Who is Lottie Moon? Good question…some reading this may not know who she was and why we are always raising money for her during Christmas.

Is Lottie Moon a creditor, like Sallie Mae or Freddie Mac? Absolutely not!

Lottie Moon was an early missionary to China in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. She spent 40 years in her beloved country with a burden to get the gospel out. She was a deeply burdened, hard-working, Southern Baptist who faithfully labored so her people could know the Jesus who changed her life.

So why is the annual Christmas offering named in her honor?

While she was in China she constantly wrote letters home encouraging a greater awareness of missions, a greater personal involvement in missions, and a greater sacrificial support for missions. These letters caused the Southern Baptist in 1888 to take up a Christmas offering for international missions. That offering was enough to send three missionaries to China.

That was 125 years ago and her letters still speak to us today. As off today the offering named in honor of Lottie Moon has generated more than 3.5 billion dollars.

Where does the money go?

Every penny goes to support 4,800 missionaries. If we reach our corporate goal this year of $175 million then we would be able to send 576 new missionaries to the field. Calvary’s goal is $2,000 and it thrills me to think that the money we give is going to take care of ordinary people sharing God’s extraordinary grace.

Lottie Moon, missionary to China, died on December 24, 1912. She lived an ordinary life of extraordinary grace, sacrificing everything to get the gospel story of redemption out to the lost people of China. But that is not the end of Lottie Moon’s story. Her story is God’s story of redemption that lives on through the ages, and we can be a part of that story as we give sacrificially to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.

Grace & Peace,

As I was reflecting on Doris Sawyer’s life this weekend preparing for her funeral one word stuck in my heart and mind: peace. She was a woman who died in peace because she died in Christ. But her peace went beyond that – she lived in peace. Now that’s something I really want to know more about because it is something that people battle with day in a day out. I want us to know how to live in peace not just die in peace.

The first step is to accept the peace of God through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our rebellion. He paid for our peace. Paul wrote,

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace…” (Ephesians 2:13-14a).

Genuine, lasting peace comes only through a righted relationship with our Creator. Believing in Jesus for eternal peace is accepting His terms to bring us to that peace. Peace cannot be had apart from a relationship with Him.

Second, this peace sustains us through everyday turmoil. When things are upside down or life has thrown you a curve ball or you are frustrated with the social-political landscape this peace will get you through. Jesus told His disciples,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

He said this in the context of the worst news possible – His impending death. Their leader, the one they would follow to the ends of the earth, that person who had been faithful to get them through each day was going to leave them. They felt abandoned and obviously their hearts were troubled (can you say, “Anxiety attack!”). Sound familiar? Yes it does. And when these anxious moments come we need to listen and practice the words of Jesus: trust me, I’ll get you through. Don’t trust in what the world is offering; that is only a temporary fix to the situation. Jesus’ peace offers permanence.

Does this even make sense? Yes it does. I’m not trying to offer some mantra we recite or give you a spiritual wheel to spin. This is not a ritual it is a reality.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7)

Trusting in Jesus’ peace is a choice we make. Just read verses 4-6 in Philippians 4 and you’ll get what Paul was trying to get across. And it may be a minute-by-minute reminder as we are going through difficulties. We may have to remind ourselves through sinking our teeth into Scripture and constant prayer that we enjoy His peace and His peace is greater that our turmoil.

Grace & Peace,

Are we a refreshing oasis in the middle of a dry and hot desert? Or, are we a disappointing soda machine on the side of a long stretch of road with an “Out of Order” sign? This is something I just can’t shake this week. It is something I spoke about Sunday morning from Philemon. It was sort of a passing thought, but it was one truth that I’ve been thinking about constantly. Let me explain…

If you don’t remember that’s ok (maybe you weren’t even here), I said that Paul was grateful for Philemon because he was refreshing to the saints in Colossae.

“For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” (Philemon 7)

Do I leave people refreshed or drained? We have to make a choice here. We can’t make excuses like, “I’m just not an outgoing person” or “I’m shy.” That really doesn’t resonate with God.

You see, I want to be that guy that people love to talk to because I leave their hearts refreshed. I want to direct the conversation in a way that would magnify God and lift the spirits of the person to whom I’m talking. I want to leave people wanting more, not less. I don’t want people to feel critiqued and miserable because they stopped me and talked with me.

How about you? Do you want to be that refreshing bottle of water on a hot day? Do you want people to avoid you because they know they are going to come away from you discouraged, confused and criticized?

We can become a source of refreshment if we remember what flowed out of Philemon – love and joy. People need a break. We all have been in a battle this week and need someone to refresh us with love and joy. We need to feel that someone genuinely, biblically, foundationally loves us. And we need to talk to someone who sees life from God’s perspective, not the media’s. We need to hear some good news of great joy!

My prayer is that people look for you to be refreshed.

Grace & Peace,