Let's Face it: The Battle IS the Lord's...And Thank God for That!

Revelation 1: 10-20

In his book, "Hope for Each Day," Billy Graham wrote, "Christmas is not just a date on the calendar. It is not just an annual holiday. It is not a day to glorify selfishness and materialism. Christmas is the celebration of the event that set Heaven to singing; an event that gave the stars of the night sky a new brilliance...They declare that Heaven has come to our rescue, and that God has not left us to stumble alone on Earth's pathway. What a wonderful and glorious hope we have because of that first Christmas."

And I would suggest the same is true of this Christmas day, as well as every day of the year. That is why the message of this book—the battle is the Lord's—is one for the whole year, and actually, well beyond. When the Apostle John is given a vision of these last days—what we know today as the Book of Revelation—he described the glorified Jesus in very glowing terms. He said, "...His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters." (1: 14b-15) No, we are not talking about a little baby anymore—that baby grew up, suffered and died on the Cross of Calvary to be God's perfect sacrifice for your sin nature and mine, awaiting His reception into our hearts and lives. Gurgling and cooing are in the past—the present and the future will need a grown-up King Jesus! Praise God—the battle does belong to the Lord! John also saw this—"And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength." (vs. 16) Quite honestly, the seven stars are either angels, who are assigned, each to a church, to assist it in its spiritual warfare, OR the true pastors of those same churches. I would suggest it is both! True pastors, led by the Holy Spirit of God and His heavenly host, forever guiding the people of God into spiritual warfare against worldly ways. The battle is the Lord's! The double edged sword is a picture of the Word of God, which either cuts away sin from the churches and brings God's grace—the power of God to live for God—OR, cuts a church away from the Kingdom of God in judgment for its disobedience. Of course, the Lord wants it to be the former, but both are a possibility.

Let's face it—one or the other is a certainty! Which would we rather hear on that final day—"Well done, thou good and faithful servant," (Mt. 25:21)
or, "Thou wicked and slothful servant," (vs. 26a)—both of which are found in the same parable about faithfulness, devotion, and commitment. The choice is ours—the stars that shone on Christmas, still shine every night right now—even behind the clouds! Heaven, in Jesus Christ, has come to our rescue. What a wonderful and glorious hope we have in that the battle is the Lord's. Follow Him into the battle, and see the victory—Thank God today, and every day! In this, you will have a very Blessed Christmas!

~ Rev. Roy D. Warren, Jr.

The Battle Is the Lord’s: Every Step of the Way

Matthew 2

Hallelujah for the Good News—God is in control! The precious blood of the Lamb has victoriously won the battle. Now we can enter into life and not death, into light and not darkness, into a Kingdom ruled by Abba Father and not the father of lies, and into a belief in Jesus Christ and not the anti-Christ—a life led by the Holy Spirit, every step of the way. Come out of darkness and death, and enter into light, life, and peace, with Jesus leading the Way.

So how do we enter into the Lord's Way? It can seem like such a battle at times. To begin, the Lord tells us don't be afraid or discouraged, for the battle is not ours, but God's. We aren't to direct our steps, but rather trust in the Lord with all our hearts. How often we plan our steps—or worse yet—order God on how to plan our steps. That calls for repentance! He calls us to set our minds on the desires of the Holy Spirit. How often our thoughts focus on what makes us happy. God mercifully warns us of the sinful mind; it does not submit to God, it is hostile to God, and it cannot please God. Wow, we've all been guilty of that! Take captive all thoughts unto Jesus. The Father's will is that we obey Him. This will include not hating people, even when they persecute you; not lying, even when it better serves you; and not loving the world. Ironically, loving the world is expressed by our cravings; craving sinful man, the lusts of the eyes, and the boasting of what one has and does. More calls to repent! He who does the will of the Father has earnestly sought God's truth every step of the way. One step will transform our hearts into meekness—another into forgiveness—conforming our hearts into faithfully believing our Lord Jesus. Come to God through Jesus Christ, and His anointing Holy Spirit will faithfully guide you every step of the way, into the truth of God.

How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us! Do not let anyone lead you astray. The Way is made. Step into the battle. Love one another, with no hate in your heart. Ask God how to lay down your life for another. Do what pleases Him. Obey Him. Earnestly seek Him. Pray without ceasing. Fear the Lord. Trust the Lord. Wait on the Lord. Keep in step with the Spirit!

King Herod wanted Jesus dead, but God led Joseph and Mary to the exact place He wanted Jesus to be born, in Bethlehem. The God of peace led them each step of the Way, even in the midst of a hostile, self-serving king, who lied. Step into the Lord's Battle and fight for life. Jesus wants to fit you for His army, every step of the Way. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6&7)

~ Cheryl Helgert

Salvation, Then Dedication

Luke 2:21-40

Today, we are looking at a very interesting man named Simeon. Scripture tells us that this man was righteous and holy. He knew the salvation of God and his deliverance from sin, but deep within, he yearned for something more. Simeon dedicated his whole life to looking for the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. "There is a crown of righteousness which the Lord will give to those who love His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8) So much of the time, we come to salvation and our hearts are changed and we believe in Jesus, but we don't dedicate ourselves to watching for His appearing. There is a great battle in our lives to just be content with the beginning of our faith. God is calling for us to let Him have a victory in our hearts that brings us out of our baby faith, and into a mature faith that sees and recognizes Jesus, hears and listens to His voice, and obediently surrenders our will to follow Him.

Simeon could have been content with what he knew, and sit back and be satisfied knowing that he had salvation, but he desired a personal revelation of Jesus Christ. While Simeon was in prayer, the Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would see the Lord's Christ. That kept Simeon dwelling near to the temple and in constant prayer. At last, the day came and the Holy Spirit led Simeon to the temple, and he took Jesus in his arms and held Him close and blessed Him. "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word: for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel." (vss 29-32)

As we sit here a few days before Christmas, anticipating our gifts under the tree, will we just look at them and be thankful for them, or will we open them? What are we going to do with Jesus? Are we just going to admire Him and be thankful for Him, or are we going to dedicate our lives to seeking Him and looking for His appearing? There is a great battle raging within us to be content with what we have, or to move on in the Lord. Who is going to win? The battle is the Lord's—let Jesus Christ have the victory. God is the commander and He wants an army to listen to Him and do battle His way. Jesus is the light that brings revelation to His people. Unless we keep our focus on Him and dedicate ourselves in prayer to watching for His appearing, we will miss Him. Come near today, Jesus Christ is not going to appear as a babe that we can hold in our arms. If we are dedicated, He will come and dwell within our hearts and reveal great truths to us, just like Simeon. "May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding be enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His calling and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." (Eph. 1:17-18)

~ Debbie Frantz

The Battle of the Best Tidings Ever

Luke 2:8-20

Picture a dark, cool, clear evening—the sky big and bright. A group of shepherds quietly going about their daily routine, tending their flock of sheep. Each shepherd fulfilling his assigned duties, banding together for the common good of the flock, in order to keep all safe from outside influences. Yes, just their normal work day, when suddenly...boom! Right in the midst of their night, the Glory of God bursts forth! "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." (vss. 9-12)

And angel of the Lord brought the good news to these dear shepherds, and once it was proclaimed, a heavenly host was multiplied...praising, giving glory to God Almighty! Here is the battle of the best tidings ever, for what will these shepherds do with this good news they had just heard Will they say, "That's unbelievable," or "yeah, that's really something, but..." or will they, like the heavenly host, burst forth in praise and long for the multiplication of souls to be saved, seeking and living for the Lord Jesus Christ? Scripture says their response was—"Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." (vs. 15b) There is a battle for your heart this day to receive the good news of eternal life, the gift of repentance. God sent His Son, He was crucified, He rose again on the third day—He is Alive! Our Jesus is Alive! "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen." (Luke 24:5b-6a) The question is for us also—what will we do with the best tidings ever that we hear from our pastor, fellow Christians, the Bible, and His Spirit? May our answer be surrender, repentance, thanksgiving, praise, and prayer for the next soul to know the joy of Jesus Christ living in the heart! "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:5-6)

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." (1 John 5:11) Today, we can have life in Jesus, which is joy, joy, joy! No matter what the night brings, because our eyes have seen beyond the stars, right into the ver heart of God! His name is Jesus!

~ Judy Hollobaugh

And it Finally Came to Pass...

Luke 2:1-7

It has been said that the only sure things in life are death and taxes.

We can't even escape it when reading the Scriptures. Luke 2:1 tells us, "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed." Imagine every time you had to pay your taxes that you had to travel to your hometown, in person, to pay the taxes. Now, for some that have lived in the same area all their lives, this isn't a big deal, and even in this day of modern transportation, it might be an inconvenience to have to hop a flight to travel. Think about what that meant back then—some of these people had to travel hundreds of miles on foot, just to pay taxes! This was a huge ordeal—yes, even a battle for money and control, waged by the reigning Roman government at the time. Imagine if you were in Joseph's and Mary's shoes, who had to take weeks, even months, out of their everyday lives so they could travel hundreds of miles across the desert on foot and by donkey, only to pay taxes. When they finally reach their destination (Bethlehem), guess what? Everyone else is traveling as well, so all of the hotels are booked, and they have to shack up in an old barn! On top of all of that, Mary is pregnant—VERY pregnant. This would have turned into a huge lawsuit (or at least a dramatic reality TV show) if it had happened today!

The story doesn't end there, however. Praise God it didn't, or this would have all been for nothing. Verse 6 tells us that Mary's time came, and she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. This wasn't just any baby boy; oh no, this was Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, who came to save the world! Wow, talk about a dramatic ending (beginning is more like it)! The Romans might have been in control of the Jewish people and their currency, but God brings the greatest weapon of all, Jesus, who came to conquer death and Satan's control on the earth.

I think the statement at the top of the page might be highly inaccurate. God has control over death, and all the tax money in the world can't stop His love for His people. Indeed, the ONLY sure thing in life is GOD! Seek Him this day, and allow His Love and Mercy to reign in your life today!

~ Eric Frantz

Emmanuel: God is With Us

Matthew 1:18-25

"'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.'" (Matthew 1:23)
When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, his first reaction was to divorce her secretly so that she wouldn't become a public example. Perhaps he felt betrayed and cheated. But he still loved Mary. He knew that they couldn't be together, but he didn't want to make a scene either. An angel appeared to him and explained that Mary was carrying the Son of God, and that he should not leave her. If we look at the story in Luke, we find that the angel first appeared to Mary to announce that she had been chosen to birth the Savior of the world. Mary had not been intimate with any man, and it also was not yet time for her marriage to Joseph to be consummated, so she wondered how this could be possible. In a nutshell, the angel's response was along the lines of saying that with God, all things are possible.

A few of my friends and I have a small group Bible study once a week. Recently, we came upon the section of Scripture where God tells Abram that he is going to have a son, and that his descendants will become a great nation. Since his wife was barren, Abram also wondered how this could be possible. "But Abram said, 'O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?'" (Genesis 15:2) As we studied that section, it reminded me of Mary, asking essentially the same question of the angel. "How can this be?" she had asked. I pointed this out, and wondered how often we ask the same question of God…even after He promises us something. "But how, God? It's impossible!" God went beyond what was "possible," and gave Abram a son and a great inheritance. God went beyond what was "possible," and gave the world His own Son through Mary, who had not even been with a man. The prophet had said that He was Immanuel, which means, "God with us." Out of the depths of impossibility came God's presence.

As you go through life, you may find that although you have given your life to God and have been following His way, you sometimes will face a battle to lose a bit of the old way of life or your old way of thinking. Some old temptations may come along or some little things will pop up from time to time. Pull away! It may, at times, seem to be almost impossible, but we have a God that is in the business of transformation. He starts a work and completes it. It's time to be free! "But, how can this be?" you ask God. God is greater!

I can free you from those bonds. I can do the impossible. I can save you. I will come and be with you. I am Immanuel. I am God With You.

~ Joel Warren

The Battle For A Baby

Luke 1:26-56

To believe or not to believe. Probably a day does not go by that we are not faced with some decision that is based on whether we believe somebody or not. In today's devotional, we find this problem of whether or not to believe, facing a young Jewish girl named Mary. I am sure, like any young woman who is engaged, she is looking forward to planning a wedding and making a home for her family, but, in vs 28 of our text, everything, all her plans and her destiny is changed "and the Angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women." The angel, whose name is Gabriel, goes on to tell her, she is going to have a Son and that Son would not be from her husband-to-be, but from God above.

This year's devotional is focusing on the battles we, and our God in heaven, face each day as we walk with Him. So, at first we ask, where is the battle in this story? Certainly, it is not a battle for God to send His Son as an infant into the womb of this young woman. How He did it, I do not know. Just like I don't know how He created the earth or formed man out of dust or creates life in the womb today, but I believe He does. No, the battle, as I see it, is not to get a baby into the womb of Mary, but to get belief into her heart. The Bible does not show how Gabriel appeared, evidently something out of the ordinary, as she had to be calmed down. You would think after seeing an angel, she would have no problem believing what he said, but It seems, she still can not believe that God could do this without her having union with her husband-to-be. She asks, "How can this be?" (vs 33) It is at this point we see the mercy of God as He explains it. God is not always that patient with us, as the old saying says, delayed obedience is disobedience. So God is in a battle for the heart of Mary. Common sense says, this cannot happen; God says it can. In vs. 35, He tells her "the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee." That should be enough to make anyone believe. I am sure Mary has been told of all the powerful miracles God has done in the life of Israel. She should not need anymore explanation than that, but God brings it down to earth, a testimony, if you like, of someone she knows, her cousin Elizabeth, who has conceived a son in her old age. She cannot deny that has happened, for as God says in vs. 37, "for with God nothing shall be impossible." Mary has all of her doubts answered, and says in vs. 38, "behold the handmaid of the Lord", I believe. Battle won.

There is a battle for belief in every heart on this planet. That battle goes on twenty-four hours a day. Not a day goes by that we are not faced with the decision, are we going to believe God or not? If you are having doubts about His promises, ask Him. He is merciful, as proven in the life of Mary. He will answer in word and deed.

~Jim Frantz

Standing in the Presence of God

Luke 1:5-25

Have you ever heard something that was too good to be true? Maybe it was an exceptionally good price on a car. The first thing you ask is "What's wrong with it?" Or maybe it was a deal on something in your favorite store, so you ask "What's the catch?" Or maybe you see an advertisement for a $1000 shopping spree, so you wonder what you have to sign up for in order to be entered in the drawing. In any case, if something is too good to be true, you are skeptical, which oftentimes leads to doubt. Sometimes we want to just walk away from a good deal because of doubt.

Such was the case with the subject of today's devotional: Zacharias. The Scriptures tell us that he and his wife were "well stricken in years;" in other words: they were OLD. They had no kids, and were well beyond normal "child bearing age." So, as you can imagine, when God comes to Zacharias and says "you are going to have a son," Zacharias was doubtful. To him, this was an impossible task. Yes, he wanted it to happen, and had probably longed to have a child for many, many years, but it just didn't make sense.

The only problem here is that the person telling this news to Zacharias isn't just some shady used car salesman with greasy hair, it is the angel Gabriel, sent by God to deliver God's message in person to Zacharias! Luke 1:19-20 says: "And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring thee these good tidings. And behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season."

Zacharias was doing what many of us do all the time: we rely on our own logic and understanding, instead of having faith in God, who is beyond logic and human understanding. God specializes in the impossible—that's kind of his "thing," if you will. I mean, after-all, He created the human mind from dust; don't you think He is capable of much more than we can understand?

God has a plan for each one of us. He wants to bless us with His love and His perfect plan, but we hinder Him with our doubts, fears, and limited human understanding. We need to recognize when we are standing in the presence of God, and surrender ourselves to Him so He can work. He needs an empty vessel to work with, so just have faith and believe!

~ Eric Frantz

The Danger of Not Obeying the Call to Battle

Acts 27:13-44

Here in the book of Acts, we have an incredible story of God's protection during the battle. What's happening is that Paul is now under the guard of a Roman centurion, bound for Rome on board a Roman merchant ship. The Roman merchant ships were quite large. The average ship was about 130 feet, and some much bigger. I say that because along the way they encountered a severe storm and were hopelessly driven across the open water. The Scriptures sure make it sound like everyone, including Paul, was helping out on the ship, trying to keep it afloat.

See, we all have a responsibility to serve others, and to preach the gospel; that is not just the pastor's job. We are all in this thing called life together...we are all called to lay down our lives for each other. Paul was in the middle of a very difficult battle, and just like out on the battle field, everyone plays a part. We may not be on the open waters being tossed around, but we are still in the midst of a battle. It's now time for all of us to get up and take our positions. We can only do this when we get on our knees before God and surrender to Him. Then he will show us the next step; He did that for Paul.

After many days, when all hope seemed lost, Paul, who I'm sure never stopped praying, stood up in front of everyone and said, "You should have listened to me—I told you not to go, however God has revealed to me that we are going to crash into an island. The boat will be destroyed, but all will survive."

When God tells us to do something, we must be obedient and do what He says, right when He says it. There are lots of other voices out there that will be saying all kinds of things—some will even look like experts—but we need to be obeying God's call. He is the One who promises the victory in this Eternal battle. Follow Him!

~ Jason Frantz

The Danger of Sitting…Period!

Acts 26

Saul was a busy man. He was in the community doing good deeds by getting people off the streets that he thought didn't belong there. He took action and got things done. The problem was, the people he was arresting were spreading the truth of the gospel…they were Godly people. He was picking on the good guys. God, in His mercy, revealed Himself to Saul in a big way. While he was walking with some friends on the road, Saul saw a light shine upon him that was brighter than the sun, and he heard a loud voice that was not one of his friends. "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (vs. 14) Saul didn't know who it was, but the voice said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." (vs. 15) This was quite a revelation to Saul. He was now faced with the fact that he was persecuting Jesus. He thought he was doing the right thing. His actions were justified in his mind, until now. At this point, he was on the ground before God listening to every word, trying to process what was going on. But Jesus did not stop with the accusations. He then said "But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you." (vs. 16) Jesus revealed the next step for Saul to take. He said, "Get up! I have plans for you!" God wanted to use Saul's energy and abilities to spread the gospel, not to hinder it, as he had been doing before. It is obvious to see that Saul was in a dangerous place when he was persecuting Christians, and it might seem better if God had simply made him stop. But God was not content with just stopping Saul in his tracks, and revealing what he was doing wrong. He wanted to use Saul to reach out and save souls. Saul got up in obedience and went forth, spreading the gospel and witnessing about the power of God.

With only nine days left until Christmas, it may be tempting to take a break from the decorating, baking, and shopping to just sit down and escape it all. But it requires some effort to get everything done. We must continue on in the battle. Just as we can't expect our chores to get done on their own, we can't reach the lost by sitting around. It is a dangerous place to sit and be idle. It is time to rise up and reach out to others, and be a witness of all that God has done.

~ Kimberly Frantz

The Danger of Sitting on the Edge

Acts 20:5-16

It may not look like it, but there was a battle going on. Paul had been preaching in Asia, and the devil was not happy. Now, Paul was told by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem, so in his travels, he stopped at Troas for a week. The day before he departed, a good number of people gathered together to hear Paul speak. Late that night, however, there was a young man in the group who was getting tired. Now, he was probably not used to being up late at night, and he went over to the window, perhaps to get some fresh air, or maybe just for something to lean on.

Now, let's stop for a minute. In an army, you have a group of soldiers. A group will have some in the center and some on the edge, and that is normal. Not all will fit in the middle. Those on the edges protect those in the middle and those in the middle back up those on the edge if something happens. Everyone is looking out for each other. There are also watchmen placed at the edges of the troops, but if the watchman falls asleep at night, there could be severe punishment, or death (maybe even for the rest of the number, resulting from the lack of protection). If the watchman falls asleep, horrible things can happen—the enemy can attack more easily without anyone knowing what is coming, and could also sneak into camp and steal things. Whatever the case, the watchman has a huge responsibility, and there are severe consequences for sleeping. Sitting on the edge can be very dangerous indeed; just think about the wild animals, too. The predators—lions, wolves, and tigers—usually circle around the herd trying to find the one who is too far on the edge and is not watching. There is an order, and there needs to be some on the surrounding edge, and some in the middle, but the outer edges are a dangerous place to be, and should not be taken lightly. The young man in Paul's day did not realize this, for he nodded off to sleep on the window ledge and fell to his death on the ground beneath.

However, the story does not end there, for Paul, being merciful, laid down his life, and prayed to God that the young man would live, and Alleluia! He did! Praise God! May our lives reflect the order of God, and in obedience to Him and His call; may we take up our battle positions, for the time has come!

~ Jason Frantz

From Fetters to Freedom

Acts 16: 16-34

"But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." Acts 16: 25

Paul and Silas had many good reasons to be disheartened. They had just been beaten severely and cast into prison for bringing freedom to a woman who was possessed by an evil spirit. Responding to God's call on their lives very often came with great cost, not only for Paul, but also for his fellow workers, and even for the churches that he had founded. Paul knew that this world was full of ungodly influences and demonic spirits that are actively in rebellion to God, and determined to oppress
as much of God's creation as possible and to oppose the message of salvation and deliverance through Jesus Christ. We must know, that for us also, every obedience to God will be opposed by spiritual forces of evil and powers of darkness. Thankfully, Paul didn't let the reality of this battle stop him from being obedient to his calling. Paul considered his life in this world as nothing compared to knowing Christ, and all his present sufferings as nothing compared to his eternal inheritance. In fact, Paul didn't just put up with his sufferings, he actually rejoiced in them for being counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus, believing that they were working for him a far greater eternal glory. (2 Cor. 4: 16- 18) But it wasn't some special knowledge or truth alone that gave Paul the victory over his circumstances. It was nothing less than the reality of the actual presence of God. All the truth in the world is insufficient without the Spirit of God transforming our hearts from the inside and making that truth real in us. Their lives were indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God. That's how, at midnight, in their darkest hour, they could pray and praise God. They prayed and praised, not knowing what the future would bring. They didn't know if they would be spending the rest of their lives in this prison cell, or even if they would be executed the next day, but whether God rescues them from prison or not, live or die, they know that they are the Lord's. They believed and received the life of God within them and were free, even in prison. We may not always receive from the Lord the reasons why something happens. We may not know what is coming next or what our next step should be, but there is freedom in simply letting our Lord have His way in us and resting in His love for us. In this life, all of us will experience troubles and calamities beyond our control that come upon us unexpectedly. True freedom is not being free from all the hard things that happen, but it is God giving us the strength to get through all the storms of life without bitterness, but with a prayer in our hearts and praises on our lips.
"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16: 33.

~ Jim Krauser

The Need for Supernatural Deliverance

Acts 12:1-17

We all have experienced, at one time or another, deliverance from situations or circumstances in our lives only to find ourselves in another situation. Have you ever experienced a true, supernatural deliverance by the grace of God? As we look at this passage, we can see it's by God's hand that Peter was delivered from Herod the king. Peter was put in prison with four squads of soldiers to watch over him. Herod must have been pretty concerned that Peter would escape with fewer guards; why else would he use four squads? But Peter knew constant prayer was going forth to God for his protection. The night he was to be delivered to Herod, an angel of the Lord appeared and shined a light into the prison. Between two soldiers Peter slept, bound in chains. In this moment Peter was struck in the side and told to rise up quickly, and the chains fell off. Peter, of course, thought he was dreaming; that was until he and the angel came to the gates which led to the city. The angel then departed from Peter. Peter knew, at that moment, that the Lord had sent an angel to deliver him from Herod and what was to come. He knew it was through prayer that God delivered him. Peter then went to the house of Mary, where many were praying. When Rhoda recognized his voice, she ran to tell the others that Peter was at the door. Of course they didn't believe her, until they opened the door and saw with their own eyes that it truly was Peter. Peter told the amazing truth of how the Lord had delivered him that night, and was able to go forth to share His love with others.

We all can experience that same deliverance. Come to Jesus in prayer and supplication, seek His face daily, lay everything—all circumstances and situations, good and bad—at the Cross. Give it all to Christ—He will deliver you. That doesn't mean we will never experience troubled times or strife again, but if we trust in Jesus, and give it all to Him daily—seek His face daily—we can have the peace of deliverance that can only come supernaturally through the Cross. He will give strength, even in times of our weakness. So the next time we find ourselves in the midst of trouble or strife, a situation we really don't want to be in or even the quiet times, turn to Jesus. Let Him be our deliverance—daily. What a wonderful life we can have in Christ Jesus! He is our deliverance!!! He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6). Seek Him this day and always, in all things. God Bless, and Merry Christmas!

~ Melody Krauser

The Key to the Church Door: The Fear of the Lord

Acts 5:1-11

There he is—knocking on the door of the church, and his wife is soon to follow. Ananias and Sapphira! They've seen what true Christians do—give everything they have and all they are to Christ and His church. They've seen people like Barnabas give all and receive honorable positions in the church. Honor! Prestige! Recognition! So here they come. But their claims of laying all at the apostle's feet, and so giving all to Jesus Christ are false. They never enter the battle against Satan and temptation. They just take the easy way, which they see as safe—words and claims without truth and costly commitment—and they die. No repentance, no surrender to Christ and His Church, no true life, only death and Hell. True pastors and the Church fight long and hard, giving all for the Ananiases and Sapphiras, but these refuse God's way and are gone.

Do you see the battle that Peter and the Church fought here, empowered by the Holy Spirit? What a temptation to soften the truth of the Gospel to build up the membership numbers and income levels of the church! Do whatever it takes to bring them in. Use entertainment; don't preach against sin and the flesh; don't call for or expect repentance, separation from the world, and holiness—God's order—in all areas of life. Do many avoid coming in because Peter's message is as hard and glorious as Christ's? Do many go out as Ananias and Sapphira did? Oh, yes! But praise God, this battle is the Lord's, and only by His power will we be enabled to stand in our appointed place in His holy army! Where are you in this battle of life and death?

If you're still back there with Ananias and Sapphira—living a false Christianity that speaks the words, makes the claims, but lacks the fruit of surrender and obedience and a transformed life in Christ, don't
continue
there! It's a lie—a lie to God, to His people, and to yourself, and the result is death and damnation! Earnestly—truthfully!—seek God for revelation of your heart and His mercy. Receive the condemnation of your old life at the cross of Jesus Christ and He will bring you to the repentance that results in a new heart and life. If you're a Peter, one called by God into a place of leadership in His Holy Church, fight
on in truth! Don't compromise or cease to call sinners out of sin, and saints to growth and holiness. Fight
on, my Pastor! If you're with the young men, who carried the dead out—a diligent obedient Christian worker—fight
on! Continue in submission to your leaders and avoid the compromise of so-called "compassion" that is not God's. If you're one with the true Church in this war for life, fight
on! Ever seek to grow in the fear of the Lord—fall before Him worshiping Him in the Spirit of Holiness, awe, and trembling, and receive His Life and Blessing! Truly the fear of the Lord is the key to the Church door, and that is the Door to new life in Jesus Christ our Lord!

~ Cindy Warren

What Could Be More Valuable Than Silver Or Gold?

Acts 3:1-10

As we sit down and read today's devotional, we know that it is Sunday, the Lord's Day. There are many things we could be doing today. There is a battle for our time and our energy, but what are we going to give in to and do? What could be more important to us when Jesus says to "tarry in the city of Jerusalem and be endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49) Peter, John, and the disciples did what Jesus said and stopped everything and found a place to pray and seek for His Spirit. They gave ten days of their valuable time to that prayer meeting, and they were greatly blessed. Filled with the Spirit of Jesus, they were able to stand up before the crowd, preach the gospel of repentance, and three thousand more believers came into the kingdom that day.

Later on, Peter and John again went together to the temple to pray. As they were about to go in, they met a lame man laying at the temple gate, unable to get around on his own and begging for anything from those who came by. When Peter and John heard him begging, they stopped and looked his way. "Then Peter said, 'Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.'" (vs. 6) Every day someone took the time to carry this man and lay him by the gate, but it was Peter and John who recognized exactly what he needed. How?—because they had spent those ten days in prayer, seeking for the Holy Spirit. They fought through the battle, possibly thinking they were wasting their time praying, and by the Spirit of Christ, they came to recognize themselves, what was more valuable—the name of Jesus! Peter and John could have, just like many others who passed by this man, thrown a few coins his way and the man would have been satisfied, but they gave him more. They gave him life. "And Peter took him by the right hand and lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping and praising God." (vs. 7, 8) What could be more valuable than a man walking and leaping and praising God?

So as we finish up reading today's devotional, knowing that it is Sunday, the Lord's Day, what are we going to do with our valuable time and energy? First of all, there is a respect we should give the Lord on His Holy Day by going to church and worshiping Him. Secondly, we should not only limit ourselves to give one day to the Lord, but each and every moment of each and every day. The truly repentant heart desires to know Jesus, and reach out and give, "in the name of Jesus,
life," to others around us. "Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you." (Psalm 9:10) Are you willing to battle with yourself until you have received His Holy Spirit? What is more valuable?

~ Debbie Frantz

The Battle of Life and Death

John 11: 1- 46

When I first met Jesus I could tell that He was no ordinary man. He was full of love and compassion. The Spirit of God was upon Him. He spoke with all wisdom and authority, not like the scribes and Pharisees. When He prayed, it was as if He was of one heart, mind, and spirit with His father in heaven. He could ask God for anything, and God would give it to Him. There were many different opinions of who Jesus was, but I knew that He was the long awaited Messiah. I loved to spend time with Jesus. Whenever He was near, I would open my house to Him. I gave Him a place to rest and food to eat. He was a true friend, and I knew that He would always be there for me whenever I needed Him. Then one day a dreadful sickness came upon me. I felt as though my life was slowly draining out of my body. I was scared and felt the ominous presence of death slowly approaching. I knew that Jesus was my only hope. I've seen Him heal many people, and I knew that He would stop whatever He was doing and rush to my side to bring comfort and healing. I knew that my sisters had sent word to Jesus days ago, and that He would soon be arriving. Oh, how I longed to see His face! Each moment I waited seemed like an eternity. I wondered what was taking Him so long. Just then, I felt a strange numbness and heaviness creep over my entire body as if the weight of the world was increasingly laid upon me. And then … total darkness.

It seemed like in the very next moment, I heard a familiar voice calling out my name. It was Jesus! He was calling me to come to Him. I strained to see but there was only darkness. I struggled to move toward His voice, but it felt like my entire body was wrapped tightly and bound with cords. With everything that was in me, I battled my way toward His voice. Suddenly, I could hear other familiar voices and felt many people around me. I could hear my sisters crying and many other excited voices. I felt my body being freed from the bondages that kept me from moving freely. The darkness slowly gave way to increasing light as my eyes began to focus clearly on the figure before me. It was Jesus! He was smiling with tears running down His face! My heart rejoiced.

I don't fully understand all the reasons why this has happened to me. I just know that I was once dead but now am alive, and because of that, some of my own family and friends have come to trust Jesus as I have. I always believed that Jesus would raise me up on the last day, but now I know that I can trust him for giving me new life today.

"This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
(John 11: 4)

~ Jim Krauser

The Steps to Belief: The Real Battle

John 9

We see in this account of the man born blind the revelation of the greatest battle ever fought and won—the Battle for Belief and for Eternity! This war may span years or moments, depending on our willingness to lay down pride—the greatest sin and our greatest hindrance to coming to new life in Jesus Christ. We first see this man sitting as a beggar. What a battle to lay down the pride we have in our ability to run our lives in our own wisdom. He sat—quit
running … waiting. Here he met Jesus as a "man" who opened his eyes to his own heart condition and to the fact that there's a whole realm of life he's never seen before. The "man" Jesus—an evangelist? A true Pastor? A witness bearing testimony of God's saving grace? Yes, and a great victory for the opening of blind eyes is won, but the battle for faith is just begun! Had he stopped with vision of the truth, but without surrender to the Lord, he would have faced Judgment Day more guilty than ever! BUT...he goes on to face the questions of family and friends. He's different, and they're not as comfortable with him anymore. He doesn't have all the answers, but now identifies Jesus as a "prophet," the one who revealed truth to him as he never saw it before. Another victory, but the battle continues. Religion now questions him, assuming a place of hypocritical authority and accusing him of continuing sin. As he is excommunicated from all he has known, he sees Jesus as being "of God," and bears witness according to his level of revelation. One of the hardest places of the battle of faith now ensues. Alone, rejected, in darkness, he waits, not even knowing where to find Jesus. But Jesus finds him and grants this faithful seeker the greatest Vision yet! It's Jesus' question this time—"Do
you
believe
on
the
Son
of
God?" And, at his answer, "Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?" Jesus reveals Himself in His glory to the one who then believes and worships. What a glorious end to a glorious battle!

This is the awesome battle of faith for ALL of us. We were ALL born blind—"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23) We must ALL lay down our pride and beg for sight of the Kingdom we've never seen before. We must ALL leave family and friends, and their easy natural affections to follow the One who changes everything. We must ALL leave vain religion—the dead "church" organizations claiming Christianity, systems of belief that produce no change, legalism, and all our own fleshly theologies we hold so dear, and come
into
the
TRUTH! We must ALL be cast out of our comfort zones to truly meet Jesus Christ, and to submit to His Lordship and come to true worship. I was blind, but now I see! I was cast out, but Jesus took me in! I was a worshiper of vanity, but now I worship the King of kings and Lord of lords! For the most blessed Christmas ever, may we all battle on in faith to the grandest Victory ever—a most glorious Eternity with Jesus Christ that begins even now!

~ Cindy Warren

A Matter of Good Reception

John 6:15-21

It was fourth and ten with twenty two seconds left in the game. With the Steelers stuck on their own 40 yard line and behind by one point, Coach Noll called for a last ditch effort pass play to Pearson. Quarterback Bradshaw, under pressure, instead threw a pass towards Fuqua. The ball took an odd backward bounce after striking a defensive player and just before hitting the ground, was scooped up by Franco Harris, who ran it down the field, missing a few tackles, and got a touchdown. The score gave the Steelers a lead, allowing them to win their first playoff game in 40 years. The play has been called one of the greatest plays in football and has been dubbed, "The Immaculate Reception."

With mere seconds left, the fate of the entire game rested on that one important catch. If one little thing had happened differently—a slightly different angle in the bounce, players in slightly different spots, a second's difference in timing—that ball wouldn't have been caught, and the game would have been lost. The play couldn't have been planned or scripted, but that is why it is considered to be perfect or free from flaw: If Harris' fingers had been a split second later, the ball would have been on the ground and the play dead. He wouldn't have received the ball, and it would have been lost.

It had been a long day on the mountain. Jesus had been teaching the multitudes and had also shown the power of God by feeding the great many people with one boy's lunch. It was evening and Jesus had gone back to the mountain to pray alone. The disciples were in a boat, heading across the sea to Capernaum. It was a rough sea, and the winds were blowing wildly. They were out three or four miles and saw a figure walking on the water, appearing through the storm as it approached the boat. They were rightfully afraid. But then they heard His voice: "It is I; do not be afraid." It was Jesus. And what we hear next is a play that is far more important and perfect than Franco's catch: "Then they willingly received Him into the boat." They laid aside their fear and their doubts; they didn't miss; they didn't reach out a split second too late; they didn't fumble and drop the precious promises of God. When they heard the voice of their Savior, they reached out with their open hearts and received Him, both willingly and readily. God had sent His Son to save the lost people in the world. He had made a way to be free from sin and the snares of the world and the devil. He had made a way for a new life, full of the Spirit, empowered to live for God and to do His work. He offered love, encouragement, provision, protection, blessings, leading and direction, rebuke and loving correction, peace, companionship, and healing. They heard His voice as they were tossed about on a raging sea. They reached out and caught that ball. They received the Lord as their own. Won't you lay aside your fear and doubt and receive all that God has for you? Don't delay!

~ Joel Warren

Caterer Extraordinaire

John 6:1-15

When someone wants to have a big event, they invest a lot of time and money choosing the perfect table setting, decorations, flowers, food, and location: everything they can do to make it unforgettable. Planning every detail can take weeks or months.

The disciples did not have the option of taking a lot of time to plan how to feed the multitude that had gathered around them. They also did not have many resources. So when Jesus asked them how they were going to feed everyone, they realized their lack. They were trying to help and figure out a way to feed the people, but realized they could not afford it. There was a battle at hand…not a battle with weapons, but a battle against resources and logic. All they could manage to gather was five barley loaves and two small fish. There was no way they could feed everyone with that amount of food. They were going about it in their own strength, rather than asking Jesus for direction. He recognized that they wanted to help, so He made them directly involved in the miracle He was about to perform. "Then Jesus said, 'Make the people sit down.' Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted." (vs. 10-11) Then a strange thing happened…they were able to feed all those people and they still had food left over. That's not something that normally happens, and the disciples knew they had witnessed a miracle. They tried to find a way to feed everyone, but there was nothing they could do on their own.

Jesus is the ultimate caterer. He does not need weeks of planning, purchasing, cooking, and fretting over table decorations to pull off a big event. He just uses what He has, multiplies it, and is able to feed a huge crowd with few resources. Likewise, we do not need a list of good deeds for Jesus to use. He does not expect us to earn our way into Heaven. He just takes who we are and makes us His. It's His battle. Our part isn't to figure out all the details, but to surrender to His plan.

~ Kimberly Frantz

The Real Bridge over Troubled Water

John 5:1-16

Not to age myself, but I remember back in 1970, there was a rather popular song performed by Simon and Garfunkel, entitled, "Bridge over Troubled Water." It was an emotionally charged song that praised the power of peace and tranquility. It comes to mind as I consider this next miracle that we find in the Gospel of John. We are told that Jesus came up to Jerusalem during one of the Jewish feasts, and went straight to the pool of Bethesda. Five porches were around this pool, and all for a purpose—shade and protection for those who gathered "for the moving of the water." (vs. 3b)

The moving? Yes, verse 4 reads, "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had." Now, many assume that the angel is a messenger of God, and the healing that results is also of God. Where my question comes in is that it just doesn't sound like something God would do—forcing people to scramble to the pool, fighting and trampling others, in order to get there first! I mean, what happened to, "...many that are first shall be last..?" (Mt. 19:30) Also, the Scriptures usually refer to God's angelic messenger as the angel of the Lord, not just "an angel." And is troubling things
really God's way? In the original languages, this "troubling" refers to an agitation, a commotion, even tumult—the opposite is peace. I looked up many of the Bible's references to "trouble," and found every one of them to be negative. In Psalm 107, we begin to see the heart of Jesus—"Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still." (vss. 28-29) Remember?—when Jesus stilled the storm, He stretched out His arms over the waters and said, "Peace, be still." (Mark 4:39) God is about wholeness, reconciliation, and real peace. But don't forget, God also, "...cast(s) upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them." (Ps. 78:49) Yes, our God is in control—the battle belongs to Him alone, and He can even use troublesome and evil angels, AKA demons, for His purposes, if He wants to do so!

In our text, Jesus didn't even let it get to that point—He denounced the man's excuses, asked him if he really wanted to be made whole, thereby accepting the resultant responsibility to live for God, and, did the healing Himself. Later, finding the man in the temple, He warned him, "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." (John 5:14b) Do you really want Him to own your battles, take control, and rule your life? In this, Jesus is the REAL bridge over troubled water. Indwelt with His Spirit, we all can go and sin no more!

~ Rev. Roy D. Warren, Jr.

Thy Son Liveth!

John 4:46-54

There once was a certain nobleman whose son was very sick. The Bible says that his boy had a high fever, and was at the point of death. After hearing that Jesus was in the area, he went to Him and asked Him to come down and heal his son. God showed me that the battle for life for this son actually began in the heart of this parent. You see, to be titled a "nobleman," meant that he was regal in relation to and belonged to the king.

David Wilkerson once said, "A king is obligated to care for his subjects, and his people honor him by asking largely, believing he has all they need, and will provide it abundantly. Dearly beloved, you cannot call God "king" and then accuse Him of letting one of His subjects continue in need!" He goes on to say, "All the praying in the world will not do you any good unless you mix it with faith! You can fast and pray for three days or three weeks, but without faith, you will not please God. All your hours in prayer, all your petitions, all your 'coming to Him' will profit you nothing unless your heart is anchored in faith!" 'Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord'" (James 1:6-7).

Faith in King Jesus doesn't take an easier way. Faith in King Jesus doesn't buckle under the lies and threats of the enemy and his army. Faith in King Jesus doesn't wave a white flag of defeat. This nobleman respectfully and faithfully said to Jesus, his King, "Sir come down before my child dies!" Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the nobleman believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and he went his way. No, I didn't say he went away. "His way" was to come to Jesus, his King, and to believe in faith that only He has the victory. The Scripture points out that he knew that his son got better the very same hour in which he was in his Lord's presence, asking in faith for life for his son and heard Him say that his son lives. His King Jesus did care for him, met his need, and provided abundantly, giving new life, faith, and victory to him and his whole household! Today, make Jesus your King, and may you and your whole family live triumphantly in faith. Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and have a very blessed Christmas.

~ Ruth Ann Ward

What a Start: Water into Wine!

John 2:1-11

Many of you know our family is in the process of planning a wedding: the marriage of the bridegroom, our son Joshua, to his bride, his love, Ashley. Every detail is carefully thought out in preparation for the day the bridegroom and the bride come together as one. It will be a glorious day! Now, the day has arrived. Those who accepted the wedding invitation have come to join in the marriage vows. All is progressing in perfection, just as planned, until…they "have no more wine." As the wedding planner, are you in a state of panic? As the guest, are you disappointed or even angry? As the servant, are you ready to ignore the situation? How often we plan the details of our lives with great care, even seeking God to lead each step, and then something happens. It doesn't follow the plan, or so we think!

Looking at today's Scripture, Mary, Jesus' mother, takes the situation to Him. She trusts Him. She then says to the servants, "Whatever Jesus says, do it." The servants did as Jesus said; they filled the water pots to the brim with water. It made absolutely no sense to fill water pots with water and expect wine to immediately be drawn from them. I don't believe the servants expected wine, but they did simply obey, and did so quickly. Let us start with taking all to Jesus, and then obeying Him. As a result, the wedding planner and the guests were filled with the sweetest wine and purest juice. The Lord battles, we need only to trust and obey Him. It is no wonder the first miracle appeared at a wedding. From the start, God planned a wedding. Before the fall, "God created man and woman to cleave together as one." (Genesis 2) After the fall, God has mercifully given the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, and is even now preparing the Bride, the Church of Jesus Christ, to "come together in one mind and one Spirit," and that being the holiness of the Father. Jesus is calling His bride to come. "Come and know that you can drink freely of me without harm." This water turned to wine is the sweetest wine; the non-intoxicating, purest juice of the grape. Its sugar content was not destroyed through fermentation, nor was it diluted with water, as was the cheaper wine. Jesus wants to give His Bride Himself, the sweetest wine and the purest juice, holy and non-compromising.

God's desire is for His Bride; a Bride giving herself fully to the Bridegroom through obedience. The Bridegroom has already given Himself fully to the Bride through obedience to the Father. "Let them that is athirst, come. Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready."

~ Cheryl Helgert

The Arm of Flesh: The Battle for Belief

2 Chronicles 32:1-23

The enemy came against Hezekiah, the king of Judah, desiring all that belonged to him, and he used every conceivable weapon to destroy him. He sent his servant to speak against the Lord God—letters were written putting down the God of Hezekiah, and fear and turmoil are encamped on all sides! What was Hezekiah to do? Sound familiar? Scripture states, there is no new thing under the sun. The same trouble goes on today. As you grow closer to the Lord—as your heart yearns for Him, the enemy becomes stirred, angry, and his moves become more strategic, as he lies in wait for you in subtle ways, or hits you head on with a giant blast blowing you out of the ship into a raging sea. The Arm of Flesh: The Battle for Belief begins. Your instinct is to jump in and disarm the lies, to uphold your name, and to hold onto what is "rightfully" yours. But the battle is the Lord's.

Here is our place—"Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: For there be more with us than with him: with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah." (vss. 7-8) Believe the Word of God, pick up your Bible, and dig into the treasure of His infinite wisdom—"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) Rest in Jesus Christ. Call out to Him. The king, and the prophet Isaiah, prayed and cried to heaven, and the Lord heard and saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the enemy. The lie of the Enemy is the same today since the beginning; that our God will not deliver His people, and that He has forsaken us. Jesus crushed the lie of the enemy with His heel! He is the true and living God! He does deliver! He never forsakes us! He went to the Cross for you and me! His blood was shed for us. Our sins were washed away when we come to Him in repentance. Scripture says, "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21) Also, "But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7) Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Come, let us believe our God! "And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17)

~ Judy Hollobaugh

God's Answer to Fear

2 Chronicles 20:1-22

Yesterday, in our reading, we saw God provide strength, confidence, and trust for His young servant David, which resulted in the defeat of his giant enemy. It is only fitting that today we will read of God's direct words in response to a group of hearts that were not so full of that confidence. It is so like our God to respond with an answer to human need.

First, that human need must be recognized. As the people of God, in this chapter, stood there surveying the odds, noting the surrounding enemy encampments, and comparing their weakness to the overwhelming evil "strength" around them, God was placing His words in the mouth of His servant. "Fear not!" They, nor we, would be able to move beyond that fear and doubt, without being saturated by the words, "I am weak, but He is strong." How appropriate that those would actually be the words to a "children's" song, since there is no other way to find the peace and protection of God and His strength, unless we start with the heart of a child. So, human weakness is where God begins.

Secondly, we notice in this reading, God's clear call to wait, to be still, and to not charge ahead alone..."Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." (vs.17) When God issues a plan, and promises a victorious outcome, there is nothing that can stand in the way.... except perhaps the "I can do this, and I will prove it to the world and the church" attitude of one or two, or an "army" of His children. Imagine saying to the One who gave us life and breath, "I can fight this on my own; I do not need the strong arm of the Lord." (not to mention, the surrounding arms of the church, as well). So in handing over the lead and the charge to the Commander in Chief, the army can now rest in the certainty of victory. Stand still, and watch, for everything God says is sure.

How comforting that in our times of deepest fear, when the heart is pounding, beating out the words, "Oh, this is it, the enemy has come," God would make His faithful promise plain. "I will never leave you or forsake you."..."The battle is mine"..."Stand still and see it!" May we find the blessing in His answer; His answer to fear, and may we witness His victory over it. May our hearts be filled with the peace of God and of His Christmas, throughout this season and always. May our sights be filled with His answers of victory, for the Salvation of the Lord has come!

~ Kara H. Frantz

Go, and the Lord be with Thee

1 Samuel 17

Today, we have before us the story of David and Goliath. There seems to be three attributes that tend to show themselves throughout this account. They are humility, trust, and confidence...in that order. Out of these three, humility is the only one not shared by both parties—David and Goliath. Both have shown forth confidence and trust, but see, it does matter what the source of that trust and confidence is. Goliath, a picture of the devil—the enemy—stood tall, but his foundation was one of selfish clamor and boasting, whereas David, a childlike servant of the one True God, placed his trust in that One that he served. "David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and...the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee." (vs. 37)

I believe this story was meant to be a guide for us, in this day, when the world is so extremely vocal about telling people to show strength and confidence, and never lean on another soul—not even God Himself. If we can't find strength in a mighty God, then where will we find it? Just look at what happened to Goliath. He was one who relied on whatever he had within himself, and promising to crush a young, tender worshiper of God, ended up falling to the ground, surrounded by the dust of his own "strength."

I believe we can, like David, crush armies and giants, when we fix our gaze on the One who gave us breath. There will never be another we will be able to trust more...and all of this promise starts with humility, mere childlike trust. Just think, a true mother or father always provides strong arms for the child to lean on, and that is just how God is with His own children. Sometimes we walk away from Him, go on our own, and say "I can take it from here." In doing that, we are actually telling Him that we don't need Him. But it doesn't have to be that way. We can bow to Him and say, "I have nothing in me, but You have all", and He will lovingly say, "I can take it from here, the battle is mine." (vs. 47)

May God bless you deeply this Christmas season, and may the strong arm of God, our Lord, be surrounding you. May we all know the blessing in the confidence that our Father knows best, and He can take it from here. Merry Christmas!

~ Kara H. Frantz

Who Is It Going To Be, Some King Or The King?

1 Samuel 8

This year's devotional is about fighting battles. Right off, you would think those battles are going to be fought against enemies of Israel, but in today's devotional we see the battle is not with an enemy outside of Israel, but within. And please remember, that ancient Israel is a picture of today's church. So we should never say, oh, that was so long ago it's got nothing to do with me. Well, it does, and there is nothing new under the sun.

So what is going on with Israel? It seems they want a king, like everyone else, even after thousands of years of being led directly by God through His chosen servants like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, and others. Being delivered in the face of insurmountable odds, it was God who delivered His people. But, it seems they have lost faith in Him, or maybe—just maybe—if they were like everyone else, and be led by a king, they wouldn't be so hated. Isn't that what the church does today? It tries to be like the world so as not to be a target of the world. My wife and I were on vacation, and on our way, it was a Sunday morning, so we went to a church that happened to be next door to our hotel. It seemed like a good church that wanted to praise God, but as they gave news of what was going on in the church, they showed a picture of a souped-up sports car they were raffling off to raise money for a new church building. Some would say what is wrong with that? Everybody does that. Exactly! Where is God at in that? People are giving money, not from a changed heart, but the hope of cruising around in a nice car.

If the Israelites could just look like other nations, and have a king, maybe there would not be so many battles. Their king could sit down with our king and make agreement and compromise –- we will give you this piece of land if you don't attack us anymore—sound familiar? So God lets them have it their way; He's not a tyrant. He does not make anyone do what they do not wish to do. Moses came down from the mountain and said, "I set before you life and death; choose life." It is our choice. We can have the world's ways—less conflict, more compromise. But when you choose the world's ways, you suffer the world's ways. What are the world's ways? Nature shows us it is survival of the fittest. Sounds good—yeah for the fittest—but what about the lame, old, and sick? They get eaten by the lion. God's Word says that we are all sick with sin and there is a battle for our lives. The world says, "Come along with us; everyone else is coming our way." It is easier, and we all know that majority rules. God says, "Come My way. I have sent My one and only Son to show you the way. Let me fight the battle for you. I am faithful. I won't let any fall behind to be devoured by the lion (Satan)." The battle is the Lord's.

~ Jim Frantz

The Lord’s Sword; The Lord’s Battle

Judges 7:1-20

Gideon was a true man of God, a mighty man of valor, and the Lord was with him. God wanted to use him to save Israel from the Midianites. The Midianites were a huge company of people that had destroyed everything that Israel possessed, greatly impoverishing them. Many times, in our life situations, we can feel like we have been treated unfairly by a big bully! It can leave us discouraged and open to advice from everyone. Even Gideon was discouraged at first, asking, "If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?" But we have to remember that God is over all things. God wanted to reveal Himself as the ONLY one who brings true deliverance and peace to your souls. God led Gideon to bring down all the places of false worship and whatever was not God's way of handling a situation. God called Gideon to "build an altar to the Lord his God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement." God had a plan, a battle array that was to be set, and a way to lead the people, which in the world's eyes, looked very pathetic.

The Spirit of the Lord then came upon Gideon, and when he blew the trumpet of leadership, as God's anointed, many gathered behind him. However, God wasn't looking for support groups that are all talk, and come with all of their hugs and bad advice. Secondly, God sent away all of those who were fearful of confrontation. And finally, He sent away all who would bow down to their own self image. Only those who were alert to the fact that there is an enemy of the soul, and were willing to receive their marching orders from the Captain's hand, were retained to fight the enemy of God, by His direction. The cross of Jesus Christ stands on top of the rock for all to see, as our battle banner. "Onward Christian Soldiers...forward into battle!" As strange as it sounds, by God's direction, Gideon put a trumpet into every man's hand, with an empty pitcher and a torch inside the pitcher. And he said to them, "Look at me and do likewise; watch and when I come to the edge of the camp, you shall do as I do; when I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp and say, 'The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!'" (vss. 17,18) So they did as he did. Next, he blew the trumpet and broke the pitcher that was in his hand, and they did the same—crying, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" (vs. 20b)

That day, a little church fought a great battle God's way, as one man, together in Christ. They didn't use weapons, law suits, muscle, money, tears, or bitter words. It started with one man, who was called by God, to lead those who would follow to victory in Christ, as broken vessels, lit with the Holy Spirit's fire, and sounding a clear message... "MAY JESUS CHRIST BE PRAISED!"

~ Ruth Ann Ward

The Lord Thy God is With Thee

Joshua 1

We read in Joshua, "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (1:9) After God's faithful servant, Moses, died, God called upon Joshua—another faithful one—to lead His people and to be strong and courageous in doing so. Oh, and lead he would—the land would be vast; from Lebanon to the great river Euphrates—all of the land of the Hittites, all of the way to the Great Sea. And the promise would be great, too—just as the Lord was with Moses, He would be with the man Joshua. He was told by the Lord Himself, "...be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein..." (vss. 7,8) In other words, life—in the service of God—would be a battle, but we should always remember that the battle belongs to the Lord. It would be fought in His strength, His wisdom, and all to His glory. And in Him will be the victory!

The people, as well as Joshua himself, said they were willing to be led by God. Joshua reminded them that the Lord will provide, to everyone who wants it, a place of true rest. God will, and does, most definitely provide. In fact, He has already provided for our Eternal Home with Him in Jesus Christ and His Cross. If we—if I—will just take Him at His Word—believe and trust Him; seek Him with all of our lives; submit to His will and ways, He will be our everything! God has a "Promised Land" HE
WANTS to give us. If we will just turn from our ways of death, to His way of eternal, everlasting life with Him, the victory at the end of the battle will be seen; will be experienced; will be ours. The people responded, "...All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go. According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as He was with Moses. Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage." (vss. 16-18) Wow—imagine that—they promised that they would obey their new spiritual leader even as they did Moses. That should not be much of a comfort to Joshua in that the people were almost perpetually rebellious and complaining. But it must begin with the promise, and then, as God changes the heart, He changes the life as well. I need this! This has spoken strongly to me! God's promise is always true. He is with us; we just have to make sure that we are with HIM! May the Lord be with you! Merry Christmas!

~ Nancy Faust

The Battle of the Ages: Seeing the Salvation of the Lord

Exodus 14:10-31

From beginning to end, the focus is on Jesus. Yes, even throughout the Old Testament—it all points to Jesus! Today, we begin a week of seeing that the battle is the Lord's, from the perspective of the Old Covenant. As the days of the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—came to a close, the people of God found themselves in 400 years of Egyptian bondage. Then, it was Moses' turn—a man empowered by God to call the Pharaoh to, "Let my people go." (Exodus 5:1) After ten devastating plagues—proving it is indeed God's battle—the king of Egypt finally obeyed and let them go. But it wasn't long until he changed his mind, and chased after them—right up to the Red Sea.

The sea to their backs, and Pharaoh's armies bearing down before them—looks like they were doomed, but, remember, the battle belongs to the Lord. As he stood on the cliff, Moses said, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace...Go forward." (Exodus 14:13-15) Right this moment, lay your Bible out across your hand, and look right down the binding—it looks like the opening of the Red Sea, doesn't it? Can you make it through to the other end, and all firmly planted in the Word of God? I think this has been the battle from the beginning—seeing, I mean really seeing—the salvation of the Lord. Many want to, in a sense, save themselves, but we could never actually earn it. It's a free gift! Stand still, and then go forward in Him. I think that is what Moses meant by holding our peace—not throwing in our own two cents and expecting God to do everything our way. The call for us today is to not get all consumed by our circumstances and become fearful of them. Instead, we must fear the Lord, surrendering and submitting to His leading, trusting that He alone knows best. After all, the battle is His! Jack Countryman put it this way—"It all begins and ends with Jesus. We need to consistently focus on Christ instead of our own circumstances. Christ has done everything necessary for us to endure in our faith. There will be trials, but we are to 'count it all joy.' (James 1:2) Step by step, He goes before us and leads us on. The best is always before us, and someday, we will meet Him face to face and reign with Him in glory. He is our example and model, for He has focused on the 'joy that was set before Him.' His attention was not on the agonies of the Cross, but on the Crown; not on the suffering, but on the reward." Seeing God's hand in it all is half the battle; the other half is a death to self and submitting to His Holy Word! Jesus said, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." (John 15:14) It is the battle of the ages, but it is a battle well worth winning—in the power and in the Spirit of our Almighty God!

~ Rev. Roy D. Warren, Jr.

Introduction

I believe that Anne Graham Lotz, in her book, "God's Story," captured the essence of what is before us in this Christmas Season. She wrote, "The black velvety sky was clear and studded with sparkling stars that had looked down on earth since the beginning of time. Shepherds appeared to be sitting idly by their flocks, but in fact, were keeping a sharp lookout for anything or anyone who might harm the sheep entrusted to their care."

Do you see it? The Christmas Story is usually presented in such a way as to portray the shepherds as sleepy, with nothing to do. But that was not the case—even in Christmas, there was a battle. There were dangers with which to contend—wild animals, rustlers, and even wandering sheep. I know many would not like to view it this way, but all of life is really a battle. We have an Enemy, and when we surrender to his enemy, the Lord Himself, there will be a battle. When we back down and compromise, the battle goes away to a large degree—and that is what so many want—except for God! Do you remember the story of Abraham and the great test that God had for him? In Genesis 22:2, we read, "And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Would Abraham be willing to give back to God every promise—including the Child of Promise, a picture of Christ? We see no arguing with God—or trying to reason and bargain with Him—none of that; pure trust and belief! And even when Isaac questioned something about the whole experience, Abraham is unflappable—Isaac asked, "Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" (vs. 7b) His father responded, "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering..." (vs. 8a) God will do it—the battle is the Lord's.

God must have been looking down through the millennia, for it would not be a lamb—it would be a ram, one caught in a thicket. (vs. 13) Jesus, the offering that sets us free from sin, would not stay a baby, but grow up and go to the thicket of the Cross, and experience its thorns—the nails. Praise God! Join us as this booklet will take us on four legs of a journey seeing the battle as belonging to the Lord. The first week will be spent in the Old Testament; the second, in the Gospel of John and the seven miracle's he highlights; the third week will focus on the miraculous in the Book of Acts, the story of the fledgling church; and finally, the last week before Christmas—with all of the commotion and the busyness of a real battle—our view will be towards the real reason for the season, namely Jesus our Lord. I don't doubt that you are going through a battle right now—some heartache, some discouragement, some loss—but none of it is a good reason to pull away from the battle of commitment to God and to His church. Come on—enter in, and be truly blessed with a Merry Christmas! God loves you; will you truly love Him?