Good Morning!
Christmas is three days away! I hope you are planning a special time to remember the Savior's birth and celebrate it so your home becomes a place of worship on Christmas.
This past Saturday a few of us went to McCabe Park and shared with approximately fifty families gifts to help them through the Christmas season. The clothing trailer from FBC New Lebanon came to help with clothing needs...especially coats and winter garments. It was a blessing to see residents going through the trailer receiving what they need. One lady came out of the trailer wearing only a hoodie. It was cold that day and she was cold. She had a bag in her hands containing clothing that she had gotten out of the trailer. Linda saw her and asked her if she was cold. She was shivering and said, "I don't have a winter coat." Then she lifted her bag and said, "But, now I have one!" Wow...what a blessing!
I met a young man in his twenties working on his car. He, too, was cold but his car was leaking antifreeze and he was replacing it. I pointed to the park and told him that we were giving away some food. He took a step toward me and said in a quiet voice, "That's perfect...'cause I'm really hungry and I don't have any food!" He immediately met me at the park and received several bags of food and a frozen turkey. He also got a great treat bag for his little girl.
Thank you to all who helped in this tremendous act of kindness and exhibiting God's love.
This kind of serving is an example of the love God exhibited in giving to us the greatest gift of all...His Son. The part of God's children who have the heart to love and share with others is an example of walking by the Spirit and NOT by the flesh. Read the next passage in Galatians 5:16-18:
"I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit,
and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other so that you don't do what you want.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."
Paul was dealing with some serious issues with new believers being tempted to go back into their lives of living under the law and not living by Faith. Then he gives to them the two lives in vivid comparison. Look at it in verses 19-26:
"Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealously, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar,
about which I tell you in advance--as I told you before--that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, love, patience, kindness, goodness faith gentleness, self-control.
Against such things, there is NO law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.
We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."
Which list represents your life? Maybe you are experiencing some from both lists. Here are my thoughts. If you have any of the "Flesh" lists in your life...then you are guilty of the entire list. In other words...if you have some of the "Flesh" in you then you are being controlled by your Flesh and NOT by the Spirit.
Every single point on the "Flesh" list is at war with the Spirit. If you give control of your life to anything on the "Flesh" list then you have abandoned the "Spirit" to take pleasure in the "Flesh." The choice is simple. You either surrender your life to God and allow His Spirit to lead you or you don't. The Spirit cannot control what is given to the "Flesh" to control. All the items listed are self-explanatory. There is no need for explanation. Therefore, the clear move to make is to give your life over to God so His Spirit will have control and freedom in your life.
Do you want to have a Merry Christmas? Give God control of your life.
Do you desire a Happy New Year? Give God control of your life.
The result will be that your life will be under the control of the Spirit of God and you will have the freedom of God and the Peace of God.
I'm praying for you this week. For most of us, things will be a little different. That's okay. We'll get through it. Let your goal to give God all the Glory in your home and enjoy His presence during this Christmas season. We hear it said often..."Jesus is the Reason for the Season." If that is true in your life then let it be displayed in your celebration and your home.
May God Bless You!
Don Betts
DBEA/campus320
DBEAWINNING.COM
TO GOD BE ALL GLORY!