Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Friends and Associates”
Our Bible verse for today: “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.” Isaiah 9:6-7 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Align yourself with Jesus.”
To whom or to what have you aligned yourself? In life we all form loyalties and make commitments to people and organizations and to movements. Many of those bonds are strong and our sense of commitment to them is intense. That sense of connection could be to a sports team, a political party, an individual leader or celebrity, a philosophy or worldview, or to a deity. In life we all align ourselves to someone or to something.
However if history proves anything it is that no matter how popular and influential an individual is, no matter how strong a movement seems to be, no matter how persuasive the worldview or philosophy, and no matter how significant the events of the moment appear to us, on the large stage of history it’s all fleeting.
Larger-than-life figures appear on the stage for a short time, they strut, they boast, they make money and gain power, but then they’re gone. Political parties dominate for an election cycle or two, but then they’re in the minority again. Last year’s World Series champion is this year’s cellar-dweller.
The danger of all these flashy and noisy pretenders is that they distract people from the One Being and the one movement that is not temporary and which is in fact, at the very center of all human history.
All of history is in fact “His-story”. The birth of Christ even divided world history in two, B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini, which means “The year of our Lord”).
Jesus is the most important figure in history. His kingdom is the only governmental structure which will endure forever; the building of His kingdom is the only movement that has eternal value; and therefore it only makes sense for us to be committed and loyal to Him first, rather than to anyone else or to anything else.
We can of course have other people in our lives who are important to us and to whom we are committed. And we can support political parties and sports teams, but our loyalty first and foremost must be to Jesus and to His kingdom-building work. When it comes to your alignment, it must be to the kingdom of God. When it comes to loyalty, it must be to Jesus.
And with respect to friends and associates, who else should you choose to be around than those who are also properly aligned with, totally committed to, and completely loyal to the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace?
I encourage you to include in your celebration of Christmas this year a recommitment to Jesus, the One who was born for you, and the One who died for you.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 