Good morning,

Christmas is a wonderful time to lift up the person of Jesus Christ. This season is also fraught with many distractions that cause us to take our minds off Christ.

Today’s devotion helps us to refocus on what is important during the the Christmas season.

So many traps to catch souls!

(J.C. Ryle, “The Gospel of Luke” 1858)

“The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear–but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” Luke 8:14

One caution contained in the parable of the sower–is to beware of the cares of this world. Our Lord tells us that the hearts of many hearers of the Word are like thorny ground. The seed of the Word, when sown upon them–is choked by the multitude of other things, by which their affections are occupied. They have no objection to the doctrines and requirements of the Gospel. They even wish to believe and obey them. But they allow earthly things to get such hold upon their minds–that they leave no room for the Word of God to do its work. And hence it follows that however many sermons they hear–they seem nothing bettered by them. A weekly process of truth-stifling goes on within them. They bring no fruit to perfection.

The things of this world, form one of the greatest dangers which beset a Christian’s path. The money, the pleasures, the daily business of the world–are so many traps to catch souls! Thousands of things, which in themselves are innocent, become, when followed to excess–little better than soul-poisons, and helps to Hell!

Open sin is not the only thing that ruins souls. In the midst of our families, and in the pursuit of our lawful callings–we have need to be on our guard. Unless we watch and pray–these temporal things may rob us of Heaven, and smother every sermon we hear. We may live and die as thorny-ground hearers!

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Don’t allow the cares of this world to destroy the joy of your Christmas. Put Jesus first.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today’s devotional is my Christmas sermon.

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, Counsellor, 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

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

Tonight is the last night 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.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

I will be doing Hanukkah Candles 5, 6, 7, in today’s devotion.

Tonight is the 5th night of Hanukkah.

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).

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.

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

Happy Hanukkah.

Tonight we celebrate the sixth night of Hanukkah.

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 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.

Happy Hanukkah.

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,

Tonight marks the halfway point in our celebration of Hanukkah.

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.

Have a great weekend and take some time in God’s word. It will brighten your day.

Happy Hanukkah.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Tonight we celebrate the third night of Hanukkah.

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 you use? The Scripture for today goes right along with this. I should have no fear because God is our 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.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Tonight, we light our second Hanukkah candle.

First Candle

Genesis 1:3-4 describes the creation of the first light:

God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that
the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.

Second Candle

Exodus 13:21-22 reveals that God is the source of Israel’s light:

And the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to
lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them
light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take
away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from
before the people.

What did we learn today?

First, light was spoken into existence by God. Light is good. God separated the light from the darkness. (The first candle)

Second, God led the nation of Israel. He gave them literal light to lead them through the wilderness and spiritual light to lead them to Him. (The second candle)

Tomorrow, we will look at the Dreidle and the Third candle.

Happy Hanukkah.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Tonight, we light our first Hanukkah candle. How we do it is described below.

The Menorah

Eight lights are lit in the Menorah, one for each night of Hanukkah. Most Menorahs burn candles, but some have wicks to burn oil, as did the Temple Menorah long ago.

A special candle, the shammas, is used to light the menorah candles. New candles are lit each night. A new shammas is lit each night, too. The shammas is lit first, and the Hanukkah candles are lit from it.

On the first night of Hanukkah, put the first candle at the right end of the Menorah, as you face it.  On the second night two candles, three on the third night, and so on. Always light the newest candle first, then light the others, from left to right. Place the lighted Menorah in a window, so all may see and share the celebration.

Messianic Hanukkah Candle Lighting

Each night we recite three blessings, acknowledging God’s Lordship, power in working miracles, and sustaining us another year.

Then we acknowledge the Scriptural significance of each candle lit.

Shammash (Servant) Candle

Messiah Yeshua stated in Mark 10:44-45:

Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be the servant of all. For
even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to
give His life a ransom for many.

First Candle

Genesis 1:3-4 describes the creation of the first light:

God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that
the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.

What did we learn today?

First, God is Lord and in control of all things.

Second, we need to be servants, not demanding to be served. (Shammash candle)

Third, light was spoken into existence by God. Light is good. God separated the light from the darkness. (The first candle)

Tomorrow, we will look at the Second candle.

Happy Hanukkah.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Tomorrow night, 12 December 2017, 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, is the first night of Hanukkah. John 10:22 states, “And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.” This “feast of the dedication” is a reference to dedication of the temple in 165 BCE.  To understand this verse, we need a history lesson.

Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar (which is November-December on the Gregorian calendar). In Hebrew, the word “Hanukkah” means “dedication.”

The holiday commemorates the rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jews’ 165 B.C.E. victory over the Hellenist Syrians. Antiochus, the Greek King of Syria, outlawed Jewish rituals and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 B.C.E. the Jews’ holy Temple was seized and dedicated to the worship of Zeus. Some Jews were afraid of the Greek soldiers and obeyed them, but most were angry and decided to fight back.

The fighting began in Modin, a village not far from Jerusalem. A Greek officer and soldiers assembled the villagers, asking them to bow to an idol and eat the flesh of a pig, activities forbidden to Jews. The officer asked Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, to take part in the ceremony. He refused, and another villager stepped forward and offered to do it instead. Mattathias became outraged, took out his sword and killed the man, then killed the officer. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked and killed the soldiers. Mattathias’ family went into hiding in the nearby mountains, where many other Jews who wanted to fight the Greeks joined them. They attacked the Greek soldiers whenever possible.

About a year after the rebellion started, Mattathias died. Before his death, he put his brave son Judah Maccabee in charge of the growing army. After three years of fighting, the Jews defeated the Greek army, despite having fewer men and weapons.

Judah Maccabee and his soldiers went to the holy Temple, and were saddened that many things were missing or broken, including the golden menorah. They cleaned and repaired the Temple, and when they were finished, they decided to have a big dedication ceremony. For the celebration, the Maccabees wanted to light the menorah. They looked everywhere for oil, and found a small flask that contained only enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days. This gave them enough time to obtain new oil to keep the menorah lit. Today Jews celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a menorah every night, thus commemorating the eight-day miracle.

Why is this important to us? First Jesus and all the Apostles celebrated the “feast of the dedication.” Second, this points to Jesus as being the light of the world. (John 8:12)

Each night a candle is lit, prayers made, and Scripture shared as to why Jesus is the light.

These will be our devotionals for Hanukkah.

Happy Hanukkah.

Tom Stearns
WASI Chaplain
907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

Trials and tribulations are a part of life. No one enjoys going through them, but they can be a time of blessing or cursing. We choose.

Today’s devotion deals with this area. Hopefully, it will be encouragement and blessing.

Think of all the hard things there are in your life

(Susannah Spurgeon, “Words of Cheer and Comfort for Sick and Sorrowful Souls!” 1898)

“Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You!“ Jeremiah 32:17

“Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:26-27

Dear reader, your difficulties and trials may not be similar to those of “the weeping prophet”–but they are very real, and seemingly insurmountable to you. It is a fact that, of yourself, you can neither overcome nor endure them. So I want to remind you that the Lord’s hand is not shortened–that what was true of His power in Jeremiah’s time, is as certainly true today. Whatever present hardship may press upon you, or whatever burden may be weighing you down–you, yes, you may look up to Him with confident faith, and say, “There is nothing too hard for You!”

Oh, the blessed peace which such an assurance brings! I do not know what your particular sorrow or hardship may be–but I do know that, whatever its nature–cruel, or bitter, or hopeless–it is as “nothing” to Him! He is able to deliver you–as easily as you can call upon Him for support and help.

Now, dear friend, think of all the hard things there are in your life:
poor circumstances,
difficult duties,
grievous pains,
sore struggles,
bitter disappointments,
harsh words,
sinful thoughts,
a hard heart of your own,
a hard heart in others.
Gather all these, and many more together, and pile them one on another until you have one great mountain of afflictions–and your God still calmly asks the question: “Is there anything too hard for Me?”

When our hearts are weary of life’s cares and crosses, when our courage flags because of our helplessness, and we cry out with the patriarch, “All these things are against me!”–then what a support and stronghold is the fact that our God has all power in heaven and on earth! There is nothing too mighty for Him to manage–there is nothing too insignificant to escape His notice! Jeremiah’s faith . . .
sees no obstacles,
  stumbles at no hindrances,
faints under no burden,
shrinks from no responsibilities
–because he realizes the sublime Omnipotence of God, and fortifies himself by calling to remembrance His “outstretched arm” in the creation of the heavens and the earth. Cannot we do likewise?

I took up a book in a leisure moment the other day, opened it carelessly, and this is what I read: “It is a scientifically proved fact, that this great globe on which we live, spins around on its axis at the rate of a thousand miles an hour, and propels through space in its orbit at a speed immensely greater!”

The thought of this, seemed almost to take away my breath! Was I calmly and constantly living in the swirl of such a stupendous miracle as this? Then surely I could say, “Ah, Lord God! there is nothing too hard for You! My little troubles and afflictions—how small they must be to You! Yet with what tender compassion, do You stoop from guiding the worlds in their courses–to support and comfort the hearts of those who fear You!”

Never let us give up in despair, while we have such a God to trust in. If there is a great mountain of sorrow or difficulty in your way, dear friend–do not be cast down by the darkness of its shadow. Your God can either make a way for you through it–or He can guide you around it–or, just as easily, He can carry you right over it! There is nothing too hard for Him! Expect Him to make the crooked things straight, and to bring the high things low. And while you keep humbly at His feet, He will work wondrously, and you shall see His salvation!

~  ~  ~  ~

Meditate on these words. Allow God to speak. Listen to His words of comfort. He cares for each one of us.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001