Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson Bryan Hudson

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Isaiah 8:11  (NLT), The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. 12  “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them.13 Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble.14 He will keep you safe.
ADVENT
In light of Jesus coming into this world, we should change our thinking. 
Think less as the present world would have you to think.
Shape your thinking around the promise and power of Christ our Savior and Redeemer.
What is Compassion?
Compassion is Love and Empathy in Action
2 Corinthians 1:3,  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion [mercies] and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
What is Comfort?
Definition: παράκλησις
paraklēsis
A calling to one’s side, summons (esp. for help), supplication, entreaty, exhortation, admonition, encouragement, consolation, comfort, solace; that which affords refreshment
Matthew 14:14, And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
Compassion Requires and Builds Courage
Jesus commanded His disciples to feed the people. Their reaction showed apprehension and fear.
Matthew 14:16, But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
 

2 TIMOTHY 1:5, I’m reminded of your authentic faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I’m sure that this faith is also inside you.
In this second letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul addressed him in a very personal way. Paul reflected on Timothy's faith in God. In doing so he identified the legacy of faith proceeding from both his grandmother and mother. He even knew their names, Lois and Eunice.
On November 29, I celebrated another birthday. While I saw my entire family on Thanksgiving day on the 24th, it was great to have dinner with my wife, my father, and two of our children who live in the city. Birthdays are an obvious reminder that we are blessed with the gift of life. It is also reminder of the blessing of life givers-–– our parents and life givers who extend back through our grandparents and all of our ancestors.
What we carry forward through our lives should be a reflection of the grace of God and the best attributes of our parents and grandparents. Now that I have the blessing of hindsight, it is easy to see the imprint of my maternal grandfather Rev. Ray Elijah Hudson, who was also my first pastor in mentor,  my maternal grandmother Amanda, my maternal grandfather and grandmother William and Essie Hayden (who were also Gospel singers and musicians). I also think about my maternal great grandfather, Reverend Frederick Williams.
One of the birthday greetings I received read, "I am thankful for knowing you and God having you in this world!" The thought of living one's life in the present world creates the feeling of hope, and expectation that one's life is making a positive impact on people in our world. On our birthday when we celebrate having life, we can also celebrate giving life, not only in parenting, but enriching others. 
As we are also in the midst of the Christmas season, I cannot think of a better gift than giving hope and enriching the lives of people. I think this is the summary of the legacy looking back over my family. They were all people living life in order to give life to others.
We are all life givers.
 

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1 Thessalonians 5:18, In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Colossians 1:12 (NIV), ALWAYS THANKING THE FATHER. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.  
Giving thanks opens your heart and mind to God and to His supply quicker than anything else. 
Colossians 1:13 
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
There are four keys to this transfer
It is a transference from darkness to light. Without God men grope and stumble as if walking in the dark. They know not what to do; they know not where they are going. God has given us a light by which to live and by which to die.
It is a transference from slavery to freedom. In Jesus Christ there is liberation
There are four keys to this transfer

It is a transference from condemnation to forgiveness. He knows now that he is no longer a condemned criminal at God's judgment seat, but a lost son for whom the way home is always open.
It is a transference from the power of Satan to the power of God. Through Jesus Christ man is liberated from the grip of Satan and is able to become a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
Psalm 89:15, Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. 16 In Your name they rejoice all day long, And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
 

We know the thanksgiving holiday in the USA is Thursday, November 23, but we know that we give thanks to God every day. This is one of the few  holidays in which is appropriate practice and celebrate every day.
Thanksgiving is foundational. One of my sayings is this: "Every good thing happens on a Firm Foundation."
David wrote in psalm 100:4, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him and bless his name."
Giving thanks positions your heart, mind, and personality on the firm foundation of God's goodness and grace. The act of giving thanks clears the heart, settles the mind, and puts your emotions into balance.
For a believer, not giving thanks is injurious to your heart and mind:  
Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:21, For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Think of giving thanks as a good rain that washes dust and dirt off of your sidewalk and driveway. More simply, think of Thanksgiving as a car wash. The accumulation of dirt and debris hides the true appearance of something, or impedes your vision, when covering a windshield.
However you want to think about importance of Thanksgiving, know that a lack of giving thanks to God introduces empty thinking and allows foolishness to seem normal. As the Apostle Paul wrote, for someone to know God but not glorify him as God, or give thanks, is taking divinity into one's own hands. If we don't think God is worthy of our thanks or our attention, then our focus is misplaced.
So enter into God's presence every day in worship and prayer. Refresh yourself in that cleansing and encouraging encounter with Christ.
Let me Remind you pray for and support our 32nd Community Christmas Jesus celebration and outreach. Invite families in need, volunteer, and join us or December 17. Logon to www.newcovenant.org
God bless, have a great day, and be encouraged!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Psalm 19:14, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. 
We are living in a day of outrageous words and actions. Whatever person does begins with meditations of his heart, followed by words spoken and actions taken.
David gave a guideline to a better life and a better world. His prayer to God, and his determination, was that the meditations (or thoughts) of his heart would be acceptable to God. He also asked that the words of his mouth would be acceptable.
Self-awareness is the beginning of many good things. I'm not speaking of self-awareness in a conceded sense, but in the sense of judging our own thoughts, words, and actions.
We know that our words, which come from my thoughts, are important because of what Jesus said in Matthew 12:36, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment".
Idle speaks of empty, useless, and thoughtless words.  Jesus also said in Luke 6:45, "For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."
This is way we pray, take devotional time with the Lord, are faithful in church and in all manner of Bible study. We want to develop the habit of godly self awareness, and then have the grace to make the words and meditations of our hearts acceptable to God.
God bless, have a great day, and be encouraged!
Registration is open for our 32nd community Christmas Jesus Celebration and Outreach. I invite you to recommend persons in need of Christmas help and encouragement to register. Use this link:  https://www.newcovenant.org/communitychristmas

Acts 10:38, How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 
The scripture reread describes how God and powered Jesus to do good and heal people who were oppressed. The root of the word “empower” is “power” which is: ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.
Power has to be gained, learned, imparted, or received from God and others. This is the basis of being empowered. Empowerment is defined as follows: The PROCESS of helping others obtain opportunities, develop skills, increase capacity and gain self-sufficiency.
Where would you be today without God and the people who empowered you?  In the world were so many people were trying to pull something from you, thank God for those who try to put something in you. The nature of empowering is to provide the same ability and authority possessed by the giver. 
When you reflect on it, there were pivotal moments and processes in life that empowered you. These moments came from parents, teachers, preachers, public servants, mentors, employers, and coaches. I have vivid memories of many of those pivotal moments.
Having been in ministry going on 44 years, 40 years of which serving as a pastor, my whole adult life has been given to empowering others. That's only because I have been in empowered by others.
Let me encourage you to get in position to receive what you need, increase your capacity, and then turn around and help somebody else grow, gain ability and capacity.