Father God, every word in scripture points to the gift of hope that we have because of Christ Jesus. The Christmas story wasn’t the beginning of that message of hope because the old testament is full of glimpses of your plan to redeem your people and restore them into a relationship with you, but we are able to truly begin to see and understand just how great your love for us is when we read the story of Jesus’ birth in scripture.
Help us to see that you are with us. Nothing is too difficult, too messy, or too dirty for you. Jesus came to give us the gift of eternal life through the salvation that only you, our Heavenly Father, can give when we believe on your Son, repent of our sins, and confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
That first Christmas, you gave us the gift of hope wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Thank you, Father, for your immeasurable gift. In Jesus’ precious name, we pray. Amen.
Good morning friends! Take a minute before your day gets busy and meditative on the haunting music and beautiful lyrics of this Advent song that captures the longing of a people desperate for the Messiah.
Happy Friday Friends! As we close out the week I wanted to give you another song to meditate on and, knowing that there are many who feel overwhelmed with so much, I thought Anne Wilson’s song “My Jesus” would be a good choice. Watch the video, listen to the lyrics, and cry out to Jesus—the source of all hope—today.
Are you past the point of weary? Is your burden weighin’ heavy? Is it all too much to carry? Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus Do you feel that empty feeling? ‘Cause shame’s done all its stealin’ And you’re desperate for some healin’ Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus
He makes a way where there ain’t no way Rises up from an empty grave Ain’t no sinner that He can’t save Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus His love is strong and His grace is free And the good news is I know that He Can do for you what He’s done for me Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus And let my Jesus change your life
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah, Amen Amen
Who can wipe away the tears From broken dreams and wasted years And tell the past to disappear? Oh Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus And all the wrong turns that you would Go and undo if you could Who can work it all for your good Let me tell you about my Jesus
He makes a way where there ain’t no way Rises up from an empty grave Ain’t no sinner that He can’t save Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus His love is strong and His grace is free And the good news is I know that He Can do for you what He’s done for me Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus And let my Jesus change your life
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah, Amen Amen, Amen
Who would take my cross to Calvary? Pay the price for all my guilty? Who would care that much about me? Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus, ohHe makes a way where there ain’t no way Rises up from an empty grave Ain’t no sinner that He can’t save Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus His love is strong and His grace is free And the good news is I know that He Can do for you what He’s done for me Let me tell you ’bout my Jesus And let my Jesus change your life
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah, amen Amen Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Let my Jesus change your life
Good morning and welcome back to the “Refill with Randy” blog. Once again, my name is Dave Good and it my pleasure to share this time with you. I hope you are having a great week and I pray the following words will be a blessing to you.
I have a real simple question for you. Have you ever done something wrong and felt bad about it? You know that feeling when you did something and it bothers you all day. It leaves that sour feeling in the pit of your stomach and never really goes away until you make it right. I can only speak for myself and answer that by saying, “Most definitely yes.” and I know that feeling all too well.
Maybe you told a lie, maybe you raised your voice at a family member, maybe you talked about a friend behind their back, maybe you watched something you shouldn’t have, or maybe you drank a little more than you should have. These are just a few examples of the situations we put ourselves in that lead to remorse, guilt, and shame. I can only list a few that I know firsthand, I’ll leave it to you to think of a few more examples.
Now that we all have relived that feeling of guilt, shame, and remorse the next question is, “Where does it come from and how do we get rid of it?”. We often feel guilty when we sin or miss the mark. We have done something wrong and we have a feeling of sorrow for it. The Word reminds us that…
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)
As you can see, guilt can be a good thing. On the other hand shame can be very debilitating. One way to look at shame is as follows: Guilt is seeing you did something wrong, shame is seeing yourself as a failure. You can see how the feeling of shame can cause you to feel even worse.
I want to make one thing perfectly clear. Shame does not come from God. God does not want us to view ourselves as failures. He is not mad at you. When we do something wrong He loves us not matter what. Now, that being said, God doesn’t want you to keep on sinning but rather to repent and get back on track.
So now the question is, “How to we deal with guilt for the things we do wrong?”
1. Confess your sin to God. Ask Him for forgiveness and strength to avoid future sins.
2. Repent or turn away from the sin that so easily entangles us. In other words, stop doing the things that are causing you so much grief.
3. Ask for forgiveness and make it right with those you offended or hurt.
4. Accept God’s forgiveness. “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” (1 John 1:9)
Did you catch that? If we confess our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse us. See, God is not mad at us. God loves us more than anything, He just doesn’t want us to stray from the path He created for our lives because He knows that in doing so we will inevitably hurt ourselves and others.
Friends, I don’t know about you, but I’ve wrestled with sin for a long time and the battle isn’t over yet. I’ve spent a lot of energy fending off guilt and shame and at times I’ve run from God because I thought He was mad at me. I’m here today though to urge you not to run from God but, rather, run to Him. Allow Him to heal you and cleanse you. He’s not mad at you, He loves you more than anything and simply wants the best for you.
I hope these words are an encouragement to you. You are not alone in this battle and the battle is not over yet. Keep your head up, press on and always remember that God loves you and is not mad at you. Have a great rest of the week!
Happy Monday!!! Even if you’re not a huge football fan you may have found yourself watching the end of some of the latest playoff games. Underdogs. Upsets. Unbelievable plays. You name it and it has happened over the past few weeks. “That’s why they play the game”, is one of the cliches that you will hear announcers say whenever a team wins that was favored to win or, when an underdogs defies the odds and wins they might remind us that anything can happen on “Any Given Sunday”.
A week ago my Buffalo Bills played their hearts out against the Kansas City Chiefs and seemingly had the game won with only 13 sec. left. Unfortunately that was just enough time for The Chiefs to go down the field and kick a game tying field goal only to then win the coin toss and win the game in over-time.
Fast forward to yesterday, those same Chiefs were walking all over the Cincinnati Bengals who had just beaten the #1 seeded Titans at home with a second year QB and a team that had only won 4 games the previous year, hadn’t won a playoff game since 1990, and had never won an away playoff game prior to their victory over the Titans.
Being up 21-3 at the end of the first half The Chiefs were probably already preparing for their Super Bowl appearance 3 peat but then, after Cincinnati scored 21 unanswered points in the 2nd half The Chiefs found themselves once again having to kick a field goal at the end of regulation to tie the game and then they once again won the coin toss in OT. The Super Bowl seemed inevitable… until it wasn’t. The QB got picked off and the Bengals drove down the field where Shooter McPherson kicked the game winning field goal.
It definitely seemed like a David vs. Goliath scenario in paper anyway but you never know what can happen on “Any Given Sunday”. And the same could be said of other unlikely situations outside of football.
Remember the man with the deformed hand that went to the temple like usual only to have Jesus show up and heal his hand? (Mark 3)
On Any Given Sunday.
Or what about the invalid that had waited by the pool of Bethesda for 38 yrs. unsuccessfully waiting someone to help him into the healing waters only to have Jesus show up on the Sabbath and tell him to pick up his mat and walk—which miraculously he did. (John 5)
On Any Given Sunday.
Ok, technically those first two examples were Saturdays but what about that Sunday after Jesus had been crucified and his disciples were doubting and distressed only to discover that the tomb was empty and that Jesus had risen from the dead just as he said he would?
On Any Given Sunday.
And the same can be true for you and whatever it is that seems insurmountable to you. Addiction? Sin? Disease? Grief? Finance problems? Whatever it is you can go to God for help and you will find freedom, forgiveness, healing, comfort, and direction. No matter what you are up against it is not impossible to overcome with God at your side so go to Him all you weary and heavy burdened, give it all to Him, and expect that the impossible is possible.
Happy New Year!!! After a couple weeks away I am glad to be back with you all here on the blog. I pray that your year is going well but also I want to remind you right at the start that if you ever do need prayer that you can contact me here anytime. Now onto the devo…
““Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.” Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 NLT
These words written by Solomon paint a very cynical picture of this world we live in. He states plainly that…
Everything is meaningless…. No one is ever content…
Nothing ever changes…
Everything is wearisome… Nothing is ever truly new..,
No one will remember you…
It’s hard to believe that this is the same guy who wrote the mushiest songs in Scripture, right? If this were a song it would probably be about a Taylor Swift break up.
Seriously though, to really think this way would make for a depressing existence. That being said I have heard a number of people lately that, when talking about the futility of this New Year, you might mistake them for some of Solomon’s speech writers.
But I get it. I do. And I feel it too.
Everyone is exhausted from polarizing politics to this never ending pandemic. People are tired of living in fear, living with loss, and living with almost constant uncertainty.
I get it!
But, unlike Solomon and so many like him, I also believe that as much as things might seem the same that, because of Christ, all things can be made new. Look at Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. He writes…
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds;” Ephesians 4:17-23 NIV
Friends, the way we think about this world affects the way we act in this world and eventually it will effect our lasting imprint on this world. Rather than becoming cynical I would challenge you to stop conforming “to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2a)
Look for new ways to make a difference in this world and in the lives of others.
2022 can become 2020-TOO but only if we let it.
Let us become a light in this world rather than helping to spread the darkness. Let us encourage and inspire rather than subscribing to defeatism. And let us remember that as new creations in Christ we focus not on what is seen but what is unseen since what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.
“For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed… Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:5-9, 16-18 NIV
From the haunting tune to the arcane language I have always loved listening to the great Advent Hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”.
For me it is a symbol of the beginning of Advent as it encompasses both the longing of the Israelites waiting for their Messiah as well as the longing that we have today for that same Messiah’s return.
It also embodies the hope that we have been focusing on this week as there is an inherent sense that rejoicing will be inevitable as the redeemer will come. So take a moment to meditate on the lyrics and listen along with the video.
For today’s Advent Blog I invite you to read and listen to the lyrics of Tenth Avenue North’s song “I Have This Hope” as you consider the hope that you place in Christ this Christmas Season.
As I walk this great unknown Questions come and questions go Was there purpose for the pain? Did I cry these tears in vain?
I don’t want to live in fear I want to trust that You are near Trust Your grace can be seen In both triumph and tragedy
I have this hope In the depth of my soul In the flood or the fire You’re with me and You won’t let go
But sometimes my faith feels thin Like the night will never end Will You catch every tear Or will You just leave me here?
But I have this hope In the depth of my soul In the flood or the fire You’re with me and You won’t let go
Yes, I have this hope In the depth of my soul In the flood or the fire You’re with me and You won’t let go
So, whatever happens I will not be afraid Cause You are closer than this breath that I take You calm the storm when I hear You call my name I still believe that one day I’ll see Your face
I have this hope In the depth of my soul In the flood or the fire You’re with me
I have this hope In the depth of my soul In the flood or the fire You’re with me and You won’t let go
In the flood or the fire You’re with me and You won’t let go
In the flood or the fire You’re with me and You won’t let go
Welcome to another Advent edition of GSM’s Refill with Randy Blog. My name is Dave Good and I am honored to have the opportunity to share a few words with you today. I pray this will be of benefit to you and deliver just a ray of hope to your life.
Pastor Randy approached me and asked me to share my thoughts on the subject of Hope. At first I thought it would be great idea to bring up the areas in the world that seem so hopeless. All around us we are impacted by the long-lasting pandemic, racial tensions, vaccine mandates, political strife, rumors of wars, and what seems to be nonstop chaos around the world. People everywhere are looking for something to hold onto, something to take refuge in, something to give them a sense of hope.
When I thought about the Advent season and our search for hope I immediately recalled the journey of the Magi to see the Christ child. The Gospel of Matthew tells the story of the Magi who followed a bright star to the town of Bethlehem “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him”
No one is certain who the Magi were, how many there were, or where exactly they originated from, but we do know that they were searching for some hope. The Christmas narrative tells us that they had left their country in the east and followed a bright star through the desert for several weeks if not months. It is said that they led their caravan of camels and other animals on a journey in search of the Messiah—the long anticipated King of the Jews. They endured days of scorching desert sun and freezing cold nights. They probably encountered thieves and bandits as well as wild animals along the way. The journey was no walk in the park to say the least.
Another bit of information that the Gospel of Matthew shares with us is the valuable gifts the Magi brought with them. “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
They presented to the child gold frankincense, and myrrh, some of the most precious things in the world at the time. So to put this whole journey in perspective. The Magi leave their distant home, follow a bright star, and journey through the desert with valuable gifts, all to go see a child. To me the story seems a little absurd. What would make these men even consider this voyage? The only answer I can come up with is hope.
They were hoping the star they were following would lead them to the long awaited Savior. They were hoping to pay homage to the King of the Jews. They were hoping to worship and adore the Christ child. They were willing to risk it all just to find some hope.
Just like the Magi all of us are chasing after hope. How many times do you hear exchanges like, “I hope this happens or I hope I get this for Christmas or I hope the Bills win or I hope you feel better”? Hope is all around us and something we pursue on a daily basis. Hope often causes us to take risks or chances just like the Magi. Hope is definitely an integral part of life
My question for you is where, what, or who is your hope in? For some it’s a job. For others it’s a country. And for some it’s a loved one. We place our hope is so many things. I can’t decide for you what to place your hope in but I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you where my hope comes from. My hope comes from the Lord.
I can say that my belief in that same child the Magi visited some 2000 years ago brings so much hope to my life. I believe that the child born on Christmas Day grew up, died on a cross for my sins, and paved a path for me to have eternal life with my Heavenly Father. The name of that precious child is Jesus.
To be honest with you my hope in Jesus didn’t just come overnight. Just like the Magi I had to go on a journey to secure my hope and I misplaced my hope in many things along the way. Things like my career, my reputation, my status, my football teams, my talents and abilities, etc. And I will be honest with you, at some point or another all of these things have disappointed me. All of these things have let me down. The only thing I’ve found that I can always count on and hope in is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.”
There is so much hope in the Bible and with a relationship with Christ. I pray that this Advent season you find your hope in the Lord. I pray that you prepare your heart for when he will come again. And I pray that the hope of the Lord becomes more real and alive to you each and every day.
Advent is a season of remembering the events of Christmas past and getting ready for the time when Christ will come again. It is a time filled with anticipation, preparation, and expectation. It is also often marked by weekly themes, celebrated with the lighting of a different candle each Sunday, and so from now until Christmas we will be highlighting those same themes here. They are: Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy. And I say “we” because there will be some other contributors, such as GSM’s own Dave Good who will be writing tomorrow’s blog.
The dictionary defines hope /hōp/ as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. In relation to Advent we are talking about both the hope that the Jews had that God would send them a Messiah and the hope that we have today that, because that same Messiah (Jesus) came to earth on that first Christmas, died for our sins on Good Friday, and rose from the dead on Easter, we can be saved and will join Christ when he comes again.
It is the kind of hope that the Israelites held onto generation after generation, even while wondering when it would happen, and it is the kind of hope that we hold onto today even though nearly 2,000 have passed since Jesus made the promise to return.
Isaiah spoke to this hope long before Christ when he shared in 9:2 that, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” (9:2 NIV)
A few verses later he would go on to paint a picture of what this hope, this light at the end of the tunnel, would look like. He says in vv. 6-7 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (NIV)
The reason why this gave them hope was not because they thought it would happen immediately but because they fully believed in The One Who said that it would indeed happen. They trusted that God would fulfill this prophesy when He deemed that the time was right.
Unfortunately I think that many times today we read about God’s promises in Scripture but we want instant gratification so when something doesn’t happen the way we want at the time we want it we tend to get cynical and our hope starts to wane.
The reality though is that if God has promised it but it has not happened, it’s not that it won’t happen but that it just hasn’t happened yet. Like our Jewish forefathers we need to have patience and perseverance trusting in The Author of our hope Who says in Isaiah 55:9, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
The fact is that Christ came at just the right time, he died at just the right time (“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6 NIV), and so we can trust that he will return at just the right time. Until then we walk in hope.
One of my favorite bands is Tenth Avenue North. Their sound, their lyrics, and even their lead singers testimony resonates with me. And so, on this Tuesday, I simply want to encourage to meditate on the words of one of their popular songs. Enjoy!
I know that this is a bit of an over generalization but, often times, it seems that people walk into church on any given Sunday wanting to hear a message that makes them happy about their current spiritual situation when what they need to hear is a message offering them hope for something better. It is then the preacher’s job not to give the congregation what they want but, rather, what they need. Not pointing fingers but painting a picture of what our potential in Christ could be.
Jesus was fantastic at this! When the Samaritan woman from John 4 simply wanted well water (and to avoid being talked about because of her poor relationship choices) Jesus gave her living water instead. He did this only after exposing her failed efforts at happiness in the past and offering her hope for the future.
People would rather have their actions / lifestyles / sins condoned rather than sit through a message where they might feel convicted. This is where it’s the pastor’s job to share what could be, and should be according to God’s Word, and to then assure them that no matter how far from that picture they feel at that moment that there is hope of redemption through a relationship with Christ.
And as Christian’s we are all called to paint this picture for others by offering ourselves as a canvas whereby God can exhibit the proof of a changed life—not perfect, but being perfected in Christ.
Refill with Randy 