that none of us on our own can live the kind of righteousness that gains God’s favor. None of us have cleanness of hands. For that matter, nor did the Psalmist. In Psalm 18 the Psalmist goes on to add in verses 31-32: For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? — the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.

Serve the Lord in holiness and know that your holiness and righteousness come from him. He has covered you in the righteousness of Christ, making you pure. He is the one who equips you and strengthens you each day to live for him. It is he who cleans your hands, he who makes your way blameless. Follow him, trust in him, rely on him.

Our first group is for adults and is being coordinated by Mark Mercer. They will meet every other week and will be discussing Timothy Keller’s book Reason for God, a great tool to learn how to respond to arguments against Christianity. Contact Mark to find the time and place of the next meeting.

The second group, for young adults, will meet each Monday at 7:00 pm in the youth house. The first meeting will be February 1st and we will decide at that meeting what to study.

Pray for this new ministry of the church. Consider if you might want to join – or even start! – one of our groups. I believe these groups will be a great asset to build the lives of our people and to provide an entry point for people not yet a part of Immanuel. Pray and participate and let’s see what God will do!

There is certainly nothing wrong with enjoying television and movies but we must be so careful of what we allow into our minds. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are warned that we need to be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. There is no such thing as harmless entertainment. Everything we see somehow affects how we think and interact with the world around us. We have an enemy who wants to make sure that the things we see cause us to walk in ways displeasing to God. Television provides him a tremendous tool to work unrighteousness into our lives.

Be careful how you walk, for the days are evil. Be careful what you let into your mind, for the devil wants to lead you away from God where he will consume you. Be willing to spend more time in Scripture than you already do – and actually spend more time in Scripture. Let the light of the Word fill your life so that when you walk in the world you will shine with the light of Christ. There is enough darkness in the world as it is, let us carry the light of Christ.

As Christians, we have mixed reactions to such tragedies. On the one hand, we know disasters of this sort are the natural result of life in a fallen world. Each new tragedy reminds us of the effects of sin. But each new tragedy also reminds us of the Redeemer who will some day bring an end to all suffering. Disasters must continue until the return of our Lord and even these tragedies remain under God’s control. I do not think anyone can point fingers and tell us why God brings such things but we can look and learn and be in fear and awe over God’s mighty, sovereign power.

We cannot say why God brings earthquake or tornado, fire or flood, but we can say what God would teach us. Through these disasters he would have us learn compassion, prodding us to pray for the suffering and to help them in any way we can. He would have us be reminded of his sovereign authority, knowing that disasters are not beyond his control. He would remind us that one day suffering will come to all who die without Christ. He would remind us that no one knows how long we have on this earth. Cling to Christ by faith while there is still time, and live for him while breath remains in your lungs.

As Christians living in a Christian culture we are sometimes inclined to consider ourselves faithful when we have gone to church, voted for conservative principles, and placed Christian stickers on our cars. We engage in activities some might call worship but fail to do the work of the Christian life.

In Matthew 23:23 Jesus issued strong words against the Pharisees who were champions of “doing church” while ignoring the actions expected of the people of God: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

As we begin a new year, let us commit to ora et labora, prayer and work, worship and service. We will not be like Pharisees who waved the religious flag while doing nothing to serve God. We will worship and enjoy God while laboring for his kingdom in all that we do.

Christ is not looking for people who will treat him as a point of cultural pride but for followers who will worship him in spirit and in truth. We remember that Jesus is the reason for this and every other season of the year. We sometimes forget the world is filled with lost people who do lost things like push Christ to the side. Christmas serves as a great reminder to us of a Savior who came into the world to seek and save the lost.

I hope we will be careful not to get mad at non-Christians when they act like non-Christians. Let us instead pray for this lost world and let us be so filled with Christ that when we go into the stores and malls and community centers Christ is present not because of banners or whether or not the teller can say, “Merry Christmas,” but because of our presence. Let us share Christ with those who need him – not forcing them to say Merry Christmas but loving and leading them to say, “God have mercy on me, a sinner.” This is what Christmas is all about.

Will you still rejoice if your health fails and you are left unable to take care of yourself? Will you rejoice if economic distress strikes and you must give up your treasures? Will you rejoice if loved ones are called home?

God must fill our vision. He is not one component of our lives, he is life itself. When we learn to delight in him above all other things then we will have a sure and certain foundation when tragedy knocks at the door.

How is it that in Psalm 32:11 David can tell us, Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! He faced more tragedy than any ten men. But God was the center of his vision. He did not find his greatest delight in his treasure or his health or his power and influence or his family. He certainly enjoyed these things. They were gifts to him from God, given to enjoy but not as his chief enjoyment. His chief enjoyment was God. All other gifts were made all the sweeter since David knew who they came from.

Christian, delight in God. Find him to be your chief enjoyment. Let us pray for each other that the things of this world would grow strangely dim as we look on His glory and grace.

There are many things a church might do to keep people connected. Birthday cards served as one way for me to let you know that I care for you and want to know you better. Another way is through my impromptu and scheduled visits. We are slowly working our way through the church roll and I have already enjoyed visits with many of you, but many remain! If you have not yet received a visit from me please feel free to call the church office to schedule a time or just wait for us to contact you. We are moving through the church roll in alphabetical order.

If for any reason you would like to talk with me, my door is open to you. Feel free to drop by the church or schedule a time for me to come see you. Immanuel Baptist Church is a local manifestation of the universal body of Christ. We are to live daily in community with one another and I want to practice what I preach by walking with you each day. So Happy Birthday! And please let me know how I can serve you.

This Advent season, keep your focus on God and his work. As we get caught up in all the frills of Christmas, we too easily forget what Christmas is really about. It is not about material things. It is not about days off from work. It is not even about family and memories. It is about God stepping down from Heaven, taking on flesh, and entering into human history so that we might be right with God. If we really want to make good memories this Christmas and show love to our families we will tell them about the goodness of the Lord and will call them to his love.

Every November we celebrate a national day of thanksgiving. Ideally, this is a day when people give thanks to God for his protection of and provision for us as a nation. In reality, few people bother to show genuine gratitude to God. The tragedy is that even within our churches people are slow to give thanks to God. Our hearts continue to be consumed with what we want and think we need and we overlook all that God has done and continues to do for us.

Let the Thanksgiving season serve as a reminder for a thankful year. Show your gratitude to God by praising him among the nations, making his deeds known among the peoples. If someone rescues you from a burning building, you will make sure others know. Jesus Christ has rescued you from eternal burning, will you let anyone know? Thank God in your prayers. Thank him before others. Thank him by living as he has called you to live.

The Psalmist tells us why these things should be: Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. He is the creator of all. We worship and enjoy the one who made us and has called us to be his people. We are his sheep. His pasture is rich and nourishing, providing comfort and safety and the delightful presence of the good shepherd.

We are to enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! How often are we sour and dour when we gather to praise God? We must use even our emotions to the glory of God, approaching him with joy and gladness. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and praise! Thank the Lord and bless him!

Remember that the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. He will never leave you nor forsake you. His love is steadfast and unending. He will be faithful to all generations of those who are his children. You people of God, make a joyful noise to the Lord!

In the beginning there was nothing but God spoke and there was something. This something was without form and void. The Hebrew for this is tohu vevohu and in slang we might say everything was topsy turvy, upside down, in confusion. Having spoken matter into existence, God did not stop there, leaving it unformed and useless. He then spoke life into the cosmos. He ordered his creation, he formed it into something good and useful and beautiful. And he created children for himself.

When Satan entered the picture he came to undo the work of God. God is the Creator, Satan is the destroyer. God has shaped creation into what he wants it to be, Satan seeks to undo the work of God, plunging everything back into chaos. This is what sin does. It opposes God’s work in creation and tries to plunge the world into blackness.

We have a picture of this in Jeremiah 4:23: I looked on the earth, and behold, it was without form and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light… Sin directly opposes the work of God and its end result is a return to Genesis 1:1 chaos. This is one reason why sin is such serious business. Any sin, every sin, contributes to Satan’s work of destroying God’s created order. So when you are tempted to sin, consider whether you want your actions to undo Genesis 1.

As we look back on the glory days of Immanuel we know we are not what we once were. We become tempted to think of our work having the goal of restoring those days. But we must always be motivated with the things of God. The church that exists for itself is not a church. The church that looks at people as commodities to expand the financial base is not a God-honoring church and in the end the world will see through this shallow motivation.

In our consumer culture people are looking for the best bargain and companies are looking for the best way to lure people in for the good of the company. May we be a church that loves people not so much because they can do good for us but because God loves people and we love God and we love to see people come to God.

But as the seasons change, life changes as well, and often the changes are not for the better. Family struggles, tragedy, disaster, these all show up from time to time to disrupt our lives. Even age takes a toll, bringing a change to our bodies that most people would just as soon avoid.

In the midst of all this change we remember two promises from God. One is in Malachi 3:6: For I the Lord do not change, repeated for Jesus in Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Christians are built on a rock that does not move. Though the earth tremble and shake and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea we do not despair for the Lord our God is ever with us.

The second promise we remember is in Lamentations 3:22-23. In the midst of the greatest violence ever faced by the Israelites, God offers these words of comfort: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. His love never ceases, his mercies never end – but they also never grow dull. Every morning they are renewed and fresh and vibrant and comforting and life-giving. In the midst of the changing seasons of your life, take comfort in the steadfast love and mercy of the Lord.

King Hoshea paid tribute to the Assyrians to pacify them while also negotiating with the Egyptians, working to convince them to bring up their army against the Assyrians. When the Assyrian king learned of this plot he invaded Israel and carried the people into exile.

King Hoshea’s actions were carried out against the command of God. In Isaiah 31:1 God speaks through the prophet, Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!

In Psalm 146:3 we receive another reminder not to put our hope for deliverance in men: Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. Then in verse 5: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

Christian, put your trust in God for all things. We must live in the world until God calls us home but our hope is not in the world and its ways, our hope is in the God if Jacob, the holy one of Israel, the Lord our Savior and Redeemer, our good shepherd, our creator, our provider, our sustainer. Oh people of God, put your trust in the Lord!

So wrote Joseph Scriven in 1855. Is Jesus less of a friend to his people today? And yet we still neglect times of prayer with him. Are we better than our Lord who regularly withdrew from his followers to spend time in prayer to his Father? Are we better than Paul who gives us many examples of prayers lifted up to God?

Make sure that your prayers are not just focused on your needs. First and foremost prayer is a time of praise and adoration, crying out with gratitude to God for his majesty and mercy and steadfast love. Prayer is also a time to make our personal concerns know – seeking wisdom for our struggles or relief from our trials. But it is also the time to lift up other believers. It is telling that out of all the examples of prayer in Scripture, only a handful ever involve personal petitions. Jesus prayed for his disciples. They did lift up personal petitions, asking for the end of strife or deliverance from suffering, but these examples were the exception.

Christian, pray! Pray in humility. Pray faithfully and regularly. Adore God in your prayers. Lift up your struggles to him. And intercede for your brothers and sisters in the faith.

Live life for God. We were created for him and all that we are belongs to him. All things should all be done in service to him. This is what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Sipping water from a fountain, do it for God’s glory. Eating a Snickers candy bar, do it for God’s glory. Enjoying a feast with your family, do it for God’s glory. Reading the newspaper, do it for God’s glory. Driving to work, do it for God’s glory. Talking with a friend, do it for God’s glory. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

This is a great deterrent against sin for there is no way to sin for God’s glory. Without a constant focus on God, the snares of the devil are easy to overlook. Sin lurks around every corner and we may not even know we have fallen until after the trap is clamped around us. When you focus your life such that all things are done for God, the dangers are much easier to spot. This world is a theater and God’s glory is on display through your life. Live life well, live it for the glory of God.

All of the conference sessions were recorded with the audio and video available for free at http://www.theaterofgod.com/ If enough people are interested, I would like to show the videos at Immanuel at special times (Saturday afternoon? Monday morning? etc) over the next few weeks. Just let me know or contact the church office.

Christian, be not dismayed! Your God lives and in the end he will stand upon the earth! He is already victorious over all things. All around us the battle seems to press hard but the last chapter is already written. Jesus’ cry from the cross is his cry of victory: It is finished!

Do not despair when the days are hard and the nights are empty. Do not despair when wickedness seems to thrive and evil men to prosper. Instead rejoice that you have received the salvation of your God! You are a pilgrim headed to the home prepared for you by Jesus himself. Remember the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Events of this week triggered a nightmare in which I dreamed the death of one of my children. In the dream I felt a crushing weight of despair that stayed with me the rest of the day. Thinking it through later I concluded that God gave me a glimpse of the grief of those who have no hope in the Lord. For them death is a deathly cold, quiet, dark room filled with crushing despair that overwhelms all other senses or experiences.

This is not the experience for God’s people. With Christ the pain of separation will continue to be real. Grief will be present in crushing waves but mingled with that is the shining sun of God’s glory and the blessed hope of the empty tomb. Death is not the end! The chains of the grave have been broken! Jesus Christ is the victor!

How urgent, then, for us to share with others this hope of resurrection. All people will live on but our experiences beyond the grave will not be the same. The possibilities before us are an eternity spent in the joy of the love and fellowship of God or eternity under his just wrath and judgment. Share with someone today the hope of Christ, the mercy of forgiveness, and the glory of the resurrection.

Hallelujah! The song sends electric shocks up and down my spine as I am reminded of the overwhelming mercy of God and his infinite goodness toward us. Every person on this planet deserves the eternal condemnation of the just and righteous God. No one deserves anything good. No one deserves mercy and grace. It is astounding that God would send his Son to die for rebels such as we but that is exactly what he did. Does this move you to praise and pray and rejoice and spread his name wherever you go? I hope the motivation of your life is the love of Christ, his delight in us, and your delight in him.

What we do this coming Sunday is celebration. It is a recognition of God’s glorious work in the last 109 years of our history. Our history is what it is because of the strength of God’s hand at work through us. As I wrote last week, his work continues. He is still active and he is still raising up people to faithfully follow and serve him.

Many of those servants are raised up to go on the mission field, serving in places with names like Puntarenas, Shinyanga, Kalanga, Taipei, and Panama City. The fruit of their work demonstrates the ongoing work of God to bring people to himself from around the world. But these workers need support and this year the International Mission Board has not received enough money to send all those ready to go to the mission field.

As part of our celebration of God’s work we will be taking up a special offering to support the International Mission Board. Many of you already give generously to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions but we want to take another opportunity to support the work of these missionaries. Please consider making a contribution to this special offering in addition to your regular offering.

Looking over the early minutes, the church has experienced many good times and many tough times. Many pastors stayed less than a year. Funds were often low. In 1929 the church stopped using a bank since a 50 cent fee was imposed on all accounts less than $50.00. At times only the actions of the WMU provided money to pay the pastor. Christian conduct was taken seriously and the minutes show many times when people were removed from the church for heresy or immoral conduct. In 1939 the church celebrated G. C. Williams for serving 3 years and 2 months, longer than any previous pastor. Then in 1942 Rev. Adolph Bedsole was called. He served until the end of 1978.

In our 109 years we have been through great growth and great decline. Through it all God has been faithful to us. In recent years we have seen numbers move downward. This is discouraging but it is also a reminder about how much remains to be done. There are more lost people in America than ever before. As we celebrate God’s work through Immanuel over the last 109 years let us also commit again to be active in the ongoing work of making disciples. This means helping believers grow in their knowledge of and service to the Lord and it means spreading the gospel in a lost and dying world. God’s work in the world continues. Let’s be a part of it.

J. I. Packer has said, “If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all. For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new, and better than the Old, everything that is distinctively Christian as opposed to merely Jewish, is summed up in the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God. ‘Father’ is the Christian name for God. … Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.”

How does being God’s child motivate your obedience? Is obedience a joyful experience of pleasing your Father or is it a burdensome trial, fulfilling Christian duty? You are God’s child, held in the love of your Father, love that will not let you go. Let this fact stir your heart to love and wonder and adoration and devotion and obedience and make it your goal to introduce the world to your Father.

By the grace of God we received mercy. Some of our members were still at their cars and saw what happened. None of them had cell phones but a neighbor was standing on his porch talking on his cell phone. They asked him to call 911. A few minutes later the fire department arrived and put out the small fire before it could do any damage. Soon after, Gulf Power was there and turned off power to the line. Monday morning they came back and fixed everything and we are in good shape.

Things could have easily gone differently. We have been protected by God’s grace. But God does not always protect us from the physical, emotional, or spiritual trials of life. Moments like the one we had Sunday serve to remind us that God is faithful. When we do face the fires of adversity we remember how he has been faithful to us before and we know he will not abandon us now. The trials we face are for his glory and for our good and he will see us through the storm to the dawn on the other side.

If God can change a life through a short event like VBS just think of what he does through the continuing relationships we have with those around us. God has blessed us with friends, neighbors, family members, even enemies! with whom we can share the love of Christ. We usually see or talk with these people for more than just a few hours a week. What witness comes from your life or your mouth? What does your behavior say about the God you serve? How do your words proclaim the glory of the Lord?

In Ephesians 5:15-17 Paul tells us, Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. We live in evil days but someday those days will come to an end and the Lord Jesus will return as a conquering king. Are you making the best use of the time now available? God can use a week-long VBS, he can also use a lifetime. Give it to him.

A missionary mindset is found in people who deeply love God and delight in him and want to share that delight with others. When your desire is to help people move from the darkness into the light, showing them the hope and satisfaction and joy and mercy and forgiveness and love of Jesus Christ, you are taking on the mind of a missionary.

Too often we compartmentalize our lives. “Well, now it’s time for me to think like a cook, or like a driver, or like a parent or grandparent, or like a Christian.” For the Christian, all of life should be about service to God. That means having an ongoing commitment to do and desire what God calls us to do and desire, including a desire to spread the gospel to all people.

You do not have to go away to exercise a missionary mindset. Most missions is best done at home as faithful believers share the gospel among their friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and strangers on the street. Ask God to grow in you a missionary mindset wherever you go, whatever you do.

Please consider participating. With your help we will have someone praying for our churches and for revival every hour of every day throughout the month of August. The sign-up sheet will be on the bulletin board in the fellowship hall. You do not have to come to the church to pray, though you are welcome to do so if the church is open. More information will be provided as we get closer to our date.

As Christians prayer is one of our great responsibilities and great privileges. We feel significant when we have the ear of leaders and politicians for five minutes and yet we somehow downplay the vastly superior privilege of having the ear of the one who created everything.

Whether or not you participate in this day of prayer, be a person of prayer. Seek the Lord daily. Lift up your voice to him. Intercede for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for me and others who minister in the church. Let’s be a people with holy hands lifted in prayer to the Lord our God.

As Christians there is a greater independence day we need to celebrate. We also recognize this day once a year but we should celebrate it every day. It is the freedom we have as believers through the work of Jesus Christ. It is the work of Jesus that gives us true liberty, his death, burial, and resurrection.

Freedoms on earth can be taken away. Tyrants come and go. Laws change. Nations become more repressive or more free. Governments change. But the liberty we have in Christ will never change. Because of the work of Jesus we do not have to try to earn our salvation. Because of his work we are forgiven. Because of him we have everlasting life with God, the greatest treasure we could seek. If you put your hope and trust in a nation you will be disappointed. Put it in God, you will never be let down.

As you celebrate this nation’s birth and the liberty we enjoy, be sure to remember the One who blesses us and gives us the greatest kind of liberty.

To guide our selection of memory verses I will be following The Gideon Scripture Memory Course (Thanks Bob!). In our weekly newsletter we will provide the Bible reference along with the passage from the English Standard Version. Feel free to use any translation you favor. Some will want to use the ESV, some the KJV, some the NIV, some something else. Use what you are comfortable with.

Read the Bible. Study the Bible. Know the Bible. Let’s grow together in God’s Word.

Jesus gave a similar example. When he was tempted in the wilderness he did not have scripture with him, nor did he have a concordance or a Bible program to quickly look up clever texts to use against the Devil. What he had was a mind that delighted to know the words of his Father. He knew Scripture and used Scripture against the Devil.

There is something amazing about this. Scripture is the word of God, but even God the Son thought it necessary to know and use the Bible. We are his servants. Is the servant greater than the master? Like Jesus, we need to memorize and use the Bible.

Next week we will have a new addition to the newsletter. Each week we will print a small passage that we will memorize together as a church. Many of you have been following our Scripture reading plan, now we will be able to memorize together as well! I recommend that everyone participating find someone to help with accountability. Men, find a man you can call every Friday and quiz him and let him quiz you. Women, find another lady in the church and hold each other accountable. Let’s help one another grow in our knowledge of Scripture.