Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester,OK

"The God of Power” (Part 4)
The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God." – Luke 1:35
,br /> The “Power” of God is beyond our ability to understand and grasp. It is by that same power the stars were hung in the sky. It is by that power that the earth stopped spinning long enough for Joshua to complete a task given to him by that same God.
The angel declared to Mary that the Power of God was within her. And by that power the world would no longer be the same…that the Child within her was being given to…CHANGE THE WAY WE ACT!

Can there be any better “Biblical” example than that of the diminuitive tax-collector by the name of Zacchaeus? He was a thief. Collecting more than required and keeping the rest for himself. That continued for many years until the fateful day when Jesus came to his town—had lunch in his home—and then remained in his heart. He declared to everyone in the house that at that moment he was a changed man. No greater words than these can be heard as Jesus says: "Today salvation has come to this house..." – Luke 19:9

Many of you are already well aware of my affection for Charles Dickens—His writings are among my favorite, and none more so than what is his shortest works but what may be his greatest, “A Christmas Carol.”
From the very outset we are introduced to the main character, Ebenezar Scrooge. The miserly man who cared little for his fellow men and cared even less for Christmas. To him, Christmas was a “bother.”
In one of the beginning scenes, Scrooge’s faithful employee, Bob Cratchit is heard asking for Christmas day off. Reluctantly, realizing no one would be working anyway, Scrooge agrees, but not without comment: “That's a poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every 25th of December.” Later, his only living relative, Harry his nephew pays a visit inviting his uncle to his home for Christmas dinner. To which Scrooge declines and ends the conversation with these words: “What else can I be when I live in a world full of fools babbling "Merry Christmas" at one another? What's Christmas but a time for finding yourself a year older and not a day richer? There's nothing merry in that. If I could work my will, nephew, every idiot who goes about with "Merry Christmas" on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.” And then, what well may be the most telling acts of his cold and uncaring heart is when he is approached by two individuals seeking assistance to help the poor during Christmas. This is how this conversation goes:
Second Man: What may we put you down for, sir? Scrooge: Nothing, sir.
First Man: Ah, you wish to remain anonymous. Scrooge: I wish to be left alone, sir! That is what I wish! I don't make myself merry at Christmas and I cannot afford to make idle people merry. I have been forced to support the establishments I have mentioned through taxation and God knows they cost more than they're worth. Those who are badly off must go there.
Second Man: Many would rather die than go there. Scrooge: If they'd rather die, then they had better do it and decrease the surplus population. Good night, gentlemen.
This is the kind of man Scrooge was. And the key word here is…WAS. That night, Scrooge was visited by the spirit of the man who was his first business partner, Jacob Marley, who was much like Scrooge in every way. And he paid for it by not being able to “rest in peace.” He is sent to show Scrooge that if he does not change his ways his fate would be the same.
Dickens shows us images of Scrooge’s past which gives us a glimpse into why he was the way he was—but there was hope for him to change. And change he did!!
Isn’t that the message of Christmas? That God sends His Son to turn hearts of stone into hearts of flesh? “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” – Ezekiel 36:26
May we truly allow that same power to be at work in our lives!!
Pastor J. T. Carnell