Loving Strangers: January 1st Devotional

 

Loving Strangers

Hebrews 13:1-2

January 1st Devotional

      On this day in 1892, Ellis Island opened its door to welcome immigrants.  This island located in the New York Upper Bay was named after Samuel Ellis.  Ellis purchased the island in 1774 but it didn’t turn into a financial success.  The island would be passed down from family member to family member.  Later it would be used as a place to try and execute pirates and as a home for Fort Gibson.  The federal government used transformed this plot of land to become an “Island of hope” or a Gateway for newly arrived immigrants.  On that first day, there were three large ships in the bay.  Ships filled with weary travelers from Europe who were seeking security, safety, and new opportunities.  The first to be processed was Annie Moore and her two younger brothers.  They were from Ireland and were all minors.  Most of those seeking entrance into the United States came from Europe.  The situation in Europe was dire at that time.  Food was scarce, governmental tensions were high, and many, namely Jews, were seeking asylum in a place that would provide them religious freedom.  700 total immigrants came through Ellis Island that first day.  The weary travelers had already endured an arduous journey but would have to wait in line for typically 3-7 hours as they were questioned by immigration officials and examined by doctors.  Over 450,000 people poured through those gates of hope that first year.  There were nearly 1900 immigrants a day during the time prior and during World War I.  Over 12 million people were processed in the fifty years of Ellis Island’s existence.  The history channel reports that an estimated 40% of Americans can trace at least one ancestor that gained entrance into the United States through Ellis Island.  

      Also greeting immigrants was the Statue of Liberty, or as many simply called her, “Lady Liberty” or “The Lady.”  The Statue of Liberty has these words inscribed on it “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”  America has been built on helping the helpless and providing opportunity and hospitality to strangers.  As Christians, we are to treat others in a similar fashion.  We are to love the tired, the poor, the rejected, the homeless, and the outcast.  God has not called us to simply love and care for the household of faith, but instead to show kindness and grace to those who desperately need the love of God showered on their lives.  The writer of Hebrews wrote “Let love of the brothers and sisters continue. Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:1-2).”  The Greek word for hospitality is used sparingly in the New Testament (four times).  On one occasion the word talks about a lover of hospitality.  Each time the word isn’t used as an action, but instead as an adjective, a description of someone.  It isn’t so much something we are supposed to do, but WHO we are.  We don’t show hospitality, we ARE hospitable.  Each of us starts out the new year with certain resolutions and goals, but this year be spiritually resolved to show hospitality to the lost, to the hurting, to the broken, and maybe even the neighbor who you don’t know yet.  Be intentional to open the doors of your home and your heart to those that are far from Christ.

The Mordor Mission: December 25th Devotional (Christmas Special)

The Mordor Mission

December 25th Devotional

John 1:1-4

     On this day in the year 3018, the fellowship departs from the Elven safehold, Rivendell.  Their goal is to march to Mordor to destroy the ring of power.  The ring bearer was one of the most unlikely characters in all of literature, a simple hobbit named Frodo Baggins.  Hobbits were small, simple folk.  They lived far away from the cares of the world.  They enjoyed farming, ale, and green pastures.  There wasn’t much adventure in the Shire, except for the occasional run-in with a dragon with some rag-tag dwarves, and an eccentric old wizard.  Frodo inherited the ring from his uncle, Bilbo Baggins who stole the ‘precious’ from Gollum while hiding in the murky waters from goblins.  Bilbo disappeared seventeen years earlier, entrusting the ring to Frodo.  Frodo departed from the shire once it was confirmed that he was in possession of Sauron’s desired missing possession.  Frodo leaves the shire in September and he could have never envisioned the great adventure and danger that lay before him.  In the next few weeks, he and his companions would be nearly captured by Nazgul, raced through the Old Forest, visited Tom Bombadil (the mightiest character in Middle Earth), guarded by Aragorn the promised King in Bree, wounded by the Witch-King on Weathertop, and barely made it across the Ford of Bruinen alive.  Frodo, along with the other Hobbits stay at the safety of Rivendell for three months while other leaders of Middle Earth convene to discuss the great peril of their time, the ring.  The assembly debates over what the best course of action should be taken with the ring.  The debate turns to an argument as dwarves, men, and elves cannot come to an agreement.  Hope seemed to dim, dread encompassed each heart, that is until a tiny voice of a Hobbit declares, “I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way.”  The smallest, weakest, and the frailest member does the bravest and most courageous of things.  He puts himself in harm’s way to save Middle Earth.  

      Frodo and the fellowship trade security for peril, all for the mission of destroying the ring.  In a much grander scale, Jesus does the same thing for us.  He also leaves the safety of heaven to come to this world.  John 1:1 says that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  The picture is that Jesus, who is the Word in the passage, leaves glory to come down to earth.  He comes in the most unlikely fashion too.  He doesn’t come in power and authority, instead, He comes enfleshed as a tiny baby.  He comes weak, frail, and needy.  He seems to be the most unlikely hero and rescuer ever!  Few would have thought that the swaddled baby in a manger on the backside of Bethlehem would be the promised one of God.  Why did Jesus come though?  The answer is similar to Frodo’s, Frodo volunteered to destroy the ring of power.  Jesus came not to destroy the ring of power, but He came to destroy that which has power over us, sin.  Sin had far too long laid its chains on humanity.  For far too long its long dark shadow destroyed mankind.  Christ came to break those chains, to defeat sin, and to render it powerless.  Not only did Christ come to destroy our sin, but He also came to destroy Satan and death.  Hebrews 2:14 says “and through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is the devil.”  Christ sacrificially and lovingly gave Himself to a sinner’s death, though perfect, to ransom our lost souls.  Think not only of a manger this Christmas but a cross.  Think not only of His birth but also His death.  Think not of the song of angels to shepherds, but the songs of the saints who worship Him who conquered death!

A Grinchy Christmas: December 18th Devotional

 

A Grinchy Christmas

Matthew 1:21

December 18th Devotional

      On this day in 1966, CBS aired “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” for the first time.  This 26-minute tv special was based off Dr. Seuss’ novel by the same name written in 1957.  The show was famously voiced by the master of the horror genre himself, Boris Karloff (he was the narrator and the voice of the Grinch).  The antagonist of the story is the Grinch.  The Grinch is a grouchy, fuzzy creature who lives in the cold snowy mountain overlooking the city of Whoville.  The Grinch’s heart is filled with hatred, probably because his heart was two times too small.  His lone companion was his trusty brown dog named Max.  The Grinch’s primary hatred was the town that rested in the valley, the town of Whoville.  The people of Whoville were friendly and happy people.  Their joy grew as the Christmas season approached.  For fifty-three years the Grinch had to endure their songs, shopping, celebration, and noise.  It drove him to madness.  One day he concocted a devious plan, he was going to steal Christmas!  He made a shabby Santa costume, outfitted poor Max as a reindeer, and drove a sleigh down from his mountain bluff to the happy valley below.  The night hour had overtaken the down and everyone was nestled down for a long winter’s nap.  That’s when he sprung into action.  The Grinch entered each house stealing all the Christmas contents.  His vile, garlic-filled soul stole presents, lights, trees, decorations, and even the food (I personally would like a taste of who Roast Beast myself).  He left no crumb behind.  He was going to make the people of Whoville pay for their jovial attitude.  He went about his work unmolested until he had a brief encounter with Cindy Lou Who, but not even she could deter him from his monstrous plot.  Having finished the job, he returned to his mountain retreat waiting to hear the tears and sorrows of the people below…but instead, his empty heart heard something quite unexpected.  He heard the people singing.  They were singing without lights, without trees, without presents!  He was stunned!  His mission had failed.  But this fuzzy green villain pondered, “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store.  Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more.”  His heart grew three times as he repented from his villainy and converted to become a lover of the Christmas season.  He entered the down joyfully returning all that he had stolen!  

      Seuss’ inspiration for writing the short 33-line poem was to combat the commercialization of Christmas.  He felt that Christmas had become something different and according to him, it made him feel Grinchy.  He finished the book in a mere three weeks.  He later said it was the easiest book he had ever written, except for the conclusion.  The Grinch reminds us as Christians of an extremely important principle, to not lose the true meaning of Christmas.  That’s pretty easily said and read, but it’s awfully difficult to practice.  We live in a consumer-driven culture that demands we put our full attention on Christmas.  No one is really trying to cancel Christmas because Christmas is good for business portfolios.  Most businesses make 60% of their yearly profit in the weeks around Christmas.  The problem isn’t getting rid of Christmas per se, it’s losing sight of what it means.  In Matthew chapter one Joseph of Nazareth attempts to sleep.  He had received some extremely disturbing news; his espoused wife Mary was pregnant, and the child wasn’t his.  Joseph was a good man, he was willing to privately ‘divorce’ Mary so as not to shame her.  That night he went to bed with a hurting, confused, and a broken heart.  I imagine he struggled to sleep, but in the night hour, an angelic visitor came to him saying that Mary was pregnant with the Son of God.  Then, in the midst of this message the angel said “she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).”  The message of Christmas is about Jesus Christ.  It’s not even so much about a manger, a baby, and swaddling clothes.  The story revolves around that last phrase, save His people from their sins.  Christ came to this world not just to be born, but to die.  To be a perfect sacrifice to save our souls from sin.  The most “Grinchy” thing we can do each Christmas is to try to celebrate the season absentee Christ.

Churches in Missions December Prayer Letter 2022

Churches in Missions

 “Mobilizing the Church Through Short-term Mission Trips”

Merry Christmas,

      Long ago the prophet Isaiah said, “For unto us a child is born, unto us, a son is given.”  That is the sum of what Christmas really is about.  While we enjoy family gatherings, lights, trees, gifts, caroling, and many other parts of Christmas, all of them would be pointless without the Christ-child that was born, the Son of God that was given for us.  Christ departed the glories of heaven to come to this world to take upon Himself flesh and dwell among us.  He came with the mission of saving us from our sin.  The true irony of Christmas is that we celebrate the birth of a child who was destined to die for all mankind.  This Christmas rejoice in the finished gift of God put on open display through Jesus Christ!

Christmas is a season of rejoicing and we wanted to invite you to rejoice with us.  The past month has been incredibly fruitful.  First, Matt flew to Chicago to speak at an IFCA youth conference in Central Illinois. There were over 150 teens gathered to hear a challenge from God’s Word.  Matt preached about the things that the world promises to fill you but always leave you empty and the promises that God offers us and always satisfies.  There were many deep spiritual conversations ranging from assurance of salvation, rededications, to teens struggling with various different addictions.  Continue to pray for these teens as they apply God’s Word to their lives.  A huge thanks to Liberty Bible Church and their youth pastor Spencer for their great hospitality.

We have also had a robust schedule in regard to speaking occasions.  We have shared with Locust Valley Bible Church, Cumberland Bible Church, Battlefield Bible Church, and Boonsboro Bible Church.  We are blessed by these churches' interest in our ministry and how they have come alongside us to share the Gospel with those who are still spiritually lost.

One of our biggest praises comes from our first-ever Thanksgiving outreach in McDowell County West Virginia.  You guys came through in a HUGE WAY.  A special thanks to Chambersburg Bible, Locust Valley, South Mountain Bible, Lifehouse of Martinsburg, Cumberland Bible, Hagerstown Bible, Calvary Community, Chestnut Grove, Lighthouse Baptist of Hagerstown, and countless other friends.  Because of you, we were able to distribute over 150 chickens, 122 turkeys, 200 bars of soap, 100 towels, 300 washcloths, 300 toothbrushes, 200 tubes of toothpaste, 150 combs, 67 shampoos, over 700 cans of veggies, over 1000 pair of socks, countless hygiene items, LOTS of winter clothing, other food items, along with nearly 50 Bibles!!!  Our family was joined by our newest CiM mission family, the Cooks.  We packaged 78 food boxes (along with hygiene bags with Bibles and tracts).  People lined up an hour before our event!  We worried if we would have enough items to hand out but by God’s grace there were exactly 78 families that arrived!!  Steve and Alicia (Cook) along with Matt shared the Gospel with the people on the street.  They talked with dozens of people and prayed with many of them.

After distributing food our families traveled to the Living Waters Ministry Center in Welch to cook a Thanksgiving dinner.  This is a drug rehab center for women.  The focus is getting clean from drugs and clean from sin.  The program is extremely Gospel-centered.  We were able to talk with the ladies at the center.  They shared stories of being trafficked, molested, aborted babies, drug addiction, homelessness, etc.  Our hearts broke as we heard the tragedy of these ladies’ lives, but we rejoiced to hear them turn the conversation to Jesus.  Multiple ladies have put saving faith in Christ.  Most of them have been clean for months.  They are regularly learning about the Word and serving their community.  Pray for these precious ladies, especially for a woman in the center who is in her second trimester of pregnancy.

 We are thankful for all that God has done these past twelve months.  We have seen him move in ways that are beyond description.  God continually shows us how unfailing His faithfulness is.  We also rejoice for each of you who regularly pray and give.  We honestly couldn’t do this without you.  But we don’t just look backward, but we look forward.  We currently are in conversation to lead five mission trips next year, survey a new area in New York, one camp, one VBS, a mission conference, and countless other things.  We look forward to another great year of serving the Lord together as a family.  We would love to share what God’s been doing with your local church!  One big note is that our family is transitioning most of our mission work to a new email address, mandtcim@gmail.com.  If you would like to receive our prayer letters via email instead of snail mail please let us know.  Also, if you would like to receive more regular updates along with devotionals please email us. 

Our family wishes you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a happy New Year!  May God bless you and keep you as we serve together until He comes.

The Return: December 11th Devotional

 

The Return

Zechariah 1:3

December 11th Devotional

      On this day in 1913, the Mona Lisa was returned to the Louvre in France.  The famous painting was stolen early on August 21^st, 1911.  It doesn’t take a student of art to recognize the Mona Lisa.  It is considered the most famous painting in the world.  The painting was a work of Leonardo da Vinci sometime around the year 1507.  The Italian Renaissance peaked, and gorgeous portraits were created by some of the most famous artists.  The simple half-portrait was Lisa del Gioncondo.  She was a famous Italian noblewoman at the time.  The painting was commissioned by her husband.  Da Vinci started the painting around the year 1503 and it took him multiple years to complete.  The simple 30-inch by 21-inch painting was not considered a great piece of art until three hundred years later.  Most people didn’t even consider it to be one of da Vinci’s better works.  Finally, in the late 1800s, the art community began to recognize the painting, but most people in the general populace still were not familiar with the painting.  The theft was carried out by three Italians.  There was a pair of brothers named Vincenzo and Michele Lancelotti, and the mastermind of the burglary was Vincent Perugia.  Perugia had worked for the Louvre.  He was actually hired to put protective frames over the works of art, one of them being the Mona Lisa.  They hid out in an art supply closet and early in the morning they removed the 200-pound painting, removed the glass and frame, and hid the painting under Perugia’s smock.  Perugia stole the painting for two reasons; first to sell it for money and second because he, being an Italian, felt the painting belonged in Italy.  News of the heist was on the front page of every newspaper.  The spot where the painting was missing was called the “Mark of Shame.”  The formerly unknown painting was all that people talked about.  Everyone now knew of this obscure work of art.  With the heat turned up, Perugia was unable to sell the painting.  He had to hide it in the false bottom of his trunk at his Paris apartment.  For 28 months the police frantically tried to find the painting.  They interviewed Pablo Picasso and actually interviewed Perugia twice before they felt he was totally incapable of stealing the piece of art.  Finally, Vincent tried to sell the piece only to be busted by the police.  

      The Mona Lisa became famous because of its return.  It was taken away, it was stolen, and it was hidden at the bottom of a trunk for over two years, destined to maybe never see the light of day again.  But it returned.  The Bible talks about the theme of returning, especially in the Old Testament.  The nation of Israel would stray into sin and idolatry, but each time the voice of God would call them to repent and return.  The prophet Zechariah wrote these words “Return to me, declares the Lord Almighty and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty (1:3).”  2^nd Chronicles says “For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate.  He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”  God cries out to his children who have wandered from the fold to repent and return.  To leave the byways of sin and despair.  To stop our love for the trifles of this world.  To stop running from our God and run back to our God.  Sin wrecks our lives.  It distances us from the sweet fellowship that Christ has called us into.  God is calling us to return.  I’m reminded of the prodigal son in Luke’s Gospel account.  The prodigal wandered, sinned, rebelled, and eventually came to an end for himself.  But what makes the account of the prodigal famous isn’t what he did in rebellion, but the fact that he repented and returned.  God is calling you to return to Him.  Will you obey?  Remember, the spot of the missing painting was called the “Mark of Shame.”  The mark of shame for us as a believer is not coming back to the Lord.  Come today.  He’s calling to you.

Adrift: December 4th Devotional

 Adrift

Ephesians 4:14

December 4th Devotional

     On this day in 1872 the Canadian ship, Dei Gratia found an American ship named the Mary Celeste adrift, without a crew near the Azores Islands (Portugal).  The story of the Mary Celeste is wrapped in mystery.  The ship was originally built by Joshua Dewis in Nova Scotia in 1861 and was called the Amazon.  The ship was built to travel across the Atlantic Ocean to bring loads of timber to and from England and France.  The ship had a checkered history during that time.  Its first captain became sick on the first journey and had to return back to Canada.  He died shortly after.  The ship would endure multiple other problems until it was wrecked and abandoned in 1867.  The ship was salvaged, repurposed, and sold.  It would be renamed the “Mary Celeste.”  The ship’s new captain was Benjamin Briggs.  Briggs was an extremely capable seaman.  He was well-respected among his peers.  He had considerable experience and had spent more time at sea than on land.  He had considered retiring from the sea shortly before becoming captain of the renamed ship.  The ship was loaded down with nearly six months of supplies and was employed to travel to Genoa Italy.  The crew consisted of only ten people, including most of Briggs's family.  It set sail from New York on November 7^th, 1872.  The journey across the sea was anything but easy.  The captain’s log records that they endured rough seas for roughly two weeks.  Captain Morehouse of the Dei Gratia (By the Grace of God) spotted a ship that was obviously adrift.  Ironically the Dei Gratia was stationed near the Mary Celeste prior to sailing.  There is even a rumor that the captain of the two ships dined before setting sail.  Morehouse sent two crew members onto the ‘ghost ship’ to investigate.  The ship had obviously endured a rough journey but it was 100% seaworthy.  For the most part, nothing was touched on the ship.  There were ample supplies and nothing showed any wrongdoing.  The only thing missing was maps and the captain’s navigational equipment.  The last captain's log was from ten days earlier and nothing seemed amiss in it.  Morehouse brought the ship to Gibraltar where it would again be repurposed and used until 1885 when it was purposefully wrecked off the coast of Haiti in an insurance fraud claim.  

      The mystery of the Mary Celeste remains unsolved to this day.  There are multiple conspiracy theories on what happened, but no facts.  The only fact that remains is that the ship was adrift and the crew was lost.  Being adrift is always a danger.  There is a greater danger though, being adrift spiritually.  There are countless people who are rudderless and directionless spiritually.  The Bible warns about this in Ephesians 4:14, which says “as a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every win of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by the craftiness in deceitful scheming.”  Paul talks about people who are adrift spiritually.  They are adrift spiritually because they are not grounded in sound doctrine/teaching.  Sound teaching is like an anchor for our life.  It keeps us grounded when life’s storms come our way.  We obtain sound teaching from God’s Word.  Not just owning God’s Word, but actually reading and instilling God’s Word in our life.  Doctrine, while not necessarily popular or attractive as other areas of our faith, is vitally important to keep us from going adrift.  The world will blow winds of false teaching in our direction.  New ‘theology’ will crop up.  It will be ‘desirable’ and ‘attractive’, but it is destructive to our spiritual growth and undermines true, sound teaching.  Get grounded in God’s Word or you will go adrift.