Archives for December 2018

Good morning,

Christmas, God’s Love Letter to the World.

“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)

This week we will be looking at four things about the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus.

God is love.

God tells us of the coming Messiah, where He will be born, when He would come, and why He would come.

God has a book.

Our response to what God has done.

God has a book

It was all about the salvation of men and women. God has a book in which the names of all those who have trusted Christ are written. One day this book will be opened and those names not found in it will be cast into the lake of fire.

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

God expressed His to love to us by sending Jesus.

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

What will we do this Christmas for Him? Step back and take time to remember why Jesus came. What can you do for others during this Christmas season?

Is your name written in the “…book of life…”?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Christmas, God’s Love Letter to the World

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)

INTRODUCTION: Christmas is a celebration of God’s love.

God is love.

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Man is sinful and corrupt. From Genesis 3 till now, the only way of making reconciliation is a blood sacrifice. God made the first blood sacrifice in the garden of Eden, when He clothed Adam and Eve. Israel sacrificial system covered their sin, but was never permanent.

God tells of the coming Messiah.

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

God tells where the Messiah will be born.

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

God tells when the Messiah would come.

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,⁵ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

God tells why the Messiah came.

It was God’s love for His creation that caused Him to send Jesus to be the one-time sacrifice for our sin.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“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. ¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

God has a book.

It was all about the salvation of men and women. God has a book in which the names of all those who have trusted Christ are written. One day this book will be opened and those names not found in it will be cast into the lake of fire.

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

God expressed His to love to us by sending Jesus.

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

What will we do this Christmas for Him? Step back and take time to remember why Jesus came. What can you do for others during this Christmas season?

God loved us. How should we love others?

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” (1 John 4:11)

“Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.⁸ Love never faileth: (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

Love others.

If you know God’s love, share it with others. If you are not saved, this would be a perfect time to accept God’s provision for your sin.

READ Matthew 1:18-2:12 and Luke 2:1-38

The Christmas Story

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

Good morning,

Christmas, God’s Love Letter to the World.

“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)

This week we will be looking at four things about the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus.

God is love.

God tells us of the coming Messiah, where He will be born, when He would come, and why He would come.

God has a book.

Our response to what God has done.

God tells us of:

The coming Messiah

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Where the Messiah will be born

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

When the Messiah would come

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,⁵ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

Why the Messiah would come

It was God’s love for His creation that caused Him to send Jesus to be the one-time sacrifice for our sin.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“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. ¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

God had a plan!

He laid out the Christmas story in the Old Testament and fulfilled His plan in the New Testament.

Some believed and some did not. Today is no different.

Believe, repent of your sins, and be saved.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning,

Christmas, God’s Love Letter to the World.

“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)

This week we will be looking at four things about the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus.

God is love.

God tells us of the coming Messiah, where He will be born, when He would come, and why He would come.

God has a book.

Our response to what God has done.

God is love.

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

Man is sinful and corrupt. From Genesis 3 till now, the only way of making reconciliation is a blood sacrifice. God made the first blood sacrifice in the garden of Eden, when He clothed Adam and Eve. Israel sacrificial system covered their sin, but was never permanent.

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

We have the choice to accept God’s love or reject it. There are always consequences to our decisions, as we will see later on this week.

Accept God’s love and share it with others.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

Tonight is the last evening of Hanukkah. I hope you enjoyed the devotions on Hanukkah.

Eighth Candle

Revelation 21:22-27 gives us a description of our glorious eternal dwelling place in the New Jerusalem:

And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

So, the question begs itself, are our names written in the Lamb’s book of life? If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, see yesterday’s devotion, your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. If not, you will be separated from God for all eternity. You choose.

I hope all of you will be able to spend your Christmas with family, friends, and loved ones. Please remember to spend a portion of the next few days reading the story of Jesus birth from Matthew 1 and 2, and Luke 2. Jesus is the reason for the season. If you have forgotten some of these principles, please read, again, this week’s devotionals.

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today is day 7 of Hanukkah. We will light 7 candles.

Tonight, we light the seventh Hanukkah candle. With each night, the light grows brighter. It reminds us that light dispels darkness. We live in a dark world. Open a newspaper, a news feed on the computer, or the evening news, and you will notice that the lead story is usually about death, wickedness, or some kind of sin. The light that Jesus gives allows men and women, boys and girls to live above what the world has to offer.

Seventh Candle

The prophet Isaiah speaks of the future glory of a restored Israel in
Isaiah 60:1-3:

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord
has risen upon you… And nations will come to your light, and kings to
the brightness of your rising.

God is not done with Israel. If you have any doubt, please read the books of Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Revelation. Israel will be restored to Her rightful place as God’s chosen nation and people. Today’s Scripture states that nations and kings will come to light of Israel and ultimately to the Messiah, Yeshua, the Lord Jesus Christ. What a glorious day that will be.

The message of salvation is woven through the whole Hanukkah celebration. I would be remiss in not sharing that message with you.

God created a perfect world, no sin. In Genesis 3, man chose to disobey God’s clear command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The first sin. From that time to this God sees us as sinners. In the Old Testament, God directed a blood sacrifice for the covering of sin. We see this demonstrated in Egypt, just before the Exodus and the Priests sacrificing animals daily for the sins of the people.

God had a better plan.  “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5) How was this to be done? Jesus tells us in Mark 1:14-15, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” What is the gospel? “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-6)

So to summarize.

1) We are lost and need a Savior. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3:10) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)

2) God sent Jesus to redeem us. (See Galatians 4:4-5 above)

3) We must repent of our sins. Repent means turning in the opposite direction. Renounce all your wickedness before Jesus. (See Mark 1:14-15)

4) We must believe the gospel. That Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day. (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-6)

5) Last we must a make a decision to accept or reject God’s free gift of salvation. Romans 10:8-11, makes this very clear. “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Jesus came to earth as a baby, grew to manhood, preach God’s message of salvation, and then went to the cross for US! Jesus would love for you to trust Him as Lord and Savior this Christmas. If you know Jesus as Lord and Savior, tell someone about this good news.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

Today is day 6 of Hanukkah. We will light 6 candles.

Sixth Candle

After we come to know Messiah, we are to be a source of light for the
world. King Messiah tells us in Matthew 5:14-16:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be
hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure,
but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

What we learned:

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Candle Five pictures the baby Jesus as the greatest light of all. Simeon testified to it. John, the apostle, writes about it. Then Candle Six makes the application to believers to be lights to the whole world. Live it, teach it, proclaim it, to all who will listen.

Our world is BLINDED by the wrong kind of lights. The holiday displays, commercial and residential, fails to portray the God of all creation, who was virgin born, sent to provide salvation to all, and who would eventually die on a cross for the sins of all mankind. They fail to pay reverence to God’s Son, second person of the trinity, and soon coming Judge.

So we have a choice to make. How will we celebrate Christmas this year? Will we follow the true light or a fake. Is Christmas, for us, still about Jesus and his birth or is it about the bells and baubles of commercialism? Each of us must decide and then act decisively.

The lights of the Hanukkah lamp can teach us a lot.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Today is day 5 of Hanukkah. We will be lighting 5 candles.

Fifth Candle

Messiah Yeshua is the greatest light of all:

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (John
1:4-5).

As Messiah Yeshua was in the Temple in Jerusalem watching the
illuminating lights, He declared: “I am the light of the world; he who
follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of
life” (John 8:12).

Aged Simeon was promised by the Lord that he would not die until
he saw Israel’s Messiah. When he saw Yeshua as an infant in the Temple,
he knew that this One was the light of Israel and the Nations. Simeon
declared: “My eye have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in
the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the gentiles,
and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One
who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Messiah (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Today is day 4 of Hanukkah. We will light 4 candles and eat Latkes and jelly doughnuts.

Latkes and jelly doughnuts

On Hanukkah, it is customary to eat potato latkes and jelly doughnuts. These treats, which are fried in oil, remind us of the miracle of the jug of oil that burned for eight days.

Fourth Candle

Psalm 119:105 and Psalm 119:130 describe the light that comes from
God’s Word:

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. The
unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the
simple.

When we read God’s word, the Bible, God gives us His light. He allows us to see things that will encourage us, convict us, and motivate us to follow Him more closely. He allows us to see things that we should be doing and things that we should not. Wisdom and understanding are found in the pages of the Bible.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Now we will look at the Dreidle and the third candle.

The Dreidle

One of the games played at Hanukkah is the Dreidle. It played a significant role during the persecution of the Jews.

“It is said that when King Antiochus would not let the Jews worship God, they prayed and studied secretly. Little wooden tops were kept on the tables with the Holy Books. When soldiers came into the houses to make sure the King’s orders were being followed, everyone pretended to be playing a game with spinning tops.

During the celebration of Hanukkah, children play with the four-sided top called a dreidle. There is a different Hebrew letter on each side. The letters stand for the words: “A great miracle happened there.” This refers to the victory of the Maccabees over the King’s army.” (Festival of Lights, The Story of Hanukkah)

Third Candle

King David reminds us that God Himself is the source of our own
individual light:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the defense of my life; whom shall I dread (Psalm 27:1)? For You light my lamp; the Lord my God illumines my darkness (Psalm 18:28).

In life, we may be told we cannot witness, read our Bibles, or speak about what we believe. It is then, we must learn to be creative. The Jews used a top. What can we use? The Scripture for today goes right along with this. I should have no fear because God is my defense. He will give us light in the midst of darkness. He will also give us creative ideas to communicate Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.

Interesting how a Jewish holiday, that a couple of days ago you knew nothing about, can be so helpful to our walk in Jesus Christ.

Happy Hanukkah.

Tomorrow we will look at candle 4.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001