Down to the wire ...

"Here is my annual post for the New Year, with some slight modifications to make it more timely." - Mark

New Year's resolutions have become a part of my life and a regular year-end activity with several people that I know. And the breaking of these resolutions have become a tradition with all of us. It is always nice to think that with the next year we are going to lose that 20 or more pounds that we need to lose, that we are going to save money, or that we are going to just change our attitudes. Unfortunately, the flesh is weak and before we know it, we are right back to where we were.

This year, I have decided to take a biblical approach to this, and with God's help I believe that we can be what God would have us to be. For the next year I resolve to:

1. Not be judgmental of others: "Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way" - Romans 14:13

2. Pray for those that persecute me or cause me trouble: "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you." - Luke 6:27

3. Tithe so that I can bless others, and so that God can bless me: "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,"Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." - Malachi 3:10

4. Not become consumed with money and possessions: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Luke 12:34

5. Give and be generous to those in need: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” - Luke 6:38

6. Read my Bible: "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." - Romans 10:17

7. Take better care of my body: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

8. Share the love of God with those around me that need to hear: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." - Romans 1:16

9. Spend time with God in prayer on a daily basis: "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;" - Collosians 4:2

10. Endure the trials that come upon me knowing that God is enriching my life: "For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;" - Hebrews 6:7

In closing let me just say that my primary goal for 2007 is draw closer to God. I have learned that there is no better place to be. When I am with Him, all of my problems just fade away. When things start to get bad, our faith slips, and our resolutions to be better Christians start to fade away, we have to remember that God is preparing us for our place in his Kingdom. 1 Kings 6:7 says,

"In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site...".

Through our sufferings, we are honed and shaped to better serve Him when we get home.

And as we rapidly approach the rapture, I can't wait!

Have a BLESSED NEW YEAR!

A new appreciation for the Christmas story

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them." - Luke 2:1-20

I have always believed that the most beautiful story in the world is the story of Christ's birth as told in the King James version of the Bible. The language used to describe this blessed night make this one of the most memorable events of the Bible; even for non-believers. I find it both saddening and frustrating that there is such a negative feeling toward this story today. The wonderful gift of God in the birth of His only Son is so beautiful and incredible to me.

Most people tend to focus on the Baby Jesus and the three wise men when speaking of this story, but I have a new found respect for the much too overlooked shepherds. I find it to be very enlightening that an Angel came to the shepherds to announce the birth of Christ to the world. In those days, shepherds were viewed in much the same manner that the homeless are viewed by our society today. To the Egyptians, shepherds were an abomination (Genesis 46:43). The Shepherds weren't like the ones that you see in these Christmas plays; dressed in fine linens, with a turban on their head, and $50 sandals on their feet. In reality they were dirty, dressed in the same old wraps that they had worn for ages, possibly even barefoot, sitting on the ground, watching over sheep on a cold night, hoping that yet another sheep would not be taken by wolves or some other animal. I think that it is important that we try to look into God's reasoning behind telling the most important news ever told to a couple of lowly shepherds.

They, no doubt, lived a very meager existence and basically survived the best way that they could. Think about the condition of their hearts that would allow them to be the first to hear of the Saviour's birth. With their lives, in all it's simplicity, being void of material goods, you could believe that they had many times thought of their hopeless state and wished on those cold nights that things were different, but I believe that they humbly accepted their purpose in the world; watching over and protecting their sheep. I can imagine them sitting in the grass praying to God with all humility for yet another night of safety for themselves and their flocks. To them, it was just another cold night in the field.

Can you imagine how they felt when, while sitting quietly in a field in the dead of night, suddenly "the glory of the Lord" surrounds them in it's light? The Bible states that they were "sore afraid", or terrified. I have no doubt that they were quite shaken by this sudden appearance of an Angel of God. It was an event that would forever change their perception of their lives and what eternity held.

After the Angel announced the birth of Christ, the bible says that there was "a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God". The Amplified Bible calls them "an army of the troops of heaven (a heavenly knighthood)". I can only guess exactly what the Shepherds looked up and saw with their tired, earthly eyes, But what a wonderful thing it would have been to look up and behold countless Angels all singing praises to God!

The Shepherds then went and found the one who was born to die, a precious little lamb wrapped in fabric, peacefully sleeping in a feeding trough. That night, two thousand years ago, hopelessness found hope.

As I was driving along in Atlanta the other day, prayerfully considering what I was going to write today, "Come let us adore him" came on the radio and I began to sing softly. As I began into an interchange, the Lord reminded me of the Shepherds. He spoke to my heart, reminding me that the Angels didn't go to a Prince, a King or Queen, or the deeply religious to announce the birth of His Son, but to a couple of shepherds; dirty, plain, and without ... And that they were to see the Baby Jesus before anyone else.

As I rounded a curve to get onto the interstate, the Lord led me to look off to the left. Under a bridge, covered in dirty blankets was a couple of homeless men, lying on the ground and trying to stay warm in the cold morning air ... reminding me of the shephards that God spoke to that night so long ago.

And as I turned back to face the road, the Spirit of God enveloped my heart and opened it. With tears pouring from my eyes, the real meaning of Christmas came into focus as I humbly and tearfully asked God to forgive me for not being thankful for what I have and for what He has done for me. Christ is the greatest gift ever given and nothing we have can ever repay His sacrifice.

Christmas isn't about the gifts we give or receive, the food we eat, or the Christmas tree. It isn't about where we live, the clothes we wear, or the money we spend. The greatest gift that we will ever receive is eternity through God's gift of Jesus Christ, his only Son. And it is up to us to share that Gift with those that need it ... To bring hope to the hopeless. There is a whole world out there that needs it.

God bless you and Merry Christmas.

In the company of an Angel ... reflections one year later.

"Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes." - Luke 12:23 (NIV)

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." - Phillipians 1:21 (NKJV)

The other day as I listened to a Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir CD as they sang "In The Presence of Jehovah", it occurred to me that it has been almost one year since Ms. Kay was killed in a car accident. As the song played and the tears poured from my eyes, I remembered that song as the one our Choir sang that morning. I recall looking over at her that morning and seeing her lifting her hands in praise as we sang. Little did I know that would be the last time that I would get to stand next to her on this side of Heaven. And what a wonderful memory to have of her.

That Sunday morning, my intentions were to leave the Choir for the Christmas holidays. I wanted to take some time to think about resigning. I had discussed it with Kay and she had told me to pray about it and to make sure that God was leading me to do it. She told me repeatedly that she just didn't believe that I was supposed to leave the Choir, and that she didn't want me to quit.

After giving a hug to Ms. Kay that morning in the Choir room after our performance and telling her goodbye, I went out to the Church Cafe' to finish my duties out there and to go home. As I cleaned up the area and straightened the tables, a little boy of around nine years old appeared over along the fencing. He was someone that I had never seen before. His demeanor was filled with humility and innocence.

As I noticed him, he asked me where the restroom was and if I would watch his Bible and the dollar bill that he brought for tithing. I told him to go ahead, and to put them on the table and I would be glad to watch them. When he walked around the corner, I noticed his little white Gideons Bible that someone had given him and the crumpled dollar bill that he had grasped so tightly.

After a minute or two he reappeared from around the corner and began to speak.

"You're in the Choir aren't you?" he asked.

"Yes I am."

"I want to be in the Choir someday. You wanna hear me sing?"

"Sure," I said as I put down my towel and went over to him. As he started to sing, out of his mouth came a pure, sweet, angelic voice singing "Jesus loves me". As he sang, emotion swelled into my throat at the purity of what I was hearing. I was so taken by this event that I didn't know what to say at first. When he finished he asked me if I thought he could sing. All that I could manage to say was "yeah ... You sing really good."

"You sing it," he said, "so that I can hear you sing."

"Alright" was my reply as my tired voice stumbled through the song with a version that paled in comparison to the sweetness of his.

"That was real good," he said while looking directly at me, "You sing real good. No wonder you're in the Choir. I wish that I could sing like that."

With that, he looked directly at me, smiled, and told me "bye" and that he was going into the sanctuary to sit down with his family. He began to walk toward the far set of doors as I turned to pick up my towel to finish. As I turned back to watch him walk in, he was gone and I haven't seen him again. That morning, as I stood there and God taught me yet another lesson, Kay was spending her last moments on this side of Heaven.

Since that day, I haven't really discussed what happened. Up to this point, I have only told a couple of people. The truth is that I don't always understand why things happen as they do, and I am sure that there is a much deeper meaning in it than I have yet discovered. The one thing that became crystal clear to me, though, was that my place in the Choir was more than a choice ... it was a calling. And I knew that God wanted me there … regardless of how I feel or where I sit.

I am sure that as time goes along I will get clarity in God's intentions that morning, in understanding a song from a humble and innocent child, and in God's decision to take away my best friend that same morning.

It has been a long year and Kay's memory has stuck with me. There is never a day when I don't think of her. I miss her just as much today as I did the day she left. It was her determination to keep me in the Choir that continues to keep me there today. And as we sing some of her favorites, I long to have her standing there beside me, praying for me, laughing with me, and giving me the courage to continue to stand up on Sunday Mornings and sing to a God that doesn't hear the imperfections in my vocal chords, but the praise that comes from my heart.

And there is truly so much praise inside of me for the Lord and his gift in sharing an Angel named Kay with me.

Somewhere far away, Kay is part of Heavenly Choir that is forever singing the praises of our wonderful Savior. And I just know that when I get there, she will be saving the seat beside her just for me.

My journey continues ...

"While I work on my new article, here is a repost, by request, from October 2004" - Mark

"Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. - James 4:14 (NKJV)

"You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Selah." - Psalm 39:5 (NIV)

Dwayne was a friend of mine long before I became a Christian. We went to school together and were friends. Within 6 years of our graduation from High School, he was dead. He died from AIDS long before a lot of us even knew what it was. He was gay, and a drug user. He became infected with the HIV virus through sharing a dirty needle. His lifestyle and choices lead him to his grave long before he should have been there. His death came as a shock to me when it happened. I felt a lot of sorrow deep inside of me as I came to terms with his death. At the time, I was still exploring my own life and destiny and could not grip what it all meant.

Life is so short. It is hard to believe that it has been that long since he died. It is also hard to believe that I turned 40 this year. I thank God everyday that I was able to make it this far. Over the years, before I became a Christian, I saw a lot of my friends die from AIDS. Many of them died believing the lie that there was either nothing after death or that to just be associated with the idea of God was enough. The hardest thing that I live with these days is the knowledge that a lot of my friends died without knowing Christ as their Saviour. I wish that I could go back in time and fix it, but it is much too late. Of course, I would like to think that shortly before some of them took their last breath that they gave their hearts to Christ. That is my prayer.

Today as I came back from a short road trip with my job, I stopped by the cemetary to visit Dwayne's grave. I have visited it several times over the years, but this was the first time that I had been there as a Christian. As I stood there at the grave, I spoke to him ... somehow wishing that he could hear me. "Dwayne," I said, "We were all wrong ... all of us. We lived our lives without any forethought as to the consequences of our actions and without any thought of God. Luckily, The Lord lead me through and I am still here. But you're not ...... I miss you and I wish that you were here." I stood, staring for a moment. "Dwayne," I said, "I'm not coming back here anymore to visit you. It's time to move on in my life and leave all of this behind me once and for all. Your grave is a reminder of another time and place, before I gave my life to Christ and He changed me. I just hope that when I get to Heaven that I find out that in the fleeting moments of your life, you gave your life to Christ. I hope I see you there." With one last look, I got back in my car and left. It was time to go.

Life is really short. I can't change the lives that are gone, but I can be here to tell others what Christ has done for me. He altered my existence and rescued me from a life of misery and alcohol. Words cannot fully express the difference that He has made in my life. I love Christ with all of my heart and could not ever repay what he has done for me. As for death, I am not afraid of it. I want nothing more than to spend eternity with Him, but there is too much to do here ... too many people that are where I was that need to hear about God's amazing power and love.

My journey continues.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you.