–Psalm 95:1 (NKJV)
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               “Good Christian men, rejoice,
               With heart, and soul, and voice;
               Now ye hear of endless bliss:
                    Joy!  Joy!
               Jesus Christ was born for this!”
                         –Heinrich Suso

Joy, do you have it?  It is somewhat of a misnomer when you see a so-called Christian stepping on their bottom lip.  Yes, discouragement does come, read the Psalms, but overall we are to live a life full of joy.  Look at what Paul wrote.

          “Rejoice always.”  –1 Thessalonians 5:16   We should be in the habit of rejoicing.  Rejoice, if for no other reason than your name is written down in heaven.  This is not earthly joy, but spiritual, heavenly joy.  Joy that goes beyond understanding.  Joy that resides in the midst of sorrow and suffering.  Joy because of Jesus.  That’s why this is such a joyful season, Jesus came in the flesh; He came to redeem mankind.  Rejoice!

          Another thing that we are commanded to do is, “Pray without ceasing” –1 Thessalonians 5:17.  We need to live life “with a mindfulness of God’s presence all the time.  We do this by acknowledging Him throughout the day and developing a habit of talking to Him about every experience we have in life, whether it’s good or bad.” (Jack Graham)  There is a time for formal prayer.  There is a time for making your petitions known to God.  However, to develop a relationship with Christ there must be conversational prayer.  Just talking with Him, friend to friend.  During this Christmas season, take time to just talk with the Lord.  He came to earth to develop a relationship with each of us.  We must do our part to develop it.  Read what He has to say, then discuss it with Him.  People clamor that Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship, yet they will not take the time to develop the relationship.  

          “In every give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” –1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)  Listen, sometimes we must be intentional about being thankful.  We may sit down at the table and mutter a short prayer of thanksgiving, but what about the tough times?  What is there to be thankful for?  There must be a time when we contemplate the situation and then thank the Lord.  In the midst of life’s trials, sufferings, difficulties God is good.  The situation may not be good, but God is!  Therefore, no matter the situation you are going through, God is with you and God is good.  The Father sent His Son for us–if that isn’t “good” I don’t know what is.  While we were yet sinners He sent His Son to this earth for each one of us.  Think on that this Christmas.

               “He hath ope’d the heav’nly door,
               And man is blessed evermore.
               Christ was born for this!  Christ was born for this!

                    –Zane Grey  (Under the Tonto Rim)

       “So that Satan will not outsmart us.  For we are familiar with his evil schemes.”

                   –2 Corinthians 2:11 (NLT)
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Many years ago I was dealing with a mother and her wayward, troubled son.  While counseling in my office, I finally said, “You need to put your son in God’s hands.”  I was shocked, it was early in my career, when she replied sharply, “I can’t do that.  I don’t know what God might do to him.”  If we cannot trust God, then we are indeed in bad shape.  He is fully trustworthy.  God is good and He is always faithful.  However, as this portion of Psalm 106 points out, we/mankind mistrust, compromise, worship false gods, give our children over to the world system, and shed innocent blood.  How can anyone, remember these are God’s people, get so far from God?  It all begins with disobedience.

          32 — They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses on account of them;
          33 — Because they rebelled against His Spirit, so that he spoke rashly with his lips.
          34 — They did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them,
          35 — But they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works;
          36 — They served their idols, which became a snare to them.
          37 — They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons,
          38 — And shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.
          39 — Thus they were defiled by their own works, and played the harlot by their own deeds.  (NKJV)

       Oh, we may not place our children in reality upon the altar of Baals, but perhaps we do it more subtly.   We allow them to listen to the world’s music, spend endless hours on the phone, playing video games–are they not being sacrificed upon the world’s altar of entertainment and technology?  I am going to borrow a story from William Petersen to illustrate the idols that we so innocently play with.

                    After church on Sunday, the young couple climbed into their classy sports care and began the drive home.  “So what did you think about the pastor’s message?” the husband asked, turning on the radio.
                    “Well, it was interesting,” the wife replied, “but I don’t think it really applied to–ooh, turn the radio up, I love this song.”
                    “Don’t you love this car’s sound system?” he added as the music swelled.  “I paid an arm and a leg for this car, but it’s worth it.”
                    She suddenly thought of something.  “Honey, could we swing by my office?  I need to pick up some reports to work on this afternoon.”
                    “Working again?” he chided.  “You never rest, do you?”
                    “Well, I assume you want to keep making the payments on this car.  Besides, you work as much as I do.”
                    “Not today,” he countered.  “Football season is starting.  I’m going to camp out on that sofa all afternoon.”
                    “Oh, yeah,” she said, “I forgot.”  Then, as her favorite song ended, she asked, “So what did you think about the pastor’s message?”
                    “Well, it was all right, I guess.  But I wish he’d make it more relevant.  I just don’t see what idol worship has to do with us today.” (The One Year Book of Psalms)

       This portion of Psalm 106 is an indictment against the people of Israel, but read it again.  Is the finger pointing directly at the United States?  Have we, the people of God, mingled with the pagans and adopted their evil customs?  How much blood has been shed in the feminist pro-choice movement?  How much more will God tolerate?  How many sons and daughters have been given over to the pagan customs of our land?  Look at the curriculum being taught in our schools, look at how the media portrays gay rights and transgenderism.  We are sacrificing the blood of our sons and daughters.
       Verse 39, from the NLT — “They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the LORD’s sight.”  What idols are prevalent in America?  How about in your family?  In this wonderful Christmas season guard yourself that you do not fall into the easy trap of material idol worship.  Instead remember the word of the Lord, the value of family, and most of all, the reason for the season.  Do not allow yourself to be given over to idol worship at the altar of money, wealth, fame, career, sports and entertainment, and maintaining a certain lifestyle.  The Lord wants us to walk humbly in His sight.  (contemplate 1 Corinthians 10:19-22)

                    “His mighty works and ways
                    By Moses he made known,
                    But gave the world his truth and grace
                    By his beloved Son.”
                            –Isaac Watts