Tuesday the 14th

Hebrews 12: ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

 

Here we are at the run up to the next year. Christmas is upon us, and as quickly as you can blink, the ball will be dropping in Time Square. While this time of year is always exciting, the remembrance of the birth of Christ, the family, the friends, the gifts given and received, the fresh start of a new year…….it is truly a joyful time. If I am being honest though, it is a struggle for me as well at this time of year. I am tired, I am out of money, out of time, running out of patience, and just all around tired. During these times I wonder why I bother sometimes, why write, why spend the time studying, why crack open the Bible?….. I am tired, it has been a long year, and I just want to lie down for a little while. I know I am not the only one that feels that way, the holidays bring outright dread for many people. It is why I want to share this scripture with you, for it is one of the verses that keep me going when my gas tank, my bank account, and my will-o-meter all seem to be running low. Throw off everything that hinders… everything…. You see, that tired feeling, that feeling of despair, that feeling of failure, those emotions are put in your head by the devil. He wants you to slow down, he wants you to take a break, he wants you to lose your will. So you have to decide to throw off what hinders you, and choose to run the race with the perseverance that is poured into you by Christ Jesus. It is times like this that we must  look to Christ. This scripture goes on to say, ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood……And there it is, the driving force in my life now, the life giving force that fuels my engine….Oh I am tired, but am I more tired than Christ was? I think not. Are there forces trying to slow me down and wear on me? Of course! But they pale in comparison to the resistance Jesus met! Have I put forth effort and skinned a knee or elbow in my journey, sure we all have, but have we gone to the point of shedding blood, or putting our life on the line? I think not! Am I running out of material resources to complete my goals, sure, but I can’t help but think of the Man who went to His death for each one of us with nothing more than some tattered rags on his back, yet left behind an empire for His Father, and those who would call Him Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  So yes there are many reasons to feel tired, there are many reasons to feel helpless, and I know that we all have barriers that we have to come up against at this time of year, but do not take that break, do not give up hope, and let no opposition slow you down, choose to run the race, press forward to the goal. Our opposition, our road blocks, our fight from sin, is but a small speed bump when compared to the fight Christ put up. As Christ drew to the end of His earthly race, he did not slow down….if anything he doubled down, He found another gear, He pressed harder, and went further. Look to Christ, there you will find your replenishment, look to God, there you will find peace, and hope, look to the Trinity, and see the finish line. Now is not the time to slow down, now is the time to find your kick. May you find that in Christ today.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Monday the 13th

Matthew 11: ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

 

People love to talk, the one thing people like to talk about more than themselves, is how they are better than someone else. The best way to do that is to do just what many people did to Jesus. They lied about Him. I am sure that the irony is not lost on you that a lot of the people doing the lying were “good, well studied, respected, Jews”. Don’t we face the same thing in our daily lives? The “good people” of the world are typically waiting for the chance to kick a little dirt in the direction of the one who would stand against the darkness. The first thing they will do is lie. Funny thing about lies, they spread fast. Winston Churchill said it best. “A lie will make it halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put it’s pants on”. To make things even more difficult, people seem more apt to believe the lie, than the truth. Christ knew this, He dealt with it, and He knew it was something that we would have to deal with. Sadly, it is part of growing up, and it is part of choosing between being of this world, and being from this world. Jesus said it best; wisdom is justified by her deeds. The lie eventually will come out, it will be exposed, the liar will be seen for what they are, and the subject of the lie will gain more credibility.  This is what made Jesus so successful; live the truth, speak the truth, and leave the liars to their own devices. Did you ever notice that Jesus did not spend a lot of time “taking on “ liars? He let His life set the record straight. The nay-sayers, the liar, and those who would distort the truth did not know how to handle Him. They lied about Him, and He continued on. They tried to stop Him, and he went right through, never distracted, never faltering, eyes on the goal, not the obstacles…. His deeds proved Him right, and the liars were seen as the children that they were. So it must be with us. People will lie about you, they will distort the truth, they will run interference, so that you might stumble, or you might fall. However with the strength of Christ inside of you, with Him walking next to you, with His Father above protecting you…you will not falter, you will not fall, you will be successful.   Lean on Him, depend on Him, trust in Him, and you will find you too will go right through, never distracted, never faltering, your eyes set on your salvation, not the obstacles that the world will place in your path.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Wednesday the 8th

John 17:11  And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

 

Jesus prays for His followers. He does not ask His Father for riches, fame, or even an easy life for them. Christ asks His Father for unity, for protection, and for blessing for those that follow Him. Christ knew before He came, all the while He was here, and after He had given up His earthly body, that mankind would struggle. He knew we would be, and still are bombarded by the enemy. We live in the devil’s playground. Knowing this Christ asked His Father for the most important thing…..unity. A unity that was desired to be so solid that Jesus compared it to the united bond between Him and His Father. As we draw closer to remembering the day of Christ’s birth (our family kicks it off this weekend) let us all reflect on the bond that Christ wanted us to have with each other. Let us strive to find that love in our heart that Christ has for each one of us, the Love that God showers on us daily. Let us find a way to allow that love to overflow out into our daily lives. Let us work towards the unity that Christ desires for us. A unity that bonds us shoulder to shoulder, hand to hand. We are the remnants of Christ’s life here on earth. We are meant to be woven together into a tapestry that covers this world in a blanket of peace, grace, forgiveness, and love. Let’s work this holiday season to set aside our petty differences. Brush aside the barricades, and tear down the walls that have kept you from becoming fully united with your fellow Christian. From the guy begging change on the corner, to the person in the high rise penthouse, we are all bound together by Christ. May we all get a little closer to loving each other, as He loves us.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Tuesday the 7th

My wife sent this to me today, I thought it was worth passing on. Live, love and laugh.....today!

 

 

 

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk

paper wrapped package:

 

'This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package.'

 

He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

 

'She got this the first time we went to  New York  , 8 or 9 years ago. She

has never put it on , was saving it for a special occasion.

 

Well, I guess this is it.

 

He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he

was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died.

 

He turned to me and said:

 

'Never save something for a special occasion.

 

Every day in your life is a special occasion'..

 

I still think those words changed my life.

 

Now I read more and clean less.

 

I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.

 

I spend more time with my family, and less at work.

 

I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to,

not survived through.

 

I no longer keep anything.

 

I use crystal glasses every day...

 

I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.

 

I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I

want to.

 

The words 'Someday...' and ' One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary.

;

If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it

now....

 

I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't

be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.

 

I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.

She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.

 

I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favorite food.

 

It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had

come..

 

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

 

Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one...

 

If you got this, it's because someone cares for you and because, probably,

there's someone you care about.

 

If you're too busy to send this out to other people and you say to yourself

that you will send it 'One of these days' , remember that 'One day' is far

away... or might never come.....

 

 

Life is short! Forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly,

laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Monday the 6th

1 Timothy 6: 6-7

 

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

 

This sums up the great race of this world. We brought nothing in, and we take nothing out. Yet it is easy to get sucked into the game of trying to build the biggest pile of toys while we are here! Timothy gets some great advice here. God is not a piggy bank, a loan officer, nor is He a “sugar daddy”. Many people set out to honor God with the expectation of “if I honor Him, He will bless me with riches” I hear a lot of preachers spout this concept often. They drive expensive cars, and they live in exclusive neighborhoods. The same can be said for many laypeople. They quote Malachi 3:10, and pour money into the Church, yet sit in unbelief when the check from God does not show up. God will bless you, He will provide the way, the strength, and the materials for you to succeed……just don’t be surprised to find out that God does not care much about money. He cares more about what is done with it, and why it is done. So people that set out to Glorify God as a way to serve themselves here on earth will be disappointed. However, Godliness with contentment is great gain. It all starts with being content with what we came into this world with……our souls. Paul talks of learning to be happy in all circumstances. In other words, recognize that we start each day with what we need to survive in this world. Rich or poor, strong or weak, gaining it all, or having nothing…..we come into this world, and leave with the one singular, most precious, treasure in the world, our soul. We obtain the only prize that matters with a simple request, our salvation. If we chase after the Lord, and work to foster our soul, and the souls of those around us, we will find that we are truly rich beyond our need or our desires. We will find blessing, and pure joy in knowing that godliness for the glory of God, will outlast, out perform, and sustain us well beyond godliness for earthly gain. We come in with very little, and we leave with very little, but godliness with contentment is great gain.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Thursday the 2nd

Romans 15: ⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

 

How have you been accepted by Christ? Have you felt that loving, sweet embrace of forgiveness wash over you? The cleanliness that comes form being washed in the blood of Christ? It is a feeling like no other, the moment you realize that Christ has given you forgiveness, a feeling of peace, hope, and  love, yet charged with excitement, intensity, and power. You are calm, yet electrified at the same time. That my friends is complete acceptance, that is complete forgiveness, and that is the power of true unconditional, unyielding, undying, love. That is how we are accepted by Christ. The next question is a little harder….how do we accept others? One might be inclined to say well we do not get the same satisfaction from human acceptance, and we certainly cannot give that pure of acceptance to someone else…..we are after all, human. I would say that we can get close, a lot closer than we do now. Think of the first time you told your significant other that you loved them. Remember that look in their eyes? Remember the love that flowed, remember the feeling of true acceptance? How about the time that you achieved something and the acceptance you felt by your family? The outpouring of joy, love, and hope? The feeling of true acceptance…..was that not electrifying as well? Better yet, what about your last failure, did you not meet with that same love and acceptance from those that love you? We are capable of accepting each other just as Christ accepted us, we are capable of giving others that same security that we find in Christ. How is that possible? Simple……Christ lives in each one of us. We are the body of Christ, we are the Church. Not bound by religious doctrine, or some affiliation, but the true, living, breathing, manifestation of Christ here on earth today. He has given us each the capacity to love just as he does, to forgive just as He did, and to accept others, just as He did. So why struggle to accept not just those around you, but everyone? As this scripture reminds us, it brings praise to God. So if we do not accept then what do we bring to God? Nothing…..We cannot praise God in one breath, then despise our brother in the next. We cannot carry the banner of Christ out into the world, then use that banners pole as a spear. We must have open hearts to all, and when we are shunned, we leave, not hate. Is it hard? Yes. Does it hurt sometimes? Yes. Will you be turned on, and ridiculed? I can almost promise you that yes you will. But these are not reasons to withhold, they are all the more proof that we must push ahead. Christ never backed down, or ran when people persecuted Him. He did not hide when they searched for Him. He hung on the cross in the ultimate show of commitment to the cause of Love for His Father, and love for us. As we enter in to the Christmas season, let us all stoke the fires of Christ in our hearts, let us commit to accept, not just a few, but all who would come to us. Let us make this Christmas season a season or giving praise to God. Let that praise be reflective of our acceptance of each other.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Wednesday the 1st

Hebrews 4: ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

 

We spend a lot of time on our looks, how we act, and what people see. We want to impress, we want to fit in, and we want to be thought well of. We hide our bad spots, and exaggerate our strengths. It is a dance we can get caught up to the point we know no other way to live. Making sure that we make a good impression becomes more important that being the unique, perfect, beautiful person God created. That is the key you know. Nothing is hidden from the Lord. You might be a ray of sunshine at work, but when you get home if you are a tyrant, well God sees that as well. You may speak great things, and quote scripture from memory, but if you have to lie to get by, cover your tracks, and pretend to be something you are not…..well the Lord sees that as well.  What would happen if we all just decided to be ourselves? What if instead of trying to make a good impression on those around us, we just worried about bringing our best forward, even if that means that some of our weaker points would be exposed? What would happen, if we allowed ourselves to be all that God intended. I often wonder what the Lord must think of us humans. He gave us perfection, yet we cover that perfection up in exchange for acceptance. I think of my own life, and how I used to try and hide my background, or hide my shortcomings. I think of How many times I have lied in an effort to be something to someone that I am not. How often have I hurt someone in an effort to make myself temporarily happy? All of these things the Lord has already seen, the One that matters has not been fooled, even if the person in front of me has been.  We will all give account, and at that time all of our actions will be laid bare. I know for myself today will be another struggle, as it is for us all. A day of choices, a day of deciding which face to show, which mask to wear….it is my hope, it is my prayer, it is my quest, to try and make today the day that I have nothing to hide. In the end why should I try and hide any of it? As soon as it is done, it has been seen. The difference between the Lord, and the world, is that God loves you, warts and all. He created you… you were His before you were born. He knew that perfection that would reside in each of us, because He placed it there. I often tell my daughter before she leaves the house “don’t do anything you can’t explain to God” Maybe a better phrase would be don’t do anything that would embarrass God, for there is no need to explain, it is done, it is seen, and if requested, it is forgiven. He loves us, it is my prayer that we all find a way to show that love, by living a life with nothing to hide.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com