This is the time of year for Christmas lists…from the youngest family member to the oldest.

As our family members grow in age. . .so do the price of their toys.

Dale Evans, wife of Roger Rogers, my childhood heroes once said:

“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.”

Roy L. Smith, a renowned Methodist writer of Sunday School literature, once said:

During two days last week on the Rich Thoughts For Breakfast phone calls we discussed seven scriptural insights to a better life.

These insights are all contained in Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 in the Message Bible which says:

“After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to brood over how long we might live.”

As I’ve read and re-read that verse in preparing the teachings. . .I was stirred by Ecclesiastes 5:19 which says:

I'm going to share with you two verses which describe an event that changed the course of human history.

Luke 3:21-22 says:

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

²² And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”

Why were you born?

I can tell you it wasn’t just because your Mom and Dad wanted to have a child.

You were born for a purpose. . .God knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb.

Yet, too few believers understand their purpose or why they were born.

Ephesians 5:14:

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Walt Disney never took failure as final. . .or no as the last word.

Here are seven of my favorite Disney quotes.  I urge you to print out this listing and write how you can apply them to your life. . .so your dreams can come true.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

“Whether you say you can't or you can, you're right.”

As you looked at the title of this teaching...you might assume that I'm going to teach on the 2nd coming of Jesus.  Not true.

Many of you know I don’t spend a lot of time reading, wondering or worrying about the end-times.

I’m more concerned about growing up in Jesus than going up to meet Him.  If I live the kind of life I should. . .then I will never have to worry about going up.

In my lifetime there have been nine anti-Christs identified by well-meaning believers who are or no doubt will be in heaven.

Are you facing any giants today?

How do your giant(s) compare with Goliath?

1 Samuel 17:4 says:

“And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.”

Based on the King James Version of the Bible six cubits and a span would make Goliath over nine feet tall.

When you consider the average height of a man in Biblical times was five feet three inches. . Goliath was truly a giant.

1 Samuel 17:5 says:

Every serious student of the Word knows the enemy wants to control and direct our thought lives.

However, there is someone else undergirding you…giving you what you need to keep you from being led astray.

Jeremiah 29:11 says:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Now I realize many know this scripture but I want you to pay particular attention to what I’m about to say. . .as this is a life-changing revelation.

If you know. . .you probably need to be reminded of it.  If you don’t know it then GET READY. . .your life is about to change.

You may feel like your home is surrounded by bill collectors, repo agents and other folks who brought along all the “D” words. . .despair, depression, doubt, disappointment, despondency, distress, discouragement and yes, debt BUT. . .

Yes, BUT, none, NADA, not a single one of these “D” words can come near you or enter into your mental thought processes unless you extend them an invitation.

My prayer for you during the next 84 days of 2014 is for God to open your eyes so that you can see with the eyes of the spirit the unlimited possibilities God has placed before you.

Your confidence should be in the Lord. . .that nothing or nobody can rob you of your divine destiny or keep you from manifesting the promises of God in your life.

We’ve got an encouraging word for you today . . . no matter what you’re facing or going through at the moment.

You may feel like you’re not able to give, go, sow or do what you’d like to do for the Kingdom of God but there is one thing that you not only can do but you are scripturally mandated to do.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing.”

I find it interesting this verse doesn’t say. . .

“Encourage one another if you like them. . .if they go to the same church. . .play on the same softball team. . .work in the same department. . .ride in the carpool you do. . .dress like you do. . .smell like you do. . .talk like you do.”

Guess you’re getting the point. . .we’re to encourage others and that means all others.