In Genesis 17 God promises that he will multiply Abraham greatly. Here he echoes the ancient command before the fall to multiply and fill the earth; given to Adam; repeated to Noah. Multiply. The theme; the command echoes forward to our day. Jesus says to multiply disciples.

God blesses us to be blessing. He gives us power to share and show a message of regeneration; of bringing life to death so that new lives will multiply all over the earth. In 2009, how might God use us to multiply. What influence has he bless you with? What people has he brought into your sphere? What could you do in order to multiply disciples of Jesus? God has the power to regenerate, but he speaks through us. His Spirit indwells us; he uses us as his messengers. God multiplies through us for his glory.

Multiply. This bring joy to us and to God.

Hope fills our souls as we see John’s vision of the new heaven and new earth. Our longing for paradise will be fulfilled in a the holy city, new Jerusalem. Not more tears; no more death, or grief or pain. Streets of gold like transparent glass. No need for the sun because the glory of God illumines it all.

Most of all God is with us; the All-Powerful Lord God of all resides with us in the recreated world full of glory with nothing unclean. Long for this day. Let this sure hope fill us with anticipation. Let the expectation fill us with endurance in the darker days on this present earth. We know what is to come so we are secure and confident, so we move forward for God with strong hope.

Revelation 20 assures us of the 1000 year reign of Christ an Satan’s defeat. Then we read of the Great White Throne where God is seated as judge of all. All who have ever lived appear. Books are opened. If anyone’s name is not in the Book of Life that person is thrown into the lake of fire, judged according to their deeds as written in another book.

My heart leaps into my throat for those I love whose names are not in the Book of Life. As 2009 dawns I am feeling more and more compelled to be bold about sharing the message of Life so that more names are in the Book of Life. Eternity is real and it matters forever. There is a lake of fire. We must communicate the message of salvation from the wrath of God.

As of today all five of my children are in town.

Bart is studying at UNT, accounting and working, engaged to Jenna, wedding July 4th

Jimmy has a new job with TrainUp here in McKinney

David finished his masters in Civil Engineering at Georgia Tech, engaged to Grace, wedding August 8th

Melanie is home from her sopomore year at Baylor in Vocal Performance

Ben is half-way through his senior year.

Praying for a great Christmas together.

Merry Christmas to your family!

James tells us to consider trials “pure joy.” What a high bar! Often that’s the opposite of what trials create in us. And yet by the grace of God we can find pure joy even in trials knowing they test, prove and grow our faith. For me it is our church finances being down that is the biggest current trial. I’m praying to consider it pure joy.

Pray with me to find joy in our trials whatever they are, financial or something else.

Beginnings and endings grab my attention; slow me down to listne more closely, especially in books of the Bible. Jonah ends unusually, with a question asked by God. This final questions haunts me and inspires me.

“Should I not be even more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city?”

Jonah has complained and been deeply concerned about a little plant that shaded him from the sun, but died. God directs our compassion to people, people who do not know him. My tendency is to be concerned about my “shade,” my comfort and security. God redirects my heart to be more like his heart with his final question.

Should not I be even more concerned about McKinney, this enormous city? Should we not be more concerned about those around us under God’s judgment than about our own comfort and security? Convicting, motivating. I want to have God’s heart.

Israel’s prophets through the Old Testament and John in the book of Revelation present a sobering picture of God’s wrath. He does judge sin and he will judge the whole world. In years past he has destroyed empires and the whole world in a flood. In years to come he will wreck destruction on the earth in the great tribulation. None of that will compare in horror to the fires of hell.

Today I am motivated to warn those I love of God’s holy judgment; his righteous wrath. May God spare them from temporal and eternal judgment by his great mercy and amazing grace.

This weekend has been great to celebrate our son David finishing his Masters Degree in Civil Engineering at Gerogia Tech. Tamara and I have seen his apartment — a guy’s place for sure; we’ve met some of his friends. Last night was a graduation party for David and Grace where we met much more of Grace’s extended family. They are wonderful people. Today we will attend their church and meet more church friends. Their church did a Walk through Bethlehelm that David helped put together. It was great to see it and know that our son was excited about serving Christ through his church. I thank God for David and for brining he and Grace together.

Last night I watched some of the tech rehearsal for the Christmas Festival. Wow! It is going to be awesome. My prayer is that thousands come to experience Christmas in a new way. This is something I hope hundreds of unchurched people will come to. The Festival is so full of life and joy; music and beauty. It will bring laughing crying and moments of awe.

As I’m studying the Magi this week, God is convicting me of my need to worship Christ more fully at Christmas. They bowed before the baby and opened their treasures to honor him with great gifts. This year my hope is to worship Jesus Christ more fully in the season of celebrating his entrance to our world. The Festival provides an opportunity to do that. I worshipped at the tech rehearsal.

Judgment comes for the same old reasons; people were sexually immoral and drunk; wine and sex destroy. When will we ever learn. Over the holidays when loneliness and disappoint tempt us to drown sorrows in alcohol, turn to the Lord instead. It is the Spirit not spirits that bring peace.