Sing for joy

Rejoice in the Lord always

A new day has dawned

Make room for the King

Jesus is love

A child is born

(December 31, 2002 7:43 AM CST)

"Trust in the Lord and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and enjoy security.
Take delight in the Lord
and he will grant you your heart's requests."
Psalms 37:3-4

Trust Jesus.
He is your security.
He is your confidence.
He is your future.
Give him your heart.
Your heart will be one with his heart.
You will desire what God wants.
Your heart will know.

(December 30, 2002 8:10 AM CST)

"I will place my laws in their minds
and I will write them upon their hearts;
I will be their God
and they shall be my people."
Hebrews 8:10

Give your thoughts to God.
Dwell on spiritual things.
Meditate on the ways of Jesus.
Invite him into your heart.
Be a follower of Christ.
Become part of the family of God.

(December 29, 2002 7:28 AM CST)

"May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory,
grant you a spirit of wisdom and insight
to know him clearly."
Ephesians 1:17

Pray for wisdom.
This is wisdom that comes from above.
It comes from the Holy Spirit.
It teaches you more and more about God everyday.
There is so much to learn.
Learn more about Jesus daily.
Seek true wisdom.

(December 28, 2002 8:24 AM CST)

"The Spirit we have received
is not the world's spirit but God's Spirit,
helping us to recognize the gifts he has given us."
1 Corinthians 2:12

It is Christmastime.
What better time for God to give us gifts?
Be open to the Spirit of God.
He will bless you with more faith.
Joy will be there in your heart.
You will reach out to others in love.
Do you recognize the gifts?

(December 27, 2002 7:19 AM CST)

"All people are now undeservedly justified
by the gift of God,
through the redemption wrought in Christ Jesus.
Through his blood,
God made him the means of expiation
for all who believe."
Romans 3:24-25

Jesus died for us.
He shed his blood on the cross for us.
He loved us that much.
He redeemed us from our sins.
This is a tremendous gift.
It is ours.
It is joy to your soul this Christmas.
Jesus died for your sins.
Ask him to forgive your sins.
Start a new life.
Open this package under your Christmas tree.
Don't just let it sit there wrapped and untouched.
Receive this gift of new life today.

(December 26, 2002 8:14 AM CST)

"When Saul (Paul) arrived back in Jerusalem
he tried to join the disciples there;
but it turned out that they were all afraid of him.
They even refused to believe that he was a disciple."
Acts 9:26

Are you open to God changing people?
God's grace is amazing and does wonderful things.
It changes people's lives.
God made us and calls us to come closer to him.
He is alive in this world.
Thank the Lord.
He is still at work today.

(December 25, 2002 7:15 AM CST)

It is just amazing to me how powerful Christmas is.
For one day each year we have peace and love.
That is such a wonderful thing.
Enjoy the day.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!

"Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,
to David's town of Bethlehem ---
because he was of the house and lineage of David ---
to register with Mary,
his espoused wife, who was with child.
While they were there
the days of her confinement were completed.
She gave birth to her first-born son
and wrapped him in swaddling clothes
and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them
in the place where travelers lodged."
Luke 2:4-7

Make room for Jesus this Christmas.
Be open to God's wonder.
Go see the child that was just born.

(December 24, 2002 7:41 AM CST)

Are you ready for Christmas?
Are you prepared?
Is your heart ready to receive God's blessings?

I sometimes think of people who died this year
(Barb, Marilou, Alan, Jim, Paul, Jeff, etc.)
and this will be their first Christmas in heaven.
I wonder what it is like for them.

Zechariah said,
"All this is the work of the kindness of our God;
he, the Dayspring, shall visit us in his mercy
To shine on those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Luke 1:78-79

God has visited us.
Jesus came to earth.
He is the dawn.
He is the morning light.
He drives the darkness away.
It is a new day.

(December 23, 2002 8:06 AM CST)

"Indeed, when you compare that limited glory
with this surpassing glory,
the former should be declared no glory at all.
If what was destined to pass away was given in glory,
greater by far is the glory that endures."
2 Corinthians 3:10-11

Christ has come.
He has arrived in all his glory.
The angels sang.
Heaven and earth rejoiced.
It is a glory that endures forever.
Rejoice!

(December 22, 2002 7:51 AM CST)

"I want you to be wise
in regard to what is good
and innocent of all evil.
Then the God of peace
will quickly crush Satan under your feet."
Romans 16:19-20

The King of peace was born.
He spoke of peace to the people.
Wise people came from great distances to meet him.
The poor heard his words of comfort.
He crushed Satan and all evil.
Find peace in Jesus Christ this Christmas.
Be a wise person.

(December 21, 2002 8:16 AM CST)

"The temple which King Solomon built for the Lord
was 60 cubits long, 20 wide and 30 high."
1 Kings 6:2

"It was Solomon who constructed the building for that house.
The Most High does not dwell
in buildings made by human hands..."
Acts 7:47-48

Solomon built a beautiful temple to the Lord.
It was magnificent.
Still today beautiful churches are constructed.
They are something to behold.
They are inspiring.
And yet Jesus wants to dwell in our hearts.
He wants to be that close to us.
Open the doors of your heart to him this Christmas.

(December 20, 2002 7:45 AM CST)

"They came to Jericho next,
and as he was leaving that place
with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
there was a blind beggar Bartimaeus
sitting by the roadside.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to call out,
'Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!'
Many people were scolding him to make him keep quiet,
but he shouted all the louder,
'Son of David, have pity on me!'
Then Jesus stopped and said,
'Call him over.'
So they called the blind man over,
telling him as they did so,
'You have nothing to fear from him!
Get up!
He is calling you!'"
Mark 10:46-49

You can do the same.
You can call on Jesus.
Have no fear.
Go to him.
Get up.
He is the answer to your emptiness and helplessness.
He is bright.
He is hope.
If you call, he will answer you.
He will take time with you.
He hears your call for help.

(December 19, 2002 7:18 AM CST)

Have you ever read the story behind the Christmas song
Do you hear what I hear? .
This is a PDF file and needs the Acrobat reader .

Jesus asked,
"When I broke the seven loaves for the 4,000,
how many full hampers of fragments did you collect?"
They answered, "Seven."
He said to them again,
"Do you still not understand?"
Mark 8:20-21

God does some amazing things
and we don't know what to say.
We see people healed that are very sick.
We see peace happen when war is about to break out.
We see evil people converted to the truth of Jesus.
Do we understand what God is doing?
He loves us very much.
He is at work in the world.
He wants what is best for us.
He cares for us.
We are hungry and he wants to feed us.

(December 18, 2002 7:56 AM CST)

"Since we have a great high priest
who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our profession of faith.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weakness,
but one who was tempted in every way that we are,
yet never sinned.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and favor
and to find help in time of need."
Hebrews 4:14-16

Jesus was tempted and we are tempted.
He showed us the way of grace.
He did not sin.
It is possible.
Let us follow Jesus.
Let us be confident.
With God's grace we can push temptation aside.
Mercy and favor are ours.
Jesus, help us in times of temptation.

(December 17, 2002 7:14 AM CST)

"Since we have these promises, beloved,
let us purify ourselves
from every defilement of flesh and spirit,
and in the fear of God
strive to fulfill our consecration perfectly."
2 Corinthians 7:1

Seek holiness.
Seek purity.
We are called to greatness.
Prepare yourself.
God is all holiness.
Be like him.
Consecrate your life to him.
Ask Jesus to forgive your sins.
He will forgive you, if you ask.
Start over again.

(December 16, 2002 7:59 AM CST)

"Many have undertaken to compile
a narrative of the events
which have been fulfilled in our midst,
precisely as those events were transmitted to us
by the original eyewitnesses and ministers of the word."
Luke 1:1-2

The words in the Bible are there for you.
Many people wanted to capture in words what happened.
They wanted to somehow preserve the events.
They wanted to tell the whole world.
They saw what happened with their own eyes.
They heard the words that Jesus spoke.
They witnessed the miracles.
They pass all that along to you.

(December 15, 2002 7:59 AM CST)

"Some are strong in chariots;
some in horses;
but we are strong
in the name of the Lord our God."
Psalms 20:8

Power comes from God.
He drives the universe.
He is bigger than big.
Don't try to do everything yourself.
Don't be so independent.
Admit you need help.
Honor the name of Jesus.
He is Lord of all.
Bow down and worship him.
He is your strength.

(December 14, 2002 8:03 AM CST)

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself,
may God our Father who loved us and
in his mercy gave us eternal consolation and hope,
console your hearts and strengthen them
for every good work and word."
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Your strength is in Jesus Christ.
Go to him when you are tired.
Go to him when there seems to be no hope.
He will give you strength.
He is your hope.
He will console your troubled heart.

(December 13, 2002 7:36 AM CST)

"Praised be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has bestowed on us in Christ
every spiritual blessing in the heavens!"
Ephesians 1:3

Praise the Lord!
Lift up your hands to heaven.
Give glory to the Father.
He is deserving of all our praise.
Thank Jesus for all he has done for you.
Thank the Lord for all his blessings.

(December 12, 2002 8:11 AM CST)

Thanks for praying for me.
The cold that was starting has gone away.

"A voice cries out:
In the desert prepare the way of the Lord!
Make straight in the wasteland
a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
the rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all mankind shall see it together;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Isaiah 40:3-5

Do you hear the voice of the Lord?
Is his message heard?
It is a message of joy.
Rejoice in these words.
God will save his people.
He has made a straight path that leads to him.
Follow the path that leads to God.

(December 11, 2002 7:25 AM CST)

I think I'm coming down with a cold.

Jesus said,
"Everyone who practices evil hates the light;
he does not come near it
for fear his deeds will be exposed.
But he who acts in truth comes into the light,
to make clear that his deeds are done in God."
John 3:20-21

Do you want people to know what you are doing?
Are you hiding something?
That is one indicator.
If you do what is right, you have nothing to hide.
If you do God's will, you have no worries.
There is nothing to embarrass you.
Jesus, you are the light of the world.
Shine on us.
Keep us on the narrow road that leads to you.

(December 10, 2002 8:07 AM CST)

It's a foggy morning here in Omaha.

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,
God will bring forth with him from the dead
those also who have fallen asleep believing in him."
1 Thessalonians 4:14

Believe in Jesus.
Give your life to him.
Ask him to forgive your sins.
Turn around.
Go the other direction.
Go toward God.
He drives the fog away.
He makes all things clear.
He will save your life, if you believe.

(December 9, 2002 7:28 AM CST)

Let us pray for peace.
May the situation with Iraq be resolved peacefully.
I pray that a war with Iraq can be avoided.
Jesus, please help us at this time in history.
Bring your peace in this Christmas season.
We need your peace.

Jesus said,
"I tell you the sober truth:
It is much better for you that I go.
If I fail to go,
the Paraclete (Counselor) will never come to you,
whereas if I go,
I will send him to you."
John 16:7

It is hard to understand the plan of God.
Jesus left the earth.
Why didn't he stay around
and help the early Christians for many years?
He returned to the Father in heaven.
He said this was better.
He had his reasons.
Then he sent the Holy Spirit.
Even today he sends the Counselor, if we ask.
Jesus, we don't understand many things.
We don't see the point,
but we trust in you.
You sent the Holy Spirit to be with us.
We thank you for the gift of the Spirit.
We rejoice in the Spirit.
Thank you for this precious gift.

(December 8, 2002 8:09 AM CST)

I am studying Red Hat Linux 8.0 .
I installed it on my new HP PC.
It does not recognize my modem,
which is a common problem with Linux.
I can't get to the Internet without a modem.
I could not get it to install on my old Gateway PC.
It could not find the CD-ROM for some reason.
I think I need a driver for it.
Linux still has a ways to go.
It is not that easy to work with.

"In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee named Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David.
The virgin's name was Mary.
Upon arriving, the angel said to her:
'Rejoice, O highly favored daughter!
The Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women.'
She was deeply troubled by his words
and wondered what his greeting meant."
Luke 1:26-29

Angels are there.
They exist.
They are God's messengers of love.
They are sent to help us.
Gabriel brought wonderful news to Mary.
Mary did not know what to think.
She was special to God.
She was called to bring Jesus into the world.
Why did God pick Mary?
Why did Jesus have to be born?
He could have just appeared one day out of nowhere.
There are many things to wonder about.
We trust the Lord that he knows what he is doing.
He had his reasons.
Jesus was born just like all of us.
He had a birthday thanks to Mary.
He became one of us.
It is something to think about.

(December 7, 2002 7:41 AM CST)

(Update 9:20 AM: I just re-read March, 2001 .
I can't believe I wrote all that
and went to all those places.)

"One thing I ask of the Lord;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life..."
Psalms 27:4

Ask the Lord to take you home to heaven.
Ask and it shall be given to you.
Seek to be with him forever.
Love the Lord with all your heart.
Stay near to him.
God loves you.

(December 6, 2002 7:47 AM CST)

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you,
says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe!
plans to give you a future full of hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

I just heard this on KGBI radio this morning.
The woman being interviewed had cancer and was dying.
She was trusting God for her future.
God has a plan for your life.
He has called you to do something no one else can do.
You are unique.
You are special.
You may have a long life or a short life.
Use your time well.
Be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
You are called and sent.

(December 5, 2002 7:44 AM CST)

"As you well know,
we have our citizenship in heaven;
it is from there that we eagerly await
the coming of our Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ."
Philippians 3:20

Don't get too comfortable here on earth.
Don't be attached to the things of this world.
You are meant for heaven.
Your true home is there.
One day Jesus will come and take us home.
Look up.

(December 4, 2002 7:49 AM CST)

Jesus said to Peter,
"How does that concern you?
Your business is to follow me."
John 21:22

Don't get distracted.
Don't be looking at others.
Look to Jesus.
Follow him (verse 19).
God gives you what you need for your mission.
Each of us is called to different things.
Be concerned about yourself and doing God's will.

(December 3, 2002 7:57 AM CST)

Jesus asked Philip,
"Where shall we buy bread
for these people to eat?"
John 6:5

You have to do something.
Jesus is asking you questions.
What will be your response?
What will you do?
He wants you to think.
He expects you to be creative.
He wants to work with you to show you the solution.
Use your mind for the kingdom of God.

(December 2, 2002 7:51 AM CST)

Jesus said,
"Be on guard!
Let no one mislead you."
Matthew 24:4

The Lord asks you to be prepared.
Be alert to what is happening in the world.
Know what the truth is.
Read your Bible and know what it says.
Ask for grace.
Pray for an increase in faith.
You need the Lord Jesus to be near you.

(December 1, 2002 8:13 AM CST)

Welcome to a month of joy.

Billy Graham is on TV this week and next.
Click above and check the TV listings
or watch the two programs online.
In Omaha he is on Channel 6 WOWT NBC
Saturday, December 7th, 6 PM and
Sunday, December 8th, 6 PM.

"He has robbed death of its power
and has brought life and immortality
into clear light through the gospel."
2 Timothy 1:10

Do not worry about death.
Christ has overcome death.
He has given us life.
It is clear.
Christ brings joy to the world.
Rejoice.