Christmas here at the Dotson house is different this year. Our youngest son is home from college but is sick in bed. Son number three is in China teaching English for a year, the first time in his life he hasn’t woken up at home on Christmas morning. However, we talked to him over the Internet using Skype this morning. Son number two and one are with their own families but we were able to be together at church this morning. That was good.

My oldest son, Chad, has a very popular blog of his own and his post today says it all. Read it here. To all who read this, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I wrote recently about us being God’s representatives here on earth and how we should be aware of that and how people look at us. Sadly though, many Christians don’t look or act like Christians because they are so “conformed” to this world. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, Romans 12:2”. God has been reminding me of this concept a lot recently.

Then I thought, “How would we behave if we had a sign around our neck that read, ‘I’m A Christian’?” I think we’d act differently, don’t you? Think about it as you drive, at work, at the store, at the ball game, and everywhere you go. People are watching us and, if they know we’re Christians, we’re God’s witness, His representative. My brother knows I’m a Christian but do all the people I meet each day know?

Given December 14, 2005
I was thinking the other day about temptations. The Bible says we all have ’em in various forms, James 1:14, and we’re supposed to resist them. But, sometimes you know, it’s hard to do. Then I thought, “Well, the Bible says Jesus was tempted like we are but He didn’t sin.” How’d He do it?

The answer is in Matthew 4:4, “But he answered and said, It is written”, and in Matthew 4:7, “Jesus said unto him, It is written again”, then in Matthew 4:10, “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written…” Three times Satan tried and every time Jesus resisted him with, “It is written” then He quoted the Word of God. That’s the answer for us! IT IS WRITTEN!

Whenever the devil comes at you with fear, say, “It is written…I have not been given the spirit of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7. If he tells you you’re gonna fail, tell him, “It is written…I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Phillipians 4:13. If he says you’re sick, come back at him with, “It is written…by His stripes I’m healed!” Isaiah 53:5.

We can defeat the devil just like Jesus did, with the Word! Now, think of all the ways Satan tempts & lies to you and go look up & memorize scriptures to fight back with. It works! “Submit to God, resit the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. “Devil, get outta here!”

Given December 13, 2005
For years, I’ve thought badly about brothers Jacob and Esau. Jacob cheated his older brother but Esau was dumb enough to “sell” his birthright for a bowl of stew?

“Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.” Genesis 25:29-33

Later, Esau realized what he had done and what that stew had cost him. I thought, how dumb, to give away something so important for a fleeting gratification. Today though, I realized… we do the same thing quite often. We watch that movie we know we shouldn’t, we eat that whole bag of chips, we get mad when that car didn’t give a signal, we watch TV instead of praying or go to the ball game instead of church. What’s your bowl of stew costing you? Well, we won’t know right away but someday we’ll find out. And…like Esau, I don’t think we’ll like the price!

Given December 10, 2005
I attended the monthly Men’s Prayer Breakfast at another church in my town this morning which is always a treat. Good food, good fellowship, and the Word of God. What could be better?

The young man, Chirs, who spoke this morning asked us to picture a stick figure with the head, arms and legs as usual but the body was a church. The point was that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 He said we need to look at what’s in our temple and clean it up! Things like pride, anger, unforgiveness, malice, lust, etc. We need to do some house cleaning! Can we agree on that?

But it made me think that God is in there and sometimes He has to share my house with some unacceptable stuff. Sometimes, I leave the door or a window open and the undesireables sneak in. I don’t want God living in there with all that stuff and He can’t do what He wants to do in me with a dirty house. It’s time to do DAILY house cleaning. Amen?