Tag: christianity

This Should Pique All Our Curiosity, Picture this Scene, Ask Yourself that Question: “Why Did Young Jesus Stay Behind in the Temple?” Luke 2:46-50

Luke 2:46-50 Amplified Bible

46 Three days later they found Him in the [court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 All who heard Him were amazed by His intelligence and His understanding and His answers. 48 When they saw Him, they were overwhelmed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us like this? Listen, Your [a]father and I have been [greatly distressed and] anxiously looking for You.” 49 And He answered, “Why did you have to look for Me? Did you not know that I had to be [b]in My Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what He had said to them.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Ponder their thoughts, picture the aged faces of the religious Doctors in the Jeru­sa­lem temple courtyard for those three days. They reveal to us a wide eyed mixture of astonishment, bewilderment, curiosity, true mystery and delight.

Some even show the beginning shades of alarm. These men are used to having all the answers, teaching all the answers, and giving all the answers, daily to be impressing others with their knowledge, and finding special ­fellowship with one another as members of the elite teaching class. But now listen to all those questions a 12-year-old boy, pushing them into places where no one else goes.

Eventually these experts start asking Jesus questions. At first their questions are fairly simple, aiming to gauge the depth of the boy’s knowledge. But then the questions get harder, intending to humble the boy and put him in his place.

At some point the answers he gives and the budding authority with which he speaks lead them to voice questions they themselves have wondered about.

A whole day of scholarly discussion flies by, and then another, and another.

Eventually the boy’s mother and father show up. The anxious parents hardly dare enter the circle of experts, but after three days of looking for Jesus, Mary can’t keep still. She demands to know: “Son, why have you treated us like this?”

Jesus’ answer likely surprises the religious Doctors even more, as it stirs up something deep inside Mary’s wondering heart hearing: “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Clearly, this boy is someone worth watching!

Jesus doesn’t tell Anyone: “I am staying behind in the Temple!”

A disquieting situation is it not? Was 12 years old Jesus being willful, simply distracted, or purposeful when He stayed behind in the Temple at a young age?

What was going through His mind at the time? Was there something greater working within His young heart that motivated Him to linger in Jerusalem?

Let’s examine the backstory and some clues we see in Scripture.

1. Jesus Chose to Cultivate His Understanding

Why did Jesus stay behind in the Temple? 

He chose to remain there because He was a good Jewish boy who desired to cultivate His understanding of the Scriptures.

Every year, Jewish believers are covenanted to celebrate the Passover.

Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth was about 80 miles from the Temple.

The narrative in Luke 2:41-52 likely did not describe Jesus’ first Passover trip to Jerusalem; but at the inquisitive age of 12, He was finally old enough to take His own place as a young law-keeping adult male in the thriving religious Temple community. Jesus would become a bar mitzvah, or “son of the commandment.”

At the Temple, Jesus would see the priests sacrificing innocent lambs to cover the sins of God’s people. We don’t know whether Jesus understood that these Temple sacrifices pointed to a future sacrifice as described by Isaiah. But Jesus’ parents and teachers likely taught Him about the promised “seed of a woman” that would crush the head of Satan (Genesis 3:15). 

Whether or not the Synagogue and Sabbath school at Nazareth were fully constructed when Jesus was a child, He likely had ample religious training in His hometown.

Raised as an ordinary Jewish boy, He would learn about the Jewish feast days and the stories, commands, and God’s promises written in the Old Testament. 

Knowing their son’s unique birth and calling, Joseph and Mary probably did all they could to promote His spiritual growth; but Jesus appears to have taken the initiative, without His parent’s awareness, to independently learn on His own. 

2. Jesus is Acutely Aware of, committed to his Father’s Business

Why did Jesus stay behind in the Temple? 

He was committed to tending to the Father’s business wherever it would lead.

When His parents asked why He caused them so much pain in looking for Him, Jesus asked them, “Why did you seek Me? why did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49).

In The Message version, this verse reads,

“Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?”

Wondering; Why didn’t they automatically know He absolutely had to be there?

Didn’t they know all the habits, and ways of their son?

In His response, Jesus did not downplay His parents’ feelings or the time they had spent rigorously, vigorously, searching for Him. He was not disrespectful.

Rather, something profound was at work in His life. He wanted Joseph and Mary to know that He didn’t want to miss a moment of doing His Father’s business.

By this time, Jesus knew about His real Father: He called God “my Father” (verse 49).]

Perhaps Jesus learned about God’s plan for His life from His parents.

Maybe the Holy Spirit directly spoke to Him about His calling.

Jesus may have understood that His Father in heaven was preparing Him for a great and wondrous task, and even as a twelve-year-old, he was stirred enough to get busy, desired to increase His own understanding of His Father God’s will.

The young Messiah would grow in knowledge to follow God’s calling, even if no one understood, and even if it brought Him and those He loved personal pain.

Joseph and Mary were very baffled by Jesus’ response to them, yet there was no mention of their taking him aside and scolding Him.

Mary had pondered long and hard of many things, she knew well her son was born of the Spirit (Luke 1:35) and God had a specific purpose in sending Him.

Perhaps, like most Jews, Mary pondered everything but did not understand the Messiah’s two advents; but she fully rejoiced in God as Savior and for honoring her in God’s blessing her to be the birth mother of the Messiah (Luke 1:46-55).

From Simeon’s announcement (Luke 2:35), Mary also knew God’s purpose for Jesus would eventually, deeply wound her soul. She likely did not completely understand Jesus’ mission, He had come to sacrifice everything, die as the Lamb of God, but she knew He would someday rule over an everlasting kingdom. 

3. Forewarning: Jesus’ intent to Confound the Religious Leaders

Why did Jesus Stay Behind in the Temple? 

He had some questions. But He volunteered some answers to the religious leaders’ and teachers’ questions too. His responses deeply confounded them.

Jesus was probably a good student of the Scriptures in His childhood, listening carefully to His teachers. He learned to read, recite, memorize portions of the Tanakh.

Perhaps Mary and Joseph had created other ingenious ways to encourage His natural curiosity. 

In the Luke 2 account, Jesus sat with the teachers in the Temple and absorbed their teachings.

His questions likely were highly thought-provoking.

And as if that were not enough, Jesus answered their probing questions.

Imagine the elders scratching their collective heads or stroking their beards as He spoke. They were confounded and amazed, Luke says, by Jesus’ wisdom and authority and understanding. That doesn’t mean they approved of His words.

In “The Son of God at 12 Years Old,” John Piper noted that Jesus knew and loved the law from an early age.

Piper also wrote, “Maybe the teachers of the law did not care for the implication of Jesus’ answers; but then a 12 year old is no threat. They can pat him on the head and say, ‘Smart kid,’ and return to their hair splitting and their hypocrisy.”

At this most crucial time in His young Jewish life, Jesus demonstrated that the far reaching scope of His bar mitzvah was indescribably far from ordinary. 

Fully God and fully man, Jesus still continues to confound our finite thinking.

How, for example, can someone who is fully God, who already knows it all, “increase in wisdom” and “in favor with God” as Jesus did (Luke 2:52)?

Young Jesus’ insight into the Scriptures, His relationship with Father God were unique and telling. Sadly, although the elders marveled at His wisdom at age twelve, only two decades later the religious leaders despised and crucified Him.

4. Jesus Displayed Godly Character

Why did Jesus stay behind in the Temple? 

In the will of God, to display not only His wisdom but also His humility and obedience. 

In His childhood, Jesus observed how Joseph and Mary loved and obeyed the law of God, and His parents likely taught Jesus and His earthly siblings how to be godly, faith-filled, humble and obedient to the Commandments of God.. 

When Joseph and Mary believed that Jesus was missing after one day of their journey home, they searched for Him.

We know from verse 44 that they assumed Jesus was safe with relatives or friends in their traveling group, or perhaps with some playmates.

But when Jesus didn’t show up in their search they were rightly upset, worried Jesus was lost or even hurt. They immediately searched, returned to Jerusalem to look. Now, imagine how panicked they rushed to Jesus’ side in the Temple. 

Jesus could have become argumentative, emphasizing that He was now an “adult.” Instead, He respectfully illustrated His submissive spirit and godly character as He obeyed Joseph and Mary in returning home with them.

Perhaps the religious leaders watched this scene, observing that Jesus obeyed the commandment of Exodus 20:12 to honor His parents. The whole experience would be yet another situation for Mary to treasure and ponder.

Jesus seemed mature for His age, but He still had to grow in the knowledge of the Scriptures. He would yet have many opportunities to practice the Word, will, and ways of His Father before He would be fully prepared for ministry.

Unlike young Samuel, who grew up in the Temple, Jesus returned to Nazareth.

In God’s plan, Jesus rubbed shoulders with the common people and observed their struggles with temptation and sin’s curse. The Bible says He was tempted in all ways like all humans, yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

His character was impeccable.

Jesus developed physically after the Temple experience, but He continued to grow in other ways as well (Luke 2:52): mentally (with wisdom), socially (in favor with people), and spiritually (in favor with God).

Jesus’ encounter with the Temple elders was the last time we read about Him until His storyline jumps to His baptism by his cousin John (Matt. 3:13-17). 

From His temple experience, the young Jesus teaches us many things — things Christians are instructed to do in the New Testament.

We are to choose (take the initiative) to learn more about God and His purposes in Scripture; to commit to obey the Father’s will in our calling from Him; to ask questions to grow in the grace and knowledge of God—even though our so many questions may confound or even surprise our spiritual leaders; and to shine with a growing, and maturing godly character inside an ever closely watching world.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Psalm 19 Amplified Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
2 
Day after day pours forth speech,
And night after night reveals knowledge.
3 
There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];
Their voice is not heard.
4 
Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,
Their words to the end of the world.
In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun,
5 
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 
The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 
The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 
The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.
10 
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 
Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults.
13 
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;
Let them not rule and have control over me.
Then I will be blameless (complete),
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Merry Christmas! Celebrate the birth of Jesus, emphasize the hope which it brings to man, the manifestation of God’s most extraordinary act of love. Matthew 1:18-23

Matthew 1:18-25 English Standard Version

The Birth of Jesus Christ

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ[a] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed[b] to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Christmas Greetings, beloved family of Christ.

As we gather together in His name, let us cast our minds back to that humble stable in Bethlehem, where the world first met its Savior.

A night of profound significance, a night when the divine intersected with the ordinary, a night when the heavens echoed with angelic voices singing, “Glory to God in the highest.” This is the night we celebrate at Christmas, the night when all of God’s love was made manifest in the form of a tiny, vulnerable baby.

The great theologian J.I. Packer once wrote, “The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity–hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory–because at the Father’s will Jesus became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross.”

This, dear friends, is the hope we cling so tightly to, the hope we mightily celebrate, the hope we so eagerly share with a world in desperate need of it.

Let us now turn our hearts and minds to the Scripture passage that tells us of this miraculous event from Matthew 1:18-23 Amplified Bible .

Conception and Birth of Jesus

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been  [a]betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by [the power of] the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her [promised] husband, being a just and righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly to shame, planned to send her away and divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been [b]conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will [c]save His people from their sins.” 22 All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the [d]prophet [Isaiah]: 23 “Behold, the [e]virgin shall be with child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel”—which, when translated, means, “God with us.”  24 Then Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and he took Mary [to his home] as his wife, 25 but he kept her a virgin until she had given birth to a Son [her firstborn child]; and he named Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation).

This passage from Matthew’s narrative, dear friends, is the cornerstone of our faith, the foundation upon which we build our lives. It tells us not only of the long promised coming birth of our Savior, but also of the extraordinary love of our God, who would send His only Son to save a world that did not know Him.

Let us pray. Loving Heavenly Father, we thank You as much as our lungs allow for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who came as a baby in a manger to save us from our sins. As we reflect on the significance of His birth, fill our hearts with Your love, and may the joy of this season inspire us to serve You with renewed passion and commitment. We ask this in the name of Jesus, Alleluia! amen.

Now, let us consider this wondrous manifestation of God’s love through Christmas, the motivation behind our celebration, our mission to serve God.

May the Holy Spirit lead, guide and direct our thoughts and our steps and open unto and into our hearts the most profound truths contained in these themes.

Manifestation of God’s Love through Christmas

The birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior, is a profound demonstration of God’s love for us. This love is nothing which can be classed as ordinary, but extraordinary, transcending human comprehension. It’s a love that chose to leave the glory of heaven, sent of God to be born in a cold humble stable, to live among us, and ultimately to die for us. This is the love that Christmas brings into sharp focus.

God’s love is manifested in the very act of Jesus’ incarnation.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

This was no ordinary birth. It was the birth of the King of Kings in the most humble of circumstances possible. This act of highest humility is a powerful demonstration of God’s immeasurable love. It shows us God is not a distant, detached deity, but a loving Father who is intimately involved in all our lives.

The birth of Immanuel, God with us, God within us also reveals God’s boundless love in its sacrificial nature. Jesus was born to save us from our sins. His birth set in motion a series of events that would lead all mankind to the cross. Even as we celebrate His birth with the most expensive of gifts, we dare not forget the shadow of the cross which looms in the background.

This is love in its purest form – love that is willing to sacrifice everything, even life itself, for the sake of God’s beloved children, save each of us from our sins.

Motivation behind Our Celebration – EXHORT His Humility

As we reflect on the birth of Jesus, we are reminded of the motivation behind our celebration, we look to Paul’s own words from his prison letter to Philippi.

Philippians 2:1-2 Amplified Bible

Be Like Christ

2 Therefore if there is any encouragement and comfort in Christ [as there certainly is in abundance], if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship [that we share] in the Spirit, if [there is] any [great depth of] affection and compassion,  2  make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same [a]love [toward one another], knit together in spirit, intent on one purpose [and living a life that reflects your faith and spreads the gospel—the good news regarding salvation through faith in Christ].

Our passage begins with an emphatic linking word, “Therefore”, tying these verses to those preceding them. In brief, Paul calls for Christians to meet the various needs of others rather than obsessing over their own. The energy and source for this encouragement is what we have received in Christ (2:1-2). We, in unity of purpose, to emulate him by putting others ahead of ourselves (2:3-4).

The added dimension of this exhortation is that the original recipients of this epistle were suffering for their faith (1:28-29).

They were locked in conflict not dissimilar from Paul’s own experiences (1:30; also see 1:12-18). This context of greatest hardship makes Paul’s challenge to value others above ourselves and be concerned for their interests even more astonishing. For Christians, whatever the season, are called to always look out for others, even when we feel entitled to in need of care from others.

How can we do that? Because, if we are honest, most of us instinctively look 1st after our own interests – be better than others, gifts having the most advanced technology, just as we easily love ourselves – and this is typically heightened when we are facing challenges or hardships. Paul’s answer is that we should generously share what is ours in Christ, both experientially, from his example.

Firstly, whatever “encouragement…comfort…tenderness [and] compassion” we enjoy in Christ should be shared with others (2:1-2).

I take it this is what Paul means by calling for us to be “like-minded…being one in spirit and of one mind.”

Christ’s perfect love for us means we are incomparably blessed and reassured.

Therefore let us offer the encouragement and comfort we have experienced to others.

The temptation for us, especially when we are struggling, is to retreat into God as our refuge and strength instead of steadfastly urging others to do the same.

Understanding that God provides peace amid turmoil as we seek Him in our prayers (4:6-7) is a glorious reality both to take hold for yourself and proclaim to others. What we have, know in Christ, is a treasure to be shared not hoarded.

Secondly, this passage corrects the thinking that severely limits our service and encouragement of others only to seasons when we are comfortable and settled.

Remember that the Christians Paul originally addressed at Philippi were being heavily persecuted for their faith. Yet he exhorts them to encourage each other.

And in addition to sharing with others the wonderful experience of Christ’s love he additionally challenges them to follow Christ’s example: “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (2:5). Jesus Christ did “nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” but with incredible humility valued others above himself (2:3) and carried His cross, unflaggingly looked to their interests (2:4)—to your interests.

Our Lord exhibited an astounding other-person centeredness that Christians have long exhorted, marveled and preached at, but too often failed to emulate.

If anything, this passage challenges us who rest secure in Christ’s love but do not act to comfort others with it; those of us who rejoice in and sing about his wonderful love for us but do not likewise exhort, nor encourage others with it.

This Christmas Day, this Christmas season, May God help us to have the same mind as Christ—even when we believe that others should be looking after us, even as we feel entitled to first celebrate and feast on our Christian experience.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 150 Amplified Bible

A Psalm of Praise.

150 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty heavens.
2 
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to [the abundance of] His greatness.

3 
Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
4 
Praise Him with tambourine and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.
5 
Praise Him with resounding cymbals;
Praise Him with loud cymbals.
6 
Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Our Ministering Unto Ourselves, our taking the time to Count, Enjoy God’s Blessings this Christmas. Yes, Really! Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 Complete Jewish Bible

24 So there is nothing better for a man to do than eat, drink and and let himself enjoy the good that results from his work. I also realized that this is from God’s hand. 25 For who will eat and who will enjoy except me? 26 For to the man who is good from [God’s] viewpoint he gives wisdom, knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of collecting and accumulating things to leave to him who is good from God’s viewpoint. This too is pointless and feeding on wind.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The palpable tension of knowing when to take action and when to rest is often addressed throughout the pages of Scripture. The Bible is replete with subtle and not so subtle invitations to the “I am too busy” weary to come to Jesus for rest (Matthew 11:28-30) and to take rest (Mark 6:31) abide in Christ (John 15:14).

Conversely, Scripture emphatically charges us to go out into world and make disciples (Matthew 28:19) and to make the most of every opportunity because the days are short (Ephesians 5:15-16). So then, what’s the balanced answer?

Do we go and over do, or stay, linger, rest, in God’s Arms this holiday season?

I know there are folks out there in God’s Kingdom who will steadfastly ignore that question, brush it off, raise high the standard; “As God sacrificed for me, as He sent His Son into the world, I’ll sacrifice for Him, send myself as Jesus did!”

Solomon in Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 offers insight into how we should approach Christmas time.

He wisely writes, “A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This, too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?”

For someone whose holiday plans involve a lot of eating, I am grateful that Solomon encourages us to enjoy our food! And all God’s children said, “Amen!” 

All jokes aside, Solomon, in these verses, reminds us to enjoy life’s blessings:

Food, fellowship, and a job well done. Even in a fallen world where the evidence of sin is over prevalent, we still experience gifts from a most gracious, loving Father. I like to think of these blessings as “glimmers of Heavens rest,” glimpses of the abundant, extravagant life those in Christ will experience for all eternity. 

Solomon does not encourage us to abandon, do away with our responsibilities, forgo our covenant obligations, or even say a hardcore no to things we enjoy doing. Instead, he draws our attention to the fact that God is sovereign over everything. Even our ability to find enjoyment in this life comes from the Lord. 

However, we celebrate this season, (be sure we do actually celebrate) cling to truth God’s grace and mercy enable us to experience eternity in the here, now.

Might I suggest, many family’s has come to practice, a sure balance of Kingdom participation in gathering, assisting, distributing, help feeding the homeless, at the same time, balancing our family time and our resting time ensuring we too have ample time for rest and relaxation, and time for giving the Lord all of the glory and honor and praise because He gave His all, therefor He alone is worthy.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Think about your over detailed holiday plans.

Do you tend to lean more towards filling the calendar with “all the things?”

Or perhaps you are more likely to keep a clear schedule?

26 For to the man who is good from [God’s] viewpoint he gives wisdom, knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of collecting and accumulating things to leave to him who is good from God’s viewpoint. This too is pointless and feeding on wind.

In light of Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, how might the Lord call you to adjust your plans this Christmas season so that you can fully enjoy the celebrations of Jesus’ arrival and share the blessings from the Lord with others?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 121 Complete Jewish Bible

121 (0) A song of ascents:

(1) If I raise my eyes to the hills,
from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from Adonai,
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip —
your guardian is not asleep.
4 No, the guardian of Isra’el
never slumbers or sleeps.

5 Adonai is your guardian; at your right hand
Adonai provides you with shade —
6 the sun can’t strike you during the day
or even the moon at night.

7 Adonai will guard you against all harm;
he will guard your life.
8 Adonai will guard your coming and going
from now on and forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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But what does it matter anymore, if whether or not, the birth of Jesus is ever preached at Christmas Season? Philippians 1:15-19

Philippians 1:15-19 New International Version

15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.[a]

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

MERRY CHRISTMAS … well, almost … Just a few more days till the celebration.

What if you heard that your former pastor is in prison, do you get concerned?

What happened?

Did he do something terrible or was he there to bring or take the Gospel to the prisoners that Christ may be preached even behind the foreboding prison walls?

The Philippians had heard that Paul was in a Roman prison, so Paul reassured them he was there because of his mission to share the good news about Jesus.

Does that mean I need to commit a crime that I may be a prisoner like Paul?

Once behind prison walls serving the length of my sentence to preach Jesus?

Even if it is this close to the celebration of Christmas and since I am not going anywhere any time soon and the guards are not just going to unlock the doors?

No, certainly not … because I certainly value my freedom and you should also.

And to that Paul added an encouragement: there is a higher purpose; the gospel was now being preached much as a result of his being a ­prisoner for Christ!

That was good news, but there was a flipside (isn’t there always a flipside?): some of those preachers had some very wrong, selfish motivations.

For some reason known but to God, they preached against Paul even as they preached the gospel. Maybe envy or personal gain drove them to try to turn the spotlight onto themselves. That wasn’t honest or minimally Christlike at all.

But how did Paul respond to that? “What does it matter?” he wrote. Really?!

Didn’t it bother him that some folks were preaching out of selfish ambition?

Apparently not.

Why?

Paul was head over heels in love with Jesus and the good news of salvation.

So if Christ was being preached and the message rang true, Hallelujah!

That jaw-dropping truth is a challenge for us all.

Do we love Jesus so much that we can let other concerns drop?

Even if we don’t like a certain preacher, are we excited enough about the gospel to rejoice that it is being shared anyway?

That’s a tough one. But by grace alone Paul achieved that mindset.

We can too.

Can’t we?!?

Philippians 1:18-19 Amplified Bible

18 What then [does it matter]? So long as in every way, whether in pretense [for self-promotion] or in all honesty [to spread the truth], Christ is being preached; and in this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will rejoice [later as well], 19 for I know [with confidence] that this will turn out for my deliverance and spiritual well-being, through your prayers and the [superabundant] supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ [which upholds me].

We may not like or approve of certain ways some Christian leaders, groups, organizations, and churches are proclaiming the Christmas story this year, yet we may want to take a step back and look at the whole picture.

Although it’s difficult to observe, as often we can see how some seem to have ulterior motives rather than being motivated by the beauty of God’s message.

Yet, still, they may be reaching out to those who may not have heard it before.

Even if we don’t like their tactics and methods, we want to recognize that God is able to save those who hear His truth despite how it is being presented to them.

It’s hard, too, for those of us who seek to handle God’s word with reverent fear and trembling and who understand the call and utmost importance of handling it correctly to see others seeming to deal carelessly with it.

2 Timothy 2:15 instructs, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Understanding God holds us accountable for the words we speak, write, and present to the world; we know He will also hold those responsible who are not so concerned in how they handle it.

Like Jesus warned in Matthew 12:36, we are to be cautious. “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.”

Praising God in the Midst of People’s Carelessness

Still, despite their careless handling of His word, God is able to save through it, and for this we want to be thankful and praise God—not for the people who are doing so with little regard for how they present His truth, but for how He is able to reach out in remarkable ways through the most haphazardly ways His truth is presented. 

We want to keep in mind the most important thing is that Christ is preached at Christmas, and that involves a broad spectrum of how it is accomplished.

Like the Apostle Paul explained in Romans 10:14, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

In the grand scheme of life, isn’t it better for those to hear Christ than not to hear Christ at all, even if it’s not done in a way or method we would present it?

God Has His Ways

Because God has His exclusive ways of speaking to individuals’ hearts, we don’t know how He might move a person’s heart in the most unexpected time and unlikely places when it seems like nothing good could come from the situation.

I have heard several people saying why they don’t, wont celebrate Christmas.

Still, in their argument, they quoted Scripture and actually told the Christmas story to those who were nearby listening while trying to make a point against it.

Thankfully, instead of attempting to shut the discussion down, God gave him insight and wisdom to recognize in their attempt to discredit the story of God’s Christmas gift, they were actually spreading the truth of it to those in the group who may never have heard it before – I doubt that was their original intentions. 

Although the disgruntled shoppers didn’t realize it that afternoon, they were preaching Christ and possibly unknowingly through it, God was stirring hearts, warming, quickening spirits with the Gospel of His Christmas gift of Salvation. 

Isaiah 55:8 describes how “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord.”

Intersecting Faith & Life:

If troubled by how the Christmas story is being presented and represented in your community of churches and in the world at large, pray for God to reach through all of the carelessness and move individuals’ hearts to receive Him.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray …

Psalm 84 English Standard Version

My Soul Longs for the Courts of the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.[a] A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

84 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.

3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
    ever singing your praise! Selah

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.[b]
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca
    they make it a place of springs;
    the early rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength;
    each one appears before God in Zion.

8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
    give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
9 Behold our shield, O God;
    look on the face of your anointed!

10 For a day in your courts is better
    than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
    from those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Someone asked us; “How does Jesus’ birth confirm our Hope of Heaven?” Colossians 1:3-8

Colossians 1:3-8 Amplified Bible

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray always for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [how you lean on Him with absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness], and of the [unselfish] [a]love which you have for all the saints (God’s people); 5 because of the [confident] hope [of experiencing that] which is reserved and waiting for you in heaven. You previously heard of this hope in the message of truth, the gospel [regarding salvation] 6 which has come to you. Indeed, just as in the whole world the gospel is constantly bearing fruit and spreading [by God’s power], just as it has been doing  among you ever since the day you first heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth [becoming thoroughly and deeply acquainted with it]. 7 You learned it from [our representative] Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf 8 and he also has told us of your love [well-grounded and nurtured] in the [Holy] Spirit.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

It is so cliché to say life is uncertain, yet Jesus offers us a steadfast promise—eternal life. His words are as reliable as the sunrise, as sure as a parent’s love.

On that miraculous night Jesus’ miraculous birth brought to all of us heaven’s promise to earth, “a heavenly light has been revealed, shined in the dark and the darkness could not do anything about it” and through His teachings and sacrificial death, He paid sin’s death penalty with eternal life. His resurrection affirms exactly what He promised. This, my friends, is as certain as the sunrise.

This promise of eternal life begins with the miraculous birth of our Savior, a child called Immanuel, “God with Us,” an event both prophesied and fulfilled.

1. Christmas Reminds Each One of Us to Trust God’s Promises

Every day, we trust the sun to rise; we never doubt its appearance because it has always been faithful. In the same way, we anchor our confidence in eternal life in God’s faithfulness and the consistency of His promises. Just as we rely on the sunrise, sunset, we can trust that God will fulfill His word regarding eternal life.

Hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah foretold,

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given… and His name shall be called Mighty God…” (Isaiah 9:6).

Jesus’ miraculous birth, born of a virgin (Luke 1:27), and the fulfillment of countless prophecies are miracles that only God could accomplish.

With this same divine authority, Jesus declared it was time to get our lives in line with God through repentance, forgiveness of sins and promised eternal life—a promise validated by His resurrection, as steadfast, certain as a rising sun.

Jesus’ humble arrival in a manger was the only One who could ensure salvation and life everlasting as 2 Corinthians 5:21 explains:

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 

The Savior’s life, His wise teachings, His miracle of feeding the thousands, His healings, stilling the storm, giving life to the dead, His inclusion of all classes of people (Mat. 11:28-30) unveiling before the veiled eyes of humanity, the forever expanding-length, depth, height, breadth, widest possible expanses of God’s own coming Kingdom, providing ample instruction in faith, hope, trust, love.

2. Jesus Unveils God’s Kingdom and Secures Our Faith

The sovereign authority of God upholds, and the law guarantees a legally binding contract—whether for a job, a home, or a covenant commitment.

Similarly, God, the ultimate Lawgiver, “seals” His unbreakable word: “When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal” (Ephesians 1:13-14), the guarantee of inheritance in eternal life. God’s word, unlike earthly contracts, is more enduring, engaging, because they’re backed by His unchanging nature.

Jesus revealed the way to eternity, declaring, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). His sinless life exemplified His teachings as a model of righteousness and eternal values.

His words, like a covenant, indestructibly rooted in God’s authority, are impossible to void. Unlike human agreements, God’s word is absolute and faithful: “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind…Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

Through Jesus, we can safely place our faith in a covenant as unbreakable as the most binding contract—yet far more enduring, secured by God Himself. Jesus secured this covenant by accomplishing redemption for our sins on the cross.

3. Jesus’ Victory Over Death Confirms Our Hope in Eternity

When a close friend promises to help in a challenging time, we believe them based on a long history trust built through shared history and proven loyalty.

We don’t have to question whether or when, they will show up because they have repeatedly revealed that they are 100% dependable. In the same way, God demonstrated His faithfulness in sending Jesus, and we can trust His promise of eternal life as surely as we would trust a BFF friend who has never let us down.

Martin Luther echoed this trust, saying, “When I look at myself, I don’t see how I can be saved. When I look at Christ, I don’t see how I can be lost.”

Through His birth, His teachings, and the ultimate sacrifice on the cross, Jesus proved He speaks the truth as a loving friend and Savior, exchanging our sin for His righteousness. Reverend Dr. A. W. Tozer says, “The only sin Jesus ever had was ours. And the only righteousness we can ever has is His.” 

The blood of Jesus “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7-9). His resurrection and ascension provides the final heavenly assurance that Jesus has paid the ransom, met sin’s penalty and was accepted by God the Father as an atonement.

Jesus’ resurrection captured sin’s death penalty, replaced it with eternal life. 

4. Jesus’ Resurrection Proves Our Victory Over Death Is Certain

The resurrection proves that Jesus has power over sin and death, validating His identity as the Son of God and affirming every promise He’s made.

It’s the ultimate assurance that believers, too, will share in victory over death and receive the gift of eternal life. By rising from the dead, Jesus confirmed His role as Savior and Lord, providing us a secure foundation for our trust in God.

Peter declares in Acts 2:24,

“God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.”

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26).

Resurrection is the cornerstone and certainty of our own resurrection. 

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 states, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

Just as basic mathematical truths—2 + 2 always equaling 4—are unchanging, so is the iron clad reliability of God’s word and assurance of victory over death.

Mathematical principles remain constant, and likewise, so do God’s promises.

Author Lee Strobel captures this assurance: “Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good; he came into this world to make dead people live.”

Believing in Jesus, “that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” (John 3:16), we live by faith— the very basis of eternal life.

5. Faith in Christ Secures Our Eternal Life

Most of us experience the unwavering love of a parent or close family member. Likewise, God’s love and our security in Him are even more assured. Just as a parent’s love for a child endures, God’s love is even deeper and unending.

The apostle John, known as Jesus’ “beloved disciple,” writes of this confidence in 1 John 5:13: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

John’s message of assurance is powerful;

he walked with Jesus, ate with Jesus, witnessed His crucifixion, and saw His resurrected body. His words remind believers faith in Jesus is eternal, forever.

Salvation is God’s gift of grace—not earned but received by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Faith isn’t “hoping so” or wishful thinking—it’s a confident trust rooted in Jesus! Faith fully trusts God’s promises, not because we cross our fingers or “hope for the best,” but because He has proven Himself faithful time and again.

This is the faith that gives justification from sin and peace with God (Romans 5:1).

It is certain, like relying on the sunrise or the unchanging nature of God’s Word, rather than the fleeting assurances the world offers.

The great British preacher Charles Spurgeon helps us understand:

“Saving faith is an immediate relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, resting upon Him alone, for justification, sanctification, eternal life by virtue of God’s grace.” 

Fully assured of what God promises through faith in Jesus, we can live into, we can live out from that faith, shining out into darkness, the truth of eternal life. 

By our spiritual discipline, prioritizing time in God’s presence through prayer and studying His Word deepens holiness and shapes us to be more like Jesus.

As 1 John 2:5 says, ‘If anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them.’ 

With confidence in the unshakable promise of eternal life, Christmas becomes a sacred invitation to share with others the true message of the season—a Gospel message of redemption, hope, and eternal assurance in Christ that the world so desperately needs.

Finally, as blessed, as miraculous, as certain as the sunrise, as the sunset, as unbreakable as a trusted promise, as enduring as a parent’s love, and presence, as unchanging as mathematical laws, God’s declarations stand steadfast, firm.

The birth, life, teachings, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection of Jesus all confirm His promise of eternal life. Yes, you can be certain of heaven! Let’s read this verse again: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13). 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 121 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 121

A Song of degrees.

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord,
which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is thy keeper:
the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: for the night cometh, when no man can work.” John 9:1-7

John 9:1-6 Authorized (King James) Version

9 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

As we are drawing closer to our celebration of Jesus’ birth, it’s so important to remember why Jesus came. Several times in the book of John, Jesus talks about doing the will of God, who sent him. In today’s passage Jesus tells his disciples, “We must do the works of him who sent me.” Though he doesn’t say here what those works are, Jesus shows through his actions who he is and why he came.

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Jesus gives sight to a man who was born blind.

When we read further in John 9, we find that this healing caused quite a stir among the crowds, the Pharisees, and even the blind man’s parents. People born blind don’t get their sight back—at least not until Jesus comes along.

As he sets the stage for this healing, Jesus declares, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.” In this episode Jesus is making a bold claim and showing those who are present that He is 1000% God’s chosen servant.

As Isaiah 42:7 proclaimed, God’s servant would “open eyes that are blind” (see also Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19).

God’s will for Jesus was to usher in the renewing kingdom of God.

God’s kingdom brings hope, healing and includes all whom he calls to believe in him—from all backgrounds. This healing and the vivid inclusion of all kinds of people provide the joyful evidence Jesus truly is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

There’s no single day where we are excluded from or excused from being God’s servant even if that day is a family day of great celebration of all the Lord did.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 25 Easy-to-Read Version

[a] A song of David.

25 Lord, I put my life in your hands.[b]
2     I trust in you, my God,
and I will not be disappointed.
    My enemies will not laugh at me.
3 No one who trusts in you will be disappointed.
    But disappointment will come to those who try to deceive others.
    They will get nothing.

4 Lord, help me learn your ways.
    Show me how you want me to live.
5 Guide me and teach me your truths.
    You are my God, my Savior.
    You are the one I have been waiting for.
6 Remember to be kind to me, Lord.
    Show me the tender love that you have always had.
7 Don’t remember the sinful things I did when I was young.
    Because you are good, Lord, remember me with your faithful love.

8 The Lord is good and does what is right.
    He shows sinners the right way to live.
9 He teaches his ways to humble people.
    He leads them with fairness.
10 The Lord is kind and true to those
    who obey what he said in his agreement.

11 Lord, I have done many wrong things.
    But I ask you to forgive them all to show your goodness.

12 When people choose to follow the Lord,
    he shows them the best way to live.
13 They will enjoy good things,
    and their children will get the land God promised.
14 The Lord tells his secrets to his followers.
    He teaches them about his agreement.
15 I always look to the Lord for help.
    Only he can free me from my troubles.[c]

16 I am hurt and lonely.
    Turn to me, and show me mercy.
17 Free me from my troubles.
    Help me solve my problems.
18 Look at my trials and troubles.
    Forgive me for all the sins I have done.
19 Look at all the enemies I have.
    They hate me and want to hurt me.
20 Protect me! Save me from them!
    I come to you for protection, so don’t let me be disappointed.
21 You are good and do what is right.
    I trust you to protect me.
22 God, save the people of Israel
    from all their enemies.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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In Excelsis Deo! Let all Heaven and Nature Sing their Mighty Chorus at their revelation of God’s Character. Romans 1:19-20

Romans 1:18-23 The Message

Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral

18-23 But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Our Creator’s qualities are always and forever on full display in creation.

Without fail, each and every time we go outside to explore nature, we can learn something new, exciting, awe-inspiring, wonderfully different about God.

Romans 1:19-20 explains that those who want to know more about God can discover his qualities in the natural world:

“For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Whenever we are immersed in the wonder of nature, we are reminded that we have a wise and loving Creator who sustains all of creation – including us – in powerful ways which will forever and ever, echelons beyond our own creativity.

Here’s how five aspects of nature commonly found around the world – the sun, water, rocks, trees, and flowers – serve to reveal the wonder of God’s character,

1. The Sun Reveals God’s Life, Hope, and Wisdom

God is the ultimate light, and the sun shines a spotlight on that reality.

The sun symbolizes life coming from a loving Creator who cares for creation.

It shows us the full length, breath, depth, and height of God’s fiery love, which motivates him to give us life and sustain our lives.

The Bible calls God the “sun of righteousness” in Malachi 4:2, “true light” in John 1:9, “light of the world” in John 8:12, “consuming fire” in Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29, “refiner’s fire” in Malachi 3:2, and “bright morning star” in Revelation 22:16.

Just as all forms of life on Earth need sunlight to grow physically, we need the light of unbreakable loving relationships connected to God to grow spiritually.

The sun sheds light on how God shines hope into the darkness of this fallen world.

The Bible uses light imagery in Ephesians 1:18-19 when describing the hope God offers: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.”

Physically, light always overpowers darkness. The photons in light can dispel darkness, but darkness cannot dispel light. You can see this by entering a dark room and turning on a flashlight there. The light will be visible in the darkness, even if there’s just a small amount of light in a greater amount of darkness.

This same principle applies spiritually, as the light of hope is always stronger than the darkness of discouragement and despair.

No matter how dark our circumstances are, God can change them for the better by shining his light of hope into our lives.

Also, the sun reveals how God enlightens us with wisdom to know the truth and make the best choices.

The Bible connects light with wisdom in 2 Corinthians 4:6, proclaiming that God “made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

Jesus says he is the source of enlightenment: “‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).

2. Water Reveals God’s Salvation Work, Clarity, Purity, and Mercy

Water splashes God’s salvation work into our focus.

In John 4:10, Jesus uses the term “living water” to declare his role as the world’s Savior.

A few verses later, Jesus uses the imagery of water to describe his gift of salvation: “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14).

Water, which is essential for our bodies to thrive, points us toward saving relationships with God so our souls can thrive.

Water is constantly moving around our planet through natural cycles such as precipitation; evaporation; freezing, melting; currents in oceans, rivers, and lakes; the flow of groundwater, etc.

God is moving in our lives in every single moment, often unseen but always at work. Water contains wondrous power that people tap into for hydropower energy, which reminds us of God’s even greater power to transform our lives.

Water, which has reflective qualities, also shows how the Holy Spirit counsels us with wise guidance.

God does so when we reflect on our lives and ask for his help to live well.

Water symbolizes clarity and purity.

It inspires us to look clearly at our lives and purify them by working with God for positive change to happen. 

Finally, water symbolizes God’s great mercy toward us. (Psalm 23:2)

Just as water cleanses our bodies from dirt, God cleanses our souls from sin.

The ancient practice of baptism in water shows this.

As people immerse themselves underwater, they accept God’s forgiveness and let their sins wash away.

As they rise from the water, they celebrate God’s salvation gift through Christ, made possible by his resurrection.

3. Rocks Reveal God’s Trustworthiness, Handiwork, and Eternal Yet Dynamic Nature

Rocks, which are reliably strong, point to the fact God is trustworthy.

The Bible calls God “rock” in First Corinthians10:4, “living stone” in 1 Peter 2:4, and “cornerstone” in Isaiah 28:16.

Any type of rock can inspire awe in us, which deepens our trust in God.

As Deuteronomy 32:4 declares: “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”

The wonder of God’s handiwork is on display in every rock – from small pebbles at a creek to huge boulders on a mountain.

Beautiful gemstone rocks called crystals display God’s craftmanship in special ways.

Chapter 28 of the Book of Exodus describes how God instructed Moses to have the Hebrew people make a breastplate with 12 different gemstones.

Each gem stone represented one of the 12 tribes of Israel and included crystals with a deep beauty people continue to admire today: amethyst, ruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz, turquoise, and more.

Rocks also reflect God’s eternal yet dynamic nature.

The 3 different types of rocks on Earth all have long-lasting durability yet are formed through dynamic processes.

Metamorphic rocks come from intense heat and pressure, igneous rocks result from volcanic explosions, sedimentary rocks form when layers of sediments compact together and harden.

Rocks literally and figuratively set the ancient history of our planet in stone. 

4. Trees Reveal God’s Wisdom, Protection, and Connected Presence

Trees grow our perspective so we can understand more of God’s wisdom and protection for us. 

Jeremiah 33:15 uses tree imagery in a prophecy about Jesus coming to Earth in the future.

“In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.”

Trees, which stand tall as silent guardians of all around them, can help us put deep roots into the solid unshakeable ground of God’s loving care for us.

Experiencing the wonder of trees can teach us invaluable lessons when we take the time to learn them. Trees, which tower over us, easily exceed our lifespans, enlarge our perspective. They show we are each part of something much bigger, echelons more ancient than ourselves, can look beyond circumstances to God.

Since trees stand in the same places for years, they also reflect God’s constant presence in our lives. God’s love constantly flows through the living branches of relationships between us and other people. Trees remind us our personal stories are firmly connected, rooted to a greater story of what God is doing on Earth. 

5. Flowers Reveal God’s Order, Fun, and Beauty

Flowers make our minds blossom with an awareness of God’s beauty.

They display the mix of God’s orderly intelligence with fun, playful ideas.

The wonder of flowers reminds us that God is the ultimate master gardener.

God formed the first human being out of soil (Genesis 2:7) – the same environment that nourishes flowers – and loves to see us grow and bloom.

Jesus empowers that to happen when we’re in relationship with him.

He compares himself to a flowering plant (a vine) when he says,

“I am the true vine and my father is the gardener” (John 15:1) and “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Jesus was resurrected from a garden tomb, redeeming humanity’s fall that had happened in the Garden of Eden.

All flowers have short lives.

They bloom briefly, only to decay soon afterward.

Yet God sees value in the wonder of all creation – even a lowly flower.

The Bible compares people to flowers numerous times and describes God’s care for both:

“Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you – you of little faith!” (Luke 12:27-28).

Flowers are living reminders of the beauty of our Creator’s love for creation, and the wonderful joy we can each experience when we’re connected to him.

The wild beauty of nature resonates deep in our souls, reminding us that a powerful Creator cares for us.

Whether we’re hiking through a forest, swimming in a lake, or sniffing a rose, God will meet us there. Simply going outdoors in any natural setting can reveal something echelons beyond wonderful to us about God’s perfect character!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 19

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech,
and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language,
where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven,
and his circuit unto the ends of it:
and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul:
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart:
the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever:
the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned:
and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors?
cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright,
and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart,
be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord,
my strength, and my redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Just what does it mean anymore for anyone to offer unto God one single ‘continuous’ “Sacrifice of Praise”? Hebrews 13:15

Hebrews 13:10-15 The Message

10-12 The altar from which God gives us the gift of himself is not for exploitation by insiders who grab and loot. In the old system, the animals are killed and the bodies disposed of outside the camp. The blood is then brought inside to the altar as a sacrifice for sin. It’s the same with Jesus. He was crucified outside the city gates—that is where he poured out the sacrificial blood that was brought to God’s altar to cleanse his people.

13-15 So let’s go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This “insider world” is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. Let’s take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus’ name.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

True or False …

We have so much to praise God for every day, there’s great power in giving full honor to Him. The Bible is filled with examples of praise and worship when we see His power released, life-changing miracles, dramatic stories of the enemy being halted or defeated, stone hearts being changed and drawn closer to Him?

Yet the supposed reality which we rationalize forward and backwards, is that way too often, we over emphasize or hyper dramatize the 1 daily struggle or 1 constant life demand serving to “crowd out” our praise and worship to God.

We might check the “go to worship” box at church and somehow think we’re good for the week. And yet, all the while, with souls distant and ice cold, we sing our praises, we listen to music and words, and then we go home. Unchanged.

Sometimes it really is a sacrifice to offer praise.

We may not feel like it.

We’re struggling.

We’re weary.

We are not feeling well. Or maybe, we feel like God has let us down too often.

He may seem distant to us, like He doesn’t really care about what we’re now struggling through or worrying about.

Painful life blows and losses may have recently sent us spiraling. We’re still trying to get our feet on the ground and put broken pieces back together again.

Here’s what can make a lasting difference.

When we make that decision to fix our eyes on Him, and daily give Him just one praise, no matter what’s staring us straight in the face, we may suddenly realize that God has already begun to release the grip those struggles can have over us.

We have a myriad of choices and decisions we have to make every day in this life. We can choose to live absorbed in worry and stress, on the fast track of busy, focused only on what surrounds us, and tuned into the roar of the world.

Or we can ask God to help us take our eyes off all that may be swirling around, our problems and mess, tearing up our insides and the voices of others. We can look up to Him, the One who holds it all together, who holds us in His hands.

Even from within our worst laments (Psalm 13, 137) God always desires our whole heart, without one single regard to the very worst of its inner condition.

He always waits for us to return if we’ve drifted away. He longs for us to know the power of His presence in and through our lives. He desires to bless us more than we could ever imagine. His Holy Spirit urges us onward, calling us closer.

Hebrews 4:12-13 The Message

12-13 God means exactly what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.

As bad as your heart may now feel in this moment, our first and best effort at our recovery, at our restoration, Continuous streams of prayer and continuous completely ransom outbursts of praise. May He help us to look up again today, remember His goodness, power in our lives, to offer Him worship and praise.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 The Message

16 1-2 Keep me safe, O God,
    I’ve run for dear life to you.
I say to God, “Be my Lord!”
    Without you, nothing makes sense.

3 And these God-chosen lives all around—
    what splendid friends they make!

4 Don’t just go shopping for a god.
    Gods are not for sale.
I swear I’ll never treat god-names
    like brand-names.

5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only.
    And now I find I’m your choice!
You set me up with a house and yard.
    And then you made me your heir!

7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
    is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
    I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

9-10 I’m happy from the inside out,
    and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
    that’s not my destination!

11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
    all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
    I’m on the right way.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Blessed to Be a Blessing! When we are asked; What Does a Blessed Life Truly Look Like, how aught we to respond? Genesis 12:1-3

Genesis 12:1-3 English Standard Version

The Call of Abram

12 Now the Lord said[a] to Abram, “Go from your country[b] and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”[c]

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When God called Abram to suddenly leave his country for a promised land filled with Milk and Honey, He made one of the most beautiful promises ever.

God promised to make Abram into a great nation and to bless him to become a blessing to all peoples on earth. That nation was the people of Israel, and the promise was fulfilled through the coming of Jesus Christ. Through his coming all peoples on earth are invited to enjoy the salvation of the one true God.

It was a one-time promise to Abram. But God’s covenant of grace made with Abraham has continued through every generation since then.

God’s promise to bless people to be a blessing is also for his New Testament people, the church of Jesus Christ.

God has blessed us with hosts of creatively gifted people and almost unlimited resources. In many lands God has blessed us with the freedom to worship, and today we can use many forms of sophisticated technology to spread the gospel.

Blessed to be a blessing!

God blessed us that we should be the same magnitude of blessing unto others.

That explains why we are privileged to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

That explains why we-through our churches, our congregations. our ministries and other Christian ministries–can work with others to plant churches, extend the hand of God through clothing and food giveaways, hold community events for all age groups, support our communities with resources that educate and inform them, spread the gospel in our neighborhoods, out into many countries, publish Christian literature, and minister in mercy and mission in some of the most remote vulnerable areas on the planet. There are no shortage of blessings.

If We Are Ever Asked; What Does a Blessed Life Truly Look Like?

Perhaps you’ve asked an acquaintance, or been asked by an acquaintance, or by a complete stranger, how we/they’re doing, gotten the reply, “I’m blessed.”

In some ways, it’s tempting to think the term “blessed” is synonymous with any of the other social niceties we hear: I’m doing well, all is great, just fine.

But “I’m blessed” is actually an head turning, far better, richer, and deeper response than any of these others, filled with complex and nuanced meaning about someone’s genuine state of being and right relationship with the Lord.

Blessedness is a state of being that stands beyond every-day, surface-level circumstances. Indeed, a person who is living a blessed life is filled with a sense of true joy, hope, peace, and contentment even in extremely difficult situations.

The word “blessed” used in the New Testament comes from the Greek word  makarios, which means bestowed with God’s favor, happy, or fortunate — not fortunate because of fortune or luck, but because of God’s providence and favor.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, considered herself to be blessed by the honor of carrying the Christ child (Luke 1:48). In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called “blessed” those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, who are meek and merciful, who are peacemakers, hunger and thirst for righteousness and so on.

While on earth these things might not always seem like obvious blessings to everyone for those countless future generations, God has a different standard.

Let’s a take a look at what a blessed life truly looks like.

A State of Hope

A blessed life is a life spent in righteous relationship with God. One who is blessed understands life is far more that the days we spend on this earth.

They know we’re what the apostle Paul termed “citizens of heaven,” with one foot in this world and one in the next (Philippians 3:20). We long for God’s goodness, long to do our best to stay in alignment with God and on his path.

While we might inevitably stray, we correct our course as best as possible and then return to him. We value what God values: love, peace, justice, and mercy.

Because of this, and because we devote ourselves to God’s way, we are assured of our salvation. We know that whatever might befall us in this life — sickness, suffering, persecution, poverty, etc. — our eternal reward awaits us in heaven.  

As the psalmist writes in Psalm 1:1-3,

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.”

Blessedness does not mean everything is perfect in their life.

It simply means they know how their story will end, and who they belong to — the Lord. Because of this, they can live their days filled with blessed hope no matter what measure of adversity comes knocking on their door. (Job 1:20-21)

20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

A True Relationship

A blessed life is also one that transcends feeling. Blessedness, like hope and joy, doesn’t necessarily mean happiness, though one who is blessed may feel happy.

In fact, like Job, often people who are blessed are experiencing deep affliction and difficulty. Still, they take this in stride, understanding that their joy and hope and faith are steadfastly rooted in the Lord, not today’s circumstances.

They hold fast to what Jesus taught in John 16:33:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

They know genuine contentment doesn’t come from things of the flesh, from material items or worldly success, but a personal relationship with the Lord.

An Internal State of Well-Being

Sometimes, blessedness feels a little like “opposite day,” a game I played when I was a kid. On opposite day, I’d say, “Bad evening,” when I meant to say “good morning,” or “No” when I meant “yes.”

Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount by flipping upside down what many people of his day thought about a life favored by God.

Back then, people thought if you had a lot of money or kids, perhaps a lot of land or cattle to pass on as a legacy, then you were somehow favored by God.

Perhaps many of us think the same thing today, that worldly prosperity is somehow interictally tied up with God’s favor and His high regard for us.

But Jesus taught us that blessedness is actually an internal, not an external, state of well-being, and sometimes those who are most “blessed” are those who seem to have very little.

As he said,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10).

Later, in Matthew 19:23-25, Jesus said it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God — worldly prosperity isn’t the blessing we think it is, are led, taught to believe.

In fact, it’s too often a hindrance.

True blessedness is living life in line with Jesus, following him and making him Lord of our whole lives. (Psalm 23)

23 (0) A psalm of David:

(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.

5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.

6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.

A Filling of the Spirit

Perfect unity with Jesus is the goal of a truly blessed life. While Christians are those who follow Jesus and strive to live as he commanded, the true mark of a Christian life is someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit. Everyone who believes has a part of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit, alive inside their hearts.

As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:16, we are God’s temple, and God’s Spirit dwells within us.

He elaborated on this in Ephesians 1:13-14, noting,

“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his glory.”

We who believe are blessed because we have a portion of the Lord within us, steering and guiding us through all of life’s rocky situations.

The Holy Spirit is our friend and our advocate, a gift from God, (John 14:26).

Whatever we do, and wherever this earthly life takes us, we can implicitly trust we’re 100% blessed because this immense, extravagant gift is with us always.  

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve appeared to live in a state of perfected blessedness, one with the Lord and able to talk and walk with him freely.

Their sin drove a wall between them and God, and God exiled them from his perfect garden. While he loved his creation, they no longer lived in a state of perfect favor and blessedness because they had broke sacred trust with him.

Today because of Jesus, we have the opportunity to have that blessed state restored. We, who were sinners, are now forgiven because of Christ.

And because we believe in Christ as our Savior, we’re made right with the Lord once more.

That is the epitome of blessedness.

So this coming Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, New Year’s eve, or New Years Day, the next time someone asks you how you are, take a look at your heart. Are you a believer, filled with the Holy Spirit and doing your best to walk in the way, truth of the Lord? If so, then you can rest assured that you are indeed blessed.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 Complete Jewish Bible

16 (0) Mikhtam. By David:

(1) Protect me, God,
for you are my refuge.
2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good outside of you.”
3 The holy people in the land are the ones
who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.

4 Those who run after another god
multiply their sorrows;
To such gods I will not offer
drink offerings of blood
or take their names on my lips.

5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup:
you safeguard my share.
6 Pleasant places were measured out for me;
I am content with my heritage.

7 I bless Adonai, my counselor;
at night my inmost being instructs me.
8 I always set Adonai before me;
with him at my right hand, I can never be moved;
9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices,
and my body too rests in safety;
10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol,
you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss.
11 You make me know the path of life;
in your presence is unbounded joy,
in your right hand eternal delight.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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What if I do Surrender All of Myself? Starting and Continuing the Struggle, Allow God Fullest Access to my heart and Soul, Receiving His Restoration? John 21:15-21

John 21:15-19 Christian Standard Bible

Jesus’s Threefold Restoration of Peter

15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John,[a] do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Feed my lambs,” he told him. 16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Shepherd my sheep,” he told him.

17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Stuck in the Concrete of Guilt, Restored to Discipleship

On the fateful night Jesus was arrested, Peter had surrendered his discipleship.

Under sudden and overwhelming (perceived) threat, in the High Priest’s courtyard he had hardcore denied three times that he was a follower of Jesus.

Then came the piercing eye to eye contact with His Messiah. When he realized the gravity of what he had just publicly done, Peter went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:69-75). He was severely overwhelmed by his shame and guilt.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Lord asked Peter a question. But the question wasn’t “Why did you abandon me when I needed you?” or “Why didn’t you have the guts to stick up for me?” It was simply “Peter, Do you love me?”

Jesus had died on the cross for Peter’s sins.

What he wanted to know, three times now, was whether Peter, looking up from the bottomless pit of his shame and guilt, still loved him. Jesus is saying to him; that Peter’s sins were in the past; Peter’s restored love would shape his future.

When Peter said, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you,” Jesus, the conqueror of sin and death, the Lord of life, Restorer of spirits, graciously invited him to once again “gird up his loins” take up his discipleship and follow him into His future.

Psalm 103:11-13 Christian Standard Bible

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his faithful love
toward those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed
our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

If we were the one’s on the receiving end of this priceless exchange, Jesus doing the same with us, I pray that we recognize that Jesus is astonishingly gracious.

He doesn’t try to bury us, bringing up our past sins, betrayals, or infidelities. He simply wants for us to know “if we love him.” For that makes all the difference.

Anyone ever tried to measure exactly how far distant is the east from the west?

Anyone ever tried measuring exactly how far apart is the north from the south?

Anyone ever measure the exact length, width, height, depths of God’s Creation?

Do I Give Myself Away … So God may, in THEIR fullness, use me?

Isaiah 61:6-7 Christian Standard Bible

6 But you will be called the Lord’s priests;
they will speak of you as ministers of our God;
you will eat the wealth of the nations,
and you will boast in their riches.
7 In place of your shame, you will have a double portion;
in place of disgrace, they will rejoice over their share.
So they will possess double in their land,
and eternal joy will be theirs.

Against the backdrop of John 21:15-19, how close do we resemble Peter?

How closely do we identify with the depths, the whole of Peter’s experience?

Are we even .01% ready to sit with Jesus, remaining with him, eating with him, not returning to our catastrophically poor impulse control – but humbling self?

Are we ready to surrender to God 1% the darkest depths of our shame, our guilt?

Are we ready to be confronted by the reality of the disaster we’ve made of self?

Are we prepared to receive the magnitude of change Jesus is offering to Peter?

Do we 1% seek His Restoration with 110% of our hearts, minds, soul, strength?

Are we authentically seeking Jesus?

Do we authentically love him?

Do we 110% realize that He still invites us to go out and serve him today?

Forgiving, Gracious, compassionate, merciful, 100% ready to cast with the very heaviest millstone, our guilt and shame into the deepest depths of the great sea of forgetfulness? Never be seen nor heard from or be remembered ever again?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 42 Complete Jewish Bible

Book II: Psalms 42–72

42 (0) For the leader. A maskil of the descendants of Korach:

2 (1) Just as a deer longs for running streams,
God, I long for you.
3 (2) I am thirsty for God, for the living God!
When can I come and appear before God?

4 (3) My tears are my food, day and night,
while all day people ask me, “Where is your God?”
5 (4) I recall, as my feelings well up within me,
how I’d go with the crowd to the house of God,
with sounds of joy and praise from the throngs
observing the festival.

6 (5) My soul, why are you so downcast?
Why are you groaning inside me?
Hope in God, since I will praise him again
for the salvation that comes from his presence.
7 (6) My God, when I feel so downcast,
I remind myself of you
from the land of Yarden, from the peaks of Hermon,
from the hill Mizar.
8 (7) Deep is calling to deep
at the thunder of your waterfalls;
all your surging rapids and waves
are sweeping over me.
9 (8) By day Adonai commands his grace,
and at night his song is with me
as a prayer to the God of my life.
10 (9) I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
under pressure by the enemy?
11 (10) My adversaries’ taunts make me feel
as if my bones were crushed,
as they ask me all day long,
‘Where is your God?’ ”

12 (11) My soul, why are you so downcast?
Why are you groaning inside me?
Hope in God, since I will praise him again
for being my Savior and God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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