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Hebrews 4:14-16 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Titus 2:13-14 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

On December 17^th, 1777, General George Washington and his 12,000-men revolutionary army entered Valley Forge. They would spend the next several months in this camp as they endured the long, cold, hard wintertime while spending time professionalizing the force to reverse the steady stream of military losses they had suffered during the previous two and a half years. He strove to provide a message of hope.

On that day, General Washington published a brilliant two-paragraph General Order to institutionalize the culture he expected in the camp. Yet, he wasn’t just going to tell them what to do, but was going to do it alongside of them:

“These cogent reasons have determined the General to take post in the neighbourhood of this camp; and influenced by them, he persuades himself, that the officers and soldiers, with on heart, and one mind, will resolve to surmount every difficulty, with a fortitude and patience, becoming their profession, and the sacred cause in which they are engaged: He himself will share in the hardship, and partake of every inconvenience.”

In a stunning sign of servant leadership, the commanding general publicly committed to “share in the hardship, and partake of every inconvenience.” In doing so, he followed the example of the greatest leader in human history – Jesus Christ.

On Christmas, we must remember that Jesus is far more than the cute baby in the manger. He was the fleshly appearing of our stunning Lord and Saviour. By coming to this earth, He amazingly committed to “share in the hardship, and partake of every inconvenience” for us. He did so not just to demonstrate and model proper servant leadership, but to prove a profound love for all of humanity, and for you and me. His glorious appearing gives us a blessed hope.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO EMBRACE THE EXAMPLE, THE LOVE, AND THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST’S GLORIOUS APPEARING. Spend time this season marveling at a God who came to share in the hardship and partake of every inconvenience for us.

Psalm 85:6 “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?”

Matthew 7:12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

II Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

A few weeks ago, Baltimore Sun partial owner Armstrong Williams wrote an articulate article entitled “America needs a spiritual revival.” Indeed it does!

Armstrong Williams: America needs a spiritual revival | STAFF COMMENTARY

Williams starts with the following: “A spiritual depression stalks the United States. It cannot and will not be alleviated by elections. We have become reptiles with no moral compass. Our gratifications have become entirely hormonal, not spiritual: We crave power, money, fame, sex, and creature comforts.”

He goes on to encourage justice, self-discipline, restraint, wisdom, selflessness, moral courage, honesty, and common courtesies. Realizing that it is a rightful but unattainable goal, he calls for spiritual perfection to be inculcated, valorized, honored, and featured. He goes on to encourage public rebuke of anti-social characteristics. The ideas contained therein are laudable, good, and right. Yet, something is missing.

Armstrong Williams is urging for a secular, spiritual revival. There is no mention of God or any higher power. Apart from the use of the word “spiritual,” it oozes with traits from the Age of Reason and the elevation of man’s self-sufficiency. In doing so, he misses the root cause of our shortcomings – a society and a culture that is increasingly untethered to the truths of the supernatural.

We need God to revive us again. In order for the Golden Rule to be possible, we need a subservience to Godly authority. As we train up our children, we need to yield to our Heavenly Father. It begins with humility, prayerfulness, urgent searching and repentance.

PLEASE PRAY FOR A TRUE SPIRITUAL REVIVAL IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CENTERED AROUND OUR SUBSERVIENCE TO THE LORD OUR GOD. There can be no such thing as a secular, spiritual revival.

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 92:1 “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High”

Psalm 136:1-3 “O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Several years ago, my family and I spent Thanksgiving Day at the Macy’s Day Parade. Because of my position in the military, we had a perfect reserved location to watch the entire event along the southern edge of Central Park. While the parade was magnificent, especially the participation by the Air Force Band and Honor Guard which was the primary reason we had made the trip to New York on that day, it was cold. I mean really cold! Maybe the coldest feeling of my life (and I’ve spent 12 hours in the wintertime in northern Greenland). It took at least the rest of the day to rewarm our core body temperatures, choosing coffee, New York bagels and New York pizza for our holiday lunchtime and dinnertime meals.

We had cold bodies, warm hearts, and ever-burning memories.

Theologian and author William Arthur Ward wrote the following: “Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

This week as we celebrate Thanksgiving. It is good to rejoice in that day and be glad in it. It is good to give thanks unto the LORD on Thanksgiving Day, and to sing praises unto His name. 

But in reality, every day is the day the Lord hath made, and we should rejoice and be glad in all of them. If we are struggling in doing so, Thanksgiving Day is the perfect time of the year to embrace a positive habit of gratitude that can last throughout the entire year, and bring honor and glory to the our Most High God!

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO USE THANKSGIVING DAY AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR EVER-PRESENT THANKSGIVING, GRATITUDE AND PRAISE IN OUR LIVES. Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.

ADMIN: I will not be posting a PLUS blog next weekend, and will be back to regular posting on the 7^th of December. Please keep faithfully praying for our nation and our leaders.

I Kings 19:11-13 “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake, a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?”

Psalm 85:8 “I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.”

John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”

Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

There is a memorable old time series of commercials for financial management company EF Hutton. Whenever a customer starts to share a piece of investment advice in a public place –  “EF Hutton says …” – the entire surrounding environment goes silent as people strain to hear information and guidance that will be profitable to them. “When EF Hutton talks, people listen” is the catchy tagline.

If only American Christians in 2024 would similarly strain to hear the still small voice of the Lord. When God speaks, He provides information and guidance that would be eternally and immensely profitable to us in ways far more significant than the returns of our financial portfolios. His Word offers peace to His people, avoidance of folly, and fellowship with the Divine.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO SQUINT WITH OUR EARS TO HEAR THE STILL SMALL VOICE OF THE LORD. When God talks, we must listen.

Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

I recently came across the amazing poem from Sir Francis Drake from 1579

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.

What a series of stunning thoughts. By faith, we must thirst for the waters of life, to dream of eternity, to expand our vision of heaven, to dare more boldly, to venture on to wider seas, to expand our horizons of hope, and to push into the future with strength, courage, hope and love.

PLEASE PRAY FOR A BOLD FAITH. Only when we lose sight of land shall we find the stars.