An Appropriate Gift - Anytime!

How large was your Christmas list this year? Christmas is a time of year when we make our list of friends and family to whom we want to give gifts. We usually start with our children and spouse and work our way out to our family, friends and co-workers. As we do this, the list becomes larger and larger. It's no wonder that we can be overwhelmed at the COST of Christmas.

Today, let’s talk about a gift that is appropriate to give at anytime. And it doesn’t cost any “cash” but there is a cost, mainly our pride!

God paid a very dear cost for us to receive the Gift of eternal life through Jesus. He gave His one and only Son so that we could have life. Most of us understand eternal life as being something that we will receive after we die. But that isn't the full meaning. You see ETERNAL means endless, never-ending, everlasting, and timeless. The moment we accept the offer of Jesus' sacrifice of LIFE, we begin our eternal, never ending walk with God. What that means is that God's life, His love, His peace, His joy, His compassion, is NOW part of who we are and as we submit ourselves to Him, the Holy Spirit empowers us to be more and more like Jesus. That's the part of LIVING that often Christians take many years in their Christian walk to understand; that we didn't have to survive on my own anymore because the Holy Spirit is IN US to HELP US live the Christian life.

One of the things that the Holy Spirit empowers us to do is FORGIVE. To some that sounds like an impossible task that even God would not ask us to do. After all, some of the people we don't want to forgive really did hurt us. But forgiveness is the MAIN thing that Jesus was born to give to us. We are all sinners who fall short of God's glory and without the shed blood of Jesus, we are doomed not just to hell, but to live a life of misery, because separated from God our lives are hopeless. But Jesus offers us forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. Now that is LIFE ETERNAL!

One of the biggest reasons that people, even Christians, are miserable is because they refuse to let go of the hurts, disappointment, and offenses of others. They justify their pain and keep themselves and others locked in a prison of unforgiveness.

Peter had a problem with unforgiveness too. He wasn't exactly thrilled with one of his fellow disciples. One day (Matthew 18:21) he asked Jesus a question, "How many times must I forgive? How about 7? That sounds reasonable doesn't it?" Can't you just see Peter beaming with pride after answering his own question? But Jesus went above and beyond Peters expectation and said; "How about 7 times 70?" Can’t you just hear Peter. "You've got to be kidding me? You expect me to forgive this guy John, who by the way keeps bragging about how much you love him 490 times? Why don't you deal with Him about his pride and give me a BREAK!"

Jesus had a way of getting right to the heart of people's problems. The real issue here is that NO ONE, not even Peter who walked with Jesus every day, could love the unlovely and give forgiveness without the Help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was reminding Peter, and US, that apart from HIM we can't do anything.

Have you ever noticed that right in the middle of the word forgiveness is the word GIVE? Luke 6:38 says that whatever we give will be given back to us. Paul said in Galatians 6:7 that whatever we sowed, which is also a form of giving would be what we harvested. Jesus said that unless we forgive others, God wouldn't forgive us (Matthew 6:15). OUCH! Why do you suppose that we are required to do this?

Let’s look at two main reasons that God requires Christians to offer forgiveness to others. First, we have been forgiven. All of our sins, which are many, have been washed away. They haven't just been covered over. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness and sets us free from the power of sin and death. When we refuse to forgive others, WE, not them, are placed into a pit and our hearts become a seed bed for satan's seeds of bitterness, depression, and offense. The longer we go holding onto the unforgiveness, the more the garden of our heart becomes infested with the enemy's seeds! This is NOT the life that Jesus died to give us. This the enemy's plan to kill, steal and destroy the love that God wants to shed abroad in our hearts!

Second, when we offer forgiveness to others who have hurt us, it unlocks the chains in their life for God to work in their hearts.

One of the obstacles to giving forgiveness is that our flesh never wants to do it. Many people say "I wish I could forgive, but I just don't feel like I can." Wishing isn't one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but self-control is! It's not something we always feel like doing! James 4:7 says that if we will submit ourselves to God and resist the devil he'll flee. Notice that Satan doesn't flee until after we choose to submit ourselves to God and you can't find anywhere that it says we have to feel like it! Forgiveness is a choice we make in obedience to God's word. It may take a while for our flesh to get over harboring unforgivensess but our spirit part loves it when we choose to follow God!

It isn't easy making the choice to forgive. But living with unforgiveness can be downright deadly! It has been said that harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies! That's a good way to think about it, because many, many illnesses, can be linked to bitterness and unforgiveness!

So why don’t we chose to give some undeserving person the gift of forgiveness in the upcoming New Year? Giving forgiveness will open a door for God to do great things in your life and in the lives of those you choose to forgive. So as you make your list of New Year’s resolutions how about making a list of those you need to forgive. Maybe it's your spouse or your children. Maybe it's the store clerk that was rude to you. Maybe it's your pastor or your friend. Maybe it is someone you just don’t like! Maybe it's yourself. Your gift of forgiveness will go a long way for God to work in their hearts, and in yours. Ask the Holy Spirit to stir up a heart of compassion in you and release LOVE, JOY, and PEACE in your heart. Be obedient to the still small voice of God and forgive those who have hurt and disappointed you in the past. Your New Year will be brighter and their life will be better for it too.

For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org.

After 2000 Years They Are Still Wise Men

What do we really know about the wise men? Not much when you examine the scripture. Where did they come from? “The east” you say. But where in the east? We know they came from the east and they came from a long way away, but we don’t really know where they came from.

How many of them were there and what kind of men were they? Again, we don’t know. It has been suggested that these men were kings because the Old Testament had predicted that kings would come to worship him. The three kings “theory” is based on the number of gifts mentioned, gold, frankincense and myrrh. And the manufacturers of nativity scenes picked up on this, so in every nativity scene, you see three kings or wise men. But the Bible doesn’t tell us exactly who they were or how many of them came.

When did they come? We don’t know for sure. But it was almost certain that they did not come to Him in the stable. Matthew writes, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary.” (Matthew 2:11). This tells us that at the time they arrived Jesus and Mary were in a house. Also, when Herod realized that the wise men had “outwitted” him, he orders that all boys 2 years and under in the area of Bethlehem, killed. He had asked the wise men when the star first appeared so he had an idea of when Jesus had been born. See Matthew 2:1-8 for the full story.

So we don’t know who they were, where they came from, how many of them there were or even when they came. Why not? Why doesn’t Matthew tell us any of this information? Maybe the detail is left out of the picture in order that the full emphasis may be placed on the one thing that is central to this story, namely their statement, “we have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2b)That’s the main point of this particular story as Matthew tells it to us. “We have come to worship him.” And as we look at what Matthew tells us about these men, although they may have been strange little men who dressed weird, they really were wise men.

And the challenge for us today, is whether we will be wise men and women. Wise men still seek him. Wise men still serve him and wise men still worship him.

First, wise men still seek him! It’s likely that these wise men were descendants of the ten tribes of Israel that remained in Babylon after the time of Daniel. Many of the Jews did not return to their homeland but rather chose to remain behind in Babylon. We don’t know much about their faith but they were looking for the coming messiah. They took literally the statement from Numbers 24.17: “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” And so they searched the skies for hundreds of years looking for a sign that the messiah had come. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced and came seeking the one who was born king of the Jews.

We don’t know exactly how far they traveled, but it is likely that they came from 500 to 1000 miles away. Imagine traveling that far on the back of a camel. One hump or two? It might not be that bad if you were on a two humper. Maybe you could settle in between the humps and put it on auto-pilot, or auto-camel. But imagine being on top of a one humper trying to keep your balance the whole way! And it was a long and difficult trip across the desert. Give these men credit. They really wanted to come and worship Jesus. They were serious seekers. Are we?

Wise men and women still seek him. What about you? These wise men teach us that perfect theology is not required to come to the conclusion that Jesus is God’s son who came to earth for you. Don’t miss this. The Apostle John says that “He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.” (John 1:11). He came into the world he had created, walked the land he made and came to the people he had chosen as his special people. And he was rejected. But then John says “to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

Are you seeking for something to fill the void in your life this Christmas? There are a lot of ways to fill that feeling of emptiness. But there’s only one way to fill it in a way that will last. That’s to realize that the emptiness is caused by God in order to bring us to Him. God sent Jesus to fill that void. He came to earth as a man, lived a perfect life, died for our sins and rose from the dead. He offers us forgiveness, fulfillment and peace happiness. What we have to do is first to recognize that we have sinned against him. Ask him to forgive us for our sins and be the lord of our life. Our life will never be the same and we will be on the road to being a wise man.

For many of us, we’ve made that commitment. But it’s important that we continue to seek him, to know him each day and to know his word. We must continue to grow in our relationship with God.

So, wise men still seek him!
Second, wise men still serve him. They stopped in Jerusalem to find out exactly where Jesus could be found. There they met King Herod. He must have been enraged by their question and statement. “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” “Newborn king of the Jews?” Kings are not born. Herod had to murder, commit acts of deceit and treachery in order to become king. Who in the world could be born a king? And why would he have a star? And why would these men want to worship a baby? Herod must have been beside himself. But he kept calm and tried to make a deal with the magi.

“When you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” (Matthew 2:8b). The wise men knew he was lying to them. But now they had a choice. Who would they serve? The little tiny helpless baby born king of the Jews or the powerful King Herod? After all, if they served Herod, he might reward them greatly. Jesus was just a baby. Maybe they could worship and serve him later is life. Maybe they could serve Herod now and Jesus later. Maybe they could have the best of both worlds, have their cake and eat it, too.

But that’s not what they did. They went to worship this little tiny baby. And then when God warned them supernaturally in a dream and they understood what he wanted them to do, they were faithful to serve him regardless of the danger of disobeying the murderous King Herod.

Wise men still serve Him. Are you serving Him? What has He called you to do? We don’t know what God has called everyone to do, BUT we do know that serving God involves serving others. There are a lot of opportunities to serve others especially at this time of year.

But doing good for others doesn’t end with the Christmas season. Again, as part of our commitment to live a life that really matters, we will choose to serve God by doing premeditated acts of kindness to those around us. We’ll choose to give time to serving God either through our church or other avenues of service. God blesses those who serve him. Wise men still serve him.

And finally, wise men still worship him. These men had one come all this way with one purpose in mind. That purpose was to worship the one who was born king of the Jews. They came to worship the Son of God. They did it with confidence. They did it with the certainty of hope. Look at some of the language. ““Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” They didn’t just set out for a leisurely ride in the desert; show up in Jerusalem and say, “we heard something was going on in this area. What’s happening? We saw some bright stars and thought maybe they meant something. What do you think?” No. They were definite and they were certain. “Where is he? We have come to worship him.”

Wise men still worship Him!
Are you a wise man or woman? Are you spending time worshipping him? Worship is not just about attending church. You can attend church and still not worship. Worship involves praising God both in speaking and in singing. Worship involves hearing the word of God taught and responding by changing our lives. And worship involves giving of our gifts to God. How are you doing in your worship? Are you taking time to praise, to confess, to study and to grow?

We read of no greater faith than this in all the Bible. It is a faith that deserves to be placed side by side with that of the thief on the cross. The thief saw one dying the death of a criminal and yet prayed to him and called him ‘Lord.’ The wise men saw a newborn baby on the lap of a poor woman, and yet they worshipped him and confessed that he was the Christ.

The men really were wise men. And today, wise men still seek him. Wise men still serve him and wise men still worship him. My prayer is that we be wise men and women, seeking Him, serving Him and worshipping Him as he leads us every day to become more and more a growing family of believers seeking to be more like Him!

For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org. Also, Check out our “blog” at: http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/

The Greatest Gift

Christmas is a time of giving. And that means Christmas is a time of shopping. Ever since the wise men from the east showed up at the stable carrying gold, frankincense, and myrrh, people have been exchanging gifts at Christmas. Of course, it’s much more complicated today than it was for the wise men. For one thing, they didn’t have to contend with shopping malls, all packed full of parents (AND grandparents) going from store to store to store, desperately searching for a Wii or a Ultimate LEGO Vehicle Building Set (the closest one I have found is in Warsaw, Poland). The magi didn’t have to worry about sizes, or colors, or return policies. There were no razor scooters in those days, no transformers, and definitely no life-like Barbies. Just plain old gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Well, this year, just like every year, millions of people, both children and adults, will open millions of gifts. Some won’t fit. Some will be the wrong color. Many will be returned or exchanged. But there’s one gift that meets everyone’s need, one gift that will never wear out, never break or need repairing. A gift that is appropriate for a small child, or a teenager, or an adult, or a senior adult. Boy or girl, man or woman, it makes no difference. It makes no difference what your social status is, what your race is, or what your income is. The gift we all need, the most valuable gift of all, is that baby in the manger. The one that this whole season is about. On Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God gave us the gift of His own Son, Jesus Christ, so that through faith in Him we could be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. – John 3:16 (KJV)

Let’s look at three things about this gift, this incredible, priceless gift.First, the gift is Jesus Christ himself. The gift God offers us is to know Christ. To know Him as a friend, to have fellowship with Him, to have a relationship with Him. The gift God offers us is to be known and loved by Christ.

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” – John 17:3

Have you received this gift? Do you have this kind of relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you know Him as a friend? Is He someone you can talk with, confide in, seek counsel from? Do you feel at ease in His presence, like you would with a close friend, or do you feel like you have to rush around cleaning up your spiritual “house” before you can welcome him in? If the answer is “no,” if you don’t have this kind of relationship with Christ, the good news is that you can. All you have to do is ask. Come to him in prayer; confess your sins, ask His forgiveness, ask Him into your heart. That’s all you have to do.

Maybe you’ve never heard the Christian life described in this way before. Perhaps it sounds a little strange to talk about spending time with Jesus Christ, as if He were a flesh and blood person, someone you could see and hear and touch. Well, no it isn’t like that. We may not see visions or hear voices. But that doesn’t make our fellowship with him any less real. Christ is present with us. His Spirit lives in us. He speaks to us through the Bible. And we speak with him through prayer.

“We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” – 1 John 1:3

People sometimes think of Christianity as nothing but a set of burdensome responsibilities. Doing things you’d rather not do. Like going to church, when you’d rather be home reading the Sunday paper. Some people see the Christian life as a lot of rules, a lot of “do’s” and “don’ts” (mainly “don’ts”). Or if they view Christianity more positively, they might see it primarily in terms of the benefits it can bring – improved relationships; stronger marriages; guidance in raising children; emotional strength to deal with difficult circumstances. And that’s true, but even this misses the mark. The essence of Christianity isn’t rules, or “do’s and don’t’s”, or even blessings. The essence of Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, the Christian life brings many benefits – joy, peace, hope. But they all come through Christ, they all flow from our relationship with Him.

Your greatest gift to your children isn’t a few boxes wrapped in colored paper, on Christmas or their birthday. The most valuable thing you can offer them is a relationship; your love and care, your time and attention, your commitment to always be there when they need you. Right? Everything else flows from that. In the same way, God’s greatest gift to us is a relationship with Jesus Christ, and a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.

The second thing is that this gift has great value. Although there is truly nothing more desirable than knowing Christ, many people just can’t see it. Their eyes haven’t been opened. They look into the manger, and they don’t see a king. They don’t see the Savior of the World. They don’t see “the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,” -- to list just some of His names. They don’t see anything special at all, because they don’t have eyes of faith. All they can see is an ordinary human being. And so, they pass by the child in the manger and instead seek after the gold, and the frankincense, and the myrrh sitting at the side. They don’t want the baby, they want the presents. Which do you value more, the toys and trinkets of this life that will all eventually crumble into dust, or a relationship with Jesus Christ that will last forever?

"God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. Or, God's kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.” Matt. 13:44-46 (MSG)

Knowing Christ is worth more than anything else in this world; in fact, knowing Christ is worth more than everything else in this world. We will never be disappointed by Him. He is that treasure; He’s that pearl of great value. God’s gift to us, this child in the manger, is worth more than anything else we could ever possess. Does your life reflect that truth? Do you know Him? Are you seeking Him?

“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! 2 Corinthians 9:15

Finally, the gift must be received. It’s available to everyone, but God doesn’t force it on anyone. We have to receive it. We have to take the package, and open the box, and accept it as our own. We each have to make the decision to receive Jesus Christ into our lives. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 Not all who heard about him, or agreed with his teachings. Not all who attended church. Not all who tried to follow the golden rule. But all who received him. Some people imagine that God’s love has to be earned; that we have to do something to deserve His forgiveness, that we have to somehow be good enough to merit His acceptance. But a gift you have to pay for is no gift at all.

Now, maybe you opened that gift years ago, but lately it’s been sitting on the shelf. You’ve been too busy, or too distracted, or too hurting to give Christ the time and attention you know He deserves. Or maybe for you that gift is still under the tree, wrapped and ready to be opened. Here’s the point of the lesson: Don’t leave Christ on the shelf; don’t leave Him under the tree. Take him into your heart and into your life, even today. That gift from God has a tag with your name on it. What better day than Christmas to renew your commitment to Christ; or what better day than Christmas to begin a new life of fellowship with Jesus Christ, a new life of joy and peace and love?


For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org.

Why Did Jesus Christ Come as a Baby?

In those first speechless moments, new parents (and grandparents) gaze with fascination. They lovingly examine every inch of their newborn child's face.

No matter how we prepare ourselves, the reality of new birth astounds us. Here, nestled in our arms, is a brand-new member of the human race. Here is the future in flesh; our legacy to the world. We check eyes, mouth, ears for telltale family resemblances; we marvel at the delicate pink skin. Most of all, we silently thank the Lord over and over for a gift so unimaginably wonderful.

Can you imagine how intently Joseph and Mary must have studied the Child who came to them in Bethlehem? His coming had been foretold not by doctors but by angels. If those angels were right - and how could they not be? - here in that winter night was born a Messiah who had been the subject of poems, songs, and dreams for a thousand years. Messiah: Perhaps the couple stammered when they tried to speak the M-word aloud. It was just so hard to imagine such a magnificent personification when they looked at the sleeping infant.

After all, everyone knew (or thought they knew) that the Messiah would be the ultimate military commander. He would come storming in on horseback, with sword held high, crying out for vengeance and redemption in the name of the Lord and his favored nation. The Chosen One would have the wisdom of Solomon, the charisma of David, the godliness of Moses, and the military genius of Joshua.

Yet here He was coming into the world as - just a baby. Joseph and Mary had to admit that here was a baby who seemed, at first glance, like any other newborn child. He cried in the middle of the night. He hungered for milk. He needed fresh "swaddling clothes" every now and then. If this was just an ordinary child like cousin Elizabeth's new addition, how could he be the one foretold by all the prophets? How could an infant be the Son of God?

Or for that matter, why would the Son of God be an infant? The need of crumbling, dying Israel was urgent. First the Greek and now the Roman influence was wiping away a bit more of the legacy of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each day. They needed someone to come in like a hurricane to wipe out all this “outside” influence. But no, he came in softly and quietly, like a falling snow at night. Like we had last night! But Praise God, He lasted longer, like forever!

Why, indeed? Why did Jesus come as a child?

Jesus is the One like no other, for he was fully human and fully God – at the same time. Nothing about his humanity could detract from his godliness; nothing about his godliness could detract from his humanity. Only because this is true can he reconcile the Father in heaven with his children on earth. He is the Man of both worlds; he is the bridge by which God comes to earth and people come to heaven.

In that regard, we have seen that the Virgin Birth is the sign of his divinity. He comes to the earth from outside, pure and clean, and he is in no way a product of this world. Now we see that, in the same way, the infancy of the Child is the sign of his humanity. He is one of us in every way. He arrives from heaven with perfection and godliness of which no man or woman is capable - yet he takes the full human journey, which even God in heaven had not taken. How could we follow his footsteps as a man if we hadn't seen him crawl as a child? How could we believe he had undergone all the temptation we have faced if he had bypassed the most difficult years in which we struggle to earn our adulthood?

To make the full sacrifice on our behalf, Jesus had to make the full commitment. It would have meant very little to us if he had sprung from heaven fully formed, bathed in heavenly glory, saying, "Here are my hands and my feet - place me upon the cross, for I am willing to die."

Instead, we see him as a child in a manger. We see him at the Temple as a boy on the verge of maturity, already about his Father's business. We see Mary and Joseph wondering at him, trying to understand, as he grew "in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people" (Luke 2:52).

Finally, we see him as a young man, quietly beginning a ministry that will change all of human history. We overhear the whispers from his neighbors: "He's just a carpenter's son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers - James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us" (Matthew 13:55-56).

We see him in the desert, wrestling with temptation and the matter of his destiny, and we know he is fully human. We see his love for children, and we can believe it because he, too, has been a child. And then, when those crude spikes are driven through his wrists and his ankles, we know he feels the pain that any man would feel. We know the price of our sins is on the table, being paid in full with no credit plans or easy payment schedules, but by every last drop of blood and every brutal slash of the whip. We are bought with a price that could never have been paid without Jesus accepting the role as being fully human.

If he had been God only, his sacrifice would not have been very convincing. After all God wouldn’t feel pain and suffering like we would! If he had been man only, his sacrifice would have had no power; he would have been a martyr like ten thousand others before Him.

But he was man and he was God, and therefore he was all in all. He came as a child to confront and conquer every challenge and every temptation common to humanity. We trust him with our lives because he was God. We love him with our hearts because we know that once he was, “a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:12b


I heard this song by Audrey Assad for the first time at the Chris Tomlin concert. Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy29mQfiavg

Winter Snow

Could've come like a mighty storm
With all the strength of a hurricane
You could've come like a forest fire
With the power of heaven in Your flame

But You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

You could've swept in like a tidal wave
Or an ocean to ravish our hearts
You could have come through like a roaring flood
To wipe away the things we've scarred

But You came like a winter snow
(Yes, You did)
You were quiet You were soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night

Oh, no, Your voice wasn't in a bush burning
No, Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind
It was still It was small
It was hidden To the earth below

You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Falling
(Oh, yeah)
To the earth below
You came falling
From the sky in the night To the earth below

Known by Our Fruit

A little boy went over to a pastor's house, where the pastor was doing some carpentry in his garage. The boy simply stood there and watched him for quite a long time. After a while, the preacher wondered why this boy was watching him and was finally so curious that he stopped and said, "Son, are you trying to pick up some pointers on how to build something?"
The little boy replied, "No. I am just waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his thumb with a hammer."

Often, we will find out what we are made of by what comes out of our mouths in both good and bad circumstances. When we have a change in conduct and character in our lives, it is a type of spiritual fruit.

Galatians 5:22 says, "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness" (NLT). A Christian's life should be characterized by these things.

Some people think it’s just their testimony – what they say. But that’s not true. If somebody just says they are a Christian, it doesn’t mean necessarily that they’re a Christian. Just because you say “I know the way to Montgomery”, doesn’t mean that you’re in Montgomery right now. In the same way a person can say “I’m a Christian” even know the way to be a Christian, but this doesn’t mean necessarily that they’re a Christian. So what are the things that can identify a person as really being truly a Christ follower?

Jesus said, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4-6.

So Jesus says essentially two things: Remain in Him. The person that hangs in there with Jesus, having faith, believing in Him and staying attached to the vine – that’s a mark of a Christian. And then the second one is bearing fruit.

The "fruit" the Bible talks about is the "fruit of the Spirit," character qualities that the Holy Spirit wants to develop in your life. He will not force you to have the qualities, but when you accept Jesus as a Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in you. Only He has the power to put your old nature to death, giving you a new nature that produces good fruit, or good character traits. Your life will continue to bear good fruit only when you stay connected to the source of growth.

So these are two markers that you can recognize in a Christian. In your life, you can recognize that you truly are a Christian if you have abiding faith and you are bearing fruit. Not perfectly. Not necessarily all the time, but on an ever-increasing basis as your life unfolds over time, you are bearing more and more fruit as you grow up into Jesus Christ. You become mature in Jesus. So Are you producing fruit? Or is the opposite true?

Instead of love, is there hatred, bitterness, or even prejudice in your life? Instead of joy, is there constant gloom? Instead of peace, is there turmoil? Instead of gentleness, is there a short temper? Instead of faith, is there endless worry? Instead of meekness, is there pride and arrogance? Instead of self-control, are you a victim of your own passions?

If so, then either you don't know God at all or a recommitment to Christ would be in order.
If you are a Christian, then people should be able to look for-and find-fruit in your life. Why? Because a disciple of Jesus Christ will produce spiritual fruit.

Jesus said, "When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father." (John 15:8). Jesus also said, “... just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions." (Matthew 7:20 ).

The metaphor of bearing fruit is used quite often in the Bible. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus spoke of seed that falls on different types of ground, representing different reactions to the truth of the gospel message. The final category He mentioned in Mark 4:20 was good ground: "And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"

In other words, those who have spiritual maturity are those who embrace this truth and produce fruit. The Bible tells us that we should bear fruit that shows we have repented. Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. (Matthew 3:8).

The Bible gives us different pictures as to what "bearing fruit" means. For example, praising and thanking God is a way of bearing fruit in our lives. Hebrews 13:15 says, " Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (NIV). When you praise God, that is bearing fruit.

We don't praise God only when we are in the mood. Rather, we praise God because He is worthy of our praise.

Therefore, we don't praise God because we feel like it. We praise God because He deserves our praise. When we do this, we are bearing fruit.

What we say is also a type of fruit in our lives. Jesus said, “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. (Luke 6:43-45 NLT).

When you are a true Christian, it will be reflected by what you say. This is bearing fruit as well.
Can others identify spiritual fruit in your life? Remember, people are watching you. They are listening to you. Hopefully you are pointing them to Jesus.

For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org.

Why Me, God?

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Is it okay to get angry with God?

Yes.

Next question? (Or shall we go ahead and end the lesson?)

Yes, it is okay to get angry with God – but this is not the place where you want to stay for ever.

There are reasons about the okay-ness of getting angry – but several more about why we need to move beyond that anger.

One reason about the okay-ness with being angry has to do with the nature of God, Himself and the words of the scriptures, particularly the Psalms.

As to God, Himself: God is the Creator of all there is, was, or ever will be. That’s big. Bigger than we can possibly imagine. God is Creator of everything but because nothing can compare with that concept, we sound like babbling fools when we say it. Think about it: Creator of everything. Creator of everything.

The God who can create everything on earth and in all the many galaxies is certainly powerful enough to withstand a blast of our anger.

That is not to say that we cannot wound God with our anger. Look at what we did to His Son, Jesus of Nazareth! We mistreated, tortured and killed the God who was human – and if Christ Jesus is as much God as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are said to be – then we certainly can wound God with our anger.

But we will not overcome God with our anger. (That doesn’t mean it is wise or noble or always useful to be angry with God, just that sometimes people do get angry and it is not the end of the world.)

And who ever said that life was nice anyway – so nice, and sweet and easy that there would never be reasons to get angry? Not the scriptures, that’s for sure, and most especially the Psalms.

Yes, the scriptures talk about blessing and love and hope and forgiveness and compassion and resurrection and the beauty of living – but that’s not the whole picture, is it? Part of the wondrous universality of the scripture is that it leaves nothing out. Its characters are often as not villains rather than saints, and the truth is unvarnished and often unflattering.

The Psalms are great, in part, because they catalogue every conceivable emotion. Frustration, reverence, gratitude, envy, disappointment, hopelessness, hopefulness, sorrow, vengefulness, forgiveness, anger. It’s all there.

Sometimes we just need to vent, to express all our feelings so that we could begin to move forward and get over it

The Bible is our holy book but it is not always a nice book because it is a mirror which reflects who we really are – and who we might be if we move closer or further away from God.

But that’s not the point: The point is that life is sometimes messy, sometimes painful, sometimes disappointing, sometimes tragic – and when bad things happen, we sometimes get angry – at ourselves, at our loved ones, at our God.

And let‘s note this about that: Our emotions are a powerful force.

Swallow them and they will probably make you sick.

Act on them thoughtlessly, and you’ll do loads of damage.

Let them out in appropriate ways, and you make within yourself a spiritual space in which healing is possible.

Who better to cry out to than the God who created and loves us! Listen to the psalmist:
I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens. I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal. When friends said, "Everything will turn out all right," I didn't believe a word they said. I remember God—and shake my head. I bow my head—then wring my hands. I'm awake all night—not a wink of sleep; I can't even say what's bothering me. Psalm 77:1-4 MSG

The psalmist goes on to say: Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good? Will he never smile again? Is his love worn threadbare? Has his salvation promise burned out? Has God forgotten his manners? Has he angrily stalked off and left us? "Just my luck," I said. "The High God goes out of business just the moment I need him." (Verses 7-10). But then he kinda’ switches gears: O God! Your way is holy! No god is great like God! You're the God who makes things happen; you showed everyone what you can do— (Verses 13-15)

Here it’s not necessarily anger being expressed – but it is pouring out one’s complaint to the Lord. It is a lament: The writer is in pain. To whom can he turn but the Lord God Almighty? And what does the psalmist seek? Comfort. Relief. Healing. He doesn’t want to remain in this condition one single moment longer!

This takes us back to the beginning of this lesson: Yes, it is okay to get angry with God – but this is not the place where you want to stay for ever. Not too smart!

Pastor John Hagee did this devotional on subject: “You can get bitter – or you can get better!” He gets pretty harsh with us.

If you’re thrown in jail like Paul, write the book of Romans. If you’re beaten and chained in prison, sing in the midnight hour. If you’re knocked down, get up and get back in the fight. Quit whining about your circumstances. Take up your cross. Put your hand to the plow and don’t look back. Put on the whole armor of God—and fight. Arise and do exploits in the name of our God.

He goes on to say that Satan throws a bunch of lies at us, one being this:
Life must be fair. That’s a joke. Life is not fair. Life never has been fair. Life never will be fair. Does that tear you up? Get over it. Some are born brilliant. Some don’t learn to wave bye-bye until they’re 18. What’s fair about that? Some are born beautiful. And then there are the rest of us.

It’s not what happens to you. It’s how you respond to what happens to you. You can get bitter or you can get better. You can wallow in your self-pity or you can get off your duff and turn the lemon that life has given you into lemonade. It is your choice. You can rise to the highest destiny God has for you or you can wallow in some cesspool of self-made agony. I’m saying to you in Jesus’ name, whatever your past, get over it. You can be a new creature in Christ Jesus. John Hagee

Whatever your fear, your hurt, your worry, your pain – if you feel cheated by life: Pour out your heart to God, who has the power to take it on the chin and the compassion to lift you back up again!

Let go of the pain, the anger, the hurt, and let God heal your life.

I’ve personally seen it. I’ve personally experienced it. I personally know it works!

Let God heal your life.

He Is With You

Note: We had a little different style lesson this week. A few weeks ago a class member mentioned the song He Is With You by Mandisa. I had not heard the song. After “googling” for the lyrics, I read them and then checked out the video on You Tube. This stayed on my heart until I purchased the song and downloaded it. I believe God led me to make this into a WhoSoEver lesson. For you not in the class, we played the song by Mandisa and then discussed each verse. I didn’t know how God would use this but thanks to the class there was a lot of discussion and even some tears. Hey, tears are good! I wish each of you could have been a part of this discussion. But since you were not, after reading the brief introduction, please take the time to listen to the song on You Tube, read along with the included lyrics, and then “ponder” the verses and see where God leads you with this. God Bless.

Hayward

He Is With You
All our lives we have hopefully been taught about how important God is in our lives. People who love God want to live a Godly life. Why! They love him as their father and genuinely want to serve and obey him.

God is good. He’ll reward his people in due season if they walk the walk of faith each and every day. Walking a Godly life will come with its trials. These trials actually build courage within our soul. People will go through periods of doubt. God will be there when this happens to lift them up and carry them on his back so to speak.

Life would be scary if we people of God didn’t want to follow him. By living a Godly life we as Christians know that we have a giant standing beside us ready to take on all our battles until victory is won. He is always with us.

Let’s take a moment and feel the comfort that lies within us because of the love God offers us. Let’s listen to the song He is With You by Mandisa and then we will discuss!
You can view a video at - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyy7K0e__x4

He Is With You - Mandisa

There's a time to live
And a time to die
There's a time to laugh
And a time to cry
There's a time for war
And a time for peace
There's a hand to hold
In the worst of these

He is with you when your faith is dead
And you can't even get out of bed
Or your husband doesn't kiss you anymore
He is with you when your baby's gone
And your house is still,
And your hearts a stone
Cryin' God, what'd You do that for
He is with you

There's a time for yes
And a time for no
There's a time to be angry
And a time to let it go
There is a time to run
And a time to face it
There is love to see you
Through all of this

He is with you in the conference room
When the world is coming down on you
And your wife and kids don't know you anymore
He is with you in the ICU
When the doctors don't know what to do
And it scares you to the core
He is with you

We may weep for a time
But joy will come in the morning
The morning light

He is with you when your kids are grown
When there's too much space
And you feel alone
And you're worried if you
got it right or wrong
Yes He is with you
when you've given up on ever finding your true love
Someone who feels like home
He is with you

When nothing else is left
And you take your final breath
He is with you

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“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.” Matthew 1:23 NLT


For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org