–Alexander Smith

       “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

                   –John 1:14 (NKJV)
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          “Look, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome Day of the LORD comes.  And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.  Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
                      –Malachi 4:5-6 (HCSB)

          “Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth.  I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”    
                     –Matthew 10:34(HCSB)

The first Scriptures were the last given to the Old Testament.  It contains both a promise and a warning.  Elijah will come before God judges the earth, but then there is the dire warning that unless hearts are changed that He will strike the land with a curse.  When I look at society today, I see a split in the homes, in the culture, and even within the church.
       Men denying their God-given roles; women usurping what men should be doing.  Why?  Not because of need, but because of rebellion.  Children listen more to their friends and that terrible tool–the phone more than they do to parents.  But then, what do parents tell their children?  How are they being led?  Are they listening to the wrong voices?  The last words of the Old Covenant come as a warning.  
       Then look at the words of Jesus.  The world is cut asunder by His words.  It is either accept Christ or deny Him.  Those who deny are listening to the wrong voices.  This is the beginning of the Christmas season; a time to look at the voice of the Lord through all of the joyous occasions that Christmas brings.  Think of it, the voice of the Lord had  been “silent” for around 400 years.  There were no prophets proclaiming, “thus saith the Lord.”  But in actuality God was not silent.  He was bringing about the greatest event in the history of mankind–an event that would forever change history and eternity, the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
       There are times in history when it appears that God is silent.  There may have been times in your life when it seemed that He was silent, or maybe put a better way, when you did not feel His presence for He is no longer silent.  We have the witness of the Holy Spirit and we have the written word of God from which God’s voice is heard.  However, note that whenever it seems that God is silent it does not mean that He is no longer in control.  “It should bring a great comfort to us knowing that His name is the Lord God Almighty; which means that He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe!  He keeps His promises and His Word will be fulfilled!” (Carroll Roberson)
       Christmas time was my Mom’s favorite time of the year.  Since this is the date of her birth, why not begin December with thinking of those silent times in your life before you realized the great truth about Christmas; that time when Jesus became real in your heart and mind.  Don’t get caught up in arguing about the right season and the exact date of His birth, but recognize that He came to save mankind from the dreadful day of the Lord that is coming.
       There is a peace–a peace that comes only from God.  Yes, a sword has been drawn and there are divisions caused by that sword, but do not let that trouble you.  Do not let the other factions distract from the truth of God’s Word.  Look back at that first night, the shepherds watching their sheep.  The angelic host rise up with the words:  “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!” (Luke 2:14, HCSB)   Peace–to those whom God favors.  This Christmas season meditate, contemplate on the glorious coming of Jesus in the First Advent.

                         –1 John 4:10 (NKJV)
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               “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
                         –Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)

We live in perilous times, yet we live at the right time in history for this is the time and place that the Lord has set us.  The year is almost over and there is turmoil in the Middle East, there is turmoil in other places, but in the midst of that we have the promise of the Lord that nothing, I repeat nothing, can separate us from the love of God.  We should be longing more and more for the things of God, and what better time than now to start seeking Him more fervently than this day of closing out November and beginning the wondrous Christmas season?

          “My soul today is thirsting for living streams divine,
          To sweep from highest heaven to this poor heart of mine;
          I stand upon the promise, in Jesus’ name I plead;
          O send the gracious current to satisfy my need.”
                         –A. I. Zelley

All this world offers us is artificial compared to the great love of God.  The gifts He has for us is above measure and will last throughout eternity.  They are not temporal, here today, gone tomorrow.  With Christmas coming in to greet us, let us rise to meet it because it was at that first Christmas that God fully poured out His mercy with the birth of His Son–Jesus Christ.  Look at this Christmas with expectation and contemplate the completeness of His mercy and grace.

          “I see the clouds arising, the mercy clouds of love,
          That come to bring refreshing down from the thrones above,
          The earnest of the shower, just now to us is giv’n,
          And now we wait, expecting the floods of grace from heav’n.”

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16, NKJV)  This is Christmas!  God gave His son, the mystery of the Incarnation, to show His love and pour out His grace.  Light has now come into the world, the mercy of God is freely given through Jesus.  Grace and mercy–salvation–is available.  What a tremendous present from the Father.  Hearken to it this Christmas; heed the message of the birth of Christ.

          “The show’rs of grace are falling, the tide is rolling in,
          The flood-tide of salvation, with pow’r to cleanse from sin;
          It’s surging thro’ my being and takes my sin away,
          It keeps me shouting glory!  thro’ all the happy day.”

When you receive that present from a loved one this year, think of the deeper message that it represents–the special gift of Jesus by His Father.  A gift that, if received, washes the sin of our life away.  It is truly a “flood-tide”!  Maybe sometime during this Christmas season it would do you good to give a resounding shout of “Glory”!

          “It’s coming, yes, it’s coming, it’s coming down this hour,
          A torrent of salvation in saving, cleansing pow’r.
          I hear the billows surging, I see them mount and roll;
          O glory, hallelujah!  they’re sweeping thro’ my soul.

                          Like a mighty sea, like a mighty sea,
                          Comes the love of Jesus, sweeping over me;
                         The waves of glory roll, the Savior to extol,
                         Comes the love of Jesus, sweeping o’er my soul.”

Let the love, mercy, and grace reach down this Christmas season to grip your soul.  

                    –Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)
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I woke the other night and looked at the time; it was 12:15.  Then an old hymn came to me, one of those “Hymns at Midnight.”  I hadn’t heard or thought of this hymn in quite a spell, so thought I would take the time to look at all the verses.  The song composed by Alameda Herrick details the journey of life that we all too often face.

          “Is there a mountain in your way?
          Do doubts and fears abound?
          Press on, oh, hear the Spirit say,
          This mountain shall come down.

                    Not by might; not by pow’r;
                    By my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts
                    Not by might; not by pow’r;
                    By my Spirit saith the Lord;
                    This mountain shall be removed;
                    This mountain shall be removed.
                    This mountain shall be removed,
                    By my Spirit saith the Lord.”

We know that the way to heaven is an upward way, but so often it seems that there is an unnecessary mountain in our way.  One that we don’t think we can climb.  When we get to that point we need to point to the word of God and allow the His Spirit to work for us.  Don’t doubt, but trust.  Don’t fear, but have faith.  Then do as the writer said, “Press on.”

          “Is there a river in your path,
          A river deep and wide?
          Step in, the waters will roll back,
          You’ll reach the other side.”

Life is filled with rivers we must cross.  Do we dare take the step of faith as the priests did carrying the ark and walk into the water?  Step in, watch the hand of the Lord at work and before you know it you’ll be on the other side.  Perhaps the words of another hymn come to mind, “You don’t have to cross Jordan alone…”.  When we come to a river that tries to stop our progress step in, the Lord will walk with you.  When you come to that final river to cross in life, don’t fear – the Lord will cross with you to the other side.

          “Is there a fiery furnace trial
          Far more than you can bear?
          Behold the blessed Son of God,
          Is walking with you there.”

“Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” (Daniel 3:24)  Ah, but continue on to see what is next with the fiery trial that the Hebrew men faced.  “…I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25, NKJV)  Trials of all kinds come to us in life.  Some of them are more harmful and terrible than others, but remember!  Remember that the Son of God–Jesus Christ–is walking with you in and through that fiery trial.

          “Then trust alone the mighty God,
          He speaks the winds obey.
          Take courage, then, oh fainting heart
          For you He’ll make a way.”

Don’t trust in others or in your career.  Friends can be a help or hindrance.  Don’t trust in the government, or in your bank account.  Especially don’t trust in the power of your own might.  There may be a time when you are upon the sea of despair, when nothing will suffice except the calm, commanding words of Jesus–“peace be still.”  Life is a journey, there are all kinds of troubles and obstacles along the way, but there is a Guide there beside us.  

                    –Louis L’Amour  (Passin’ Through)

       “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.”

                    –Numbers 25:11 (NKJV)
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               “Generally speaking the soul and body fare inversely.  When the body is pampered with every luxury, the soul starves.”
                         –F.B. Meyer

That pretty much sums up this next portion of Psalm 106.  I have thought often of how Joshua and Caleb must have felt after all the spies reported to Moses.  I can imagine their excitement upon returning to Moses with their report, then hearing the reports of the others…how disappointed they must have been.  Joshua and Caleb knew what was before them, but they also knew that their God had led them to this place and that He was bigger than any in the land.

          24 — Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His word.
          25 — But complained in their tents, and did not heed the voice of the LORD.
          26 — Therefore He raised up His hand in an oath against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness.
          27 — To overthrow their descendants among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.
          28 — They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices made to the dead.
          29 — Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds, and the plague broke out among them.
          30 — Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped.
          31 — And that was accounted to him for righteousness to all generations forevermore.   (NKJV)

       Imagine, God has led you to the place He has promised you, but you hesitate, then you do not take the next step.  The opportunity was before you, the call is upon you, yet instead of marching forward you grumble and complain.  What an indictment!  Yet this is exactly what the people of Israel did.  They did not trust the Lord their God.  They would not heed His words.  They would rather listen to unbelieving spies rather than the word of God.
       Unbelief can bring the most horrendous consequences.  Resisting the word of the Lord is dangerous, not only in this life, but more so upon entering eternity.  Continual resistance and unbelief will eventually lead to seduction, flagrant immorality, and idolatry.  They worshipped Baal, ate forbidden food, and indulged in sexual morality with the Moabite women (Numbers 25:1-3)  How?  Why?  
       Up steps a man–Phinehas.  The grandson of Aaron and the son of Eleazar.  He was displeased with the immorality of the Israelites (Num 25:1-9).  He went into the tent of two of the most blatant offenders running a spear through the man and the belly of the woman.  In this he stopped the plague that was among the people and the desecration of God’s sanctuary.  Phinehas stood up in loyalty to the Lord.  He proved his courage, and because of his deed, both in thought and action, the Lord stayed the plague and Phinehas received divine recognition.
       Reading this portion, I wonder how often I have not heeded the voice of the Lord.  When new experiences come, that God has led us to, are we daring enough to believe God, the good report, or do we cower and hide in our tents in fear?  The men, the ten, felt like grasshoppers, but we need to realize that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37, NKJV)

                    “To an inheritance divine
                    He taught our hearts to rise;
                    ‘Tis uncorrupted, undefiled,
                    Unfading in the skies.”
                            –Isaac Watts