Good morning,

What does it take to be a humble Christian?

John Newton, our writer, was well acquainted with pride, arrogance, and wickedness. He was a slave owner, ship’s captain, and very mean man. Then the tables turned and he became the slave.

Then Newton humbled himself before Jesus and his life was totally changed. He became a preacher of righteousness, who understood what it meant to be humble.

The humble Christian 

(John Newton)

“By the grace of God, I am what I am!” 1 Corinthians 15:10

The humble Christian will not be easily angered–nor will he be dogmatic and judgmental.

He will be compassionate and tender towards the infirmities of his fellow-sinners; knowing, that, if there is any difference between himself and others–it is grace of God that has made it. He knows that he has the seeds of every evil in his own heart!

Also, under all trials and afflictions, the humble Christian will look to the hand of the Lord, and lay his mouth in the dust–acknowledging that he suffers much less than his iniquities have deserved.

These are some of the advantages and good fruits which the Lord enables us to obtain from that bitter root, indwelling sin.

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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

He answers these many fears with a single golden sentence!

(J.C. Ryle, “The Gospel of Luke” 1858)

“Fear not, little flock–it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom!” Luke 12:32

Let us mark what a gracious word of consolation this passage contains for all true believers. The Lord Jesus well knew the hearts of His disciples. He knew how ready they were to be filled with fears of every description:
fears because of the fewness of their number,
fears because of the multitude of their enemies,
fears because of the many difficulties in their way,
fears because of their sense of weakness and unworthiness.
He answers these many fears with a single golden sentence, “Fear not, little flock–it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom!”

Believers are a “little flock.” They always have been, ever since the world began.
Professing Christians, have sometimes been very many.
Baptized people at the present day, are a great company.
But true Christians, have always been very few.

It is foolish to be surprised at this. It is vain to expect that it will be otherwise. Our Lord has plainly told us, “But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life–and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:14

All true believers have a glorious “kingdom” awaiting them! Here upon earth–they are often mocked, and ridiculed, and persecuted–and, like their Master, despised and rejected by men. But “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us!” “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear–then shall you also appear with Him in glory!”

Believers are tenderly loved by God the Father. It is His good pleasure to give them the kingdom. He does not receive them grudgingly, unwillingly or coldly. He rejoices over them, as members of His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. He regards them as His dear children in Christ. He sees no spot in them. Even now, when He looks down on them from Heaven, in the midst of their infirmities–He is well pleased. And hereafter, when presented before His glory–He will welcome them with exceeding joy! Jude 24
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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today’s lesson is on being strong in 2018.

BE STRONG IN 2018

Joshua

Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. (Joshua 1:6)

INTRODUCTION Overview of the book of Joshua

1) BE STRONG

Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. (Joshua 1:6)

OBEY THE LAW

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.⁸ This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:7-8)

2) GO

And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into a harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there. (Joshua 2:1)

SPYS REPORT TO JOSHUA

So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:²⁴ And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us. (Joshua 2:23-24)

3) SANCTIFY, OBEY, PARTING OF THE JORDAN

And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. (Joshua 3:5)

And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.⁹ And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God.¹⁰ And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.¹¹ Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.¹² Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.¹³ And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap. (Joshua 3:8-13)

That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.¹⁷ And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan. (Joshua 3:16-17)

4) MEMORIAL

That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?⁷ Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. (Joshua 4:6-7)

And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel. (Joshua 5:1)

5) CIRCUMCISM AND PASSOVER

At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. ³ And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. (Joshua 5:2-3)

And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. (Joshua 5:10)

6) LAND CONQUERED

So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war. (Joshua 11:23)

7) JOSHUA’S COMMAND TO THE PEOPLE

Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;⁷ That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:⁸ But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day. (Joshua 23:6-8)

8) JOSHUA’S STATEMENT OF FAITH

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

CHALLENGE FOR 2018

Be strong

Read God’s word

Obey God’s word

Go, when God directs

Sanctify yourself for the work of God

Watch God’s miracles

Set up a memorial for those miracles

Record God’s victories for 2018

 

Good morning,

The queen of the Christian graces!

(J.C. Ryle, “The Gospel of Luke” 1858)

“Everyone who exalts himself–will be humbled; and he who humbles himself–will be exalted.” Luke 14:11

Humility may well be called the queen of the Christian graces. To know our own sinfulness and weakness, and to feel our need of Christ–is the start of saving religion.

Humility is a grace which has always been a distinguishing feature in the character of the holiest saints in every age. Abraham and Moses and Job and David and Daniel and Paul–were all eminently humble men.

Above all, humility is a grace within the reach of every true Christian. All converted people should work to adorn the doctrine they profess, with humility. If they can do nothing else–they can strive to be humble.

Do you want to know the root and spring of humility?
One word describes it. The root of humility is right knowledge.

The person . . .
who really knows himself, and his own heart,
who knows God, and His infinite majesty and holiness,
who knows Christ, and the price at which he was redeemed
–that person will never be a proud person.

He will count himself, like Jacob, unworthy of the least of all God’s mercies. He will say of himself, like Job, “I am vile!” He will cry, like Paul, “I am the chief of sinners.” He will consider others better than himself. Philippians 2:3

Ignorance, nothing but sheer ignorance–ignorance of self, of God, and of Christ–is the real secret of pride.

From that miserable self-ignorance, may we daily pray to be delivered.
The wise person knows himself–and will find nothing within to make him proud.
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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Christmas is a wonderful time to lift up the person of Jesus Christ. This season is also fraught with many distractions that cause us to take our minds off Christ.

Today’s devotion helps us to refocus on what is important during the the Christmas season.

So many traps to catch souls!

(J.C. Ryle, “The Gospel of Luke” 1858)

“The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear–but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” Luke 8:14

One caution contained in the parable of the sower–is to beware of the cares of this world. Our Lord tells us that the hearts of many hearers of the Word are like thorny ground. The seed of the Word, when sown upon them–is choked by the multitude of other things, by which their affections are occupied. They have no objection to the doctrines and requirements of the Gospel. They even wish to believe and obey them. But they allow earthly things to get such hold upon their minds–that they leave no room for the Word of God to do its work. And hence it follows that however many sermons they hear–they seem nothing bettered by them. A weekly process of truth-stifling goes on within them. They bring no fruit to perfection.

The things of this world, form one of the greatest dangers which beset a Christian’s path. The money, the pleasures, the daily business of the world–are so many traps to catch souls! Thousands of things, which in themselves are innocent, become, when followed to excess–little better than soul-poisons, and helps to Hell!

Open sin is not the only thing that ruins souls. In the midst of our families, and in the pursuit of our lawful callings–we have need to be on our guard. Unless we watch and pray–these temporal things may rob us of Heaven, and smother every sermon we hear. We may live and die as thorny-ground hearers!

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Don’t allow the cares of this world to destroy the joy of your Christmas. Put Jesus first.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Today’s devotional is my Christmas sermon.

Christmas, God’s Love Letter to the World

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

INTRODUCTION: Christmas is a celebration of God’s love.

God is love.

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Man is sinful and corrupt. From Genesis 3 till now, the only way of making reconciliation is a blood sacrifice. God made the first blood sacrifice in the garden of Eden, when He clothed Adam and Eve. Israel sacrificial system covered their sin, but was never permanent.

God tells of the coming Messiah.

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

God tells where the Messiah will be born.

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

God tells when the Messiah would come.

“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,⁵ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

God tells why the Messiah came.

It was God’s love for His creation that caused Him to send Jesus to be the one-time sacrifice for our sin.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

God has a book.

It was all about the salvation of men and women. God has a book in which the names of all those who have trusted Christ are written. One day this book will be opened and those names not found in it will be cast into the lake of fire.

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

God expressed His to love to us by sending Jesus.

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

What will we do this Christmas for Him? Step back and take time to remember why Jesus came. What can you do for others during this Christmas season?

God loved us. How should we love others?

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” (1 John 4:11)

“Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.⁸ Love never faileth: (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

Love others.

If you know God’s love, share it with others. If you are not saved, this would be a perfect time to accept God’s provision for your sin.

READ Matthew 1:18-2:12 and Luke 2:1-38

The Christmas Story

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

Tonight is the last night 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 all of you will be able to spend your 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 very Merry Christmas.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

I will be doing Hanukkah Candles 5, 6, 7, in today’s devotion.

Tonight is the 5th night of Hanukkah.

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).

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.

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

Happy Hanukkah.

Tonight we celebrate the sixth night of Hanukkah.

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 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.

Happy Hanukkah.

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,

Tonight marks the halfway point in our celebration of Hanukkah.

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.

Have a great weekend and take some time in God’s word. It will brighten your day.

Happy Hanukkah.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Tonight we celebrate the third night of Hanukkah.

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 you use? The Scripture for today goes right along with this. I should have no fear because God is our 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.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001