Author: Rev. Mark Davis

Today’s Christmas Word Is … STARS

Thu-Dec-12-2019

Everyone has had a few dark times in life. Maybe you’re having one right now … or someone you know is going through difficulties. When you’re in the dark, you need light. In my twenties I was going through a difficult period and someone said to me, “When it gets dark the stars come out.”

That means people, of course. There are lights that come forth in our darkness, if we are paying attention. God sends certain people to shine in our times of struggle. They answer questions. They give encouragement. Sometimes they’re just present, and that is enough. They may laugh with us when it is hard to laugh. They may cry with us and thus share our grief. And they celebrate with us when the morning comes.

The Christmas season has this great symbol of a guiding star leading the Wise Men to their destination. The circumstances and difficulties of the journey can be endured as long as that star is visible. The ever-present light of God never fades nor fails.

Christmas is a great time to think about the “stars” who have shone into your life at strategic times. Think of some names. Give thanks for those persons one at a time. What if you contacted some of them and told them what they meant to you at a specific time in life, and what that means to you now? They may not know that they were having such an impact on your life.

And one more thing … having been blessed by someone else’s light in our darkness, we can also look around at those who are experiencing something difficult and be a light that dispels their darkness. What a wonderful Christmas gift that would be!

Shine on!

Chaplain Mark

“… then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Philippians 2:15-16

Prayer for the Day:

Dear Lord, Thank you that your light never stops shining on my life. Today I lift up to you a prayer of thanks for those persons that served as a star in the night when I struggled through dark times. Your wonders never cease. Sometimes tears come to my eyes when I think about how those persons rescued me from despair and lifted me up. Lord, let me be a star in someone’s night. Because I have held on to hope, may someone see in me a glimmer of hope that they also can hold onto and find their way. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Today’s Christmas Word Is … DESTINY

Wed-Dec-11-2019

Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly called it the “Play of the Year.” A local newspaper called it “the touchdown heard around the world.”

Jake Porter, 17, a member of the Northwest High football team in McDermott, Ohio, was born with chromosomal fragile X syndrome, a common cause of mental retardation. He couldn’t read. He could barely write his name. But he loved football, and he faithfully attended every practice.

Northwest coach Dave Frantz wanted to do something special for Jake in his senior year. So, several days before a game against Waverly High in the fall of 2002, Frantz called his friend Derek Dewitt, the head coach at Waverly. Frantz suggested that both teams allow Jake to run one play at the end of the game, assuming the game wasn’t on the line. Jake would get the ball and take a knee, and the game would end.

Rick Reilly’s story in Sports Illustrated told the story …

With Waverly leading 42-0 and five seconds left in the game, Frantz called a timeout. Jake trotted out to the huddle, and the two coaches met at midfield. Jake’s coach Frantz reminded the other coach of the plan, that Jake would simply take a knee. But the opposing coach wasn’t satisfied. He said, “No, we want him to score.” Frantz objected, but Dewitt insisted.

Coach Dewitt went back to the sideline and called his defense together. “They’re going to give the ball to number 45. Do not touch him! Open up a hole and let him score! Understand?”

The teams lined up and Jake got the ball. His teammates told him to run, but Jake started going in the wrong direction. The back judge rerouted him toward the line of scrimmage.

Suddenly, the Waverly defense parted like peasants for the king and urged him to go on his grinning sprint to the end zone. Imagine having 21 teammates on the field. In the stands mothers cried and fathers roared. Players on both sidelines held their helmets to the sky and whooped.

And amid the stadium-wide uproar, Jake kept running and running … all the way to the end zone. Touchdown! The moment of a lifetime!

Two thousand years ago, God had a plan. And regardless of all the obstacles and unlikeliness of how things were going to happen, God made it work. He told his plan to two surprised people, Mary and Joseph. He prepared the way, parted the opposition, and into the world was born a humble child, yet the person at the center of history.

You and I also have a destiny. Aspects of it are going to seem unlikely to us. But God will show us the way. He will part the opposition. People will be there to point us in the right direction. And God will get us all the way to the goal line. For us … well, we just keep running.

Let this be a Christmas of renewal for you. Believe in God and his plan to fulfill his promises and his destiny in your life.

Merry Christmas!

Chaplain Mark

Prayer for the Day:

Lord, thank you for this Christmas time of year, and for people like Joseph and Mary, who believed in your plan and were willing to embrace your destiny for them. I know that you have a plan for me and that I am part of something bigger than myself. Thank you for the destiny you have placed on my life. Whenever I am unsure, remind me that you are making a way. Thank you for the many times you have pointed me in the right direction, including those things I felt you doing for me, and also the ones I didn’t even know about. Keep me smiling … and help me keep running. I love you, Lord. Amen.

Today’s Christmas Word Is … GREATNESS

Tue-Dec-10-2019

James and John, two brothers who were disciples, came to Jesus and asked if they could sit at his right and left hands when Jesus came into his kingdom. (Their mother was also interested in this proposition!) At least they knew that Jesus was number one, they just wanted to be two and three! This request upset the other ten disciples, who perhaps resented the two for being so selfish … or … maybe they wished they had thought of it first!

But Jesus called them [all] to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave 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.” (Mark 10:45)

Christmas is a reminder that, although someday the world will see that Jesus is King, his mission among us was one of humility, sacrifice, and servanthood. The self-centeredness of the world we live in is designed to push us away from humility. If you are person of faith, then Jesus says, “Not so with you!” He is telling us that we are to be different …

By Jesus’ definition of greatness, it happens to those with the heart of a servant. Those who are fighting to be in first place in life, making demands, stepping over and on others heading for the top of the heap, are eventually going to find themselves in last place, not first.

Those who focus on serving others are the ones Jesus calls the greatest in the Kingdom. They gain the trust of others and receive favor from God.

Express your servant heart and see what happens. If this is a big change for you, it may shock some of your friends, family, or co-workers … but … they will just have to get used to it. Don’t let them talk you out of it by telling you it won’t last or it’s not worth it. Your new attitude will lead you to life at its best, a life of greatness. In the Kingdom, you don’t achieve greatness, you strive to be humble and receive greatness as a gift from the Father. To him, servanthood is greatness.

Christmas Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

KEY VERSE:

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Ephesians 2:5-11)

Today’s Christmas Word Is … HOSPITALITY

Mon-Dec-9-2019

Christmas is a family time. But there are those who don’t have family nearby or anyone with whom they can celebrate the holidays. What would you think of “adopting” someone who is very lonely at Christmas? Invite them over for dinner. Buy them a present, put it under the tree, and let them open it like everyone else in the family. Help them to be part of the family, included, wanted.

Many years ago, a family in the neighborhood where we lived befriended a woman who was living in the woods nearby. The parents and their teenage son and daughter ventured into the woods and introduced themselves. The homeless lady agreed to come to their home for Christmas dinner, where she received a wonderful meal, some items that helped her through the winter, and most of all … a sense of belonging.

In our home for the last several years, we have invited a certain lady to spend Christmas day with us. She has no local family to be with and would otherwise spend that special day alone. She opens her presents from under the tree just like the rest of us.

In biblical days, God’s people were taught this: “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you.” (Leviticus 25:35) This applies to us as well.

The town of Bethlehem must have been jammed with people forced to travel there for the census. Wherever it was that Joseph and Mary sought out accommodations, someone took seriously God’s directive to be hospitable. And if there was no “room,” then a substitute must be found. So, Mary and Joseph ended up in someone’s barn. We have been taught to think of that as terrible. But not necessarily so.

In the inn or “house” there were probably many people, sleeping everywhere, noisy and boisterous. The choice of the stable gave them privacy and quiet. And most of all … it fit the story God wanted to tell, one of humble surroundings and solitude, including a manger for a baby bed. The shepherds would have felt quite at home, and the wise men were far more interested in the Holy One they sought than the nature of the surroundings.

Hospitality, generosity, and humility are all close to the heart of God. Why not take someone in who is in need of hospitality and family … even just for one meal?

You could make someone’s year!

Chaplain Mark

Other Verses:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:35-36)

“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:13)

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:1-7)

Humor for the Week … Fri-Dec-6-2019

It’s Friday … Humor Day

A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father said to him, “I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your Bible a little, and get your hair cut and we’ll talk about it.”

After about a month the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. His father said, “Son, I’ve been really proud of you. You have brought your grades up and you’ve studied your Bible diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut!”

The young man waited a moment and replied, “Well, Dad, I’ve been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair….”

To which his father replied, “Yes, and they walked everywhere they went!”

Have a blessed weekend,

Including rest, family time, and worship,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Christmas Word Is … LISTEN

Christmas 2019
Thu-Dec-5-2019

The Christmas story has several key characters who listened to God. An angel came from God to both Mary and Joseph, and they obeyed. The shepherds listened to his angel messengers and literally rushed to find the baby. Wise men heard him calling them to a journey to Bethlehem, then again for directions to return home another way. After the birth event, Joseph and Mary listened again to God calling them to Egypt for safety.

If we are going to follow the Lord by trusting and believing him, then we also need to listen to him for guidance. Many of us do our listening by reading God’s Word, plus hearing sermons from pastors and lessons from teachers. But how about listening to “his voice” speaking to us at times when we are not necessarily doing those things?

“You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.” (Deuteronomy 13:4 NASB)

There seems to be some suspicion of people who say, “God talked to me.” Maybe that comes from seeing TV shows and movies where the one who claims to have heard God then goes out and kills somebody … because “God told me to.” I assure you, God did not tell them any such thing.

But I am inviting you to reach a comfort level where you can safely share with others that God spoke to you about something. Does that sound uncomfortable? Don’t forgot that the Bible is the story of God speaking to people. Besides those just mentioned, Abraham heard God’s voice, so did Moses, King David, all the prophets, the disciple Simon Peter, the Apostle Paul.

Now … a voice can be heard both externally and internally. You can hear in your spirit as well as in your ears. In my case, God speaks to me inwardly. Somehow, I must figure out if what I am “hearing” is my own series of thoughts, or the temptations and lies of the enemy, or if possible, the true voice of God guiding me.

For example, many years ago as I was going through a struggle regarding self-acceptance, I once heard a voice in my head say, “Stop beating yourself up.” I was a bit stunned at such a clear directive. But it was true … I called myself clumsy when I dropped something, uncoordinated when I tripped, stupid when I didn’t know the answer. I would often say “you idiot” to myself. And some of you have done the same.

When I heard that voice in my spirit, I sat there for a moment asking, “Is that you, God? If so, why is this important to you?”

I waited a few seconds, and then he said, “I don’t beat you up.” This was one of the most convincing and profound instances of hearing God’s voice that I ever had, at a time when it was crucial for my faith journey. It boosted me into a new realm of more clearly hearing God speak to me. He was telling me in this instance that I was treating myself in a manner he would never treat me, and I needed to hear that!

You, too, can hear God’s voice if you listen. Don’t be afraid to share with others that you have heard God speak something into you. (Tell them that you believe the Bible, and it’s in there!)

I would throw in a word of caution here, because as much as I believe heartily that God speaks to us, I can have difficulty with a person who says, “God told me, God told me, God told me,” throughout every conversation. Of course, I know plenty of people who can say “God told me” all they want to, and I would believe it, because I know them and their genuine faith quite well. And if I ever had a doubt, it would not offend them for me to question it. But for some people, peppering every conversation with “God told me,” is very self-serving. It allows them to avoid godly input from wise people and to steer away from the correction of God. It’s hard to question someone like that, because you sense they would get offended if you ever said, “Are you sure that’s what God told you?”

What God tells us matches his nature, his love, his purposes, and the Scripture. We all should learn to listen for God’s voice, but none of us hears “perfectly.” Still, we are called to do so.

“… Today, if you would hear His voice, …” (Psalm 95:7)

Christmas is a great time to listen,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Christmas Word Is … MEANING

Christmas 2019
Wed-Dec-4-2019

Getting ready for Christmas for many people in our society usually means putting up decorations and launching into gift purchasing. When my now-middle-aged children were kindergarten age, in order to add more meaning to this wonderful time of year, we decided (this means I decided) to put up a manger scene that would serve a purpose.

We put the stable in Bethlehem, which was on the buffet in the dining room. The rest of the cast was spread out over the house. Shepherds were out in the field with their sheep, close by in the living room.  Nazareth, the beginning point of Joseph and Mary’s journey, was at the far end of the house, and the wise men began from the East far away, meaning upstairs in the back bedroom. I suppose the angels could have started out on the roof, but I thought better of that.

These characters made their way to Bethlehem and the manger by being moved along an appropriate distance every few days. As we did this, we would talk about how they were feeling … excited? tired? … Did they encourage each other when they were weary? I did most of the talking, of course, while they rolled their eyes. Singing an appropriate Christmas carol helped. Their occasional comments, some funny, some profound, some absurd, and their child-like singing were precious moments.

Mary and Joseph arrived at the manger first and settled in. The shepherds stayed put in their field until the last moment, when the angels showed up with a notification, and all headed to Bethlehem on Christmas day to see the baby Jesus. The wise men arrived last, and a good time was had by all!

Have you thought about devising a way to stay focused on what your journey to Bethlehem really means this Christmas? It is, of course, far more than gifts and decorations. And considering the difficulties of late … hurricanes, floods, wildfires, droughts, not to mention personal difficulties and tragedies … we are surely thinking about how precious life is, and how unpredictable.

Make this Christmas season memorable for yourself and your family as we remember that God came into our world for a purpose. We didn’t make up the idea of Christmas gift-giving ourselves. God did that … and gave the first and best Christmas gift. The wise men followed suit and the tradition continues. A memorable Christmas is one upon which we may reflect long afterward, and sense our eyes getting moist or a smile breaking out, as we think about the amazing work that love does in our own heart and in our family.

Let the season of joy fill our homes!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Christmas Word Is … ABSORB

Christmas 2019
Tue-Dec-3-2019

What creates fear in you? Relationship problems? Financial problems? Health issues? How about fear of failure? Fear of death? Fear of rejection? Something else?

Unaddressed fear contributes to worry, and the combination of fear and worry becomes heavier and heavier. Sometimes we try to fix it by isolating it into a back corner of our minds and then just trying to live with it. In the medical field we know that infected wounds don’t go away. And likewise, personal and emotional woundedness, which manifests in fear and worry, festers in the same way.

So … how do we get rid of fear? What can we do to be less afraid of threats? Is there a way to reach the point where fear is not our automatic reaction? Can fear be cleansed out of us and replaced with a sense of peace and security?

Would the best tool be to have more courage? Could we fix it by just frequently and habitually reminding ourselves of truths as a way to quench our fears? Of course, some people would tell us, “Just get over it.” In my experience that rarely works.

Although courage is good and necessary, and thinking on God’s truths is a very effective thing, the Scripture reveals the root method by which fear leaves us. You might know the answer if I ask it this way: What does the Bible say will cast out fear?

It is love … perfect love.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1st John 4:18)

Christmas is a celebration that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” (John 3:16) After all where could “perfect” love come from other than from him?

Why not use this Christmas to start or renew this constant process of considering how deeply, thoroughly, unconditionally, and perfectly God loves you … and not just thinking about it, but feeling it? Personally, I like to think about and know that someone loves me, but being hugged along with hearing that whisper of “I love you” is powerful and absorbs into my inner being, not just my mind, but my soul and spirit.

As you use this season to intentionally engage in absorbing God’s amazing love, you will be able to tell if it is being effective when you realize that in return your love for him is growing noticeably. You see, this “perfect love” is two-sided … God’s love for us … our love for him. Of course, God’s love for us is already perfect, whereas our love for him is not. But … our love for him is not to be static. As we absorb his love for us, our love for him is growing and “being perfected.”

And when you have absorbed more and more of his love (usually over a long period of time) into your inner being, fear will have less and less room within you to function. As the incredible love of God goes in, the fear within you is being “driven out.”

Be at peace this Christmas!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Christmas Word Is … SHINE

Christmas 2019
Mon-Dec-2-2019

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

I have my own Murphy’s Law: “You can’t find a flashlight when you need one.”

However, in the world of faith, light is in abundance. God is showing us the way by shining into our world in as many ways as possible. Sometimes we think it is a drawback that he usually gives out his light in such small doses. We wish that we could see much further down the pathway of our lives, but as the above verse points out, God’s Word and his divine presence typically give us just enough light to see our feet and to take the next step. The only way to operate in this manner is by faith.

So, a good way to launch this year’s Christmas journey would be to give thanks for the love and mercies of God, to trust in his faithfulness, and to be willing to take one step at a time, according to how much light he provides.

The reason I said above that he “typically” lights the path in small doses is that there are occasionally circumstances in life where you may need to take a bold and giant step, even a leap. At those moments, God provides whatever extra light is required. Right? Are there some small steps or even bold steps that you need to take?

Remember also, that the light shining before you is freely provided. It is his light, a gift. That light has a source. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12)

But then again, Jesus also said, “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:16), meaning that his light is also reflected through us in various ways and multiplies in new directions. Jesus wants to give you his light because there are certain people whom he specifically wants to reach through you.

God is providing a way for you to see clearly what you are doing. Believe that. And may his light shine in you, through you, upon you, around you, and ahead of you. Not only does this help you to find your way but also assists others to find their way.

If you are going to a attend a Christmas Eve candlelight service, as my wife and I do every year, then at the end of the service you will find yourself standing tall along with those around you and lifting up high your “one little candle,” declaring that “I want my light to count!” It is a solemn and emotional act of courage, commitment, and hope.

Whether you attend such a service or not, take a moment to make a declaration that “I want my one little candle to make a difference in this world!”

Shine On!

Chaplain Mark