Exactly one year ago today I began the RPMDaily Blog. Many of you have been with me the entire journey. I began with zero subscribers and today we have 92 subscribers. In the month of December we had over a hundred individuals that we can track from Web site traffic.  Prayerfully as you benefit from the daily encouragement you will help me share the word by reposting and telling friends how they too can subscribe.

Zechariah 4:10 (NLT) “10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” 

Share on my Blog page your “One Word” for 2016. My “One Word” is going to be (EARLY). I will share why on January 1st.  What would you like to read about this year? Would you like a Daily Bible Reading each day? A podcasts?

Many times I share from my personal experiences, what I have read and what the Lord is sharing with me. As I cross this finish line I take a deep breath as the ribbon brushes across my chest and I shout a big, “Thank you Jesus.”  While I write you are on my mind. It is my desire to encourage you and build you up to continue to pursue your finish line.  What ribbon do you want to break through this year? Will it be cancer, a new baby, an Olympic Gold Medal, a marriage license, adoption papers…?

RPM Daily will get you up and running. I appreciate your prayers it truly fuels my tank. I am grateful for every comment, every repost, and every share.  You are worth every late night, early morning and “Oh my God I almost forgot” and is this right Time Zone? You have been with me from West Virginia to Dallas Texas, to Hawaii, Florida to South Carolina and I will take you with me to Croatia and wherever the Lord will lead. So buckle up and let’s prepare to “be ready” not “get ready” in 2016.

Our family had the most wonderful visit over the holidays. Our nieces and nephews have developed a pecking order and with our new grandson in the mix things got pretty exciting. The youngest nephew had someone he could actually pick on for a change. “Let’s see take his (baba=another word for his pacifier)” you could see him thinking and “oh let’s push him around a bit”. Then as quickly as he thought, he was going to get away with it all—busted! Dad (Uncle Mike) caught wind of it all and brought the fun to an abrupt end.  Nieces to the rescue! With one taking the left hand and the other taking the right hand safety resumed for our two year old grandson, of course until they bored with him. Then once again it was everyman for himself.

Some of the adults wondered how Uncle Mike knew what was happening. Other relatives were simply waiting to see what the new cousin on the block would do. Money on the little guy that he’d be able to hold his own? Money on the momma she’d bring it all to an end, by grabbing the little guy and ruining all the fun?  Nope, it was the Uncle of four of his own who turned on the light and set the scales in balance.

Aren’t we all a little like children and chickens in the game of pecking order? Have we all grown pass the picking on one another, rather than picking each other to play on our team. It takes risk to build a team with players we just met. We all know it’s the higher road but in reality few there are that actually take it.

Mark 12:21 (NIV) “The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Perhaps it is immaturity to think past the momentary to the long term. Our short sightedness causes us to settle for momentary pleasure rather than long term success in relationships.

Proverbs 21:5 (NIV) “The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

This coming New Year think long term. Ask the Lord for wisdom. Seek wise counsel.

Visiting family is something most look forward to. When we look forward to something or someone, we can easily become disappointed.  Disappointment is part of life.  If we try to avoid disappointment we will have to isolate ourselves from life.  Our perspective determines our reactions to current situations

Ezra 3:12-13 (KJV) “But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away”

The older people in the above scripture had seen Solomon’s Temple. These who wept were about 65 years old and had looked upon the grandeur of what was and it disappointed and saddened them to what was becoming.  The two generations born since then had not seen Solomon’s Temple and what they thought what they now gazed upon was wonderful through their perspective.

What we have seen determines much of how we feel and how we will respond to what we see.  What is in our past so often determines our future. God can show us things in the Spirit and change our prospective forever.  God can give us an eternal prospective that will forever change our outlook on life.  As we grow and mature in the things of God and begin to see things through the word of God our view of the world and God’s people cannot help but to change.

There is a generation maybe two depending on how old you are that is watching how we respond; and still others that will be looking for definition of what they are currently seeing. This year I encourage you to look through the lens of the word of God so that God can use you to define to the world the correct revelation of what He is doing.  Remember God is love and whatever He does it is because He loves us.

The day after is the toughest. The day after you deliver the baby. The day after the car wreck. The day after the drunken brawl. The day after crossing the finish line. The day after Christmas.  This is the day the pain sets in. This is the day reality begins. These are the days of contemplation.  Did I do my best?  Did I give my all? Was it the best that I could do?

Soon it will be a new year. Many times I have heard that the way you leave a season is the way you will enter the next season.  The way you end a job or a relationship or whatever is, is what you take with you into the new. Our only hope is to become new ourselves. I do not mean we reinvent ourselves I mean we renew our mind. “For as he thinketh in his heart so is he…” Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)  This is why we are told in the word of God that we are to renew our mind. 

Romans 12:2 (NKJV) “2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” 

When you are willing to pay the price for the day after you will be more prepared to win the battle.  The day after you see the look on the face of your child. The day after you cut through the finish line to qualify for the Olympics. The day after you told God you were sorry. The day after all your sins were forgiven.

My friend once told me, “Just because you rehearse it doesn’t mean it’s true.” Rehearse your battle only to give you strength for the next battle.  You can face the day after if you do what is right today. Rehearse the good. Think of the pure.

I hate confrontation as much as the next person but we must confront others about sin or we lose them all together.  We must confront others about injustice for those that have no voice. If we speak the word in love then the word will divide the thoughts and intents of our heart.

Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” 

This morning as I write this I am thinking of all the people who are alone today. Many of our Military cannot be with their families and those they love. Still there are others who are widowed, single, divorced, orphaned and a number of other situations that would cause one to be alone.  Jesus came that we all might be a family. A family shattered and scattered by sin can now be gathered and joyful because of what our Lord has done. 

If today you are alone or if you only feel alone remember the words of Jesus; Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

There are prerequisites to being a family, conditions that must be met.  Thanks to all that Jesus has done those prerequisites and conditions are met, all we have to do on our end is to accept what has already been done. Just like receiving a gift on Christmas morning we simply receive.  Romans 10:9-13 says, “9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

Welcome to the family my friend. We may not be under the same roof but we are under the same ruler, and His name is Jesus. We may not be at the same table but one day we will eat together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Until then my friend have yourself a Merry Christmas and remember—we are a family!

Merry Christmas!

The night before Jesus was born or so the story goes is anything but a silent night. Oh it’s a Holy Night that’s a certainty but certainly not silent.  I am guessing cows were mooing, sheep were naahing and from the outskirts of the town you could hear the hustle.  Everyone trying to pay their taxes, find a place to stay and hush the already born. It must have been deafening. The challenge still is finding a quiet place amongst the noise to birth what God has placed within us and silence the clamor within that screams, “The pain is too great to bring it to past.”  But bring it to pass is exactly what God has planned for each of us.  There is a life that has yet to grasp its first breath and yes, scream its first sound. “I am here.”

Today as the world vies for your attention--find your quiet place.  Find God’s plan and purpose for your life. 

Luke 2:12 (KJV) “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

Since Christmas is all about Jesus you would think that we would all be preparing to spend time with Him. Instead we are all getting ready for Santa Claus and dinner and where and what we are buying for our children, loved ones and coworkers.  Ever wonder how we got here? When did Christmas become Xmas? When did we quit teaching our children Christmas Carols and replace the pageants with creative dance about falling snowflakes and songs about Jingle Bells and Sleigh Rides pulled by reindeer?

We've come a long way baby. We've come from O Little Town in Bethlehem to Frosty the Snowman.  I cannot find the connection between these two songs.  Somehow Christmas got lost in the hustle and bustle of the "Holiday Season".  It wasn't a season when Jesus came to the earth it was a reason.  Sinful man needed a Savior.  We could no more save ourselves then than we could when Jesus was born that happy morning or today when no one seems to be happy regardless of what time of day it is.

Remember the reason for the season. Plan to celebrate what the day was originally set aside for—O Come Let Us Adore Him.  We set the pace. We decide what we are going to do on the Eve of December 24th and the morning of December 25th.  The weary world needs to rejoice and we who know why, need to “Go Tell It On The Mountain.”

What are your plans for today? Plan to do what God did to show His love to us.  He so loved He gave of Himself not from a store  O’ Come All Ye Faithful…

Born To Die

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Why is it when we find out we're going to die that we decide we want to live.  When the bottom line is we're all born to die. Even Jesus was born to die that all men may live. So why should we be the walking dead when we're called to rejoice in the life that was purchased for us? Even the Christmas carols we sing talk about the subject; "...born that men no more shall die.” Check out the lyrics to the old favorite “Hark The Harold Angels Sing” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19w0IHPL4X0 

I’ve seen numerous television shows about people who were given the wrong diagnosis and told they were going to die only to find out they were perfectly healthy. Their decisions after being given such a report drastically changed the way they were looking at and living their lives.

Hebrews 9:27 (KJV) “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

This holiday season try living as if it were your last. How do you want to be remembered?  What would you like them to say about the last time they saw you? The last words of people are very powerful.  

Luke 23:46 (KJV) "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."

I love going from house to house and singing Christmas songs to the un-expecting souls who simply hear a song and open their door. Once their doors are open I pray their hearts are opened by the unseen guest that we the carolers have ask to lead us and be with us.  It’s not the songs we sing it’s really the love in our hearts we want to share. The singing just gets them to open the door and prayerfully their hearts.

Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? Opening our hearts to the Spirit of love, joy and peace of earth? It doesn’t really matter whether we can sing or not, whether it snows, or even if more don’t answer the door than do. What matters is that we hear what Jesus would have us to say, and pray.

This time of year is hard on so many people. They may be a long way from home and can’t afford to travel, out of work, or simply a lone.  What you and I say and do matters.  Showing the love and kindness of God can make all the difference. Prayer works. At this time of year may I encourage you to pray for the elderly, the orphaned, the divorced, the widowed, the runaway, and the ones who don’t know Jesus?  Give the gift of yourself, your time and your prayer.  Jesus gave it all. Let’s follow in His footsteps.

If you get a chance to go caroling take a little child with you. You may be surprised at how open and brave they are. Adults sometimes back away from asking the hard questions but a child will just speak it. This year I saw the hearts of people soften at the request of a child and melt at their touch of their hugs. This year I saw Jesus loving His children through the lives of our children.

Isaiah 11:6 (NIV) “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”

So tonight at Praise and Worship practice we somehow got on the subject of gifts from Christmas past—the good and the bad. We laughed and had a wonderful time. One guy got a pair of square toed socks—he buried. Another girl got an ET Necklace she loved. We all had a part in telling the funny the not so funny memories. Then it dawned on me each of us had received the best gift ever when we received Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation.  The greatest gift was free to us but cost Christ everything.  People may fail to come through in the gift giving department but God came through when He sent His only son.

The little drummer boy may have played his drum for Him.  The angels may have sang, Glory to God in the highest.  Shepherds came to see what all the excitement was about. Wise men brought Him gifts.  You and I came because we needed a savior. We were lost and now we’re found.  We were blind and now we see. The gift that changed everything is the same gift that changes everyone.  It doesn’t really matter what you get for Christmas as long as you accept the gift of eternal life by accepting Jesus as your savior—the one who paid the penalty of our sin.

This Christmas may you have a Silent night O Holy Night. May you see the Star of David and hear the angels singing.  Experience the gift that keeps on giving and fits the need of everyone born on earth.  No matter what you get…remember what He gave.

John 3:16 (KJV) "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.”