Archives for December 2019

Good morning,

Today is the last day of 2019. It is the end of another decade of life. What if this were the last day of your life? My devotions have tried to prepare you for heaven. But what happens if you choose not to accept Christ as personal Lord and Savior?

This devotion by J. M. Humphrey will answer that question.

The lost soul’s first day in eternity!

(J.M. Humphrey, 1912)

“The rich man also died and was buried. In Hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him: Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” Luke 16:22-24

At last I am in Hell. In spite of all my resolutions not to come, I am here to suffer the just demands of a broken law. O God, can it be that I, who has taught the way of truth, virtue and Heaven–should choose sin, Hell and eternal damnation?

Death and judgment are passed. The time of repentance has slipped away. Mercy’s door is forever shut. I would not heed the warning voice of God, though it thundered in my ears night and day from my cradle to my grave. I hardened my heart and said, “I will not yield!”

At last death came; I tried to repent, but my heart refused to shed a tear. I passed into eternity, a damned soul.

The worm that never dies has coiled its slimy folds around my naked heart and in it fastened its venomous fangs.

Merciful God, pity me. But the white-winged angel of mercy has flown away forever.

The fiends with their bony hands are grasping for my defenseless soul. Away, you devils, you shall not touch me, you shall not have my soul.

Ah, they have me at last! It is useless for me to resist. Is there none to deliver–none, great God, none! I turned my back on You, now You refuse to hear my cry of anguish. The flames of damnation are wrapping my soul in shrouds of eternal misery!

O that I had a drop of water to quench this raging thirst that consumes me, but there is no water here.

Devils laugh at my agony and exultantly shout: Enjoy the wages of sin, FOREVER!

O God, I have been here but one short hour and have suffered more than a thousand tongues can tell; and must I forever suffer thus? Through the ceaseless ages yet to come, must I still suffer on?

Yes, it is forever! FOREVER!

The darkness is intense, broken only by the lurid flashes of divine wrath that are thrown like thunderbolts from the hand of a just God! I grope in the darkness to find Him, but plunge over the precipice of despair onto the rocks below.

Bruised and mangled I rise and stagger on in search of friends, but none are found. All are my enemies. I scream for help and the only answer is the echo of my own sad cry and the yells of delight from the throats of demons.

Alone! Yet multitudes are here; they gnash on me with their teeth; they trample me under their feet. I struggle to rise, and they dash me into the lake of everlasting fire.

Alone! Yes, alone! Without God, without hope, without Heaven. O that I had a moment in which to repent, but it will never be given. I have sealed my own doom. God’s mercy was extended; I refused until too late. Now Eternal Justice is being satisfied. ‘Tis just. God is love and just and holy. He is righteous, but I am guilty damned, and that righteously.

   ~  ~  ~  ~

Seriously consider your relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Your choice: heaven or hell.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This God is mine, in all His glorious perfection!

(Archibald Brown, “This God Is Our God!” 1896)

“The LORD’s portion is His people!” Deuteronomy 32:9

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” Lamentations 3:24

The above two passages of Scripture ought never to be separated.

God and my soul possess each other.
God finds his portion in His people–and His people find their portion in God!

This God is mine, in all His glorious perfection!
His heart is mine, for He loves me.
His ear is mine, for I may pour into it all my tales of sorrow, and all my songs of joy.
His eyes are mine, for they watch me from morning until night.
His hand is mine, for it is stretched out to uphold me.

Oh, He is a God of infinite glory! Abased in the very dust, and half bewildered by the thought, I yet dare to look up and say, “This God is my God forever and ever! He will be my guide even unto death!”

   ~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Tonight is the last evening of Hanukkah. I hope you enjoyed the devotions on Hanukkah.

Eighth Candle

Revelation 21:22-27 gives us a description of our glorious eternal dwelling place in the New Jerusalem:

And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

So, the question begs itself, are our names written in the Lamb’s book of life? If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, see yesterday’s devotion, your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. If not, you will be separated from God for all eternity. You choose.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family, friends, and loved ones. Please remember to spend a portion of the next few days reading the story of Jesus birth from Matthew 1 and 2, and Luke 2. Jesus is the reason for the season. If you have forgotten some of these principles, please read, again, this week’s devotionals.

Have a Happy Hanukkah.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today is day 7 of Hanukkah. We will light 7 candles.

Tonight, we light the seventh Hanukkah candle. With each night, the light grows brighter. It reminds us that light dispels darkness. We live in a dark world. Open a newspaper, a news feed on the computer, or the evening news, and you will notice that the lead story is usually about death, wickedness, or some kind of sin. The light that Jesus gives allows men and women, boys and girls to live above what the world has to offer.

Seventh Candle

The prophet Isaiah speaks of the future glory of a restored Israel in Isaiah 60:1-3:

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord
has risen upon you… And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

God is not done with Israel. If you have any doubt, please read the books of Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Revelation. Israel will be restored to Her rightful place as God’s chosen nation and people. Today’s Scripture states that nations and kings will come to light of Israel and ultimately to the Messiah, Yeshua, the Lord Jesus Christ. What a glorious day that will be.

The message of salvation is woven through the whole Hanukkah celebration. I would be remiss in not sharing that message with you.

God created a perfect world, no sin. In Genesis 3, man chose to disobey God’s clear command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The first sin. From that time to this God sees us as sinners. In the Old Testament, God directed a blood sacrifice for the covering of sin. We see this demonstrated in Egypt, just before the Exodus and the Priests sacrificing animals daily for the sins of the people.

God had a better plan.  “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5) How was this to be done? Jesus tells us in Mark 1:14-15, “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” What is the gospel? “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-6)

So to summarize.

1) We are lost and need a Savior. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3:10) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)

2) God sent Jesus to redeem us. (See Galatians 4:4-5 above)

3) We must repent of our sins. Repent means turning in the opposite direction. Renounce all your wickedness before Jesus. (See Mark 1:14-15)

4) We must believe the gospel. That Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day. (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-6)

5) Last we must a make a decision to accept or reject God’s free gift of salvation. Romans 10:8-11, makes this very clear. “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Jesus came to earth as a baby, grew to manhood, preach God’s message of salvation, and then went to the cross for US! Jesus would love for you to trust Him as Lord and Savior this Christmas. If you know Jesus as Lord and Savior, tell someone about this good news.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today is day 6 of Hanukkah. We will light 6 candles.

Sixth Candle

After we come to know Messiah, we are to be a source of light for the world. King Messiah tells us in Matthew 5:14-16:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

What we learned:

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Candle Five pictures the baby Jesus as the greatest light of all. Simeon testified to it. John, the apostle, writes about it. Then Candle Six makes the application to believers to be lights to the whole world. Live it, teach it, proclaim it, to all who will listen.

Our world is BLINDED by the wrong kind of lights. The holiday displays, commercial and residential, fails to portray the God of all creation, who was virgin born, sent to provide salvation to all, and who would eventually die on a cross for the sins of all mankind. They fail to pay reverence to God’s Son, second person of the trinity, and soon coming Judge.

So we have a choice to make. How will we celebrate Christmas this year? Will we follow the true light or a fake. Is Christmas, for us, still about Jesus and his birth or is it about the bells and baubles of commercialism? Each of us must decide and then act decisively.

The lights of the Hanukkah lamp can teach us a lot.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today is day 5 of Hanukkah. We will be lighting 5 candles.

Fifth Candle

Messiah Yeshua is the greatest light of all:

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (John 1:4-5).

As Messiah Yeshua was in the Temple in Jerusalem watching the
illuminating lights, He declared: “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Aged Simeon was promised by the Lord that he would not die until he saw Israel’s Messiah. When he saw Yeshua as an infant in the Temple, he knew that this One was the light of Israel and the Nations. Simeon declared: “My eye have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32).

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One
who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today is day 4 of Hanukkah. We will light 4 candles and eat Latkes and jelly doughnuts.

Latkes and jelly doughnuts

On Hanukkah, it is customary to eat potato latkes and jelly doughnuts. These treats, which are fried in oil, remind us of the miracle of the jug of oil that burned for eight days.

Fourth Candle

Psalm 119:105 and Psalm 119:130 describe the light that comes from
God’s Word:

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. The
unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the
simple.

When we read God’s word, the Bible, God gives us His light. He allows us to see things that will encourage us, convict us, and motivate us to follow Him more closely. He allows us to see things that we should be doing and things that we should not. Wisdom and understanding are found in the pages of the Bible.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Now we will look at the Dreidle and the third candle.

The Dreidle

One of the games played at Hanukkah is the Dreidle. It played a significant role during the persecution of the Jews.

“It is said that when King Antiochus would not let the Jews worship God, they prayed and studied secretly. Little wooden tops were kept on the tables with the Holy Books. When soldiers came into the houses to make sure the King’s orders were being followed, everyone pretended to be playing a game with spinning tops.

During the celebration of Hanukkah, children play with the four-sided top called a dreidle. There is a different Hebrew letter on each side. The letters stand for the words: “A great miracle happened there.” This refers to the victory of the Maccabees over the King’s army.” (Festival of Lights, The Story of Hanukkah)

Third Candle

King David reminds us that God Himself is the source of our own
individual light:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the defense of my life; whom shall I dread (Psalm 27:1)? For You light my lamp; the Lord my God illumines my darkness (Psalm 18:28).

In life, we may be told we cannot witness, read our Bibles, or speak about what we believe. It is then, we must learn to be creative. The Jews used a top. What can we use? The Scripture for today goes right along with this. I should have no fear because God is my defense. He will give us light in the midst of darkness. He will also give us creative ideas to communicate Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.

Interesting how a Jewish holiday, that a couple of days ago you knew nothing about, can be so helpful to our walk in Jesus Christ.

Happy Hanukkah.

Tomorrow we will look at candle 4.

 Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Tonight is day 2 of Hanukkah. We will light 2 candles.

Messianic Hanukkah Candle Lighting

Each night we recite three blessings, acknowledging God’s Lordship, power in working miracles, and sustaining us another year.

Then we acknowledge the Scriptural significance of each candle lit.

Shammash (Servant) Candle

Messiah Yeshua stated in Mark 10:44-45:

Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be the servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

First Candle

Genesis 1:3-4 describes the creation of the first light:

God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.

Second Candle

Exodus 13:21-22 reveals that God is the source of Israel’s light:

And the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to
lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them
light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take
away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

What did we learn today?

First, God is Lord and in control of all things.

Second, we need to be servants, not demanding to be served. (Shammash candle)

Third, light was spoken into existence by God. Light is good. God separated the light from the darkness. (The first candle)

Fourth, God led the nation of Israel. He gave them literal light to lead them through the wilderness and spiritual light to lead them to Him. (The second candle)

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today we will look at the Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony and light the first candle.

The Menorah

Eight lights are lit in the Menorah, one for each night of Hanukkah. Most Menorahs burn candles, but some have wicks to burn oil, as did the Temple Menorah long ago.

A special candle, the shammas, is used to light the menorah candles. New candles are lit each night. A new shammas is lit each night, too. The shammas is lit first, and the Hanukkah candles are lit from it.

On the first night of Hanukkah, put the first candle at the right end of the Menorah, as you face it.  On the second night two candles, three on the third night, and so on. Always light the newest candle first, then light the others, from left to right. Place the lighted Menorah in a window, so all may see and share the celebration.

Messianic Hanukkah Candle Lighting

Each night we recite three blessings, acknowledging God’s Lordship, power in working miracles, and sustaining us another year.

(Traditional)

Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and commanded us to light Hanukah lights.
Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, ah-sher kid-shah-nu b’mitz-voh-tayv v’tzee-vah-nu l’had-leek ner shel Hanukah.

Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our fathers in those days at this season.
Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, she-ah-sah ni-seem la-ah-vo-tay-nu ba-ya-meem ha-hem baz-man ha-zeh.

(Messianic version)

Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us holidays, customs, and times of happiness, to increase the knowledge of God and to build us up in our most holy faith.

Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, ah-sher nah-tan lah-nu cha-gim, min-ha-gim, oo-mo-ah-dim l’sim-cha, l’hag-deel et da-at Adonai, v’liv-not oh-tah-nu b’emunah ki-do-shah v’na-ah-lah.

Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our fathers in those days at this season.

Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, she-ah-sah ni-seem la-ah-vo-tay-nu ba-ya-meem ha-hem baz-man ha-zeh.

(On the first night you can add)

Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who granted us life, sustained us and permitted us to reach this season.

Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, she-he-che-yanu v’kee-ma-nu v’hi-gee-ah-nu laz-man ha-zeh.

Then we acknowledge the Scriptural significance of each candle lit.

Shammash (Servant) Candle

Messiah Yeshua stated in Mark 10:44-45:

Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be the servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

First Candle

Genesis 1:3-4 describes the creation of the first light:

God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.

What did we learn today?

First, God is Lord and in control of all things.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001