January 11, 2025 – “What’s It Gonna Do?” by P. Williams
It’s going to Snow… OR Sleet… OR freezing
Rain… or plain rain.
But whatever it does… whatever falls from
the sky… is God’s gift today… to Us.
Hopefully we each are thankful if it is rain, snow,
sleet, sunshine, cloudy, wind…
No matter what… that we are thankful for the Variety.
The snow is so quiet… not another
sound…. Makes it even more beautiful.
It’s like God is shaking the snow shaker…
The black cars are covered with a thin coat…
I love it… been a long time and it is really so beautiful…
it looks just like God made it… and He did! Over
1,000 days… I can wait that long again….
January 8, 2025 – Post found on Facebook
“How cool
is it that
The same God who
created mountains
and oceans and
galaxies looked
at you and thought
The world needed one of you, too. Think about that!”
Amen
January 1, 2025 – Reading from “Daily Devotions”
As the time to take down Christmas decorations drew near, I felt that familiar sadness in my heart. The celebration
of Christmas comes and goes so quickly. As I began to remove the pieces of my Nativity set, each piece spoke to
my heart and prompted me to pray: Lord, help me to be like a shepherd — to lead, nurture, and guide those around
me to the Good Shepherd. Lord, help me to be more like the wise men — to hear your call and to use the gifts that
you have blessed me with to serve others. Lord, help me to be more like Joseph and Mary — like Jesus — to show,
understanding, and forgiveness.
Praying with my Nativity set in this way helped to ease my post-Christmas sadness and gave me a sense of hope
and excitement for the new year and what it would bring. We can look forward with hope when we walk hand in hand
with our Lord and Savior.
Saturday, December 28, 2024 – “Sick” by P. Williams
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas like I did…
full of family, food and fun
However, on the day after… I woke up “sicky”…
not terrible but don’t feel good.
Then Friday… called the Doctor… I have
fever… chills… full blown sick!
I have COVID… had forgotten I even needed
to think about it… but I have had the shots.
Feel really tired, headachy, stiff and muscle aches.
Temperature makes me fee exhausted… so in
general I guess I am sick!
I missed my Friday lunch with the High School Group…
and I will miss church… but I have high hopes
I will be better by next week.
Be careful… you are all in my prayers.
God Bless Us All! Amen
Tuesday, December 24, 2024 – “Son of Man” from Unwrapping the Names of Jesus
A close study of the Gospels reveals that the most common title Jesus used to refer to Himself is “Son of Man.” In
fact, He used it eighty-one times in the Gospels though no one else used it to refer to Him.
But this title also refers to Jesus’ own humanity. Think of the humility Jesus endured in becoming the Son of Man:
God eternal and magnificent “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 and became obedient to death – even
death on a cross!
Jesus emptied Himself of heavenly glory, while still retaining His deity, and submitted to the humiliation of becoming
a human. From His position as Lord of the universe, He stooped down to become a servant, washing His disciples’
dusty feet. He set aside all His prerogatives and became like one of us, bound by time and space, trading all the
riches of heaven, and becoming poor in both the literal and figurative sense.
What could possibly motivate Him to do this? Love.
Have a blessed day and Merry Christmas.
Saturday, December 21, 2024 – “God Blesses Us” by P. Williams
Sometimes if life comes at you with both barrels… Pumped
and Ready to explode.
Biggest holiday of the year is just about upon us… Families
will gather and the table will be heavy laden with all kinds
of food.
Children seem excited everyday… Looking forward to Santa
and all of the lights and the tree and presents… Eyes all a glow
People are getting Ready… Mom’s are cooking “good stuff” and
Kids are getting to decorate cookies and help mix up the batter
for a cake or brownies.
The door bell rings… it is a neighbor bringing homemade fudge
in a box with a bow… or cookies shaped like stars or wreaths
or snowmen.
Gingerbread men marching across my kitchen table… all in a row.
It’s time… you are ready and now the precious gift of the Christmas
story… Read in many households before bed.
God loves us… God loves us… God loves us…
God bless each one of you Amen and Merry Christmas
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 - “Jesus is the Great High Priest” from Unwrapping the Names of Jesus
The most prestigious spiritual leader in Israel was the high priest. Of all the priests and rules in the nation, he was
the only one who could enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer sacrifices for the sins
of the people.
After ceremonial cleansing for his own sins, he would go behind the thick veil that separated the Holy Place from
the Holy of Holies. There he would offer the blood of a goat on the golden mercy seat that sat atop the Ark of the
Covenant, so that the sins of Israel would be covered for another year.
Just as the Aaronic high priests would disappear from the people’s view when they entered the Holy of Holies so
Jesus passed through the heavens into the sanctuary of God. He is the One to hear our prayers because He has
entered the Holy of Holies in heaven.
In heaven, Jesus sits on the great throne of grace, ready to hear our prayers and assist us in our time of need; He
sympathizes with our weaknesses because He Himself was tempted in every way, just as we are yet without sin
(Heb. 4:15-16).
Because Jesus is our High Priest, we no longer need anyone else to intercede between us and God. We have
direct access to the Father through Jesus, and He stands ready and willing to help us in our time of need.
Saturday, December 14, 2024 – “Decisions and Choices” by P. Williams
You can op through life Happy or Sad
Its your choice -
No One else’s… No one controls that but you
Remember that Happy or Sad… Your choice
Each of us has many different choices
in life… Many happy… many sad, and
Many more. Every day “driveway” kind of decisions.
Today, embrace your choices
Hug the happy… Put your heart around
the sad… and cherish the everyday.
Thank God for your troubles… they give you strength.
Thank Him for your many blessings. They give you joy.
And Thank God for all of the “driveway” decisions for they
make up a large part of life.
Many Thanks God for Watching over me Everyday
and in Every Way as I make decisions and choices.
Amen
God Bless Each one of you.
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 – “Jesus” from Unwrapping the Names of Jesus
Jesus is God’s creative Word who spoke everything into existence: the beautiful flowers, majestic mountains,
brilliant northern lights, fascinating animals, and breathtaking sunsets. God’s creation speaks to us His eternal
power and divine nature because it was fashioned by the Creative Word Himself.
Jesus is God’s communicative Word as well because Jesus is God in the flesh. In the past, God used prophets
to speak to His people, sharing His thoughts and intentions with a select few, who then spread His message to the
masses. But in Jesus, God’s Word became readily available to whoever was willing to listen. Jesus is the full
revelation and intelligent communication of God.
Lastly, Jesus is God’s final Word. He fulfills Old Testament prophesies that point to Him and not only sets in motion
but finishes God’s redemptive plan for His people. On the cross, bearing the sins of all those who believed and
would believe in Him, Jesus said these marvelous words: “It is finished” (John 19:30). Nothing more needs to be
added or changed in order for people to have a relationship with God, and nothing in history will change the finality of
Jesus’ work on the cross. Jesus is all we need.
Without Jesus, our communication from God would have been indirect, impersonal, and distant. In Jesus, we have
the very Word of God – the most direct, personal, meaningful communication God could ever give us – available to
everyone who seeks Him.
Saturday, December 7, 2024 – Basic Needs by P. Williams
Thanksgiving holiday is over and now
begins the most blessed season in the church.
The Christmas story…
Like most stories it has a beginning, a middle
and an end. But this story is truly
“one of a kind” – Never be another.
Did you see the sun come up this morning? Then like me, you are
already blessed.
Did you sleep with a full tummy? A nice warm bed? Did you know that
this morning you would get up to Hot Coffee and your choice of breakfast…
That you would get to choose lunch, snacks, clean water,
and dinner every night. We all take these things for granted…
Clean water, warm bed, hot food, heat in our home…
We are blessed every day. So many in our own North Carolina
do not have these basic necessities… Western NC is so devastated…
will be many years to even have basic needs. Please remember
them in your prayers.
Remember on Sunday when we all walk into church and are
greeted by a beautiful nativity and wreaths and the tree covered
with lovely chrismons.
We are Blessed… I am Astounded by His gifts to us…
Every day, every where, in every way.
God Bless Each One of you. Amen
Wednesday, December 4, 2024 – “Jesus” from Unwrapping the Names of Jesus
The name “Jesus” is a transliteration of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means “the Lord is salvation.” In Bible
times, it was not an uncommon name, just like Jesus Himself didn’t appear out of the ordinary to those who grew
up with Him. Yet His given name holds great significance to who He Is and what He did on earth.
In the Old Testament, Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan. He saved the people through courageous leadership,
charging into battle upon bloody battle, leading hundreds of thousands into the Promised Land. In contrast to the
first Joshua, the second Joshua (Jesus) saved through an epic battle that He fought alone, quietly making the way
for His people to enter the Promised Land of God’s presence.
Jesus came to save people from their sins. What the first Joshua was powerless to do, the second Joshua was
born to accomplish.
During Jesus’ lifetime, the Israelites were waiting for a political leader like Joshua who would free them from the
yoke of Roman oppression and allow them to live in the land God had promised them, just as their forefathers had
been freed from Egyptian slavery and led into Canaan. They wanted a macho man who would reinstate Israel as
an autonomous country and make the Romans run in fear.
But Jesus’ perspective is always bigger than ours. His gaze was set on the universal dilemma of sin. His battle
was one of cosmic proportions, to deliver all who believe in Him from the bondage of soul-deadening sin and wel-
come us into the family of God.
