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And while they were there (in Bethlehem), the time came for her to give birth.   Luke 2:6             I am the proud grandfather of eight grandchildren. They are all precious, and so much of what is good in them is attributable to the love and hard work of their mothers.             This care didn't start when their children were born, but from the moment they discovered they were pregnant. From that day forward, the process of preparing for the birth began. From regular doctor visits to vitamin supplements to purchasing clothing and “nesting,” they prepared for the baby.             In contrast, think of Mary. She became pregnant out of wedlock, and her fiancée nearly cast her aside. She had no financial security or proper medical care. An order from far-off Rome compelled her to travel 70 miles to a strange town in the final days of her pregnancy. Once there, the only shelter the young family could find was in a stable. That’s where she gave birth.             It wasn’t the best timing, and certainly not the best of circumstances. But it happened that way so God’s master plan could be fulfilled. And because Mary was faithful, humble, and longsuffering, everything worked out perfectly.             From where you sit today, the future may look a little scary. Maybe your life isn’t going as planned. Are you worried about your health, your finances, or your family?             If so, I want to give you a word of encouragement today: God knows where you’re going and He knows how to get you there! He is just waiting on the right timing. God has an eternal plan for your life that is complete and perfect. He knows the future and has orchestrated every step along the way.             That’s why you don’t need to fear the future. Every circumstance is part of God’s great eternal plan for your life. Trust Him and be confident that He is preparing and positioning you for His purposes.

How to Make an Impact

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:2–5

Cato the Elder, the noted Roman orator and statesman fought nobly for his country against Carthage in the Second Punic War two hundred years before the birth of Christ. After the defeat of Hannibal and his elephants, the Romans signed a peace treaty with Carthage that gave them large areas of land, but allowed Carthage to remain a potential future threat. Cato feared that the Romans had simply turned a blind eye to the danger posed by Carthage, correctly realizing that one day another war would have to be fought—and if care was not taken it would be fought on terms unfavorable to Rome.
Cato the Elder began ending every speech with the words Carthago delenda est—”Carthage must be destroyed.” The message was clear, but decades passed and Carthage indeed raised a new army before military action was finally taken to finally remove Carthage as a threat.
For the words that we speak to others to have a life-changing impact, we need more than just insight and wisdom. It is not enough just to be right. We need power, and that power can only come from the Holy Spirit.
There are many gifted preachers and teachers and soulwinners, but the impact that they have on others is not caused by their gifts, but by their empowering to use those gifts. It is not our wisdom and talent that produces change, but the work of God through us. Nothing less will be effective.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

If we want to truly make a difference, then we must be yielded to and filled with the Holy Spirit.