What Gift Are You Giving Christ?

As we look at what the Bible tells us about the birth of Christ, we see there were several people who, whether they intended it or not, offered gifts to the newborn King. 

In Matthew 2 we see the Wise Men that travelled from afar to worship Christ. These men, had they continued to follow the star that was given to guide them, would likely have made it for his birth. (By order of Scripture, I believe they finally made it thirty-odd days later, but that is for another post.) They had preplanned to give Him gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

In Luke 2:7 we see the Innkeeper. He is not mentioned by name, only by decision. There was no room for Christ in the inn, so they were offered the barn. It was not a clean and sanitary place; our Saviour was brought into this world with the smell of animal dung in His nostrils. He was given, by proxy, the gift of animal excrement from the innkeeper.

Then in Luke 2:8 we are introduced to the shepherds. They were keeping watch over their flock, and were visited by angels to tell of the birth of Christ. The shepherds immediately responded and went to see the newborn King. But what did they give Him?

Simply put, they gave themselves. They not only came to see and worship Him, but then went out and started telling everyone what they saw.

As we remember Christs birth on this Christmas day, let us ask ourselves; are we giving Christ ourselves? Or are we merely giving Him gilded treasures? Or even worse, is getting nothing but the smelly leftovers from your life? What gift are you giving Him?

Kindle eBook Christmas Sale!

Kindle eBook Christmas Sale! From December 21st through December 27th "Sparks of Affection" and "Flames of Endearment" (Men of the Heart Books 2 & 3) will both be available at a discount price through a Kindle Countdown sale. Log in to my author page for these, and great deals on my other books.
http://www.amazon.com/author/steveroberts

Joseph, Man of Honor

Joseph, Husband of Mary

Little is recorded in Scripture about Joseph. This is probably because God wanted us to focus on Jesus’ real father, God the Father. However, even with limited reference, he is a character that plays a distinctive role in the life of Christ, and is someone that we can learn from.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:18-25)

Key Characteristics.

1.      He was of Royal lineage. He was of the line of David. The genealogy in Matthew is based on the Solomonic line through Joseph, Jesus’ legal father, and it confirms Christ’s right to the throne of David. The genealogy in Luke is based on the lineage of Nathan, brother to Solomon and is the line to Mary, thus showing that Jesus had right to the throne from either ‘parent.’

2.      He was Responsible for his family. He had a job. This may seem laughable to some to focus on, but we will never be men of honor if we are deadbeats. There are too many men content to sit idle and draw public assistance, or worse yet, allow their wife to work and support the family.

3.      He was a Righteous man. The Bible records him as a “…just man…” (Matthew 1:19)

a.       Made worship in the Temple a priority. 80 mile trip, we know he made it at least twice.

b.      Made giving to God a priority. Didn’t use taxation as an excuse. Still made the required offering for the birth of a male child.

c.       Familiar with Scripture. Recognized OT Prophecy that the Angel spoke of.

d.      Responded immediately when God gave him direction. Three times.

4.      He was a Reasonable man. The Bible tells us he was… “… not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.” (Matthew 1:19) He did not respond in haste to the news that his intended was with child, but he “…he thought on these things…” (Matthew 1:20) He was not as concerned with vengeance as he was with doing the right thing, so he thought about what he was going to do before he did it.

5.      He was Reliable in service. There are four levels of service that we can engage in

a.       The first is Discipline; or serving because you have to. This is how we make our Children obey; it is a ‘do it or else’ mentality. If the only reason you are serving God is because you are afraid of judgment, you will never be a Man of Honor.

b.      The second level of service is Duty; or serving because you ought to; this is when you are serving because you know you should. However, this can often lead to struggles over what our duties entail. If the words “That’s not my job” ever come out of your mouth, you are not on the path that leads to being a Man of Honor. Jesus, talking to the disciples, said “…likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10)

c.       The third level is Debt, or serving because “I owe you…” While this is a slightly higher ideal than “I have to,” it is similar to duty, in that it denotes with it a grudging willingness based on an expectation. When Paul wrote to the Romans, he stated “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1) he wanted them to understand that at the least it is reasonable for a Christian to give their lives to Christ, seeing as He gave His life for them. This is the highest level that most Christians attain, but it is not the highest one they could attain.

d.      The final level of service is Delight; or serving because you get to. It is in this mindset that we see Men like Joseph shine out above all others. They have, like the house of Stephanas, “…addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,” (I Corinthians 16:15) It is only if we can attain that level of dedication, that we have a chance to be Men of Honor.

6.      He Resigned himself to obscurity. He understood that it was not all about him, it was about Christ. He raised Jesus for God, prepared Him, literally, for His ministry. I believe that he fully understood, like John the Baptist who said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

What have we learned?

1.      A Man of Honor is Righteous. (Philippians 3:9)

2.      A Man of Honor looks for opportunities to serve others.

3.      A Man of Honor considers a matter prayerfully before reacting.

4.      A Man of Honor does not seek vengeance, but seeks God’s will.

5.      A Man of Honor obeys the clear instructions of God.

6.      A Man of Honor is willing to let the focus be on Christ and not themselves.

What does it mean to be Thankful?



The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth" (1914) By Jennie A. Brownscombe

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18) 

This is the time of year when everyone wants to say they are thankful. We plan  family meals, have special Church gatherings, maybe even give a little extra toward the needy… but the question we must ask ourselves is this:

Are we Thankful?

Or are we pretending?

Being thankful is an essential ingredient if the Christian is to be right with God. Thankfulness is a state of mind that we choose to have, where we are feeling gratitude for what we have been given. To be thankful means that you are grateful. 

(As an aside, you learn a lot when you study the origin of a word; grateful comes from the Latin word, gratus, and the English equivalent is the now unused term grate which means ‘thankful.’ I laughed at this, because I was thinking how many of us have said, “That person grates on my nerves…” I suppose that really means we are thankful for them.)

Other synonyms include gratitude, appreciation and indebtedness.

There are several things we should keep in mind when it comes to Thankfulness; the first is that it is an OBLIGATION: Christ has commanded us to be thankful. (Which, to be honest, is really sad when you really think about it; that He would have to command us to show appreciation for the things we have been given.) In other words, it is not an option; it is something that we must do because we are told to do it.

Many people today have an entitlement mentality; they get to the point where they think that life is all about them, and that they deserve everything they get, (and for that matter, deserve all the things they aren't getting…) To make this simple, let me explain this as succinctly as possible.

You don’t deserve anything.

Thankfulness is not an old fashioned concept, and it is not overburdening; it is simply a way of showing your appreciation for the things you have been given.

The second thing we should remember is that Thankfulness is an OPPORTUNITY: it is an opportunity to be a blessing to others… when others supply something to us, it is right that we should supply something to them; Thankfulness is the perfect response for a gift given.

We will not always be able to recompense someone in kind for things they do for us, but showing Thankfulness is the biggest blessing that we can give someone.

There will be times in the life of a Christian where we are not in a position that is, in our opinion, ideal; however, that should not have an influence on whether we are thankful.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18) Paul wrote this verse after leaving Thessalonica due to intense persecution.

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Philippians 4:11) He wrote this verse from Prison!

Neither of these were ideal situations, but he found a way to be thankful despite the difficult times.

The thing we must remember is that God will not make us thankful; you cannot pray and say, “God, make me thankful!” because the answer will always be no. If we are thankful, it is because we CHOOSE to be thankful to honor Him. The key to choosing is found in (Philippians 4:11) where Paul said, “…I have learned…”

Have you?

NOW AVAILABLE: Mighty Men: Lessons for the Christian Soldier

Mighty Men: Lessons for the Christian Soldier by Steve C. Roberts is now available in eBook or Paperback on amazon.com

 

"These be the names of the mighty men whom David had..." (II Samuel 23:8)

At the end of his life, David recorded a list of his soldiers that went above and beyond the call of duty in their service for him. There were thirty-seven men whose names were recorded in II Samuel 23, and over fifty men in I Chronicles 11. These men served David with love and zeal, and it was David's intention to have them remembered. In this study of the Mighty Men of David, I have endeavored to look at them exactly as they appear in the Bible. I have listed all of the facts that are available to give the clearest view possible in the hopes that the example that these men have given will challenge us to re-evaluate our own lives, and work to become Mighty Men for Christ.

Click here for a link

NOW AVAILABLE: Flames of Endearment- Men of the Heart- Book Three

Now Available on Amazon Kindle

Flames of Endearment- Men of the Heart- Book Three

Barely a week after a gunfight that almost took both of their lives, Parson William Stone and Sheriff James Matthews are both faced with life changing decisions.

Strife in the Church, and his wife falling ill were almost too much for William to deal with, but when a part of his past he wanted to leave buried shows itself, William comes face to face with the root of bitterness that he never realized was in his heart.

As James heals from his wounds, he is looking toward a future with Catherine Woodfield, but is filled with hesitation. Can he be the provider that Catherine needs?

Will the problems that William faces prevent him from being the Pastor and counselor that James needs? Will William give in to the bitterness he’d been harboring, or shine forth as an example of grace and forgiveness?

Click to Read Chapter One

Purchase Here at Amazon.com 

The Gospel in the Book of Genesis

God is infinite and all knowing, and He has planned for our Salvation from the beginning... and comforted Adam and Eve with that promise... the problem was that many of His promises are veiled prophecies that only made sense to those who came much later.
One thing that was shown me once, that blessed me, was how He showed His plan for the Salvation of man through Adam, down through the Godly lineage of Seth. If you consider the meaning of the names, they read like this:
Adam: Man
Seth: Appointed
Enos: Mortal
Cainan: Sorrowful Inheritance (An inheritance that makes you sad)
Mahalaleel: The Blessed God
Jared: Shall Come
Enoch: Teaching
Methuselah: His Death Will Bring
Lamech: Despairing
Noah: Comfort
In a sentence, Man (has been) Appointed Mortal Sorrow (for an) Inheritance. The Blessed God Shall Come Teaching. His Death Will Bring Despairing Comfort. 

The Importance of your Worldview

What exactly is a worldview?

Your worldview is a large part of your culture. (Beliefs, Customs, Norms and Values for a given group of people… essentially it is the reason why they do what they do.)

From the time you were an infant you have been trained in your cultures norms and values. You are trained to process information, interpret events, and even make choices in life that correlate with your worldview. As a result, your worldview is, literally, how you view the world. More specifically, it is like a filter that you view the world through. Because of this training, you will respond to any given event in a manner that matches your worldview. Even how you think about certain issues will match that worldview.

This is why having the right worldview is important for the Christian. We are surrounded by influences that conflict with a Christian worldview; Humanism, Hedonism, false religion… anything that teaches that man should lift himself above God, when the clear command is “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…” (II Corinthians 10:5)

If we view things in the world through the world’s definitions, then they become our normal, but if we view them through God’s definitions, found in His Word… THAT is our normal.

Consider “success” and how it is viewed by the world; usually based on the attainment of wealth, position, and things of that nature. How is success viewed by God? “…whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant…” (Matthew 20:26-27) Pretty well the exact opposite.

My point is this: we must work to cultivate a Christian worldview in ourselves and our children. Consider some of the hot topics in the news of today: Marriage, Divorce, Abortion, Drugs, Homosexuality, or even Welfare. Why do we see a leaning away from Biblical principles in these areas? Simply because the people that are deciding how our society should handle these things are looking at them through the lens of a Humanist worldview.

Ask yourself, how are YOU looking at these issues? Are you looking at them through the lens of the Bible? Through a Christian worldview? Or are ignoring or excusing away the Word of God and looking at these issues like everyone else?

What are you Thanking God for Today?

Just a short thought for today: The Bible tells us that... "A faithful man shall abound with blessings..." (Proverbs 28:20)
We go through life with a secular idea of what blessings are. We are taught to think that if we are right with God, we should be 'free from financial problems' but the fact is, The Lord blesses us in an abundance of ways, the least of which is monetary. 
What we need to do is just stay faithful, and focus on everything else The Lord has done for us... Because if we are honest, it is a fairly lengthy list.
Start a list of all of the things you have to be thankful for, (and it should start with Salvation...) and you will soon see how blessed you really have been...
And if you can't fill a page, it means that you're too busy listening to the devil whisper in your ear. Swat him away, and start over. 

Faith and the Bible

“…faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

What is faith? We need to understand that faith is not just believing blindly. It is not a blind leap into unknown territory without any assurance whatsoever... instead, it is a trust and belief that is based on the foundation of facts the God has presented. I would like to consider how God has preceded His request for our faith with Scripture.

Consider this; Paul struggled to convince others of a resurrection; why? Was it because there was no proof? Of course not; there is a massive level of proof of the resurrection of Christ. The problem is that we stop looking at evidence, and start to look at the misdirection of the world.

If you are a born again Christian, there is a reason you are a born again Christian. You decided to believe God… He told you that you were a sinner; and we have that evidence; He told us that that “…Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…” (I Corinthians 15:3-4)

So, wait…why should I believe that?

To answer that, we must first understand the purpose of the Scriptures. Is the Bible just this book that some guy wrote? Is it a fictional account that someone imagined and cobbled together?

Let us just consider the Gospels; the reason for their existence was not just to tell us about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ for posterity; if that were the case, one Gospel was quite sufficient. The Gospels form the body of EVIDENCE that those things happened; historically. It is the eyewitness testimony of those who were there.

Simon Greenleaf was a professor of law, and one of the principle founders of the Harvard Law School; considered by many to be the greatest expert of evidence and testimony. After making derisive claims about Christianity, he set out to disprove the Bible by attacking the Biblical testimony concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He was certain that an exhaustive examination of the internal witness of the Gospels would dispel the central theme of Christianity; the myth that there Christ was resurrected from the dead. This is a great study, which we do not have time to fully convey in the space allotted; but suffice to say that after years of exhaustive research and analysis, after carefully weighing the evidence presented historically and in Scripture, he concluded that the witnesses were reliable, and that the resurrection did in fact happen. 

The point is this; God has asked for our faith in His Word; but he has provided the proof already that His word can be trusted. The question is, do you trust it?

“If any unbiased jury in the world considered the evidence for the resurrection of Christ, they would have to conclude that Jesus of Nazareth actually rose from the dead.”

— Simon Greenleaf

*taken from Constructing Character by Steve C. Roberts