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As a child, the day after Christmas was always the saddest day of the year for me. It seemed that a year filled with anticipation had ended almost as soon as it started. It wouldn’t be long before all the decorations would be put away and I would be back at school . . . counting down the days until next Christmas!

Today, I am a whole lot older and a little bit wiser. I’ve learned that Christmas is more than a single day to look forward to each year. Instead of living each day looking forward to that day, I live in the spirit of that day looking forward to each day. I live in the light of the truth Mary knew months before that first Christmas day:

Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” (Luke 1:46-55)

The Magnificat—or the Song of Mary, as it has also been called—should be the confession of all our lives. Mary sang the praises of her God because she knew who He was and what He had done for her. The eyes of her heart were fixed on her God and not on her circumstances.

You will remember Mary was not yet married to Joseph and was yet going to be with child. To be unwed and pregnant was not a good combination in that day. Mary would face shame and bitter accusation from all those she knew. Even Joseph wanted to remove her from his life. Total rejection was on the horizon for Mary, yet her response was to sing praises to her God.

So what does all this have to do with the day after Christmas? Everything! Mary kept her focus on the Giver of all her gifts, and that allowed her to rise above the challenges of daily living. When we do as she did—when we fix the eyes of our hearts on Jesus—we too can rise above the challenges of daily living and no longer be affected by the circumstances of life.

It really comes down to focus: what are we focused on? As a child, I was focused on Christmas day, not the Christ of Christmas. The event had me focused on the gifts I would be getting; the Emmanuel now has me focused on the Giver of every gift I have been given.

Regardless of where this finds you today, the key to joyful living is not only to keep Christ in Christmas, but in every day of the year. When He sits upon the throne of our lives, we begin living for something bigger than ourselves. Life becomes about the Savior rather than the self. Make no mistake, I still joyfully celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ on December 25, but now I experience the joy and power of His life, death, and resurrection every day of the year.

Now what? The “what” is one word: Jesus!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

We are just two days away from celebrating of the birth of our blessed Redeemer. During this final week before Christmas, we’ve been looking at the prophetic utterances contained in Isaiah 9:6, which presents three of the many promises that Christmas has kept. On Monday we looked at our first promise: a child who would be born and a Son given. On Wednesday we saw how the government will be upon His omnipotent shoulders. Today, in our final installment, let’s discover the promise in His names.

Promise #3

He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

He will be called Wonderful Counselor

We all know what a “counselor” is and does. Here we see the ultimate Counselor, who was Truth incarnate. Even His enemies continually testified to the power in His counsel. The temple guards who had been sent to apprehend Jesus admitted, “No one ever spoke the way this man does” (John 7:46). Even the spies who had been tasked with trapping Jesus with His own words fell silent when He commanded, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Luke 20:25). Jesus is the cosmic Counselor who always speaks the truth and nothing but the truth, shining the light of truth into a world filled with darkness.

He will be called Mighty God

The gospel of John opens with these words: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus is the Mighty God who was “in the beginning” God and will forever be! He is “the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God” (1 Timothy 1:17). Jesus not only gives us eternal truth through His wonderful counsel, He also provides us with the ability to live it out. Jesus is the Mighty God who is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25). He will strengthen His people and protect them from the Evil One.

He will be called Everlasting Father

Here we see the promise of eternal care, because Jesus is our Everlasting Father. Jesus is the eternal, timeless, self-existent One; “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). From eternity past to eternity future, all those who, by grace through faith, place their trust in Jesus Christ have been in the care of our Everlasting Father. He has loved us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). Never was there a time when we were not loved or cared for!

He will be called Prince of Peace

Make no mistake, peace is not just the absence of war. True peace is the presence of Jesus Christ, our Prince of Peace. The promise of His coming government will be one of absolute peace and justice. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, our world has been marked by turmoil and trouble, wars and rumors of wars. But when Jesus returns to consummate His kingdom, we will experience the peace that passes all understanding. On the night of His birth, a multitude of the heavenly host proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14).

It is my prayer that these precious promises we have unwrapped this week will both encourage and strengthen you throughout this Christmas season, regardless of where this finds you . . . whether this is a season of great joy or great sorrow. Remember, God never breaks His promises, and that means you can take Him at His Word. Let these and countless other promises rekindle in you a Christmas joy unlike anything you have ever experienced in the past.

May you and all those you love have a very merry Christmas!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

We’re in the middle of a series that eagerly anticipates the celebration of the birth of our blessed Redeemer. We’re looking at just three of the many promises Christmas has kept, all three of which are contained in just one verse of sacred Scripture. On Monday we looked at our first promise: a child who would be born and a Son given. Today I want to encourage you with the next promise . . .

Promise #2

. . . And the government will be on his shoulders. (Isaiah 9:6)

Here we find one of those “already” and “not yet” aspects of the kingdom of God. In His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, our Lord Jesus Christ has ushered in the kingdom of God. Sin, Satan, and death have been defeated. But, as has been well said, the old dragon has been slain, but his tail still swishes! The victory has certainly been won, but it has not yet been fully realized and consummated. That will not happen until Jesus returns as the King of kings and Lord of lords, and then every government will rest upon His shoulders.

There is a time coming when Jesus will reign over a literal, earthly kingdom from sea to shining sea. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; all governments will submit and surrender to His Lordship. And of His rule and reign there shall be no end!

In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. (Daniel 2:44)

The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. (Zechariah 14:9)

Remember, unlike every kingdom of this world that uses force to establish its rule and reign, the kingdom of Christ is built upon faith. To catch a glimpse of just how different His kingdom is from every other kingdom in this world, we need look no further than the incredible names that follow this promise. And we will do just that on Friday.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

This week, as we look forward to celebrating the birth of our blessed Savior, I would like to encourage you with just three of the many promises that Christmas has kept. I’m confident that these three promises—all three found in one verse from Isaiah’s majestic prophecy—will encourage you and strengthen your walk with Christ.

Promise #1

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given . . . (Isaiah 9:6)

Way back in the third chapter of Genesis, God made a promise to send a Savior into this world who will ultimately crush the head of the serpent and redeem His people from sin and death. But this Savior would be a very special Child born . . . and a Son given!

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed. (Genesis 3:15)

You see, in that promise God made, the Redeemer would come from the “seed” of the woman and not the seed of the man. It would be a supernatural conception, accomplished by the power of the Most High God, and that conception would fulfill our first promise of this week. Even though He was conceived by the Spirit of God, Jesus was a child born just like any other—as a helpless infant, who needed the loving care and protection of His parents.

But Jesus was so much more than just a babe born in a manger! Jesus was fully man. He was the fulfillment of every man in the Old Testament who pointed to the perfect Man. Jesus is the last Adam, the better Moses, the greater David; He is the Prophet who makes God known, the Great High Priest, the King of kings!

But, as Isaiah wrote, this Child born was also a Son given. Jesus was fully man, yes, but He is also fully God, and as God’s only begotten Son, He was not “born.” He was given, as the second person of the eternal Trinity, to complete God’s perfect plan for the redemption of the world. This Son given was with the Father and the Holy Spirit from eternity past. He is the great “I Am,” who is dependent on no one or nothing for His existence. He had no beginning and He will have no end. He is eternally co-equal in the God-head. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. He is Lord!

It is my heartfelt prayer that, as Christmas Day draws near, this promise will encourage you to praise God for such an indescribable gift . . . a child born and a Son given . . . Immanuel – “God with us.”

Look for our second promise on Wednesday.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Oh, what a word of encouragement I have for you today! It is found in the answer to this question: “If you are out in a field or valley, far away from a water supply, how do you get water without rain?” The answer is found in the Old Testament:

This is what the Lord says: “I will fill this valley with pools of water. For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord.” (2 Kings 3:16-17)

Second Kings recounts the dire circumstances confronting three armies that were suffering from severe thirst, with no relief in sight, until the Lord God Omnipotent intervened. Without sending any wind or rain, God supplied all the water that was needed by both man and beast.

Mark this well, beloved: our God is not dependent upon ordinary means to meet extraordinary needs. Our God is in the business of meeting every need of His people. But He meets those needs in His way and in His timing, and He is never dependent upon the natural way by which we would expect those needs to be met.

Here is another way to look at this truth and be encouraged. We are never to look at what would be called secondary causes—rain for water—because behind the rain is the Righteous Rainmaker of the Universe. Our God needs no means to meet our needs. He simply wills what we need into existence whenever He sees fit. To be sure, God is pleased to use ordinary means to meet our needs, and frequently this is the way He does it. But when supernatural pathways are in His plans, we are called to look beyond the secondary causes and see the First and Faithful Cause: the sovereign Creator of the universe.

If our God can bring us water without rain, He can bring healing without medicine and doctors. To be sure, God uses the most advanced medical treatments available to man. But there are times when medicine falls short but our God brings the cure. The doctors are bewildered, but the believer is strengthened in belief, seeing the truth of Scripture born out: with God all things are possible! Our God is not confined to answering our prayers in the way we expect it or in the way He has done in the past. He will always meet us in our place of deepest need, but it will always be in His way . . . and often that will be an unexpected way!

We can all think back to times of prayers that were not answered in the ways we expected. Water quenched our thirst, yet there was no rain. A financial obligation was met, yet there was no money. Healing was achieved, yet there was no medical pathway to recovery. Wherever there is lack in your life right now, know this: your loving heavenly Father can bring you abundance in unexpected ways. God is not dependent upon anyone or anything to accomplish His purposes in your life. Look to Him and Him alone, and you will soon be standing knee-deep in streams of water . . . with no rain in sight!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Did you know that this is exactly where our Lord Jesus Christ was on the night He was betrayed . . . between two rocks? Let me explain; and I pray you will be greatly encouraged by this truth today.

When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was taken first to Annas, the previous high priest, and then to his son-in-law Caiaphas, the current high priest. The Jewish historian Josephus recorded that the name Caiaphas literally means “rock.” While these illegal trials were going on, Peter, who was called Cephas (which also means “rock”) was out in the courtyard denying that he even knew His Lord. So, in a sense, on the night Jesus was betrayed, He put Himself between two rocks: Peter the rock, and Caiaphas the rock. One rock was in the courtroom accusing Him and the other was in the courtyard denying Him.

But there was a huge difference between these two “rocks” . . . a difference with eternal ramifications.

Peter replied, “I don’t know him!’ Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord has spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:60-62)

The Lord Jesus Christ gave Peter one look after he had denied Him three times, and Peter was immediately seized with guilt and remorse. He wept tears of repentance that were rooted in a godly sorrow. This rock was softened by the grace of God. Peter had denied Jesus three times, and his hard heart grew harder and with each denial . . .  until that fateful moment when the rooster crowed and Jesus looked straight at him—not with condemnation, but with love and forgiveness. Jesus had already told Peter that he would deny Him, but He also told Peter that He had prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail. And so Peter was restored to a right relationship with his Redeemer. That restoration was confirmed in the remarkable exchange between Peter and our Lord that is recorded in the final chapter of John’s gospel.

Caiaphas, on the other hand, spent the night overseeing the wicked religious trials of Jesus, trials that were utterly inconsistent with Jewish law. Jesus undoubtedly looked at Caiaphas several times throughout that long night, but the high priest’s cold heart remained rock hard. Caiaphas had no room in his heart for Jesus; he wanted nothing to do with the true High Priest, who had been sent from above to take away the sins of the world. Why? Because Caiaphas refused to see himself as Peter saw himself . . . as a sinner in need of a Savior. Peter knew himself to be a sinner; Caiaphas imagined himself to be a sinless religious leader of God’s people.

By nature, our hearts are all rock hard and alienated from God. Our hearts beat for ourselves. But one look from our Lord Jesus Christ can change all that . . . if we see ourselves as sinners in need of a Savior. Caiaphas did not see himself as being like everyone else—a sinner. Peter could not imagine himself as anything but a sinner in need of the Savior who would forgive him for what he had done.

What a Savior we have in Jesus! One look from Him can change a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. May that be the confession of all our lives.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The world would have us believe that all roads lead to heaven. The world often paints a picture of a mountain with God sitting at the peak and countless pathways up the mountain to climb  up to the presence of God. This thinking has even infected the church; one stunning survey recently conducted by LifeWay Research found that a full sixty percent of self-proclaimed “evangelical Christians” agreed with the statement that “Everyone eventually goes to heaven.”

Such beliefs are simply not true, as Jesus Himself makes perfectly clear:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Now, that is an exclusive truth claim! No one comes to God the Father except through faith in His beloved Son. Unbelievers frequently criticize the Christian faith for not being “inclusive,” but it is an undeniable fact that every religion makes exclusive truth claims. Each religious worldview presents its own way to get to heaven (the afterlife, eternal life, etc.) and into the presence of God.

Now, every religious world view can in fact be false . . . but they cannot all be true. If Jesus is who He says He is, then we must take Him at His word and believe there in only one way to eternal life and into the presence of the Creator of the universe.

Here are a few truths to glean from John 14:6. First, we cannot work our way into God’s presence. It is by God’s grace that we are saved, not by our good works; we are saved on the basis of God’s mercy, not our merit. Jesus is the Way. Next, we see that Jesus is the Truth, which tells us there is indeed a category called truth. Truth is not relative and everything is not true. If Christianity as a religious world view is true, then every other religious world view must be false. Finally, Jesus is the Life. Jesus gives us life and is our life, both every day and eternally. Jesus is the Life.

Paul gave us great insight into this remarkable truth.

There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)

When Adam and Eve turned away from God, the way to God was broken and barred. Adam and Eve were banished from the presence of God and sent out of the Garden to live east of Eden. Only through our Lord Jesus Christ is that way open to us again. Through His sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection, Jesus made a way for us to reconnect with God. As our Mediator, Jesus exercises a three-fold office: the Prophet who proclaims to us the truths of the Gospel; the Priest who offers Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sin; and the King who saves us from the dominion of sin, Satan, and death.

Let this word encourage you and challenge you today: there is only one way to eternal life, and that way is the Lord Jesus Christ. Is He your way? Have you transferred your trust from yourself to Jesus as the Only Way? If you have accepted this is your truth, by grace through faith, then rejoice today that your Jesus is the One Way . . . the Only Way.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

You may be wondering, “What is enough?” “What is the ‘it’ of ‘It is enough’”? We find the answer in the following verse.

The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. (Matthew 10:24-25)

Jesus tells us that it is enough for students to be like their teachers and servants like their masters. So the question for you today must be, “Is this true for you? Is it enough for you to be like your Teacher and Master, Jesus Christ?” Surely you could not desire being exalted above your Lord; would it be your earnest desire to receive a crown of glory on this side of the grave when your Lord received a crown of thorns? May God forbid it!

Throughout His three-plus years of ministry, our Lord was mocked, ridiculed, persecuted, betrayed, denied, condemned, abandoned, beaten, scourged, and nailed to a cross. He entered into this world among the beasts of burden, having been born in a manger because there was no room for Him in the dwelling places of men. He departed this world hanging on a cruel cross between two condemned criminals. Along the way, the Creator of the universe and the Savior of the world had no place to call “home.” As He said, “Foxes have their holes, and the birds of the air have their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20).

So if the student is not above the teacher nor the servant above his master, what are we to expect on our way into glory? If we are indeed His student and servant, we should expect to experience much of the same unpleasantness that Jesus received. Despite what some badly misguided “prosperity teachers” would have us believe, Christianity is not about living a life of health, wealth, and comfort; far from it!

The apostle Paul expected to get much of the same as His Savior did, and that is what Paul received at the hands of those who despised his Master. He briefly recounted his trials to the Christians at Corinth; multiple beatings and floggings, stoned nearly to death, shipwrecked three times, naked, cold, and hungry, in danger from the Roman authorities and from his own countrymen. And yet even in his final charge to his beloved companion and co-laborer Timothy, Paul provided the necessary encouragement to remind Timothy—and you and me—that it is indeed “enough” to be like Jesus.

Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12)

Is this not the desire of every Christian . . . to live a godly life in Christ Jesus? The more you become like your Master, the more you will face opposition and persecution. And in that persecution, regardless of what form it may take, it will be enough to know that you are like your Lord. The world will welcome you as long as you speak and live according to its ways. But when you choose to live according to the Word, the world will do everything in its power to ridicule you and shout you down.

Knowing that this was the life of our Lord, which ended on a hill outside the city nailed to a cross, let us be strengthened and encouraged by the truth that “It is enough” to be like Him in every way. And that, my Christian friend, includes His suffering.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Let me begin this message by asking you this: What “hills”—what problems, obstacles, challenges, or difficulties—are you facing today in your personal and/or professional life that you must climb and ultimately overcome? Whatever these hills might be, know this: because God is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31), every hill you face is a holy hill.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Sadly, many have misinterpreted this verse. They have taken it to mean they can do absolutely anything, regardless of what that “anything” might be. Well, this is simply not true. If you want to fly, you’ll do well to take a plane, because no matter how determined and trusting in God you might be, if you jump from the roof of your house to soar into the heavens, you flight will be short-lived and your crash landing painful!

Philippians 4:13 must be kept in its context. What Paul was telling us is that we are empowered to do anything God is calling us to do, because God never calls without equipping.

In Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan’s classic allegory of the Christian life, the character named Christian came to the base of a steep climb called “the hill Difficulty.” At the bottom of the hill was a spring of water, and Christian paused to drink of it. Now, refreshed and recharged, he was ready to take on the challenge set before him and he began his climb up the hill, singing as he went.

Regardless of the “hill Difficulty” you are facing today, pause before you begin your ascent and refresh yourself from the spring of your Savior.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither, and in whatever he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:3)

The psalmist provides the key that unlocks the door to every hill we face. Every child of God has been planted by streams of water (our Savior); Jesus is the source of our power to prosper in all we do for the glory of God. From problems in your relationships to a prodigal child, from challenges in the classroom to major health issues, before you start your climb, drink from the springs of your Savior and He will give you all you need to climb all the way to the top.

Remember, God not only knows everything you are going through, He has ordained it all. He created the hill! And ultimately He will use that difficulty for your good and His glory. Drink deeply from the springs of your Savior (soaking up His Word, maintaining your prayer life, seeking out the communion of the saints), and know you will be strengthened, as Christian was, to face every “hill Difficulty,” knowing God will get you to the top. And you should sing songs of praise as you climb!

The prophet Isaiah said, “You will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). May that be the confession of all our lives as we refresh ourselves in our Savior.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I have a sweet promise of God to share with you today. When I read today’s verse, I am taken back to the days of my youth and the many comforts my mother brought into my life. It seemed like Mom had a special cure for everything that ailed me, from her homemade chicken soup when I was sick to her inspiring words of encouragement when I had a bad game out on the field of competition.

My mom’s comfort was sweet and healing, but there is a cosmic that is available to you that eclipses even that!

As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you. (Isaiah 66:13)

To have God as our Father is a tremendous gift indeed; but does our Father God actually also act the part of a mother in His comfort of His children? Throughout the Word of God, we see that divine consolation is a promise we have been given. It is God’s nature and character to comfort His children. But for Isaiah to say that God will comfort us “as a mother comforts her child” seems to raise His comfort to an almost unfathomable height.

As a father of four precious children, I offer them all that I have in the way of comfort when they are discouraged or distressed. But as sincere and loving as my efforts are, they never quite seem to rise to the level of the comfort their mother gives them. Please don’t misunderstand; Kim and I both love our children fully and unconditionally. We both wipe the tears from their eyes. We both offer them words of encouragement. We both sit by the bed and speak words of life to them to meet them in their place of need. But Mom’s comfort simply provides a little more comfort!

God inspired the prophet to compare His consolation and comfort with that of a mother. In other words, God’s comfort delivers the best of both the father and the mother. The comfort that comes from God is complete in every way. It lifts us up when we are down. It calls us home when we have wandered away. It is as unconditional as it is unwavering, and it is available to us not only daily, but moment by moment.

Who reading this right now would not benefit from the comfort of a mother? Remember, in Christ, we have a Comforter who is both with us and in us. He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. He has promised to bring to completion all that He started in us when we first placed our trust in Him. And He promises to do all of this with the comfort of a loving mother!

One final point: the comfort my mom brought into my life did not end when I became an adult. Mom continued to be a source of great comfort and encouragement until the day God brought her home into glory a few years ago. There really is nothing like a mother’s comfort in all the world . . . except for the divine, “mom-like” comfort that comes from our Father in heaven!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!