Daily Devotionals Archives - Page 60 of 60 - Rick Renner Ministries

…I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
— Philippians 3:8

I had always heard of house-hoarders — that is, people who hoarded belongings until they had so much “stuff” in their houses that they had to walk on top of it all or forge little trails to get through the maze. I even watched a TV program about hoarders, and I was horrified that anyone could live with so much garbage in his or her home.

Watching this hoarding experience on TV was mind-boggling to me. But then a relative needed help moving from her home to a new house. When I walked into the old house, I was stunned by what I saw. It was exactly what I had seen on the television program, if not worse. There were piles, piles, and more piles of goods that still had original tags on them, plus ceramic items that were stacked high on shelves. The wallpaper was falling off the walls, and there was a huge nest of mud daubers living in the corner of the living room! The only way to get from one part of the house to the next was to walk a tiny little corridor that had been left between the mounds of trash that had accumulated over the years. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that a human being could live in such squalor.

The outside of this relative’s house was no better. Rather than throw away old magazines, she had stacked them high, one on top of another — and they were rotting into a “wall” of magazines that surrounded part of her property like a barricade. It was truly beyond anything I had ever witnessed.

Hoarding. That’s exactly what this dear relative had been doing — just like the hoarders I’d seen on TV. Only now it was my job to remove it all so that the house could be put on the market. Honestly, it would have been easier to bulldoze the house and start all over than to try to get the old one back into shape. I had never seen anything like it.

Some people’s spiritual lives are like that. Rather than deal with issues and keep their lives clean and clear, the spiritual rubbish just keeps building up, deeper and deeper, until it seems almost impossible for them to clean up and put themselves back into working order. They have so many piles of unforgiveness, bitterness, and other forms of spiritual garbage that they can barely make it from one room to the next in their “house.”

When people hoard — or refuse to let go of — things like fear, doubt, jealousy, bitterness, and envy, their spiritual lives become a mess! Their lives can eventually be compared to those houses we see on TV in which the wallpaper is falling off the walls, the electricity doesn’t work right, the sink in the kitchen is a slimy, wretched mess, and rodents and all kinds of other pests live in the midst — right along with the person who lives there with them!

When I saw this unbelievable mess at our relative’s home — something I truly thought only existed in fantasy TV programs — I was speechless. There is no way a person can be healthy in his or her mind and emotions, and think that way of living is acceptable. It brought my mind to Philippians 3:8, where Paul uses the word “dung” to describe his life before Christ. He says, “…I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”

The word “dung” is the word skubalon, and it is the word for refuse. To be more pointed, it refers to things like a half-eaten corpse, filth, lumps of manure or human excrement, or food thrown away from the table and then left lying around, piled up on the floor as it rots. Skubalon would be a sickening sight that would tend to make one want to vomit.

When I saw how our relative was living in such chaos and squalor, I realized that it is impossible to live a normal life under such wretched circumstances. And when Paul used the word skubalon, which depicts this very type of scene, he was admitting that all he had done before he came to Christ was nothing more than a skubalon pile of rubbish; it was spiritual defilement. That may sound harsh to say, but that is precisely the word that the apostle Paul used to describe his life before He came to Christ. In the end — after Paul came to a saving knowledge of Jesus — he recognized that his entire life until that time had all been rubbish, with nothing worth saving. But after Paul came to Christ, he was set free from the spiritual garbage of his past and his life was cleansed and set apart to be used of the Lord.

As we approach the end of the year, I want to ask you: Are you living in spiritual squalor — or are you abiding in a lifestyle that gives glory to Jesus Christ? Many people pile up grief, resentment, bitterness, and other things that block their ability to function normally for the Lord. What about you? Are things as they ought to be in your spiritual life? It’s something for you to really think about today!|

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I confess that there is spiritual trash in my life — and I’ve just tolerated it and let it grow deeper and deeper. Help me recognize it for what it is and begin the process of removing it from my life. You can’t use me as You wish if I’m surrounded by piles of squalor. So I ask You to help me, Holy Spirit, as I start the cleanup process so I can function freely and clearly when You have a job for me to do!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I’ve been a spiritual hoarder — letting things build up in my life that hindered my effectiveness. I repent before the Lord for letting this buildup of spiritual refuse take hold in my life. If I’m going to be used mightily of Him, I have to keep my heart and soul clean, so today I commit to making this a serious endeavor in my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

Can you think of areas where you’ve allowed yourself to hoard attitudes that are unproductive to your spiritual life? If yes, what are you going to do to start changing this mess in your life?
To be honest, when hoarding has already begun, it takes a very serious commitment to bring things back into order. Are you willing to make the kind of commitment that is required to bring order back into your spiritual life? God will help you, but you must turn and commit your way to Him.
What is the area in your life that gives you the most trouble in discarding spiritual “refuse” that isn’t good for you? Can you name it?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
— 1 John 1:9

I have spent the whole month of December recalling personal experiences surrounding Christmas from my childhood and exhorting you in the Word of God from those personal memories. But now it’s time to take inventory of this past year: what you accomplished that you promised yourself you would do — and what you didn’t accomplish. As you take inventory, you may find that you’ve made some progress but are still “in process” on some of the things you had promised you’d do this year. And, honestly, you may find that you need to ask God for forgiveness for not responding to things the Holy Spirit had prompted you earlier to change during this year.

Each year at a meeting that kicks off our New Year’s holiday, our Moscow team gathers for a wonderful afternoon celebration together, where we rejoice over the victories of the past year and share our vision for the upcoming year. Over the years, we also developed a tradition of handing out paper and envelopes — and we ask people to write down what they want God to do in their lives in the upcoming year. We’ve done this for so many years that everyone now comes prepared for what he or she is going to write on that piece of paper.

After the team members write down their goals, they insert that piece of paper into the envelope. I stand before all of our employees with my hands laid on those envelopes, and as a group, we pray over them. Afterward, all the envelopes are placed in a “safe” where they are not touched for a year — until the next New Year’s team celebration.

When we all gather the following year to celebrate, we take the envelopes out of the safe and redistribute them to those whose names are written on them. People quickly tear them open to see if they fulfilled what they believed God had told them to do a year earlier — or if they had fallen short of those goals. Often we hear praise reports of fulfilled victories; at other times people recognize that they are still in the process of fulfilling what they had written down. Some have to conclude that they wrote down hopes and dreams that were yet to be fulfilled.

I’ll be honest and tell you that for years, I wrote on my concealed piece of paper the goal of building a permanent home for our Moscow church. Year after year, I wrote it again, again, and again — never giving up on my confident expectation and my faith that God would enable us to actually own a permanent property for our church.

Like everyone else on our team, each year when envelopes are redistributed, Denise and I receive ours and open them to read what we wrote the year before. After the year-end celebration is finished, Denise and I have often gone to dinner by ourselves, where we share what we wrote down the previous year. Then we share with each other what was accomplished; what is in the process of being fulfilled; or even at times what we totally failed to do. It is a time when we hold ourselves accountable to the Lord and to each other. Sometimes it’s been a time of rejoicing. Other years we’ve repented for failing in major areas that God had dealt with us about. If we had a major victory — if something we wrote down the year before came to pass — we are certain to rejoice and give thanks to God!

This time of personal inventory has become very important to us, not only as a married couple, but also as a ministry. It is a time of accountability before the Lord for us all.

This leads me to ask you about your past 12 months. Have you fulfilled the promises you made to yourself and to the Lord when this year started?

If you’re looking back on a year that holds some victories, rejoice and share it with someone else! But if you have utterly failed at reaching specific targets that God put on your heart, I suggest that you immediately put First John 1:9 into operation, which says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” What a powerful verse to release us from condemnation of failure or non-performance!

The word “confess” is the Greek word homologia, and it means to say the same thing as God says. In other words, rather than debate with God about where you have failed, it’s time for you to get into agreement with God about your shortcomings. And when your confession is heartfelt, the Bible says that God is faithful and just to forgive you. The word “forgive” is the Greek word aphiemi, and it means to release, to let go, or to totally dismiss. In other words, if you’ve made a real heartfelt confession about where you have blown it, God promises that He won’t hold it against you. In fact, He’ll release you from it and send that failure as far away as the east is from the west (see Psalm 103:12). Not only will He forgive you and dismiss your failure, He’ll start with you all over again to win that victory you missed this past year!

Never forget that God is on your side, and He wants to see you victorious and burden-free! He just needs your heart agreement — a true acknowledgement of any failure or sin. The moment He has that, He will dismiss that failure or sin from you and release the resurrection power of Christ to help you achieve what He has put in your heart to accomplish!|

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I admit that I’ve failed to fulfill some of the things You definitely told me to do in the past year. I confess it, I admit it, and I walk free of it. You do not hold it against me, because I am making a heartfelt confession about it. In fact, You take my failure and remove it from me as far as the west is from the east! And Your resurrection power helps me pick up right where I am to start anew and to gain those victories that belong to You and that You long to impart to me! I thank You, too, for helping me reset the start button to gain new victories in these areas of my life

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that God’s mercies over me are new each day. Therefore, each day is a brand-new opportunity to forget those things which are behind me as I press toward the prize of God’s calling that is drawing my attention to focus more and more upon Him. As I prepare my heart and mind to evaluate this past year, while giving attention to what God desires of me for the next year, I consider my ways and evaluate myself in the light of God’s Word. I trust in the Lord to reveal to me throughout the coming year how to stay on track with His plan for me. I receive fresh grace to do whatever it takes to discipline my body and mind, and to order my days so I don’t waste precious time. I am diligent and I am faithful; therefore, I abound with blessing and I live free of regrets!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

Have you made a spiritual inventory to see how well you did at keeping the commitments you made to the Lord at the beginning of this year? Perhaps it would be helpful for you to take the time to do this so you can be honest with God about where you did well and where you could have done better.
Denise and I help each other at this time of the year to see how well we fared on our spiritual commitments. Whom do you have who can help you honestly look at your commitments and help hold you accountable?
What other steps do you need to take to put the past behind you and to get ready for the new year?

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
— 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Isn’t it amazing how quickly the excitement of new possessions can wear off? Within days of getting all those gifts at Christmas as a young boy, I was already dreaming of what I would receive for my birthday — which was a full seven months away! All those items I saw in the Sears catalog that I didn’t get for Christmas were so fresh in my mind that I nearly ignored the toys I had received as I longed for the next round of gifts.

But the Bible tells us to be thankful ! In First Thessalonians 5:18, Paul wrote, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God concerning you.” My parents had to teach me to be thankful. Sometimes they had to literally sit down with me, explain the cost of gifts, the sacrifices that were made to purchase them, and the importance of not being greedy. God blessed me with such wonderful parents who took the time to teach and instruct me on the most basic and elementary principles of life.

As a mature adult, the concept of “thankfulness” is deeply ingrained into my being because my parents so deeply planted it in my character. There is nothing I have that I did not receive, and I am thankful for everything God has sent into my life and for every partner who has helped us fulfill our heavenly mission. I have so much to be grateful for!

In First Thessalonians 5:18, we are instructed to be thankful “in everything.” This phrase in the Greek language is en panti, and it means in every detail, even in the smallest way. One expositor has translated it to read, “In every circumstance, be thankful….”

The word “thankful” is the present imperative active tense of eucharisteo, a compound of eu and charis. The word eu denotes good or well and always denotes a good inner disposition or a good feeling about something. The word charis is the Greek word for grace. When compounded, the new word paints the picture of one who is so grateful that he has an outpouring of overwhelmingly good feelings about everything. Regardless of what is happening — or not happening — he has decided to be thankful.

Let’s be honest. Perhaps things could be better than they are in your life right now. However, you probably will admit that they are not as bad as they could be! The truth is, you have a lot to be thankful about — even about the smallest details of your life.

Years ago I made a decision that when anyone asks me how I’m doing, I would answer by simply saying, “THANKFUL!”

Thankfulness is a choice. You and I must turn our eyes toward the good in our lives and away from the foul things that try to hold our focus — and choose to be grateful. It’s not that we’re hiding our heads in the sand concerning those bad things; we’re simply obeying the Lord as we focus on what is good, and we display an attitude of thanksgiving “in everything.” Paul said, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Could Paul’s words be any clearer? God wants you and me to be thankful — not resentful, not forgetful, but thankful. Really, if we consider all the terrible things that could have come about in our lives but didn’t, we can find a lot of reasons to be grateful. God has spared you and me from so much — and it is His will that we maintain a consistent, thankful attitude for the goodness He has shown us.

So I encourage you to make the decision today to put away all the bad memories of the past and start purposefully focusing on the good things God has done in your life. Even if you think life has been tough, I assure you that it has not been as tough as it could have been. God has been good to you. The best thing you can do when someone asks you how you’re doing is to respond, “I’m thankful !” Keep this attitude of thankfulness coming out of your mouth at all times, and speak it with conviction. I promise you, that one practice alone will change the way you see life!|

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I’ve been through rough times, but the truth is, those times could have been a lot rougher. When I consider what You have brought me through — and the place of peace and rest You’ve brought me into — I can only say THANK YOU. Please forgive me for often quickly forgetting the good things You have done for me, and help me cultivate this attitude of thankfulness in my heart, for this is Your will in Christ Jesus concerning me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare that I have a lot to be thankful for. Yes, it’s true that there are things I need and desire, but compared to where I used to be and how I experienced lack, I am living in the land of superabundance. I will not be forgetful of the good things God has done for me. I purpose to keep a grateful attitude for all the things He has done and is doing for me, both great and small. And when others ask me how I’m doing, I will confidently answer them, “THANKFUL!”

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

I challenge you to pray this prayer: “Heavenly Father, when I consider all that You have done for me, to be honest, there have been times when I’ve been a real ingrate — complaining about this, that, and the other thing, forgetting all the good things You have performed in my life. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Your grace, I cannot imagine what my life would have Lord, I ask You to help me to make a list of all the ways that You have been good to me. I will post it in a place where I am regularly reminded of it to help me maintain an attitude of thankfulness.” Now make that list!
If you have a tendency to display a lack of thankfulness, it’s time for you to reprogram your brain — that is, to renew your mind — to be grateful for all the good things God has done for y How are you going to start the process of renewing your mind to recognizing more of God’s goodness in your life?
Have you ever met a person who is truly thankful for all he has in his life? How does his attitude of thankfulness affect you? Does it have a positive impact on you and make you wish you could be different?

…Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
— Matthew 13:52

Are leftovers a part of your after-Christmas holiday tradition? After you read today’s Sparkling Gem, you may never look at leftovers the same way again!

When I was young, we always enjoyed a smorgasbord of leftovers each year after Christmas — which included turkey sandwiches smeared with lots of mayonnaise, warmed-up meatloaf spread with ketchup, and mashed potatoes covered with melted butter. Of course, we also had an array of leftover biscuits, cake, pie, and other desserts to choose from that hadn’t been consumed on Christmas Day.

The truth is, we had all kinds of leftovers the day after Christmas — and we sometimes had them for days after Christmas! But we eventually got tired of eating the same old thing, and it became time to clean out the refrigerator and start eating something fresh and new.

Oh, how my mother prepared for Christmas Day! When I was young, I didn’t appreciate all the food she prepared each year for Christmas; I simply consumed it. But now that our own family has grown so large — and I see what it takes to feed a small multitude — I have such gratitude for all the cooking my mother did for us when we were younger. And I’m so thankful to Denise and our daughters-in-law for the luscious meals they prepare for our Christmas celebrations. Even my son Paul jumps into the fray, smoking a lamb that is given to us by a church member each year at Christmas.

It takes time and effort to feed people — and to feed them food prepared from both old recipes and new recipes makes eating more interesting. Most everyone appreciates eating food prepared from old, tried-and-true recipes as well as trying foods that are new.

This makes me think of Matthew 13:52, where Jesus said, “…Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.”

Notice that in this verse, a scribe — or a teacher — is pictured as “bringing forth of out of his treasure things new and old.” The word “new” is from the Greek word kaina, and it refers to something absolutely new and previously untried. The word “old” is palaia, and it refers to that which is old and has existed for a long time. Although this verse is talking about teachers bringing forth new revelation versus old revelation, I like the example of leftovers and new recipes to further make this point.

There are some teachings, like good leftovers, that are always tasty and enjoyable — and a common staple around the dinner table. But there also comes a time when you want to eat something new. The good news is that the Kingdom of Heaven is full of wonderful established teaching — and it is also overabounding with new, fabulous teaching that you’ve never heard or tried before. A good teacher — like a good food-preparer — will bring out new and old recipes for a family to enjoy! Good “leftovers” are always enjoyable, but your spiritual taste buds will eventually cry out to eat something new!

I know from personal experience that as we give our attention to the Word of God, the Holy Spirit adds new insights to the old ones and causes our understanding of God and His Word to be marvelously expanded. I relate well to the scribe described in Matthew 13:52. Many of the Greek word studies you read in this book are old to me; yet so many of them are brand new. Often I think that I have unearthed every gem that can possibly be found in a particular verse of the New Testament. But then I study that same verse again, and the Holy Spirit wonderfully opens my eyes and illuminates my mind to show me truths that I previously didn’t see!

So let’s keep our minds and eyes open for the Holy Spirit to provide not only great leftovers, but also new teachings that we haven’t learned yet. Let us remain hungry for new teachings and new revelation from the Word of God that we’ve never attained to before. The old, familiar truths of Scripture are always healthy and good, but there is a cry in the spirit of man to know more, to attain more, and to taste new levels of the Lord’s goodness. So let’s enjoy the leftovers, but let’s also press forward to attain new truths in the spiritual feast the Lord has waiting for us. We must never forget Psalm 34:8, which says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good…”!|

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I am hungry for fresh revelation of the Word of God. How could I be anything but thankful for the foundational truths that I’ve already received, yet my spirit is crying out to know You better and to receive revelatory truths that unveil aspects of Your character and Your ways yet unknown to me. I ask You to help those who teach me to be like a good scribe, knowing when to emphasize the old and when to introduce the new. Then You will equip them to bring forth new truths that my spirit is crying to hear and to know.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I boldly confess that I am grateful for every teaching I’ve ever received and that each one has added to the foundation of my life. But I am hungry for more of the Lord. I want more of His Word, more of His revelation. I want to learn new things, based on the teaching of the Bible, that will feed my spirit in a way I’ve never been fed before. I thank God for my pastor and for those teachers who teach me — but I purpose to keep an open ear and an open heart so I can also receive fresh heavenly revelation from the Spirit of God to feed to my spirit!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

What is the primary source of spiritual teaching for your life? Do you hear the same thing over and over again, or do you find that you are growing in your knowledge of the Word of God?
Who is the primary person God uses to feed you spiritual food — whether leftover food you’ve heard before or new teaching that is new to your ears? That person works very hard to prepare spiritual meals for y Have you taken time to thank that minister for the spiritual meals he or she prepares for you?
As I grow older in the Lord, I have realized the great impact people have had on my spiritual life when I was younger. I have felt the responsibility to communicate with them and thank them for the impartation they made in my life. Who are the people who have imparted spiritual truth into your life? Have you ever thanked them for all the time, prayer, work, and diligent effort they invested to spiritually feed you?

…Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
— Matthew 6:33

“Merry Christmas!”

Those were the first words we heard on Christmas Day when we were children. We were awakened when Dad would turn on the floodlights attached to his Kodak camera, and all three Renner kids would crawl out of bed in our pajamas, rubbing our eyes in the bright lights that were glaring down on us as Dad filmed practically every movement of the Christmas morning for us.

Today we still have those films that Dad took of all three of us as we scampered from our beds into the living room to begin the process of opening gifts. Those films are now decades old, and I am thankful for the thoughtfulness of my father to film those precious memories, which otherwise would have been completely lost. Now that they’ve been transferred to a digital format, we can enjoy them for years to come. Dad is in Heaven, but these are his treasures that he left for the rest of us to watch and enjoy.

Every so often, we watch those films and remember our childhood Christmases and the gifts that Daddy and Mother gave us. The greatest gift my parents ever gave me on Christmas was a study Bible — a very nice, leather-lined study Bible. I was so proud of it! They hit it right on the target when they gave me that Bible, as my heart was aflame to know more about God’s Word at that time in my life. I still have that Bible today. Dad wrote his favorite Bible verse right in the front of the inside cover. There, in Dad’s handwriting, it says, “…Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

Dad would quote this verse to us kids all the time. He wrote it in birthday cards, in letters that he occasionally wrote to us when we were at the university — and, of course, in the front covers of every Bible he ever gave to each of us. He really believed this verse, and he wanted to embed it in our souls.

Dad quoted Matthew 6:33 so often, and wrote it to us so many times, that one day I decided to pick up my Greek New Testament and look at the word “seek” to see what it means. It is the present imperative active form of the Greek word zeteo, and it depicts a constant attitude to actively and constantly seek for a thing.

Furthermore, zeteo is a command. Jesus was literally commanding us to actively and constantly be seeking after the Kingdom of God. Jesus promised that if we did, everything else we needed in life would be supplied to us. No wonder Dad wanted to get that verse into our hearts! He knew that if we got this right, everything else would be okay in our lives.

So I want to ask you: Are you obeying Jesus’ command to habitually, constantly seek the Kingdom of God? Are you on-again, off-again in your spiritual passion, or would Jesus say you are consistent in your seeking of Him and His Kingdom? All those other things you need to be supplied for life will come if you’ll place Jesus first and never stop seeking the purposes of His Kingdom. Jesus truly is the Gift that keeps on giving!

This is Jesus’ promise to you — and these are my words of encouragement to you on this Christmas Day!|

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I don’t want to be on-again, off-again in my pursuit of You. But as You command, I want to be habitual and constant in the way I seek You and Your Kingdom. There are many other things I need in life, but You promised that if I seek Your Kingdom first, all these other things will eventually be added unto me. So today I ask You to help me focus on the Kingdom of God and to keep my focus there for as long as I live on this earth!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that nothing in the world is more important to me than seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. God’s Word promises that if I’ll remain focused and constant in seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness first, before anything else, He’ll make sure every other need is met in my life. So I confess by faith that starting today — and for every day following this new commitment — I am going to make God’s Word, His Kingdom, and His righteousness the chief priority in my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

What do you do on a practical basis to seek the Kingdom of God above everything else in your life? For example, do you start your day out by reading the Bible and praying? That might be a good way for you to start this important commitment if you’re not already doing it.
I start my day with a cup of coffee and my Bible in a secluded part of our house, where I read the Word as the highest priority of my day. I suggest that you consider doing this. Would you be willing to give this schedule a try?
Do you have any other ideas about how you can make the Kingdom of God and His righteousness the first priority in your life? Why don’t you think it over and see what the Lord shows you that would work best?

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
— Philippians 2:1

One of our Renner holiday traditions when I was young was visiting some close, lifelong friends to our family on Christmas Eve. It was a Christmas tradition to gather with this family every Christmas Eve at their home until the Pope finished giving his annual Christmas message on television. Then we said our farewells to everyone for the evening.

I never understood why we waited for the Pope, seeing that we were such staunch Baptists. But that message from the Pope was the signal to the Renner family that Christmas Eve was coming to a close. After that speech, we piled into the car to head home, go bed, and eagerly wait to wake up the next morning so we could gleefully open our gifts.

When I think of those Christmas memories, I think of friends, family, and entire evenings of fellowship shared at our close friends’ home. I can remember those moments like they just happened last week. They were tender moments shared with our Christian friends — singing Christmas carols, fellowshipping around church events, and thanking God we knew the Lord and enjoyed fellowship with others in Christ.

I can remember driving home on Christmas Eve from our friends’ home and passing a bar along the way that looked like it was packed with people. I felt so sad for people who went to a bar on such a special night. They obviously did not know Christ. This left such sadness in my heart — and such thankfulness that my parents had led me to Christ at an early age.

Christmas Eve was a special night when our family gathered with God’s people and fellow- shipped around His Word. All of this was a part of what Christmas Eve meant to me. This makes me think of Philippians 2:1, which says, “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

This verse speaks of the “fellowship” of the Spirit — that is definitely what we enjoyed with our friends each Christmas Eve. The word “fellowship” is the Greek word koinonia, which describes something that is mutually shared. We mutually shared our common church membership; we mutually shared our faith in Christ; and we mutually shared our joy of the holiday and of our special night together. From beginning to end, Christmas Eve with the Renners and their close family friends was a night of koinonia and one of the greatest memories of my life.

I encourage you to find a way to share Christmas Eve with people who are close to you. Let it be a time when you mutually rejoice and spend time together. It is such a special night, so don’t let it slip by with you being alone. There are others out there, like you, who are longing to spend time with someone on that special evening!|

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for the fellowship of the Spirit that we have with other Christians who mutually share faith with us. What a fellowship, what a joy, and what a blessing — to build years of fellowship and Christian traditions with other believers. I ask You to help me start thinking about how to build Christian traditions for myself and my own family, especially in moments like Christmas Eve. I am so thankful for fellow believers who share the same hope I possess. I’m so grateful we can spend cherished times together in our mutual love for the Lord and for each other.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I will work on building traditional Christian events for myself and my family in order to deepen the true significance of this beautiful season. God has given me friends that I can spend those moments with — and if I haven’t developed those friends yet, I declare by faith that I’m going to step out of my comfort zone and begin to connect with other Christian believers. I need this, my family needs this — and I will look for ways to do it.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

Do you have a Christmas Eve tradition? If so, what is it and how long have you been doing it?
Do you spend time with other believers — or with family — on Christmas Eve? What do you do? How do you spend that time together to make it really meaningful?
Do you open Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Differ- ent families have different traditions — what are your traditions?

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
— Philippians 2:7

Today I want to give you a little insight into what it’s like to live in two worlds — the Western world and the Eastern world. When you live in the West, Christmas is celebrated on December 25. But in Russia and in the former countries of the USSR, religious holidays typically fall two weeks later than the western celebrations.

For example, Russian Christmas is celebrated on January 7 — two weeks after Christmas is finished in the West. So while the western world is putting away its decorations, Russian Christmas hasn’t even started. In fact, if December 25 falls on a weekday, that date is nothing more than a regular workday in Russia. So while the western world is celebrating Christmas, we — that is, our family and our church in Moscow — are mostly going about a normal workday with no special festivities.

You might wonder how all this “confusion” began. As you probably know, the entire world once operated according to the Julian calendar — but in 1582, the world switched to the Gregorian calendar. Secular Russia changed to the new Gregorian calendar with the rest of the world.

However, the Orthodox Church — because the new calendar was Catholic-based — rejected it and decided to stay with the old Julian calendar. As a result, Russia has two calendars: a secular calendar (Gregorian) and a religious calendar (Julian), the latter of which is honored by the Russian Orthodox Church. Believe me when I tell you this can create holiday confusion!

That means when people are done celebrating Christmas in the United States and western Europe, and they’re getting ready for the New Year’s celebration, Russia is still 14 days away from Christmas. Then when the West is done with their New Year’s celebration, and everyone moves past January 1 on the calendar, Russia also has a second New Year also 14 days later, according to the Russian Orthodox calendar. Furthermore, when western Easter is done and decorations are being put away, Russia is just preparing for its festivities, for Russian Easter is also typically two weeks later than this holiday on the western calendar.

Do you see what I mean by my phrase “holiday confusion”?

Let me give you an example of how this affects our personal lives. Having grown up in America, Denise and I are accustomed to celebrating Christmas on December 25. That is a very strongly ingrained tradition in us. But our sons and their families, having grown up in Russia, are accustomed to celebrating Christmas 14 days later on January 7. In fact, they are so acclimated to life in Russia that they don’t recognize December 25 as Christmas. To them, it’s not a holiday; it’s just another day.

That puts Denise and me in quite a dilemma: How do we celebrate Christmas? We often end up looking strangely at each other on December 25, feeling that something is seriously missing or out of sync! Since our sons and their families celebrate Christmas on January 7, along with the rest of the Russian people, it leaves Denise and me to figure out what to do by ourselves on December 25. Sometimes it’s very lonely, so we have to get creative about what to do.

One year, Denise and I bought tickets to the circus so we’d have something to do on December 25 while most Russians were engaged in a normal workday. Another year, Denise and I went to the ballet. Still another year, we invited friends over for a special dinner on December 25. It was not Christmas to them, but they joined us to honor our invitation.

Of course, when January 7 rolls around — the traditional date for Christmas in Russia — everyone here in Moscow is finally ready to celebrate this holiday! But while our Moscow office is closed for the Christmas holidays, the Tulsa office is open because Christmas has already been celebrated in the West. (And by the same token, while our Tulsa office is closed for the Christmas holidays, the Moscow office is brimming with activity and the daily work of the ministry. Conse- quently, whether in Moscow or Tulsa — no matter who’s celebrating their Christmas around the world — Denise and I are still very much engaged in the everyday work of the ministry!)

I know this probably sounds confusing. Trying to make sense of it and work around these various dates can be very convoluted. Although we’ve lived in Russia for decades, we still have to work hard to navigate this holiday confusion.

But regardless of the date on which Christmas is celebrated, the fact remains that Jesus was born! Whether that momentous event is celebrated on December 25 or January 7 — or some other date — Jesus’ birth is what is most important. In Philippians 2:6 and 7, Paul wrote, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

Let me talk to you about these miraculous verses. Paul began by describing the preexistence of Jesus before He came to the earth as a man. Paul said, “Who, being in the form of God….” The word “being” is a translation of the Greek word huparcho, a compound of the words hupo and arche. In this case, the word hupo means from, and the word arche means first, original, or ancient. When they become the word huparcho, it depicts something that has always existed.

By using this key word that means to eternally exist, Paul was declaring that Jesus had no beginning, but rather had always existed. This also explains Jesus’ statement when He declared, “…Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). Thus, Philippians 2:6 could be translated, “Who, eternally existing in the form of God….” In other words, Jesus’ human birth in Bethlehem was not His beginning, but merely His manifestation to mankind, a brief appearance in His eternal existence.

Paul wrote that Jesus always existed in the “form” of God. The word “form” is the Greek word morphe. This word describes an outward form, which means that in Jesus’ preexistence, He looked just like God. He was not just a component of God, nor a symbol of God. In reality, He was God. And as the eternal God Himself, Jesus possessed the very shape and outward appearance of God — a form that includes great splendor, glory, power, and a Presence so strong that no flesh can endure it.

God existed in glory more wonderful than the human mind can comprehend and more powerful than human flesh can endure. Yet He desired to come to earth to purchase redemption for man. Therefore, God had no choice but to “reclothe” Himself in a manner that could be tolerated by man. This is why He “…made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

This is the true story of Christmas — minus the confusion!

The phrase “made himself of no reputation” comes from the Greek word kenos, which means to make empty, to evacuate, to vacate, to deprive, to divest, or to relinquish. Because it was impossible for God to appear to man as God, He had to change His outward form. The only way He could make this limited appearance as a man was to willfully, deliberately, and temporarily let go of all the attributes we usually think of when we consider the characteristics of God. For 33 years on this earth, God divested Himself of all His heavenly glory and “…took upon him the form of a servant…” (Philippians 2:7).

The phrase “took upon him” perfectly describes that marvelous moment when God reached out to lay hold of human flesh and take it upon Himself so that He might appear as a man on the earth. The words “took upon him” are from the Greek word lambano, which means to take, to seize, to catch, to latch on to, to clutch, or to grasp. This word lets us know that God literally reached out from His eternal existence into the material world He had created — and took human flesh upon Himself in “the form of a servant.”

Not only did God become man, but a “servant.” This word “servant” is from the Greek word doulos, which refers to a slave. Paul used this word to picture the vast difference between Jesus’ preexistent state and His earthly life.

Paul goes on to say that Jesus “…was made in the likeness of men.” The phrase “was made” is the Greek word ginomai, which means to become, indicating that this was not Jesus’ original form but it became His new form. This clearly describes the miracle that occurred when God became a man. Jesus had always existed in the form of God, not the form of man. But taking upon Himself human flesh, He was formed in the womb of the Virgin Mary and became a man.

God literally took upon Himself the “likeness” of a man. The word “likeness” is the Greek word homoioma, which refers to a form or resemblance. This refers not only to Jesus’ being made in the visible likeness of men, but also in the human likeness of men. In other words, when Jesus appeared on this earth, He came in the actual form of a man and was just like man in every way.

Jesus was so completely made in the “likeness” of men that Hebrews 4:15 declares He was even tempted in every way that men are tempted. It says, “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.”

So we see that when God the Father sent His Son into the world, Jesus left His heavenly home and took upon Himself human flesh. And because of this great exchange, He has stood in our place; He has felt what we feel. Even today, He is touched with the feelings of our infirmities, and He intercedes for us with great compassion as our High Priest.

At this time of the year — whether we celebrate on December 25 or January 7 or some other day — we are prone to think of Jesus as a little baby in a manger in a Bethlehem stable. Certainly this is true, but we should never forget that His birth in Bethlehem was not Jesus’ beginning. It was merely the moment of His brief appearance in His eternal existence.

Out of His deep love for you and me, Jesus was willing to leave His majestic realms of glory to enter the realm of humanity. Shedding all His visible attributes that were too much for man’s flesh to endure, He dressed Himself in the clothing of a human being and was manifested in the flesh. That little Baby in Bethlehem was the eternal, ever-existent God Almighty, who came to us in human flesh so that He could dwell among men and purchase our salvation. He was and is the only “constant” in a world that is chaotic and confused!|

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You that regardless of what day it happened — Jesus took on the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. He stooped to the level of His creation and died the death of a Cross, all because He loved me and wanted me to become a part of His eternal family. Help me not to get stuck on “what” day it actually happened, but rather to rejoice in the fact that it did happen! Because Jesus came to earth in the form of a man and died for me, today I am a child of God. For this, I can say thank You for the greatest gift. I am so glad I am redeemed!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I understand that the exact day on which Jesus’ birth occurred is not so important — but what is important is that He put aside His glorious attributes and took on the form of a human being and a servant, and humbled Himself to die the death of a Cross. Because of the price He paid, I have been permanently saved and set free. For this, I declare my thankfulness at Christmastime!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

Have you ever thought about two different sides of the world celebrating Christ’s birth at two different times on the calendar? Can you name someone who celebrates Christmas on a different day than December 25?
When you think of Jesus’ birth and the fact that He laid aside His glorious appearance as God to take on the form of a man, how does this affect you? If you were to describe it to someone else, what would you say?
What is most meaningful to you about the celebration of Christmas?