Thank God and reflect on the year

Greetings:
On this, the final day in the calendar year 2013, let us get ready at the stroke of midnight to pray and thank God for the many blessings that have been bestowed on us in the past 365 days.
A new year provides us with a chance to reflect on what was, to consider what is, and to think about what we want to become.  It is a mileage marker, a point of no return, a chance to draw a line in the sand and begin anew.
After the clock strikes midnight, the year 2013 will be only a memory and the year 2014 will be a reality.
There is something about a new year that beckons us with new opportunity.  Yet Satan will use this new opportunity to remind us of our old failures, our old defeats, and what he perceives as our hopeless future. 
Don't fall for that deceptive snare.
Satan is a liar.
We know that through the power and presence of Jesus Christ in our lives, we as Christians, are truly a blessed group of people of all races, ages and locations around the globe.
The  loving hand of God has never left us.
God was always near us and prayers were answered.
This new year can be the start of different, if we will act differently by believing the truth and doing the good we already know that we should be doing.
James 4:17 says, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” 
We have a choice.
Some will continue to waste away their lives chasing the next dollar. 
Others will let another year pass by them by failing to humble themselves and be what they know they should be. 
Others will choose to drown their sorrows in various passions, coping mechanisms, or pointless addictions.
How can we make a break and truly change? 
How can we escape a bad habit?
How can we be free? 
There is much good that we know in our hearts that we should be doing that we are not doing. 
Do we love our wives and treat them properly, or do we yell at them, demean them, and fail to show them proper attention and affection? 
Do wives respect their husbands and give them the admiration and trust that they need? 
Do we evangelize?
Do we see opportunity to bless someone, but walk past it?
Do we read our Bibles?
Do we pray, not just when we need something, but when we just want to thank God for who he is and who he has made us? 
While things are not always perfect, each of us can say we are blessed in some way – even if it's on a smaller scale than we had hoped.
Follow the advice given in Hebrews 3:13 (The Amplified Bible), which reads: “But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamor of his sin may play on him].
Today is the day we can change..
This new year resolve to love God more.
Let our faith not grow weary or weak. Let us remain strong in our commitment to serve God and let the light of God shine in our words – spoken and written.
Let our faith remain steadfast as we serve others in the name of God – reaching out to the needy in our communities, in our churches and around the world.
In this new year, let us never grow content to just go to church. Let us be the mind, hands, arms, body and voice of the church.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Pastors need prayer too

Greetings:
Praying for your church pastor is one of the best and most effective things we can do to further the kingdom of God.
Pastors, like the people they serve, need prayer to continue their ministry on a daily, consistent basis.
The apostle Paul, himself a man of deep prayer, knew the effectiveness of prayer in his ministry.
He begged the church to pray for him in Romans 15:30 (NIV): “I urge you, brothers... that you join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” 
In Ephesians 6:18-20 Paul wrote: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
 Your pastor knows it is only through earnest, strategic prayer that they will be an effective minister in the hands of God.
Pray for our pastor's personal needs, for their family and for wisdom and power as they oversees the flock of God.
Let the Holy Spirit lead us as we pray in faith that our pastors receive a spiritual freshness.
Pray that your pastor will daily “walk in the light” with Jesus and depend on the power of the Spirit in all areas of their life and ministry.
The Rev. Charles Spurgeon was once asked the secret of his success. In response, Spurgeon led them to the lower level of his church and quietly opened the door, revealing more than 400 people praying for God’s blessing and power to rest upon their pastor who would stand in the pulpit that night to preach the word of God. “There, gentlemen,” said Spurgeon, “is the secret for God’s blessing his work here.”
The pastor's hardest job will be to keep spiritually fresh, so pray they will always remember:
• Ministry is not merely a job or a profession, but is intense spiritual warfare.
• Life’s pressures can easily result in spiritual decline unless the pastor is careful to maintain a close walk with the Lord.
• Pastors needs spiritual enlightenment. Pray they will continually grow into Christ-likeness, and be transparent before God.
• Pray that your pastor will prioritize their prayer life despite the busy schedule that is maintained.
We should also pray that our pastors will resist moral temptation. Pray that their  words and actions will always be a godly example, and pray that their thought life will glorify God and not pave the way for themselves or others to fall into sin.
Pray for church leaders who will hold your pastor spiritually accountable.
Pray that our pastors will be held accountable to God, knowing the effect their words and actions will have on the testimony of our Lord, on the church at large, on their own flock, and on their family and themselves.
A pastor's work is never done, nor should our prayer life be done each day until we lift up our pastors in serious prayer.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Resolve to follow God's lead and do His will

The beauty of a winter evening sky.

Greetings:
Another new year is almost upon us – a celebration of  the passing from one calendar year to another.
It the time when many make New Year’s resolutions as a way of  walking away from a habit or making a  lifestyle change.
Among the most popular resolutions are: spending more time with family and friends; to get more fit with regular exercise; lose weight; quit smoking; get out of debt; help others more; or get organized.
These resolutions that we promise to commit to every year are supposed to make us feel better about ourselves and our loved ones and do better.
There is something about the start of a New Year that gives us the feeling of a fresh start and a new beginning.
I have for years made resolutions – only to fail a few weeks, even days into the new year.
I've done a little reading the past few days and found out that the Bible does not speak for or against making a resolution.
As Christians, what kind of resolution should we make?
Do we need  to pray more, read the bible more or attend church on a regular basis?
John 15:4 (The Amplified Bible) reads: “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.”
Before making resolutions this year I am going to pray and ask for God's wisdom.
I will pray that God gives me the strength to complete my resolution goal.
I am not going to allow failures to stop me, and I ask God to help me stay motivated.
Whatever happens I am going to give God all the glory.
Proverbs 19:8 (Amplified Bible) says, “He who gains Wisdom loves his own life; he who keeps understanding shall prosper and find good.”
I am unable to do anything without God’s help.  I do humbly ask God  by his grace to enable me to keep my resolutions, so far as they are sensible and agreeable to his will."
In making resolutions for the glory of God and before the face of God, we must not come into His presence pounding our chests in  arrogance as if God must now love and bless us more because we have made certain resolutions to follow Him more.
We should approach God in humble reliance on his grace as we seek not merely the blessings but the one who blesses others.
The whole matter of making resolutions is not just goal setting so that we might have happier lives. We are called by God to live according to His will, not our own — for Christ’s sake, not our own.
We need to remember the words of Psalm 115:1 (The Amplified Bible) which reads: “Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name give glory, for Your mercy and loving-kindness and for the sake of Your truth and faithfulness!”
Let God guide our resolutions and depend on him to make every day a new day, a better day, a day filled with more happiness, love and mercy than the previous day.
Let every day also allow us draw us closer to God, the author and creator of all.
If we want to change for the better, walk closer to God and we won't need to depend on some spoken resolution to do better. Make it a heart and soul resolution this year to put Christ and His will first and foremost.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Keep your eyes on God's power line

Keep the power line to God open with your eyes focused on Him.

Greetings:
In Thursday's message we learned about the importance of prayer and the ability to simply communicate or talk with God.
It is widely acknowledged that the Lord's Prayer is the model prayer left for us by Jesus. We can read about it in Matthew 6:9-13.
We also find a powerful prayer in 2 Chronicles 20:5-12 (NIV) as King Jehoshaphat prays for deliverance.
He was faced by an overwhelming force of enemies bent on his destruction, and the king called out to God with a prayer that acknowledges his own powerlessness, and he asks God to intervene.
His closing statement “We don’t know what to do, so we’re looking to you” could be the motto of any Christian faced with challenges or tough decisions.
“Jehoshaphat stood in front of his people and said, “Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.  Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying,  ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
“But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them.
See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
How many times have we been in the midst of a life storm and started out with our focus on Jesus but got distracted by what was going on around us?
Everything the devil does in our lives is to get us to take our eyes off Jesus. Every bill, every irritation in your marriage, and every pain in your body is designed to prevent you from walking in the fullness of God's deliverance, healing, and prosperity.
Taking our eyes off Jesus is the most dangerous thing we could ever do.. We can let past hurts, troubles, and disappointments distract us from the ultimate prize, which is Christ alone.
Keeping our eyes upon Jesus is rarely an easy thing.
Our old, fleshly natures conspire against any attempt to remain faithful to God. We can forget that our reward is Christ Himself and wander off into the vain pursuit of other things. We can allow the cares of this world to push us away from the Lord instead of looking to Him in the midst of our pain and difficulties.
Being in a relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important part of our life. In Him is everything we will ever need to be successful and overcome any challenges we go through. We must remain established in the fact that Christ is within us, and because of that, we are empowered to get results. We keep our eyes focused on Him by meditating on the Word of God and declaring what God says in the face of adverse circumstance to be the truth.
We are over-comers if we keep our eyes focused on God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Pray the Word

Greetings:
Prayer is simply our conversation with God.
In prayer, we offer praise, worship and thanksgiving.
Sounds pretty easy to understand, doesn't it?
But I imagine prayer to many of us is simply putting our petitions,  needs, wants, desires , and all of our 'need this and need thats' before God.
We pray when we, family members or friends are in a panic, when times are bad, when we are in trouble, scared, sick, confused, perplexed and backed into the corner with no where else to turn.
We cry out in prayer when we hit bottom and there nowhere to go, but up.
But do we pray, I mean really pray, when we appear to be blessed, content and things are going well?
It's a question of what value do we place in prayer.
Look at Colossian 4:2, it reads, “Devout yourself to prayer being watchful and thankful”.
I guess it's a matter of do we regard prayer as a gift of grace or an unbearable burden.
Prayer is a privilege that takes disciple and practice. Prayer is a personal invitation from God to enter into his holy sanctuary to talk with him and listen to him.
Prayer is also a time to get still and quiet before God offering praise and worship in a manner in which you feel comfortable and speak sincere words of  thanksgiving.
Prayer will prepare us for the unknowns, the disappointments, the challenges, the troubles.
Prayer provides us with strength in moments of weakness and is a caring arm wrapped around us in times of sorrow.
Prayers is not done only when we feel like it or when we feel worthy.
If we are making excuses for not praying, we should be honest with ourselves and ask why.
Throughout the Bible we read of God's mercy and grace that reaches out to all people – the good and the bad, the worthy and the unworthy.
God’s will is to keep His promises to us.
 In prayer the Word of God should be in our hearts and in our mouths.
 In our prayers we should use the Word of God and remind God of His promises to us. This builds our faith and it also pleases God because it is an expression of our confidence in His Word and His integrity.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Merry Christmas - Unto us a child is born

Greetings and a Merry Blessed Christmas to each of you.
This is indeed a glorious day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ,  our Savior, Redeemer, and Messiah near the town of Bethlehem.
His mother, Mary, was a young virgin Jewish girl, while his earthly step-father, Joseph, was a carpenter by trade.
Mary's age, according to some church historians was only 12 of 13 when the angel  Gabriel came to her and told her she would be the mother of God's son – the Messiah.
Mary and Joseph were already engaged to be married, but oh how their life changed.
In the gospel of Luke 1:34-35 (NIV) we read: “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God.”
No doubt Mary was fearful of the daunting task she faced. She probably was unable to comprehend how she would was able to conceive, but she obeyed God with her belief.
This was the beginning of salvation for mankind in a very difficult time in history.
Christmas today for most of us is a feel-good time, a  time of joy and laughter, singing and gift giving.
None of this changes the pain that some in other parts of world are facing.
As we celebrate Christmas today many people are dying of hunger, or in hostile gunfire. Others are looking on helplessly as a child dies, others grieve the loss of a family member  or loved one through lack of medical help or the basics like clean water and good food.
Others don't know how they will survive another season without rain for their farms crops.
It was into this kind of world that Jesus was born.
People were poor, oppressed and killed by the Romans.
Many children died before their first birthday. Children were killed by the soldiers of their own king – King Herod.
It was a tough and dangerous time.
Mary and Joseph probably wondered why God would send a child – such a special child –– into a place like Israel – a place where there was so much oppression, violence, death and poverty.
God had a plan and Israel was an important part of it.
As we celebrate Christmas today, let us consider not only the fact of his coming but much more. Let us consider the meaning of his coming. And not only the meaning of his having come to earth, but the meaning of his having come to dwell within each one of us as we yield ourselves to His love.
We have been given the gift of this Holy Child. We have been given a gift much greater than anything which can wrapped in ribbons, stuffed in boxes, or loaded into stockings.
The gift is sweeter than and more delicious than any homemade cookies or candy.
We have been given the gift of God’s unmerited unearned grace.
Today our chains are broken and we are free in Christ because of this little baby, who came to earth to fulfill a mission of salvation.
Today you are a child of God not because of anything that you have done or failed to do.
To you is born a Savior who says, ‘Your sins are forgiven’.
To you is born a Savior who says, ‘Be healed’.
To you is born a Savior who says to the storms we face, ‘Be still!’
Our position in Christ is based on God’s grace alone and it is only through faith in him alone we are able to experience that grace in our lives.
After today, “What will you do with that gift?”
Will you cast it aside, assuming it to be of little value – as though it were only an empty opened unwrapped box – or will treasure its true value and meaning?
Will you allow the gift of Christ's love to transform you?
Will you see the baby Jesus for who he is or will you dismiss Him as a simply a new born baby?

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

A gift that never changes or gets old

Greetings:
Can you recall a Christmas when your entire life seemed to wait for that one never-to-be-forgotten present?
It was such a tough thing to just wait and wait until the time was right to unwrap the gift.
It was the gift box that you had probably shaken, rolled around and messed with time and time again so you could be sure what you had hoped for, asked for and believed for was actually wrapped up under the tree.
We've all had that moment.
I remember doing that more than once – even as an adult
However do we really have to wait for that perfect gift to be delivered on Christmas morning or do we have to wait for the time that our family designates that the gift will be opened?
The greatest Christmas gift —for everyone— doesn't need any colorful wrapping paper. It's a gift that doesn't cost a penny in material money.
All we need to receive this gift that keeps on giving is faith.
The Bible says in James 1:17 (NIV), “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
It's a fact that the first Christmas gift was delivered in a manger, not a sleigh.
Everything we have we received one of three ways: we earned it, stole it, or somebody gave it to us.
The greatest and perfect gift is Jesus Christ himself. As a child longs for that one perfect gift, our deepest longings trace directly to what Christ can give us.
When we receive the most vivid Christmas gift of all—Christ in us—everything changes. Because He gives us forgiveness, purpose, and hope.
For ages songwriters and poets alike have attempted to describe God’s glorious Christmas Gift. Preachers the world around have preached unnumbered sermons trying to explain this unspeakable gift but many times they've come up short of a good explanation.
The giving of gifts is not something man invented. God started the giving spree when he gave a gift beyond words, the unspeakable gift of His Son.
The gift of Jesus Christ is unchanging.
Times change, styles change, attitudes and tastes change, history and math books change. Nearly everything we know of changes.
But Jesus Christ is God’s unchanging gift.
You can't change perfection.
There can be no moral change in Jesus. There is no change in the message he brings to us. Peace, love, forgiveness – that's the message of Jesus Christ.
Let us never forget that if we do not have Christmas in our heart, we will never find it under a tree.
Jesus is the gift you will not return.
These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Peace on earth and goodwill toward man

Have you ever wondered about the message of the angelic host in town of Bethlehem as recorded in Luke 2:10-14?
The passage in the New International Version (NIV) reads:
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,  and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
 “glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men”
What does “peace and goodwill” really mean?
I believe, the phrase, “peace and goodwill” expresses God’s heart and intent towards people. God had been at war with man’s sin since the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned.
Now that war is over. The source of the conflict between man and God  – sin – has been removed by a  new born Savior.
God is forever the Great Shepherd looking for the lost sheep – the sinners.
During the time period between Adam to Moses, God punished sins when the entire civilization was in danger, as was the case in the time of Noah and the Great Flood.
Yet, even at the worst of times, God continually provided opportunities for sacrifices and offerings to atone for sin.
During the time between Moses and  the birth of Jesus, the 'Law' was in effect for the people of Israel. It was not given to make anyone holy, or to be a human standard of living. Rather, the purpose of the Law was to show God’s holiness and our utter inability to achieve God’s standard. The Law was to prepare us for grace.
During that 1,400 year period called the Old Covenant, there was a sense of anger and wrath.
Once we understand the Law of Moses with all its impossible requirements, we also understand the New Covenant of peace.
Peace had come with the birth of Jesus. God was now portrayed as the God of mercy and grace.
 Jesus Christ “once for all” let mankind deal with the sin problem. God would do to sin what sin deserved and what God always wanted to do to it - punish it. God’s just anger over human sin fell on Jesus.
The war was over. [eace had come.
God had always been holy, just, pure, and ready to punish sin. The only difference is that now the punishment has already been enacted on Jesus, resulting in a message of peace and goodwill from God. In short, our sins have been paid.
Jesus suffered every injustice, humiliation and unfair treatment imaginable to man. Every level of His being was affected - physically, mentally and emotionally.
Jesus’ birth signaled true peace and goodwill.
On Christmas morning let us rejoice and share this same message of peace and goodwill for man.
The birth of Jesus Christ is our door to grace, forgiveness and redemption, let us sing glory to God in the highest.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Pray the family unit remains strong

Greetings:
It's only a few more days now until we celebrate Jesus' birth into his heavenly family.
Our family gathered on Saturday to enjoy our Christmas holiday together. It was a blessed occasion that was emotional and very happy.
My wife and I have been blessed with two daughters and four grandchildren. A fifth grandchild will arrive in May so the excitement around the Schneider clan was very evident yesterday.
Before we enjoyed a delicious meal and opened up Christmas presents, we joined hands in prayer.
It was the first time in nearly a year that every member of the family had gathered under one roof to pray.
I asked each one to look around the circle we had formed and and look at each other to savor this special moment.
It was precious. I couldn't hardly speak because I as so happy.
The moment gave me hope for the future and appreciation for the present.
God has blessed this family in so many ways and for that I can not properly put together the right words to say thank you, but I do know that this family is close and of one spirit.
We may not have everything we always desire materially, but we have a gift that no amount of money can buy. We have each other and love that is strong and can not be broken.
The moment made me more fully realize that family is God's chosen institution for bringing children into the world and for nurturing and training them. It is the fiber from which all godly human institutions are woven, and the fabric of both church and society will disintegrate if its very fiber is torn.
The concept of family is extremely important in the Bible, both in a physical sense and in a theological sense.
The concept of family was introduced in the very beginning, as we see in Genesis 1:27-28.
It reads: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them;  male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
God's plan for creation was for men and women to marry and have children.
In Genesis 2:24 it says a man and a woman would form a "one-flesh" union through marriage  and they with their children become a family, the essential building block of human society.
God the Father recognized the importance of family when he initiated the  spiritual conception of his son, Jesus, in the womb a young virgin girl named Mary.
God didn't have to do that.
He could have just created Jesus, like he did Adam and Eve. But by Jesus' birth, prophecies were fulfilled and we were taught much during the 33 year life of God's son on this earth.
Let us each display and practice practice the things that Jesus taught us like,  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control toward family members as we are directed in Galatians 5:22-23.
During this Christmas season, as more and more government units are wanting to legislate away families, I pray that across our nation God will raise up a revival of concern for and commitment to families.
God, please heal the desire to stray from God's plan for human relationships and social structure.  Help the family unit to remain strong.
God, we pray that you help our nation to discover that Biblical family life is the divinely mandated alternative to the ever-increasing socialism and institutionalized living that too many are following.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Our unspeakable gift

Greetings:
Are there times when words just aren't enough to describe something?
In II Corinthians 9:15  we read: "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift." 
Paul was saying this gift can't adequately be put into words.
What was so wonderful that it couldn't be put into words?
The gift of Jesus Christ.
I have often thought what my life would have been like without Christ.
Knowing Christ and his power gives me hope.
When I look at the vilest person I see the possibilities of that life under the power of Christ.
Yet scores and scores who know of Christ ignore him and deny his power to transform.
They overlook the "unspeakable gift" as they seek the false treasures of this world. The greatest blessing in this life and the next is to know Jesus Christ as our Savior.
God's gift to the world was Jesus Christ, and within Jesus is contained many things that are unspeakable!
Christ's birth and death is that unspeakable gift.
The Rev. C.H. Spurgeon effectively described it this way in sermon he delivered on May 13, 1860.
He said, “We delight to hear of that "unspeakable gift"—the Son of God, who bare our sine, and carried our sorrows, and endured our punishment in his own body on the tree. There is something so tangible in the cross, the nails, the vinegar, the spear, that we are not able to forget the Master, especially when so often we enjoy the delightful privilege of assembling round his table, and breaking bread in remembrance of him.”
We have to remember each day that the cross is a hospital for sick sinners. The cross reveals man's evil, but provides The remedy for it. Sinners are spared because Jesus died.
In Christ we find a  peace that is unspeakable or cannot be described. It affords a promise, that God will never leave us nor forsake us that is unspeakable or cannot be described. It affords a place, Heaven, that is unspeakable or cannot be described.
The Gift of Heaven came wrapped in very plain paper so very few people would choose Him - He came wrapped in the flesh of a Jewish peasant child.
Paul in his writings could not describe the indescribable Savior.  Christ Jesus is God's unspeakable gift to every one of us sinners
God's unspeakable gift is what we should be shouting praises for on Christmas morning.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Shout for joy

Greetings:
Part of my daily prayer pattern is to read one of the psalms.
After reading Psalm 100, I was impressed to read it again and study what is says.
It has been said that the Bible is shallow enough that the immature can play without drowning, but it is deep enough that the most mature can never touch bottom.
There's a lot of truth in that statement as we look at Psalm 100.
Psalm 100 (NIV) reads:
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;  give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100 does not contain a single concept that is not expressed elsewhere in the Psalms.
When studying Psalm 100 one gets the impression that it is inappropriate for us to barge into God's holy presence without taking the proper actions and necessary steps. God is willing to meet us anywhere, anyplace, and anytime, but we need to come into his presence with heart and mind, body and soul that acknowledges the presence of the King.
Psalm 100 shows us the pathway into God's presence, as it were, a procession as to visit dignitary or a protocol as to visit a king.
When we come to worship our agenda is to meet God. God's agenda is to meet with us. We raise our voices to get his attention. This is not being rude or disrespectful. As we walk down the path to worship God, we simply cannot be quiet. We are not raising our voices to draw attention to ourselves. We shout for joy because the Lord is among us.
Music is the form through which we often express our gladness, our joy, and our praise. Our songs are not to create our gladness, but to express it.
Through our singing we simply approach God for who he is, for who he was, and for who he will be forever.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Emmanual -- God is with us

Greetings:
Christmas is quickly approaching and it it's time to reflect on and understand what  this special day on December 25 is really all about.
Being a Christian, in part, means that we are called to believe something that is unbelievable to the human eye and mind.
That is the human birth of the son of God, Jesus Christ.
It's one of the mysteries of faith.
To fully understand the name of Jesus Christ let us turn to its root.
The name Jesus  in Hebrew means "God saves".
The name Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "Messiah" which means "Anointed".
Historically, we believe Jesus was born in a stable in the tiny town of Bethlehem  some two thousand years ago.
In Isaiah 7:14 (Amplified Bible) gives a prophecy of the birth and the name of Jesus, It reads:  “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].”
That infant in the cradle was Immanuel, God with us.
In the New Testament we also read about God's son – Jesus Christ –– coming to earth.
John 1:1,14 says, “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..."
And in  Colossians 2:9 we read, “For in Him [Jesus] all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form".
The best part of Christmas is not the presents we receive, but the presence of God with us.
Christmas means that God loved us so much he came to live with us, and die for us so that we can live with Him forever.
May the reason for this blessed season never leave our minds and hearts –– that is the birth of Jesus Christ, Immanuel, our Savior, our Messiah.
Let us echo the words recorded by Luke as spoken by the angels, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

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Relief from the stress around us

The peace of a southern Indiana sunrise fronted by a rail car loaded with coal.

Greetings:
Sometimes our world can become a haven for stress, a place for stress to manifest to very uncomfortable levels, if we allow it.
Psalm 131 offers relief.
The psalm is short and to the point, but it is worth reading and praying about.
In the New Living Bible the psalm reads, “ Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty.
I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.
Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord— now and always.”
Our stress levels escalate when we are asked to perform tasks that are far outside our comfort zone and when we’re expected to “be” someone we are not.
What’s the solution?
Discover who you are and what you feel comfortable doing. Accept the way God has made you. Learn to say “no” as God directs.
In Psalm 131, it is interesting to note that David’s confession of his inadequacies is prefaced by a declaration of humility.
What is humility?
Humility is one of those traits that if you think you have it, you probably don't.
Psalm 131 reminds us that we should not be pursuing 'great things', unless we turn and become like children.
We are called to become like children like a weaned child, who has learned the secret of contentment in his mother's arms because the secret of contentment is humility.
David’s intimate declaration in Psalm 131 is a great remedy for stressful emotions.
We have nothing to prove to God. We can come with empty hands, because everything was provided for us at Calvary. When we see what Jesus accomplished in dying in our place, taking the judgment that belonged to us, we’ll be able to find our true rest in God.
Let us all put our hope in God and Godly things.
Let us focus on being content and to humble ourselves in service to God and to one another to find real peace and relief from the stress that is all around us.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

'Fear not'

Greetings:
This morning my mind is drawn to consider the things we fear.
Most of us want to act brave and gallant, but within we have something that we fear.
The things that we fear are as many and varied as we can possibly imagine.
Some fears that are more observable.
My most tormenting fears are snakes, being in high places, speaking before large crowds and fear of failure.
Other individuals are equally afraid of such things as growing old, moving to a new house, getting married, not getting married, finances, being alone, facing the unknown and the fear of dying.
While our fears may be different, the answer is always the same.
All of the situations of life have a common answer –– the strength and presence of the Lord.
Isaiah 41:10 (Amplified Bible) reads: “Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.”
Why does the Scripture tells us we do not need to fear? Because God is always with us.
One of the devastating aspects of fear is it causes us to be frozen into inactivity.
Satan –– the enemy of our souls –– loves to fill us with fear for he knows if we are consumed with fear, we are incapable of doing the things the Lord desires for us to do.
God delights in bringing his power into the impossible situations of life and showing that his power is sufficient for our needs and able to conquer any of our fear demons.
Through God and the shed blood of his son, Jesus, we do have the power to overcome our greatest fears.
No one is perfect, and God knows this. That is why he has sprinkled encouragement against fear throughout the Bible. Beginning in the book of Genesis and continuing throughout the book of Revelation, God reminds us to “Fear not.”

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Say 'Merry Christmas', not 'Happy Holidays'

Let's celebrate and say 'Merry Christmas'. (c) Nick Schneider/NJS Photo Images

Greetings and an early Merry Christmas to you all:
Am I the only one who is bugged and disturbed about some who would like Christians and non-Christian to drop the phrase 'Merry Christmas' and opt for Happy Holidays?
I, as a Christian, refuse to follow that trend. Actually, the suggestion of it offends me.
There is nothing wrong with “Happy Holidays” as an additional greeting, but for me “Merry Christmas” is staying.
To some the difference in the phrase might not seem like a very big deal, but to me, it is a very big deal.
Christmas and Easter are the two biggest and most sacred holidays for Christians.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and fosters the teachings he brought to this earth. Jesus taught us all about good will, kindness and good tidings that we celebrate this time of the year.
We join together to celebrate his birth and a renewal of our faith.
Easter is the commemoration of the death and joyous resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead as a means for our personal salvation and forgiveness of our sins.
What we lose when we generalize the Christmas season with the "Happy Holidays" phrase is the strong connection between Christ and Christmas.
What can we as Christians do about this stripping away of our Christian right of free speech and personal expression?
We can stand proud and loud in our faith.
We will not allow the view of the minority in this nation to take this away
We can make sure that our family holiday is centered around the teachings of Jesus as the reason for this holy season.
We can take the time to renew our faith.
We can greet one another with a loud and unrelenting  "Merry Christmas!" and leave no doubt that we mean just that.
This is a holiday to celebrate the birth of the Christ child. It's a birthday party and we are not gong to water it down my saying simply “Happy Holidays”. We can say that for nearly every other holiday that we observe.
Christmas is special and let us never forget that.
Never forget the words in Luke 2:10-12, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Yes, a Savior is been born to us; the Anointed One, the Messiah and Lord.
Let us have a courageous tongue to shout out to all creation that Jesus Christ is born.
Proudly say, Merry Christmas this year and every year.
If that offends anyone...that's just too bad.

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God hears our pleas for help behind closed doors

Greetings:
Have you ever felt like your prayers were falling on deaf ears and not even reaching the top of the room where you were sitting or kneeling?
King David felt that way in Psalm 142 (NIV) as he prayed while alone in a cave:
1. I cry aloud to the Lord;
    I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
2. I pour out before him my complaint;
    before him I tell my trouble.
3. When my spirit grows faint within me,
    it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
    people have hidden a snare for me.
4. Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
    no one cares for my life.
5. I cry to you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”
6. Listen to my cry,
    for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong for me.
7. Set me free from my prison,
    that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.”
This Psalm is full of sorrow and pain, but also faith.
This is no casual prayer. David is distressed. He is crying out, he is pleading for mercy. This is intense prayer.
He is pouring out his concerns and grievances. He is unveiling his “troubles” – his adversity, anguish and current affliction.
He is clearly speaking to God.
He is saying to God, you know what I am going through. Help me.
We have to understand that this was a desperate and serious time for David.
Saul is hunting him down to kill him. Saul has already had all the priests at Nob killed along with their families simply because one of them helped David.
This is serious stuff and a serious time to pray – to cry out to God for help.
He is in a cave – alone and scared – there is nowhere else to go to find shelter. The Philistines didn’t give him a safe haven. All he has is a cave.
He was on death’s door, unless God reached out.
David promises that if God helps him, he will give thanks to God.
He ends his lament with an expression of faith when he says, “The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.”
David is confident that God is going to act for him and deliver him. He will no longer be in danger and he is will no longer alone.
In Psalm 142 we learn that God is there in our time of trouble. Tell him what you need in prayer. Pour out your heart to him.
The psalm also shows that God will allow us  go through some very difficult trials – almost to our breaking point –– where we feel alone and threatened, where we are in a dark place, with no one standing up for us or caring about us. We too can be brought so low that our spirit faints within us.
I've been in situations like that in my life.
But I know God is my refuge. He had reached down and helped when when I was unworthy of his help. But the shed blood of Christ and his forgiveness made me worthy.
May it never be said that there is no one to care for us. But if we find ourselves in an extreme situation like David did – know that God will protect us and provide for us, just as he did with David.

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God is always near

Have you ever felt on the edge? God is near.

Greetings:
With all of the means of quick communication that each of us have at our fingertips –– cell phone, telephone, email, text message, Internet, iPad, FaceTime, Skype, Messenger,  or Facebook –– I am reminded about the importance of communicating with God.
Many of us are busy doing 'other things' and seem to find it difficult to find time to communicate, pray or listen to God.
Don't you wish it was as easy and hitting the speed dial button on your smart phone and God would simply answer?
The fact is, it is that easy.
What are the tools that we need to communicate with God?
We can make time no matter how busy we are to give God his time in our life.
We can read his Word – The Holy Bible – and let the scriptures speak to each of us.
We can also allow God to speak to us through other people who are close to us – your spouse, your pastor, your church family, or your friends.
God is always near as it says in Psalm 145:18-19, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.
“He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them.”
The entire Psalm 145 is a beautiful piece of writing and a tribute to God 's dominion over our lives, if we allow him to come close to us.
The psalm, written by King David talks about God's  “works”,  his  “mighty deeds”, his “wondrous works”, his“awesome deeds”, his “majesty”, “glorious splendor”  and his “greatness”.
Reading the Psalm, we learn that God is never too busy.
God can hear us and come close.
God is our king and also our companion.
When we truly understand God’s greatness, how amazing God truly is – especially as it relates to his mercy and care for us – how can we not lift God up in praise “forever and ever”?
If we are not praising God, it is simply because we do not understand who God is. We haven’t got it yet.

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The birth of Christ is reason to celebrate

God painted this beautiful winter sky last evening, east of my homestead in southern Indiana. Thank you Lord, for this gift.

Greetings:
As the birthday of Jesus Christ approaches in a few more days I am reminded that this is a very holy and sacred day.
The birth of the Christ child was the beginning  act that bridged the gap so believers can have salvation – which followed his death on the cross.
Yes, we can carry on the tradition of giving and the receiving of gifts, but let us never lose focus of the real reason for the season – Jesus Christ.
It is a true celebration.
As we gather with family and friends, let us not lose focus of this fact.
In Isaiah 9:6-7 (Amplified Bible) we read: “For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from the [latter] time forth, even forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
The prophesy came true. A child was born near the tiny town of Bethlehem.
In Luke 2:8-12 we read: “And in that vicinity there were shepherds living [out under the open sky] in the field, watching [in shifts] over their flock by night.
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them, and they were terribly frightened.
But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people.
For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord!
And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find after searching] a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
That is the story we ought to be reading to our children and grandchildren on Christmas Eve.
Let them know the reason for all of this tinsel, garland, finely decorated and lighted trees.
Let them know that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ and the reason for the exchange of gifts, the family gatherings, the cookies and other good food, the hugs and the love shown in agape fashion.
Christ is the reason we celebrate.
Christ is the reason we are forgiven, redeemed and able to walk on holy ground.
Every time we go to our secret closet, our prayer should be: "Lord, I have no plea but Christ. I have nothing to bring to you - no good works, no gifts, no sacrificial offerings, no holiness of my own. I come to you only because I am in Christ. And I claim his holiness. I know I stand before you un-condemned, because I am in him!"

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Morning greetings: From the east, they brought precious gifts

Morning greetings: From the east, they brought precious gifts: Greetings: Christmas morning is approaching. It is just two weeks away. The commercial frenzy of the season is heating up. There are sales...

From the east, they brought precious gifts

Greetings:
Christmas morning is approaching. It is just two weeks away.
The commercial frenzy of the season is heating up. There are sales, deals and promotions that make cash spring from our pocketbooks with the greatest of ease as we rush to find the perfect gifts for our loved ones.
There is nothing wrong with giving gifts at Christmas time as long was we keep everything into perspective and remember why we give.
We can go back to the first Christmas story to fully understand to origin of gift giving.
In the Christmas story recorded in the Bible in the book of Matthew, a group of men, Magi, came to visit Jesus in the manger after he had been born. These Magi were considered very intelligent, wise men.
Look at the account written in Matthew 2:7-12 (The Message): “Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”
 Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!
They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.
In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country.”
That's a remarkable story and tells us that we must be careful from whom we take our directions and know their motives.
Do you really think King Herod dispatched the wise men to find the Christ babe just so he could follow and worship him? No, he wanted to harm, kill the newborn because he felt his reign was being threatened by the new born king.
We must be on guard to make sure we hear and know God's voice and be able to determine that it is not something that is meant for evil, even when it appears to be good on the surface.
Aren't you glad the Magi listened to their dream and did not return to Herod with details about where the Christ child was located?
We must remember the world is not as just, not as loving, not as whole as we know it can and should be.
The coming of Christ and his presence among us –– as one of us –– gives us reason to live in hope that light will shatter the darkness, that we can be liberated from our fears and prejudices and that we are never alone or abandoned.
Christmas is not about wrapping presents, its being in the present and wrapping our arms around the ones we love/
It’s not about getting Christmas cards into the mail on time, baking cookies and tasty treats.
It’s not  about having the biggest and best Christmas light display, it’s displaying the Christ light that comes from our heart.
It’s not  about Santa coming down the chimney, it’s about Jesus coming down from heaven, and giving us the gift of eternal life.
May we allow the miracle of Christmas to continue to live in our lives long after the holiday trappings have been packed away for another year.
Remember it's easy to think Christmas, and it is easy to believe Christmas, but it is hard to act Christmas in our daily lives.
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In the presence of God

Greetings:
Being in the presence of God is what every Christian wants, but somehow few learn how to do it consistently.
Occasionally we happen to stumble into him, and we are feel refreshed, blessed and revived.
We must remember that God will never contradict his written canon – The Bible.
If you want to be in God's presence and hear his voice, stay close to the Bible – read it, read it and read it.
The more time we spend in the scriptures the better we will be tuned to God's voice.
The scriptures act like a tuning fork. If we are on that same frequency, we will hear God's voice clearly.
Without immersing ourselves in God's Word, we run the risk of being misled by the darkness and going astray from God's truth.
My friends, God is always near.
God fills the room around us where we are sitting or standing.
God is in the air above us. He is in the ground below our feet. His presence is everywhere.
God fills the highest heavens, the deepest seas, down to the center of the planet and out beyond the farthest-flung reaches of this galaxy.
God stands beside us hearing each breath we take, noting every motion and every thought that comes from us.
God knows how many hairs are on our head. God knows the hair count of every man, woman, and child all over this globe, all five- billion of us, at this instant.
God knows everyone's thoughts, every thought we ever had, every thought we are having right now, and every thought we ever will have, are known to him.
God knows every hurt we ever experienced, every bruise, every scrape, every scar, every tear, he knows and remembers.
God loves us despite  of everything bad -- or good -- that we have ever done, everything that we ever will do, and everything that we are doing right now.
God loves  you is with full knowledge of who you are, and what you are. He loves you infinitely, for he is an infinite God.
For God is also your Shepherd, your Counselor, your Savior, your Healer, your Righteousness... infinitely. If we have given ourself to him, then this infinite God is also infinitely ours. And if we have given ourself to him, then this infinite God also dwells in our heart.
God  knows every struggle, every question, every desire, every need, every want that we have, whether we are aware of them or not. And the thing that he wants most from us is very simple.
What is the first and greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God, with everything in us.
God wants us to love him.
So as you go about your day today, know that God is near. His presence is known.
We can feel his mighty power and his grace.
We can hear the brush of angels wings.
We see glory on each face we meet.
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Let us sing "Joy to the World"

Greetings:
This time of the year, one of my favorite Christmas carols is “Joy to the World”.
The lyrics tell the real story of Christmas:
“Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.”
What is joy?
Somebody once said that joy is happiness with a much longer shelf life. But joy is even more than that.
Joy is not happiness. Joy is a characteristic of the Christian and the word ‘joy’ is all over the Bible. We find it in our prayers, hymns and praise songs.
Joy is described in the Bible in Galatians as a fruit – it is not something to be pursued, it is rather a consequence of the Christian life, a product.
Joy isn’t so much about happiness as the source of our happiness. Joy comes as we learn to trust in God and place our futures into his hands. Joy is about seeing the wide perspective, so Joy sustains us through life.
We have joy because of Christ, and nothing can change that. We can trust in Christ and because of that we have joy, a reassurance and confidence and therefore a well being. Joy is not trying to be happy, it is that deep sense of well being which we get from resting in God, knowing that all will be well.
Joy is about getting this into perspective, not how wide our smile is. So Jesus encourages us to recognize that we can be joyful when we gain a real perspective and stop seeing this life as the be all and end all of our existence. For the Christian has the promise of Jesus that the best is yet to come. We can be joyful in spite of circumstances.
In Nehemiah 8:10 we read: "The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
The great English teacher and pastor the late Charles H. Spurgeon may have summed up best the Christian desire for joy when he wrote: “I desire now a fresh blast from God's Spirit to blow the flame very vehemently. Let us meet for prayer tomorrow, and let the prayer be very earnest, and let those wrestlers who have been moved to agonizing supplication renew the ardour and fervency of their desires, and may we be a strong people, and consequently a joyous people in the strength and joy of the Lord.”
So as we go forward today let us stop feeling sorry for ourselves, and look around for opportunities to glorify God and we will find joy as we use those opportunities for God's glory.
Look for opportunities as servants, rather than wallow and complain about our circumstances. Paul saw an opportunity to share with those he would not normally encounter. He used his chains as a teaching tool that would strengthen others. He chose to dig deeper rather than to be swept away in self pity.
When we have the joy of the Lord, we'll know it and so will others. Since joy is given by God and something that he wants us to have, we need to be joyful.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

The power of our words

(c) Nick Schneider/NJS Photo Images

Greetings:
The words we speak and write have a tremendous impact.
 It is key to remember whatever words we utter or write should be chosen with care for people will hear them and read them and be influenced by them for good or evil.
As a writer – a wordsmith – by trade, I know how words are constructed and how the meanings can be altered by something as simple as the placement of a comma or a wrongly placed letter.
The basic tool for the manipulation of truth is the manipulation of words. If one can control the meaning of words, one can control the people who use those words.
 Likewise, the basic tool for the preservation of truth is the preservation of God's words. If one understands the original meaning of God's words, we can more easily recognize those who try to manipulate and control others through deception and the altering of the original definitions of words.
How many times have you said, “Oh, I wish I hadn't said that.”
Our words can't be retrieved or re-written.
The spoke word is powerful.
Proverbs 12:18,  tells us “...the tongue of the wise is health."
As in the health of the body, a doctor can often assess our state of health by looking at our tongues.
The same is true in the spiritual realm.
James tells us in James 1:26 that the way a man uses his tongue is a test of his spiritual strength.
He also says that if a man can control his tongue he is a perfect man (James 3:2).
 Jeremiah was told in Jeremiah 15:19 by the Lord that he could be God's mouthpiece only if he was careful about the way he used his tongue - if he separated the precious from the vile in his conversation.
Therefore, we should be very careful about the words that we choose to speak.
The words that Christ spoke testified who he was.
God told Moses he would raise up a Prophet (Jesus) and would put His words in his mouth  Jesus confirmed this in John 14:10 by teaching that the words he spoke were not from himself, but from his Father.
Our words also reflect who we are.
In 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 (The Amplified Bible) we read, "Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God. And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].”
Also, in  Matthew 4:4 we read: " But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Proverbs 12:18 says, “There are those who speak rashly, like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Can you think of some simple words that have big meanings?
How about...thank you,  I appreciate you, you are amazing, I forgive you, good job, bless you, I'm sorry and  I love you?
Let us learn from The Word of God what kind of words we need to be saying and writing to uplift those around us.
Be blessed today.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Finding our purpose

Greetings:
There are times in life when God wants to slow us down and force us to listen.
My life is generally very busy, but in the last day or so the pace has slowed because of this snow.
Yesterday was one of those day of reflection that God gives us.
With the blanket of snow that measured more than 9 ½ inches here at my homestead, I found myself home all day – unable to get out of or even see my driveway.
I did work from home most of the day, but there was some down time to reflect and pray.
God showed me some things that opened my eyes.
God impressed on me that I am my own worst critic. Not sure why, but I am still seeking to write that perfect story, perfect blog and take that perfect photo.
Have those kinds of thoughts kept into your mind that you’re not good enough, smart enough, or gifted enough?
Do the critical words you say to yourself, or hear from others, make you question your worth?
Are you ever tempted to find your worth in your job, your house, your appearance or the approval of others?
Do you feel like no matter what you do, it will never be  good enough?
Do you want to be free from the fears and doubts that hold each of us back so that we can not fulfill God’s plans for our life.
John 8:32 (Amplified Bible) says, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
How do we find the truth?
Do we glean it from what our pastor says on Sunday morning?
Do we get it from the culture, from a good book, or from what others tell us?
To fully understand what the truth is that will set you free, you need to also look at John 8:31. It reads: “So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples.”
This verse shows that freedom is always preceded by discipleship and holding to Christ’s teaching. Therefore, fulfilling your purpose always is in the context of a relationship with Christ.
The light in my mind has been clicked on.
It doesn't matter how successful you are outside your home. You are missing your destiny if you are not becoming more and more like Jesus in your household.
If you are not growing in the love and knowledge of Christ at home -- you are not fulfilling your destiny.
I pray I can be a better husband, father and grandfather in the coming days, weeks, months and years.
Too much time has been lost seeking to please others. It's time to please God and be a better person.
I thank the Lord for the precious trips to the 'woodshed' that he sometimes gives me to wake me up, open my eyes to make me understand myself and my purpose.

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The beauty of new snow

A snow-covered tree in my front yard early this morning.

Greetings:
The area's first snowfall of the season greets us in a big way as we arise from sleep this morning.
The stillness of the morning is beautiful as I look out over my yard with various colors of Christmas lights glowing under a fresh blanket of the snow.
New snow is so white that it can reflect the smallest amount of light and make the nighttime seem brighter than it would be without the snow.
God's artistic majesty is again at work before our eyes and we are thankful to be able to witness the peace and serenity it has produced in the pre-dawn hours.
Let us pause and admire the beauty.
In a short while, it will be time to trudge out in the snow with shovel in hand and scrap a path to my vehicle for my commute to the office. It's not something I look forward too, but it's a necessity.
For now, I just want to soak in the quietness, the cold and silent beauty of what I see as I look out the window. I wish this time could linger, but life's busy nature will make this only a brief encounter this morning.
Snowflakes continue to fall and the view of the landscape remains in a state of change as the hand of God is painting us a new image before our eyes.
Snow provokes memories that reach right back to childhood, when life was simpler and problems were few.
There were snowmen, snow castles and snow forts constructed and snowball fights enjoyed until the sun and higher temperatures rendered them into puddles of water and mud with only memories of how much fun was produced.
I came across a wonderful piece written by Isaiah Reid in February 1897 called “Beautiful Snow” that sums up the heavenly majesty of snow. He wrote:
“It came so softly, so silently, and free from wind or extra cold, that one did not know it was falling except as it was seen from the window, or one chanced to be on the street.  It dusted everything with whiteness.  Then it fringed and draped and robed every ungainly thing and the tiniest spear of grass, or dead and dried summer vine in the trellis, with ornament of purity.  Then the air cooled and the clouds cleared, and the angels commissioned the northern breeze to pass high in the air, not touching a single spot on the beautiful picture, but showering from the upper air, as it passed through, millions of frost crystals to bedeck and bespangle this vesture of such wondrous whiteness.  When the sun arose everything was glorified.  The most common thing on the landscape seemed to have a voice and new significance.
The Bible also talks about snow – in conveying the message of purity and being free from sin.
We read in Matthew 28:3, “His appearance was like lightning, and his garments as white as snow.”
The Bible talks about how filthy or tarnished we are because of our sins.  Some verses describe our sinful nature as being red or scarlet, indicating the necessity of a blood sacrifice to pay for our sins.  Then the Scriptures talk about how our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior will wash our sins away and make us as white as snow, indicating how clean and pure that faith will make us. 
One such verse is Isaiah 1:18 which says: ““Come now, let us settle the matter,”  says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
The Bible not only talks about snow, but does so in three different ways.  It talks about the cold stuff of winter.  It is used to describe how white something like clothing can be.  Most importantly, snow is used to describe how clean our sins will be when they are washed clean by Christ’s blood when we confess our sins and believe in Him as our Lord and Savior.
Next time you look at the snowflakes gently dropping from heaven, blanketing earth in its white embrace, remember that you are witnessing God's creative and powerful hand at work on nature.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

Give a real gift this year

The ultimate Christmas gift.

Greetings:
As we approach the home stretch on another Christmas season of buying, buying and the buying of  more presents, let us reflect on a few things.
First, let me state that I am not against Christmas gifts, Christmas lights, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, Christmas carols or anything associated with this most blessed of Christian holidays.
Christmas is a birthday party for our Lord Jesus Christ and ought to be celebrated as such.
But in all of this there has to be a balance.
We have to stop the madness. Stop the frustrating pursuit of the perfect present. Stop shopping until we drop. Stop trying to “people please” through gift giving.
Look around our neighborhoods, in our community, where we work and in the church we attend.
There is someone in need.
What are we doing about it?
What if your family has an extra $200 or $300 you had planned to spend on an XBox, a Wii or more electronic gadgets like an iPod or an iPad, but you have a neighbor who doesn't have money to pay their utility bill or there a family at church that doesn’t have Christmas gifts to give because their money has to go to important things like fuel, food and a way to keep a roof over their heads.
What if there are families in the town where you live who don't have food to eat, what do you do?
Do we want to give money so neighbor has heat in his or her home, or do we give to the family who is down on their luck some things they need...or do we go and buy some more 'stuff'?
Somewhere along the way, our youngsters  have got to get the message, what we can spend less, but give more this season?
What if we love more by our actions, not just our words?
What if we use the holidays to worship God more fully?
Giving of our self, our time, our talents and our money is a simple principle that is validated throughout the Bible and in Jesus' ministry.
Isaiah 58:10-11 (Amplified Bible) says, “And if you pour out that with which you sustain your own life for the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in darkness, and your obscurity and gloom become like the noonday. And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.”
In the New Testament in Luke 6:38 (Amplified Bible) we read, “Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour [a]into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you.”
I really like what is says in Proverbs 28:27 in the The Message version, “Be generous to the poor—you’ll never go hungry; shut your eyes to their needs, and run a gauntlet of curses.”
Do you want to be cursed? I would think not.
What if we all bought one gift less for our families this year and use that money to buy gifts that matter like filling a care package or a food basket for someone in need. Or we could purchase a load of firewood so someone might have warmth this winter. We could also spend a few bucks to purchase a vehicle tire or two for someone we know who has a need and not enough money to take care of the dangers of tires that are running thin on tread. We could also help someone with a mission project or a mission trip.
The ideas are endless. Let us think of others and their needs this Christmas season.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.

My letter to God

These are my most precious gifts from God.

Greetings:
This is the season when youngsters and some adults sit down and compose 'Letters to Santa'.
Most of the time these letters are a long litany of 'wishes' of things they hope Santa will bring to them under their decorated trees on Christmas morning.
These letters usually say something about how good they've been in the past year, thus making them worthy candidates for all kinds of special gifts.
Have you ever sat down and etched out a letter to God?
What would you letter say?
Where would you start?
I've thought about it myself. What would I write and the task is a monumental one.
After all, the letter is to God, the creator of all, the beginning and the end, the all-knowing God who directs our paths, opens doors, cares for us more than we can comprehend. The letter is going to God our savior, redeemer, our healer, our deliverer, our comfort, our peace, our inspiration.
This letter to God is a pretty big task. We want to make it just right and say the proper things.
But every time, I try to type what I feel and want to say, my words seem so inadequate, no matter how eloquent. Words can not express properly what I want to say to God.
My letter to God is personal and full of thanks because I have been blessed so much, even on my worst day, there is reason to simply say 'thank you''.
So I humbly sit here in his small office area in my home, alone and pray for God's presence to be with me as I write:
Good morning God:
I love you and thank you for loving me.
Please forgive me my sins. I do not deserve your forgiveness, but thank you for your mercy and grace that makes me whole and complete.
The blessings you have afforded me can't be counted. They are beyond a infinite number.
I want to thank you God for guiding me, for commanding every directions that I take in my life.
I want to thank God for bringing in and taking out all whom you felt needed to come through my life, because everyone has a season.
I want to thank you God for all that you have done and all that you continue to do for me, my family and loved ones.
You brought love, hope and great changes into my life. You wrap me and all that is me in your hands, love, protection and provided in every way that is possible and beyond.
God all I can say is thank you so much for blessing me indeed, without you I am nothing, but with you I have everything I'll ever need.
Thank you Lord for blessing me with a wonderful, beautiful and strong woman, a faithful God-fearing wife.
Please guide and protect my children and grandchildren. Continue to show them your love, power and mercy.
Thank you Lord for your healing hand that has touched me time and time again.
Also, thank you God for you comfort in times of grief and sorrow. Many precious loved ones have passed away, but you have been able to let the pleasant memories linger as a reminder of what these people have meant to me.
Open my eyes Lord to better see the things you see.
Guide my prayers and steps to help others.
We need to help each other and reach out to the needy. There are too many people suffering, Lord. Please help them.
Thank you God for letting me live in this beautiful world. I cherish each day. I might have only 5 minutes left, a day, a month, a year or 40 years, but I will try to live as close to you for however long as you give me.
Please watch over me. Please guide me.
Thank you, Lord for everything that you've done with my life up to this moment, in this moment, and what will come.
Sincerely your humble servant,
Nick
What would your letter to God say? Try to write one today.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box.