1 John 1:1-10 Fellowship is a Christian buzz word, but what does it mean? I heard one definition: “Fellowship is fellows in the same ship on the sea of life.” This is not a bad definition, because we usually fellowship with people who are going on the same journey we are. There is nothing sweeter than Christian fellowship. If we miss fellowship with those in the body of Christ, we are risking falling away from the faith. As we learned in Hebrews, we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. So often when people leave a Christian fellowship or church, they do not attach themselves to another. When asked where they are going to church now, too often the response is, “I’m having church at home now.” If we cut ourselves off from the body of Christ, our Lord soon has nothing to direct in our lives. Jesus is the head of the body and if we detach ourselves from the body, we will be cut off from the wisdom and the mind of Christ. We will not be able to see how the body can function together under the headship of Jesus.

Satan loves to cut people off from the body of Christ because he knows then that they are open prey for him. If we choose to be loners in our walk with Christ, we have opened ourselves up to great deception. John clearly shares in this passage the importance of staying in fellowship. He says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (vv. 6-7).

We release ourselves from the effective cleansing of Christ’s blood if we refuse to fellowship with those who are walking in the light. When two of my boys attended college, they quit attending church. I shared with them I didn’t care whether or not they were in an institutional church, but they needed to be in a fellowship of believers that met together at least once a week.

When we fellowship on a regular basis with fellow believers, we become accountable to one another and we come out of hiding. When people get to know us, it is hard to hide our lives from them. The Christian walk is never a walk alone.

Lord, I pray for all those who have not found a regular place to fellowship weekly. Help them to attach themselves once again to the body of Christ so they will be able to abide in You daily.

READ: Daniel 7:1-28; 1 John 1:1-10; Psalm 119:156-176; Proverbs 28:23-24

Psalm 119:132-155 David says several times in this psalm that his hope is in God’s Word. Faith is the evidence of things not seen, the substance of things hoped for as we learned earlier in our study of Hebrews. The substance that gives us hope is the Word of God.

I’ve always pictured in my mind a highway to heaven. That highway is called faith. Prayer is the vehicle I must place myself in to reach the destination of God’s throne room. This highway is paved with hope. Hope is the substance of the highway of faith.

David tells us to hope in God’s Word. We can never hope in God’s Word if we do not read God’s Word. Reading the Word of God, however, will not instill faith and hope in us. We must hear God’s Word. Paul tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. As we read God’s Word, we must let the Holy Spirit be our narrator. He wants to teach us and instruct us through the Word of God, but this will not happen unless we are carefully listening to His voice. The Holy Spirit speaks in a still, quiet, voice so we also must be still and quiet to receive His gentle instructions, corrections, reproofs and teachings as we read through the Bible.

We are almost finished another year of reading the Bible through. If you are like me, you may have missed a few days. At the end of each year I pray the Lord will teach me by His Holy Spirit anything I may have missed in my journey through the Bible that year. We are in the classroom of life, and the goal of our teacher, the Holy Spirit, is to instill faith and hope in us every day. Will you continue to attend class next year faithfully? There are always new lessons to learn. The Holy Spirit is waiting daily to teach you. Listen to David’s words: “Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful” (v. 138). “Your word is very pure: therefore Your servant loves it” (v. 140).

As you are faithful to read God’s Word daily, you will love it more and more and love Him more and more.

Lord, I want to keep reading the Bible through every year. Each time I do I learn more about You, and I grow to love You more. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for being my faithful teacher who makes God’s Word exciting and life changing.

READ: Daniel 6:1-28; 2 Peter 3:1-18; Psalm 119:132-155; Proverbs 28:21-22

Psalm 119:113-131 David in this psalm reveals the secret of getting through trying circumstances. He says, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word” (v. 114). Corrie ten Boom wrote the story of her experience in the concentration camps where she lost all of her family. She titled the book The Hiding Place. She was arrested for hiding Jewish people during the war, but she was able to get through those trying times because she hid herself in the Lord.

Just yesterday I heard the testimony of a precious saint who lost two of her children in a tragic accident in a one-week period. As she shared her story, I knew she had discovered David’s secret. A policeman showed up at their door to tell her that her son had been killed in an automobile crash. When she received the news, she shared that quietness settled over her heart. The Lord Himself was shielding her from the shock. One week after her son’s death she received the news that her husband and daughter were in a terrible crash. They were on the way to meet her at a conference. Her husband survived, but her daughter did not. Once again she hid herself in Jesus, and He quieted her troubled soul.

She did grieve, but even during those weeks of grief, the Lord shielded her from being overwhelmed with grief. The Bible tells us that Jesus was a man of sorrows who was acquainted with grief. He can identify with grief, but because of His sacrifice on the cross for us, we now have the strength through Him not to be overwhelmed with grief.

During the trying times of our life we need to remember this verse of scripture in Colossians 3:3: “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” What a safe place to be. I like to demonstrate this verse by letting my thumb represent me. As I fold my thumb into the same hand, I say, “I am hidden with Christ.” Then I take my other hand, which I say represents God, and as I enfold my left-fisted hand with my right hand, I say, “I am hidden with Christ in God.” The security and peace we have when we see our position in Christ Jesus will get us through whatever storms of life we will experience. Christ is the rock of our salvation, and we can hide ourselves in Him daily. How do we do this? We can pray a prayer like this:

Lord, You are a shield round about me. I hide myself today in the pavilion of Your love far away from the strife of tongues and the fiery darts of the enemy. I abide in You today, and I receive my nourishment and protection from You. Help me to remain in this safe place all the day long. I never want to leave Your side, and You have promised never to leave me or forsake me.

READ: Daniel 5:1-31; 1 Peter 2:1-22; Psalm 119:113-131; Proverbs 28:19-20

2 Peter 1:1-21 Often when our family is gathered at the dinner table, someone will say, “Things are really getting tough out there.” The world is definitely waxing worse and worse, but the good news is those who walk uprightly will get better and better.

After watching the evening news, I usually want to say, “Lord, please come quickly.” The world is so corrupt, and it will be even more corrupt before the Lord comes again. We do not have to fret about this, however, because there is a way right now we can escape the corruption of this world. Listen to what Peter shares: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (vv. 2-4).

The world is corrupt because of the lusts in it. Even as Christians we too have lusts that have the potential of corrupting our private worlds. This is why Peter exhorts us many times in his letters to be watchful, sober and prayerful. We have an enemy who would love to bite into our fleshly lusts and cause us to be drawn away into sin. Seducing spirits have an assignment to draw every Christian away from their calling while they are on earth. Listen to the high calling we have. We are called to glory and virtue. We will only be able to fulfill this calling if we watch out for the temptations and enticements of the enemy in our lives. We have to pray constantly and stay totally dependent upon God during these last days. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he made it clear that seducing spirits will be on the prowl more than ever in the last days.

The way to submit ourselves to God and effectively resist the devil is to be sure that we live in the Spirit every day instead of the flesh. Sometimes I am quite aware that my flesh is showing, and when it does, the enemy begins to salivate. He would love to bite and devour me, but he only will have success if I continue to expose my flesh to him. When I am walking in the Spirit, I will not fulfill the lusts of my own flesh.

Lord, help me to walk in the Spirit daily so I do not let the enemy see my flesh. I want Satan to see Jesus when he looks at me.

READ: Daniel 4:1-37; 2 Peter 1:1-21; Psalm 119:96-112; Proverbs 28:17-18

1 Peter 4:7-5:14 As Peter wrote this letter he had a sense of urgency. He felt the Lord’s return was imminent, and he wanted his fellow believers to be ready for His return. He says, “But the end of all things is at hand: therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” (1 Pet. 4:7). It is interesting that his End-Time exhortations were exactly what Jesus told us to do as the day of His return drew near. He told us to watch and pray. None of us know the exact time of the Lord’s return, but we all need to be ready. Each of us will have our appointed day to die, and Peter’s day came shortly after he wrote this letter. We should all, however, live every day of our lives as if it might be our last day on earth.

In this passage Peter mentions many End-Time exhortations that would be beneficial to each of us if we fulfilled them.

1. Be sober.

2. Be watchful.

3. Be prayerful.

4. Be loving.

5. Be cheerful, not grudging.

7. Be good stewards.

8. Be bold to speak often about the Lord.

9. Be operating in your God-given gifts and abilities.

10. Glorify God in all things.

If we are careful to do the things listed above, we will be ready for the Lord’s return, and our lives will produce much fruit for God.

Lord, I want to fulfill these exhortations, but I know I need the help of Your Holy Spirit to do it. Help me daily to glorify You in word and deed.

READ: Daniel 2:24-3:30; 1 Peter 4:7-5:14; Psalm 119:81-95; Proverbs 28:15-16

Thanksgiving Day is one of my favorite days of the year. One reason I enjoy it is because I get to hang out with all my family members. I don’t take them for granted because many people are estranged from their loved ones, and I’m not. The other reason is simple—I’m thankful.

I’ve learned that the warmth of special days cannot be purchased with money or credit cards. Instead we find peace of mind and confidence in God when we thank Him for His goodness and trust Him to meet our needs. Let’s step outside our own struggles this year and thank God for the simple blessings and small surprises He gives us every day.

The psalmist understood the importance of thankfulness and was compelled to live his life with an attitude of gratitude. In fact, he commanded his soul to exalt the Lord at all times:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things (Ps. 103: 1-5, NKJV).

The writer understood the depth of God’s love, and he realized there are fringe benefits that come along with serving Him.

When we think about the goodness of God, and all He has done for us as well as the sacrifice His Son, Jesus, made for us on the cross, we should take time out of our day-every day-to tell Him thank you!

Whether you realize it, what you think about yourself affects your life in one of two ways: It either builds your self-esteem or tears it down. Maybe you’ve gained a few pounds and don’t like the way you look. Or you fault yourself for getting laid off, even though the economy is to blame. No matter the reason, you think negatively about yourself. But demeaning your personhood isn’t the answer. To discover what the Word says about negative thinking and self-talk, watch video below.

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To contact the organizations included in Charisma’s report on ministries assisting America’s homeless, click on the links below.

Convoy of Hope

Convoy of Hope exists to feed millions of people in need in the United States and around the world through children’s nutrition initiatives, citywide outreaches and disaster response.

New York City Relief

New York City Relief exists to connect the poor, oppressed, and addicted with a pathway toward help and hope. Through outreach partnerships, we seek to be a bridge between the needs on the street and resources in the community to meet those needs. These things we do…that others may live.

Word of Life Assembly of God

Through its Hands Extended ministry, Word of Life Assembly of God reaches out to the homeless in the District of Columbia with food and the gospel.

Rescue Atlanta

Rescue Atlanta is a church that is made up of more than 70 percent homeless. It provides food, as well as showers, laundry facilities, and a medical clinic for those in need.

In honor of Thanksgiving, I’m happy to announce the top 10 things
Christian guys can be thankful for in 2009. This list is in no
particular order and will alternate between meaningful, truly important
things and completely superficial fun stuff.

10. Cheap HDTVs
A combination of better technology and a crummy economy has now allowed
men to view the world as it was meant to be viewed: on a couch in
glorious high definition. So whether you’re watching the good
(football), the bad (chick flicks) or the ugly (Gregg Popovich), you
get to see every nook and cranny.

9. Wives
What would we do without our wives? Probably spend way too much time
with our HDTVs. Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds what is
good and receives favor from the Lord” (NIV). Solomon hit that one
right on the head. Our wives take care of us, they challenge us, they
inspire us to do better. They provide insight, wisdom, sympathy, love
and lots of forgiveness. I couldn’t be more thankful.

8. Fireproof
Speaking of wives, men around the country renewed their commitment to
their better halves this year because of the amazing film Fireproof.Created
by the guys at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., this movie has
become the most successful independent film of the past year, inspiring
new commitments to marriage along the way. I have heard so many stories
about the good things this movie has done, and I have been absolutely
blown away with how God has used it.

7. The Return of 24
When season six of 24 ended,
fans were worried that Jack Bauer had been all used up. That was until
the show completely rejuvenated itself and kicked some terrorist tail
in Washington, D.C. There are few things on television more satisfying
than watching the baddest man on TV take down evil dictators and
corrupt rich guys. Plus, this year’s exploration of the moral
implications of Jack’s methods provided a great balance for the show.

6. Fantasy Sports
Even though Tony Romo killed my team last week, I’m still loving
everything about fantasy sports. There are few things more fun than
drafting a team and following your players as the season plays out. But
the reason it makes this list is, I’ve never found an easier way to
keep in touch with my long-distance friends. It’s a superficial game,
but anything that keeps guys in community with one another regularly is
a good thing.

5. Small Groups for Men
Despite the early wake-up times, there are few things in life that can
be more important or meaningful than getting together with a group of
men and sharing your lives together. Whether you’re studying Scripture,
going through a book or just meeting for coffee, having a regular time
of the week set aside for male friendships is something I hope all of
us can be thankful for.

4. Children
This
one’s tough for me to write about, seeing that I don’t have any kids
myself, but it would be ridiculous of me to leave this out. Every dad
I’ve ever met would always place his kids at the top of the list of
things he’s thankful for.

3. Dads
On the
flip side, for every guy out there who’s still got a dad he can talk
to, you know there are few things to be more thankful for. There’s
nothing like that father-son relationship. Whether you’re just
discussing the latest news or sports, sharing about the challenges
you’re facing or seeking him out for advice, it’s truly a blessing from
God to talk with your father.

2. Football
What would a Thanksgiving list be without football on it? Let’s take
time here to be thankful for the thing that not only gives us something
to be irrationally passionate about every week in the fall, but also
gives us a reason to use our HDTVs—and acts as a social lubricant for
our conversations with other guys. Seriously, is there an easier way to
start a conversation with one of your friends, your dad or your son
than by asking, “So what do you think of the game?”

1. The Grace of God
As always, there is nothing in heaven and on earth more powerful or
precious than the amazing grace of God. Through His grace, God forgives
us for the little things and the big things. Through His grace we learn
about the true nature of love. Through His grace, we will get to spend
eternity in paradise, even though we have absolutely no right to such a
gift. There is nothing anywhere to be more thankful for than the grace
of God through Jesus Christ.

This article was orginally posted in New Man eMagazine.

1 Peter 3:10-4:6 So many people in the world are almost hyper about adding days to their lives. They go from one health fad to another, hoping against hope that their longevity will be increased. We see the fitness freaks, the joggers, dieters, vitaholics, weight lifters all trying to beat old Father Time.

In this passage Peter tells us one sure way we can lengthen our days here on earth. Listen to his advice: “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it” (1 Pet. 3:10-11, KJV).

Here Peter lists four ways we can lengthen our days on earth and insure they will be good days:

1. Refrain our tongues from evil

2. Speak no guile

3. Hate evil

4. Pursue peace

Think about it a moment. What would your day be like if you never spoke evil of anyone, but instead you sought to live at peace with all men? That would be a good day! What would your day be like if you refused to enter into any evil practices or even entertain evil thoughts in your mind? That would be a good day! If you lived this way, you would always have a measure of peace that would see you through any amount of stress from your job, church or family.

Even as I write this, my son is under unbelievable stress because of a job situation, but I know he will get through this stressful time because the Prince of Peace lives in his heart. We can be under tremendous stress from outside factors, but if we have peace in our hearts, our bodies and minds will not crumble under the pressure.

If we refuse to entertain evil and hate evil, we would be more careful to keep the laws of the land. So many deaths occur on the highways because of drunk drivers. I must confess I have often gone above the speed limit, and at those times I know I have walked out of God’s protection. I read recently that we have four guardian angels—two who go with us wherever we go and two who remain in our dwelling place to protect it. I also read that our guardian angels cannot break the law, so when I speed in my car, my angels are left behind. This has made me slow down, and this small obedience to the law may also add years to my life. Peter shared timeless truths that will help us all experience good days. Obedience to our heavenly Father and those in authority is a major way we can insure we will live out our appointed days and experience good days.

READ: Daniel 1:1-2:23; 1 Peter 3:10-4:6; Psalm 119:71-80; Proverbs 28:14