Merry Christmas Cedar Grove!

What a wonderful day we had yesterday together. It is always a special time of year when we can gather and sing of the birth of Christ. Attendance is up. The spirit of the church is up. We are operating in such a way that honors the Lord. Church, let's keep it up. Let's not give an inch for the enemy to cause trouble or division. He will try. God is greater.

I want to remind you of the prayer we talked about yesterday. "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." May we never forget where God brought us from. May we never come to the conclusion that we have "made it." We are all one decision away from spiritual disaster. I do not say this to scare or cause discouragement, but rather to warn of how much pride can destroy. You woke up this morning and His mercies were new. It's not that His mercy ran out yesterday, but rather that His mercies are never ending for His children! What a beautiful and profound truth. A truth that we need to share to those far from God. A truth that allows us to live boldly and courageously for our Savior.

So, today, live in His mercy. Acknowledge His mercy. Show others His mercy. Ask for His mercy! Remember the teaching and example Jesus shared through a parable...

9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner! 14 “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 18:9–17.

Today let's live in such a way that God is able to exalt us! I Love you Cedar Grove and hope you have a very Merry Christmas! Happy in the Lord, amen. Buh-bye.

Pastor Jacob

P.S. Elf is the most overrated Christmas movie ever made. Home Alone is much better. I said what I said and meant it with my heart.