Celebration #281

Luke 2:17-20

17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Have you been to a “Celebration” lately? What did you celebrate? Was it an anniversary, a graduation, a birthday, a retirement, or maybe just an evening at home? Celebration has the meaning of being emotionally, socially and mentally involved in something of excitement. The Shepherds had been startled while watching their sheep by the angel of God. The result was a time of ecstatic celebration. The angel had announced the birth of the long awaited Messiah. They were the first to celebrate what we call Christmas. Outside of Mary and Joseph we know of no one who knew what was happening in the manger in Bethlehem.

The Shepherds, Mary and Joseph and all who heard about the Savior being born give us a beautiful picture of true “Celebration.” What are the elements of celebration? Four words describe the response to the birth of Jesus. The first is Proclamation. The Bible tells us the Shepherds made known what had been told to them. They let others know of this Christ child who was God in human flesh.

The second word is Wondered. The sense of awe at the prospect of the Messiah’s birth brought all who heard to wonder what the Shepherds were talking about. We need a sense of wonder as we consider Jesus.

The third word is Ponder. The Bible tells us that Mary pondered these things in her heart. She thought through all that had been told to her and to the Shepherds and allowed the amazing things to dwell in her mind.

The fourth word is a duel word. The Shepherds went back Glorifying and Praising God. These four words give us a perfect way to Celebrate Christmas. Proclaim, Wonder, Ponder and Praise; all to the Glory of God.

_______________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Yes, I did say beautiful. The weather for the next week will see temperatures in the low 70s with bright sunshine everyday. Some of us have to enjoy this beautiful place. Just don't write me back next summer when it is 115 degrees here. Just seems strange to be 72 degrees on Christmas Day. The snow is not very deep. 

I do hope you and your family have a super Christmas together. Sandy and I will have our family at our home on Christmas Day evening. All of us will be present except for Collin. He is visiting his Dad for the first time at Christmas. He lives in California. We will miss him. 

Sunday I will finish preaching the Christmas series at First Baptist Church of Tempe. It has been a five week series on the Christmas story as found in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew. 

Sandy is studying for her new Young Mom's class that will start in January. They will be studying Esther. Sandy is eager for the class.    I think most of all because she so enjoys the young Moms. 

I do hope and pray that you and your family, and church have a wonderful Christmas and that God blesses your life with His presence. We all are so blessed. 

Many of you have asked about my medical tests. I am still meeting with doctors, but I am feeling better. The pain has subsided and the prayers and new meds seem to be working. Keep praying. I see a gastroenterologist and a cardiologist during the next week. Thanks for your consistent prayers. 

I so appreciate hearing from you from time to time. Sandy and I have enjoyed reading your Christmas letters, and especially your family photos. 

God bless you this wonderful Christmas Day. 

Don't forget as we enter this new year. GOD IS GOOD!!  ~ DGW

Jesus Has The Cure #280

Luke 2: 8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” (NLT)

The message and hope of the Christmas story is found in the middle of the tenth verse of Luke chapter 2. “I bring you “Good News” that will bring great joy to all people.” It continues into verse eleven. “The Savior, yes the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David.”

Good news; the gospel has come in the form of a person; not an ordinary person, but God in human flesh. God, in order to give salvation and life to every person who believes sent his only Son to take on the bodily form of a man named Jesus. He also sent Jesus to die for our sins, and arise from the dead to give all His life.

The Christmas Story is the story of the God of creation coming to earth to be the Messiah of all people. The good news was proclaimed by the angel and fulfilled the prophesies of the Hebrew Bible concerning the coming Messiah. This God/Man, Jesus, brought hope, joy, peace, forgiveness, and undeserved and unconditional love.

Why was it Good News? First because it was from God. Second because it was it was for all the people. Can you imagine someone finding a cure for cancer, but announcing that it only worked for people of a certain race? That would not be good news for everyone; only a select group. The Gospel, Good News is for all people. No matter your past or your present circumstances; not only your place in society, nor your economic situation the Gospel is for you.

Jesus was announced by the angel as the Savior of the whole world. He was  declared the Messiah and the hope for all who believe. There is no better time than right now to place your faith in Him. 

________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

Merry Christmas. I am sure you are busy, maybe not even time to check your emails. I do hope you take the time to read The Encourager. 

Sandy and I have had a really busy week. We helped host the 'Walk Through Bethlehem' at our pastor's home. The back yard is decorated with the whole story of Jesus from prophesy to the resurrection. It is such a joy to talk to people about Jesus while they can observe in pictures, manger scene, the cross and the empty tomb with their own eyes. This is the eleventh year First Baptist Church has sponsored this event. The average attendance during the Christmas month is around 50,000 people. I met people from all over the USA and Canada, and a Jewish man from Israel and a young woman who was from Palestine just outside Bethlehem. WOW!!

Sunday night the 15th we celebrated our three children's birthdays all in one evening. Sandy prepared an awesome meal. We opened presents and ate lots of chocolate cake and ice cream. It was a really fun time. 

We both attended 4 band concerts and I got a chance to go fishing on Saturday with a friend from church. I got skunked again. I again had the privilege of preaching on Sunday at FBC. 

Friday I saw the oncologist. My reports were a mixed blessing. My liver functions are quite good. The Labs reveal a greatly improved liver function. Although I only have one half of a liver functioning it seems to be working well. The other side of the story is that the cancer markers; serotonin and chromogranin A are elevated considerably. The oncologist is sending me to the gastroenterologist to see if the cancer is regrowing in the small intestine again. MORE TESTS!! YUK!! I will not see him until the 26th. Another side effect of high levels of serotonin is heart valves that begin to enlarge and cause heart valve leakage. They have found my heart now has some issues. I see the cardiologist on December 30th. MORE TESTS!! Please continue to pray. I am in fairly consistent pain all of the time and not able to take anything that helps because of the damage pain meds do to the liver. On Wednesday I begin a mild chemotherapy that I will have in the form of an two injections every four weeks. 

Sandy and I are planning our annual ministry time in Quartzsite, AZ as a part of the Campers on Mission. We will be teaching during the week and doing street evangelism every day. We so enjoy the fellowship and love shared by the fellow Campers on Mission and the Quartzsite Church. It is January 16-25, 2014. We would appreciate your prayers for our preparation, safety and health.

One of the joys of my life is to preach every Sunday at First Baptist Church of Tempe. This whole month we have been looking at the Book of Luke chapter 2. It has so much to tell us of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and His birth.

I hope and pray you have a very Merry Christmas and that you will enjoy time with family and friends. Thanks for your prayers, concerns, kind words, and love to us during this year. Thanks also for those of you who support Purpose Ministries financially. A lot of our ministry could not be done without you. Thanks. 

May God bless you this time of year with a renewed awareness of the presence of Jesus who loves you.  ~ DGW

Stress! #279

James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (NAS)

The International Biblical Encyclopedia defines trials or tribulation as:

 “The Greek word is thlipsis, a "pressing together" (as of grapes), squeezing or pinching (from verb thlibo); used figuratively for "distress," "tribulation"

You would likely call the meaning of the word, STRESS!! Ever have any stress in your life, family, business, church or neighborhood? Maybe the stress is just inside you. What are you dealing with in your life that you would attribute to stress?

The bigger question may be, what is the source of the stress? Could it be the fear of the unknown, or the fear of the known? Could you have taken on more than you are capable of producing? Is the pressure from other people’s expectations placing an undo amount of stress on you?

No doubt there are special times of the year, or specific times in a your life when stress seems to be greatly overblown. Whether it is a holiday, a change in living conditions, a move, a new job, or no job, an illness, a broken relationship, or a failure of some kind or another. It is then that the pressure mounts and life seems out of control.

It is at those moments we need God’s answer to stress. The Book of James gives advice to a group of people who were having all kinds of pressure and stress in their lives. His advice is first to count it all joy. James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. Of course, as most things, it is easier said than done, but God is giving you counsel in order to overcome the stress of life. Why would you ever count it joy? The word for consider means to put it in the ledger as a joy instead of something bad. 

There is a positive outcome of stress as you consider or count it joy. James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.     4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. In order for your life to be mature and complete God uses stress. As you sense stress coming your way, just count it joy. Thank God for what He is doing in your life to grow you and produce the  great plans He has for your life.

_____________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

I hope you are enjoying the Christmas season and all its wonderful activities. It may be a stressful time for you, but take a look at The Encourager devotional for some help. 

Sandy and I are enjoying our family and church activities during this Christmas time. Sunday night we were part of hosting the "Walk Through Bethlehem" at our pastor's home. It is a large backyard that turns into Christmas scenes for a month at Christmas time. We had over 1200 people through the beautiful displays on Sunday night. 

Pray for Susan and Collin. They had a next door neighbor commit suicide on Friday night. They were both pretty shook up over the experience. He was 26 years old. His whole family was home at the time. Susan was able to minister to the family with prayer and comfort. She is good at that. The family needs prayer also. Such a sad thing to happen to any family. We also celebrated her birthday at the beginning of this month.

I will receive my test results on Friday. The report will include the Lab results and the MRI results. I see the oncologist on Friday morning. Continue to pray for good results. 

Sunday I will be preaching again in the Intersect Service in the LOFT at First Baptist Church of Tempe. The theme is still the Christmas story as found in the Books of Luke and Matthew. After Sunday I am scheduled to preach almost every Sunday until the end of July. I thank God for the opportunity. 

Bennett, Burke and Collin have band concerts coming up the next couple of weeks. We look forward to their performances. Collin is now playing in two bands. In one he plays the trumpet and the other he plays percussion. Burke has switched from the trombone to the tuba. Bennett continues not only his percussion but also is in the choir at his school. They are all very talented young men. Both Collin and Burke will turn 13 years old by the end of January; Collin on December 28th and Burke on January 25th. Collin is spending Christmas with his Dad in California this year. It will be his first time away from us at Christmas. I can say that will be hard for me. 

I pray you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and that God blesses you with JOY and PEACE this year. GOD IS GOOD!! Keep your eyes focused on Him during this special time of celebration of the birth of Our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. 

May you be filled with His JOY.  ~ DGW

Body Building #278

EPHESIANS 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,                                                                     

EPHESIANS 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.   

Ephesians 4:16 causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Do you know someone who is a “Body Builder?” They are usually bulging from muscles that are taut, over extended, and having a look of fullness. It appears from the Bible that the Apostle Paul, who wrote the Book of Ephesians, that he was a sports fan. Often in his writings he refers to terms that indicate so. He talks of boxing, racing and here in these verses of growing the body or body-building.

Maybe you could learn a little body-building techniques from these simple plans. First he would say to build your Spiritual Body you need to walk. This is not a physical walk, but a walk worthy of your calling. You have been called to be Christ-like in your behavior. To walk would be to exercise your life in such a way as to grow up into that which God desires for you to become.

The second lesson is to embrace unity. The body of Christ is united through Jesus. Wherever you go or who ever you meet that is a believer in Christ is your partner. The Apostle would admonish you to walk in unity. Our unity is built upon a common faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ. As you grow in unity you also grow into maturity. Although you are in unity you also celebrate your diversity. God has gifted you differently than other brothers and sisters in Christ. He has given you a unique personality, different abilities and passions to make you a special person in Christ.

In order to be mature in Christ you will need equipping. To be equipped is to be prepared for use. Ready to allow God to use your life and ministry for His glory.

The result of your growth in maturity is that the whole Body of Christ grows and builds itself up in love. Allow God to build you into His design for your life.

________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

Back at Starbucks. The kidney stone passed and I finally have relief from the pain. I was able to preach Sunday at First Baptist in Tempe. What a blessing to share the story of the Shepherd and the Angel and the message of Good News; The Gospel. I will be preaching again at FBC Tempe on December 15, 22 and 29. All will be Christmas messages related to the Manger. Join me at 9:30 AM in the LOFT at FBC.

Our family enjoyed a Thanksgiving together, although in pieces. Then we all got together on Sunday to celebrate Justin's 1st birthday. He was one on Tuesday. It has been a fast year. I feel so blessed to have been around for his birth and to watch all my grandsons grow up. God is good. 

This week I will have my labs done, MRI, and also see a cardiologist. The doctors are detecting a heart murmur. Something new to help me meet more doctors. Please pray for all these tests. I also meet with the oncologist on Friday the 13th. No, I am not superstitious. 

I do hope and pray that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remembering the blessings of God always does something special for me. 

Christmas is right around the corner. Sandy and I have many activities the next few weeks. We celebrate our three children's birthdays, attend several band concerts, work at our church's Walk through Bethlehem, attend several parties, and watch grandsons, and I get to preach. Sounds like a lot of fun to me!!

May God bless you this Christmas season with His presence and lavish upon you His mercy and grace.   ~ DGW