Archives for December 2020

Good morning,

Have we been to the throne of grace lately? We should be there daily. Today’s devotion will tell us why.

The last paragraph should be our prayer for 2021.

“Quicken us, arouse us, stir us up, fill us with holy zeal, put strength into us–that we may strivewith You, and refuse to let You go.”

God has some great unseen adventures for us in 2021!

The chosen pleasure-ground of our souls

(Henry Law, “Family Prayers“. We will be publishing gems by Henry Law over the next month or so. Since many of these are prayers, you may want to pray along with them. You will find them quite uplifting.)

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O God of patience and consolation, glory be to You for this throne of grace.
Make it ever to us–the chosen pleasure-ground of our souls.
May it be the fortress to which continually we flee.
Here may we obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Here may we see by faith, Your reconciled smile.
Here may we rejoice to plead the name of Jesus.
Here may we . . .
  sharpen the sword of the Spirit,
  anoint the shield of faith, and
  put on the helmet of salvation.

By prayer also, may we gather supplies of heavenly manna–even the precious nourishment of Your Word. Thus may we be . . .
  strengthened for each conflict,
  nerved for our upward race, and
  empowered for more than conquest over every foe.
We know that Christ is the open channel for all blessings to descend upon us. Help us to beg, until the sluices of mercy widely open, and our souls are so replenished that there shall be no room to receive more.

We marvel at our cruel folly, that when such enriching favors are within our reach–that we are so slow to extend the hand to take them! Have compassion on our deadness for Your great name’s sake. Quicken us, arouse us, stir us up, fill us with holy zeal, put strength into us–that we may strive with You, and refuse to let You go. It is Your glory to be vanquished by the power of prayer. May Your Spirit within us, wrest all spiritual blessings from Your yielding hands!

~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Living by faith in 2021

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

Introduction: We live in the realm of the unknown

Experiences of the unknown

Elisha’s servant

Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.¹⁵ And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?¹⁶ And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. (2 Kings 6:14-17)

Balaam’s Donkey

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.²⁴ Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. ²⁵ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.²⁶ Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. ²⁸ Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”²⁹ Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”³⁰ The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said. (Numbers 22:23-30)

People of the Bible

Those who had faith in God

Abraham

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:² And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:³ And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.⁴ So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4)

Noah

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.¹⁴ Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. (Genesis 6:13-14)

Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. (Genesis 6:22)

Those who bargained with God

Gideon

And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.¹⁷ And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. (Judges 6:16-17)

And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,³⁷ Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.³⁸ And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.³⁹ And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.⁴⁰ And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. (Judges 6:36-40)

Jacob

And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,²¹ So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:²² And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. (Genesis 28:20-22)

Those who rejected God

Satan

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!¹³ For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isaiah 14:12-14)

Moses

Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.¹¹ And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?¹² And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.¹³ And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?¹⁴ And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:10-14)

Believers place their faith in the God of:

Creation

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Salvation

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

Protection

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:34-39)

Wisdom

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5)

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001, chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Today we reflect on who we are and who God is. The contrast is stunning. This devotion should bring us to our knees in prayer, thanking God for all He has done for us. It should squash any pride, self-centeredness, and any idea that we are better than others.

Apart from God’s saving work in our lives we are nothing.

We meekly knock at mercy’s gate

(Henry Law, “Family Prayers“)

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“All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind!” Isaiah 64:6

Holy Father, Almighty God,
We feel our weakness, our ignorance, our deep corruptions. We meekly knock at mercy’s gate. Regard us in tender love–for Jesus’ sake. Bend down Your ear–and grant Your smile.

We are blind–be our light.

We are ignorant–be our wisdom.

We are steeped in selfishness–pluck all SELF out of us.

In the deep sense of our guilt, we fly for refuge into the wounded side of Jesus!
Be merciful, be merciful unto us–whose only hope is in Your unfailing mercy.

Our sins rise higher than the heavens–but Your merits in our behalf surpass the very heaven of heavens!

Our unrighteousness would weigh us down to hell–but Your glorious righteousness exalts us to Your heavenly throne!

All things in us call for our damnation–but all things in You demand our forgiveness.

We appeal, then, from Your throne of perfect justice–to Your throne of boundless grace!

Blessed Jesus, we hide ourselves in the sure covert of Your wrath-appeasing wounds!
Grant us to hear Your voice assuring us: that by Your stripes we are healed; that You have been bruised for our iniquities; that You have been made sin for us–that we might have Your divine righteousness; and that all our vile and grievous iniquities, are forgiven and buried in the ocean of Your sin-concealing blood!

We are guilty–yet pardoned!

We are lost in ourselves–yet fully saved in You!

Enable us to cling firmly to Your cross–even as we now seek safety and repose beneath its sin-atoning shelter!

Let floods of sustaining grace from Your inexhaustible treasury, enrich our poor and weary souls.

If the enemy approaches, quicken our steps to flee into the wounds of Jesus as our sure refuge! Sheltered in the ark of safety, may we cease to tremble at all alarms. May You our good Shepherd lead us this day into the green pastures of His refreshing Word, and cause us to lie down beside the rivers of Your divine comforts.

These prayers we humbly offer in the name of Jesus Christ, and trusting only in His saving merits. Amen.
~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

This last year we had our share of maladies. Covid-19, lost jobs, failure to pay rent, feed our families, and pay our bills. This devotional tells us that the remedy to our maladies is faith.

Please read and be encouraged and challenged.

While we mourn over our many maladies

(Henry Law, “Family Prayers“)

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“This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4

While we mourn over our many maladies–we see that increase of faith would be the grand remedy! Our hearts are often . . .
  the cage of every unclean bird,
  the fount of every loathsome desire,
  the deadly fruit of every poisonous tree,
  the open wayside of every earthly lust and passion.
This is because our faith sleeps. Awaken it, good Lord–give it more strength, until all impurity is cast out!

We now go forth to intermingle with the world. This foe is artful to entrap us. It will approach in an enchanting guise. It will extend many a gilded bait, and will present many a poisoned cup. Lord, increase our faith–and we shall scorn every painted bauble, and trample down every bewitching snare! We shall then be more than conquerors, for this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith!

May our hearts be entirely weaned from the world, dead to its outward enticements, and wholly consecrated unto You. Help us by Your grace–that we may live with You, and to You, during the little speck of our earthly sojourn.

Oh! hear the cry of our anxious hearts, and increase our faith, through the merits and for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Christmas is Friday, December 25. It is time to focus on why we celebrate this event. The announcements that were made to Isaiah, Micah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. The story of Jesus birth. The praise of the angels, shepherds, Simeon, and Anna.

From the very beginning it is a supernatural story. Only God could have arranged all the details to make it happen. But happen it did.

Today we look at the praise of the angels, shepherds, Simeon, and Anna.

Luke 2:13-14 The Heavenly Host

 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ¹⁴ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:15-20 The Shepherds

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.¹⁶ And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.¹⁷ And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.¹⁸ And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:25-32 Simeon’s Praise

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.²⁶ And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.²⁷ And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,²⁸ Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,²⁹ Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:³⁰ For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,³¹ Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;³² A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Luke 2:36-38 Anna’s Thanksgiving  

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;³⁷ And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.³⁸ And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

God made His first revelation of Jesus to the lowliest class of people, the shepherds. The message of salvation was for all people. They went and told others of what they had seen and heard.

Simeon waited patiently for the coming of the Lord. He was promised he would not see death till he saw Jesus.  The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to him and he rejoices and praises God.

Anna, a widow for 84 years, who served God faithfully in the temple, sees Jesus and gives thanks.

What does the birth of Christ mean to you? Is a time of rejoicing, praise, and worship, or an excuse to party, buy gifts, and take a day off of work? It is an important question. If Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection mean nothing or very little to you, you might want to consider your salvation.

Salvation is not just naming Christ, but living as He would have lived. His character, empathy, love, grace, should be qualities we should see in fellow believers. We should be students of the Bible for knowledge and for practical everyday living. The Bible is our guidebook on how to live life. The answers to all life’s questions are answered in God’s Holy Word.

May this Christmas be a time of reflection, renewal, encouragement, and understanding of the real meaning of Christmas. Your eternity is wrapped up in the babe in the manger.

Have a blessed Christmas.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Christmas is Friday, December 25. It is time to focus on why we celebrate this event. The announcements that were made to Isaiah, Micah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. The story of Jesus birth. The praise of the angels, shepherds, Simeon, and Anna.

From the very beginning it is a supernatural story. Only God could have arranged all the details to make it happen. But happen it did.

Today the announcements come to fruition. The babe who was to be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, Jesus, would be born in a stable. Not quite what we would envision for the Messiah.

Luke 2:1-7

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.² (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)³ And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)⁵ To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.⁶ And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Matthew 1:18-25, 2:1

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.¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.²⁰ 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.²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,²³ 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.²⁴ Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:²⁵ And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea…

Jesus is born just as the announcements prophesied. Virgin born, born in Bethlehem, laid in a manger, alone. From the perspective of man, this was all logical. Mary and Joseph were poor, from a non-descript village, questionable parents, among thousands of other pilgrims coming in for the taxation. Why would anyone care about them? We will see tomorrow that many did care. They were not alone. And this baby was destined to change the world!

Jesus birth also pictured His life. The swaddling clothes picture His death. The manger pictures His ministry where He had no place to lay His head. The travel Jesus parents made was indicative of His ministry of preaching from city to city.

God had a plan. The babe in the manger is the Savior of the world and more importantly of you and I. Do you know Him? If not, today would be a perfect time to repent of your sins and by faith accept Jesus offer of salvation.

Tomorrow we will look at those who first saw Jesus and their reactions.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Christmas is Friday, December 25. It is time to focus on why we celebrate this event. The announcements that were made to Isaiah, Micah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. The story of Jesus birth. The praise of the angels, shepherds, Simeon, and Anna.

From the very beginning it is a supernatural story. Only God could have arranged all the details to make it happen. But happen it did.

Today let us look at the announcements the Lord made to Isaiah and Micah, the Angel to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God. That first sin is passed down to all men. Jesus Christ willingly gave up His heavenly home to come to earth to pay the debt for sin that mankind could not pay.

Isaiah 7:14

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 9:6

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, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Micah 5:2

 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.

Luke 1:26-35

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.²⁸ And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.²⁹ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.³⁴ Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Matthew 1:18-25

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.¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.²⁰ 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.²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,²³ 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.²⁴ Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:²⁵ And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

Luke 2 8-12

 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

These passages tell God’s plan. A virgin will conceive, bear a son, who will rule forever, named Jesus, to save the people from their sins. The first people God presented our Savior was to lowly shepherds.

Tomorrow, we will explore the birth of Jesus.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

God’s perfect wisdom in the management of our affairs!

(James Buchanan)

“The Lord reigns!“ Psalm 97:1

The Bible lays a solid ground for our comfort when it assures us that all things are under the government of God. He superintends the affairs of this world, both as the provident parent and as the moral governor of His creatures.

The Bible declares that God created them, and that whatever beings He deigned to create–He does not disdain to care for. It assures us that no being is so great as to be exempt from His control–and none are so little as to be beneath His regard. And, in like manner, that His eye is directed to every event which may befall any one of His creatures–with no event being either so momentous, or so insignificant–as to be beyond His management or unworthy of His notice. The sparrow which falls to the earth–is not less an object of His regard than the seraph that stands before His throne!

That all His creatures in this world, and all the events of human life, of whatever kind they may be–are under God’s regulation and control–is, of itself, fitted to banish that feeling of uncertainty and hopelessness which the aspect of events might otherwise awaken. And how important to know . . .
  that nothing happens by chance,
  that everything is ordained and appointed according to certain divine principles which are fixed and stable, and  that these principles will continue to be developed, until the grand end of God’s government shall have been attained!

But, however important this information may be, it could ill suffice to cheer the heart amidst its sorrows, or to inspire that living hope which alone can bear us up under their heavy pressure–were we not further assured that the government under which we live is conducted by . . .
  a God of infinite intelligence and wisdom;
  a being who cannot err–one who knows the end from the beginning; and
  is alike incapable of choosing an improper end, or of employing unsuitable means for its attainment.

A persuasion of God’s perfect wisdom in the management of our affairs is the more needful, in proportion as we feel our own helplessness, and are taught by disappointments and trials–that our affairs are too high and too great to be managed by ourselves. And when assured of this precious truth, we shall the more readily submit to all God’s appointments–satisfied, that although we know not the plan of His operations, yet it is known and approved of by One whose wisdom is the best guarantee of the universe.

And thus, too, will the idea of blind fate be excluded, not less than the idea of chance.

Still the heart desires something more. It is not enough that the world is neither left to the random vicissitudes of chance–nor governed by a blind and inexorable fate. It is not enough for our comfort to know that a God of infinite intelligence presides over its affairs, and that its laws are the emanations of His unerring wisdom. Great and glorious as these discoveries are, the heart longs to know the character, not less than the wisdom of that Almighty Being–and to be made acquainted, if not with His secret purposes, at least with the nature of His moral perfections and His dispositions towards ourselves. “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” Romans 5:8 

“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns!“ Revelation 19:6
~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Tonight is the last evening of Hanukkah. I hope you have 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 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

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 the 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 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com