never alone

the message of Christmas is simple - we are never alone!  God sent Himself to us so that He would be our ever-present, closer than anyone else…. savior, healer, deliverer, father, mentor, friend.  this is why the angels (at the first Christmas) said, “don’t be afraid!  i bring you good news of great joy for everyone!”  luke 2:10 (nlt)  ”great joy” is exactly what i’m experiencing right now (and everyday of the year) - all because God is with me, He will never leave me or forget about me.

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”  psalm 46:1  no matter what i’m going through or regardless of the pressure, pain or hurt i’m experiencing - i can always find joy in the truth that God is in it with me and giving me the strength to keep moving onward and upward.  ”don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name; you are mine.  when you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.  when you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!  when you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.  for I am the Lord, your God… your savior.  do not be afraid, for I am with you.”  isaiah 43:1-3,5 (nlt)

we have a personal savior that is always with us.  a personal healer that loves to touch and restore us.  a personal deliverer that always comes through.  a personal God that we can completely trust with our very lives.  Christmas reminds us that we are never alone.

“thank God for His Son - His gift too wonderful for words.”  2 corinthians 9:15 (lb)

illuminate

winter solstice will take place in a few days.  basically it is when the earth is tilted the farthest distance from the sun and it is the darkest day of the year.  it is so incredible that during the darkest moment (the longest night) of the year we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ - the light of the world!

“I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the darkness.”  john 12:46 (nlt)

“I am the light of the world.  if you follow Me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.”  john 8:12 (lb)

look around at all the christmas lights - it’s amazing.  mary, the girls and i love to drive around and see the lights.  i’m looking forward to reminding hannah and abby that light played a major role at the birth of Christ.  the angels put on a spectacular light show for the shepherds… the wise men followed a bright light on their journey that led them to Jesus… and God was saying again to the world, “let there be light” as He sent His Son to illuminate our hearts and set us free from the darkness.

“His life is the light that sines through the darkness-and the darkness can never extinguish it.”  john 1:5 (lb)  every year i’m amazed by the fact that during the darkest moments of my life, Jesus shines.  when dark thoughts try to invade my mind, when doubts and fears try to run rampant in my soul, when things aren’t going the way i think they should, when i’m down and discouraged…. Jesus illuminates me - He lights me up and suddenly the darkness flees.  when His light hits me (and fills me) the shadows dissipate and it is at that moment that i realize - i can do all things through Christ who empowers me.  i’m instantly aware that His grace is more than enough - it is by His strength that i can get up and keep going.  i’m overwhelmed by the warmth of His love and i’m thankful that he chooses to show up during the dark seasons of my life and fill me with His marvelous light.

“the light makes all things easy to see.”  ephesians 5:13 (NCV)  i pray that He will illuminate your life and you will clearly see Him and follow Him.  may living light flood your life and may all the darkness that has surrounded you disappear.

lessons i learned from bjd

this past week, my pastor (pastor billy joe daughtery) passed away.  i had the privileged of being a part of his congregation from 1978-1989.  my dad was his right hand man for the first 12 years of the church.  our families were close.  he baptized me.  he was a mentor.   he was way to young to die and he will be greatly missed.

i wanted to share a few lessons i learned from him:

#1  integrity - “the integrity of the honest keeps them on track; the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.”  proverbs 11:3 (msg)

bjd was a man of rock-solid character and was full of integrity.  no wonder God trusted him a congregation of 15,000 and with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of resources.  i also love the fact that he was entirely faithful to his wife and family.  he never was involved in anything shady or immoral - his integrity kept him on the narrow path.

#2  contentment - “not that i was ever in need, for i have learned how to be content with whatever i have.”  philippians 4:11 (nlt)

bjd did not live in a huge crib, drive a benz, or sport designer clothes and bling.  he knew he was just a pilgrim and he traveled light.  in a day when ministers are rocking 7,000+ square foot homes (in gated communities), rolling in a $100,00 ride, and draping themselves in prada, gucci, louis vuitton and armani - bjd would simply wear a decent suit, drive a buick, and he lived in a very average house (in fact for years he lived right around the corner from our house in a very average middle-class neighborhood (at 47th and harvard).  trust me, i’m not knocking living a prosperous life and i do believe God wants us blessed… but i am against excess, greed and lust!  thank God for a man of God that lived simple and kept his focus on eternal things.

#3  encouragement - “so encourage each other and build each other up.”  1 thessalonians 5:11 (nlt)

bjd always encouraged me - even when i fell flat on my face.  at his funeral, one of his sons shared how his dad always gave him “two thumbs up” even when he was failing miserably.  thinking back, bjd gave me the encouraging two thumbs up several times.  during a time in my life where i was involved in immoral and illegal stuff - i remember bjd telling me “scooter, it’s not as important where you have been, but it is important where you are going - God’s grace has already covered those mistakes.”  countless times, he would verbally lift me out of the discouragement and heaviness that surrounded me.  bjd understood ministry… he knew it was all about listening to, loving on, and lifting others.  he was one of the two most encouraging people i have ever know (the other one is ulf ekman).  romans 12:8a says, “if your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.”  he had the most amazing gift of encouragement.

there are so many other lessons that i learned from him…. faith, miracles, the power of the Holy Spirit, the need to just be yourself, living debt free, being merciful, believing in others, the power of joy, and the list goes on and on and on.

my life is so much richer because of bjd.  this world is a way better place because of bjd.  most importantly, multitudes will be in heaven because of bjd.