The Sahara Desert is a three and a half million square mile expanse of arid land in North Africa, west of the Nile River. It is almost the size of the United States and is growing larger. The history of the Sahara Desert is interesting.

Long ago, Romans made this area the granary of Rome by employing soil conservation and water management. When the Romans left, nomads ruined the land. Trees were cut for fuel. Dams and irrigation channels were abandoned. Goats grazed upon saplings. Topsoil eroded. The land had been highly productive, but when ravaged, it became nothing but “waste.”

All have talents and great opportunities. What we choose to do with our lives will determine if we become “productive” or “wasteland.” The Bible never called him the “prodigal” son, but we do. “Prodigal” does not mean wanderer. It means wasteful.

Do not waste your life and your soul. Make it productive for Christ. Lay up for yourself treasures in Heaven.

Millions will be celebrating this day as the birth of Jesus Christ. Although that is the common conception of this day, there is some evidence that Jesus was born during a much warmer time of year.

That aside, our world would be much different if Jesus had never come. Our calendars would be dated differently. Different personalities and principles would have shaped many of the political power struggles over the centuries. The fact is that Jesus Christ pervades every fiber of our society in one way or another.

When the angels appeared to the shepherds in the field, they said they brought “glad tidings of great joy.” The good news was that He was Jesus (meaning Savior), who is Christ (Messiah, the anointed one) the Lord (Sovereign Ruler).

Who is Jesus to you? What does He mean in your life?

“Therefore let it be known to you…that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things…” (Acts 13:38,39).

In James 4 the writer asks, “What is your life?” In the same verse of Scripture, he answers the question by saying, “It is even a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.”

Our life is brief! If you were guaranteed you would live to be 100 years old, you would only live 36,500 days. A mere few days to prepare for an eternal home of the soul.

Our life is fragile! Our hearts can stop at any moment. Arteries can rupture. Disease can destroy. Who could have known that Dale Earnhart would not be with us today?

Our life is certain to end! Jehovah has declared that all have an appointment with death and judgment. It is really another step in the process of life.

The time of death is uncertain! We do not know how long we will live on earth. May we live each day as if it were our last day — always prepared for judgment!

Imagine your surprise, as you are walking downtown, to see a fish walking toward you on his tail fins. You become even more surprised, as he approaches, to hear him muttering to himself. Over and over you hear him say he is tired of the salty, muddy waters of the lake nearby. He had made his way to enroll in the local college, or university to get an education.

You say, impossible! A fish cannot live outside of water. You are correct. God created every living thing to thrive and prosper in a certain sphere. The birds of the air, the fish of the waters, and the beast of the field have their specific habitation.

Well, friend God has also prepared a special place for His people. There is no such thing as a child of God outside of His family, a member of Christ outside of His body, a citizen of Heaven outside of His Kingdom, or a Christian outside of the church.

God has a place for you!

You hear preachers talk a lot about “redemption.” But, what does that really mean? The word “redemption” literally means to purchase again, or, to buy back. Let me illustrate.

A young boy built a beautiful model boat. He decided to take it to the local lake to see if it would sail. As he put it in the water and it drifted off, he was proud, but quickly realized that he didn’t attach a string. So, he just stood there and watched it sail into the horizon. Sometime later he walked past a local shop, and there was his boat in the front window. He ran inside and asked the price. “Two dollars,” replied the owner. The boy ran home, got his money, and ran back to buy the boat. As he left the shop clutching the boat to his chest, he said something curious: “You’re mine! Twice mine!”

You see, Jesus created you, and He will re-create you. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:7).

The Bible is composed of 66 books. Thirty-nine are in the Old Testament, and twenty-seven are in the New Testament. Though 40 different men composed it over a period of 1600 years, it has a unified message throughout.

The message of the Bible can be summed up by three great truths:
1. God formed us. He breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. He made us in His image. When He beheld his creation He said, “it is very good.”
2. Sin deformed us. From the very first sin, man was forever changed. Once in close fellowship with God, now many lives are lived in open rebellion to God. Many will take no knowledge of him at all.
3. Christ transforms us. Jesus’ death on the cross is the remedy for sin. He died so that we would not have to. Those who are in Christ are “new creatures,” transformed from within, to lead a life of godliness.
Such are all of us: formed, deformed, but possibly transformed.

A few years ago during the Texas state high school football playoffs, the temperatures were well below freezing and the chill factor near zero. Loyal fans of two state powerhouses sat in the stadium and cheered for their teams…for three hours! Why?

People regularly fill theaters to watch the latest award-winning movie…for three hours! Why?

Men and women crowd golf courses to play eighteen holes of golf…for four or five hours! Why?

People come to worship. If they are not our in an hour, they become upset. Why can we sit out in the cold weather, watch movies, or play golf for hours and then limit the Lord’s day to 59 minutes of activity? I wonder what God thinks about our priorities!

Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

In the past I was embarrassed to read about the sins and failings of the good people in the Bible. The list is long: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samson, Saul, David, Paul, Peter, Mark, and others.

He struck out 1,330 times, a record in futility unapproached by any other player in the history of baseball. But that’s not what we remember about Babe Ruth. We remember his 714 home runs.

Cy Young, perhaps the greatest pitcher of all time accumulated 511 victories. But what is generally forgotten is that Young actually lost as many games as he won.

Now I am glad God wrote the Bible without first consulting me. It turned out much better the way He did it. Failure is a reality in any field.

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9).

The world of today is having a powerful influence on many Christians when it should be the other way around.

As disciples and believers, we need to be the salt and light of this community. Some, however, are allowing the world around them to throw water on the candle and leave them as empty salt shakers.

How can you tell when or if this is happening to you? When you are doing less and less work to glorify the name of God, it is happening. When one is studying God’s word less and less, it is happening. When your interest in what is going on in the family of God begins to sag, it is happening. When we begin to offer foolish excuses for neglecting the spiritual things in our life, it is happening.

The apostle Paul says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” (Gal. 6:9).

What is the first word that comes to your mind when you hear the word love? Most of us think of opposites and would have to say “hate.” Hate is not the opposite of love. The true opposite of love is indifference.

When a husband or wife says, “I hate you,” the case is not hopeless. That home can still be saved. However, when a husband or wife becomes totally indifferent to the other, that home is in real jeopardy.

Nothing hurts our Lord more than indifference. He prefers being hated to being ignored. In Revelation 3:15, Jesus says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.” I wonder how Jesus feels about those who are indifferent and apathetic toward His church?

Jesus also said, “You shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)