Tag: faith

Advent Reflection: As We Watch and We Wait as We Anticipate and Expect, What Exactly Are We Doing Anyway? James 3:13-18

James 3:13-18 The Message

Live Well, Live Wisely

13-16 Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish plotting. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

17-18 Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

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.

According to 1 Kings 3 in the Bible, In a dream, a young new King Solomon was told by God that he could ask for anything he wanted, and he would receive it.

He is given what amounts to a “blank check” signed, guaranteed 100%, by God.

Instead of asking for a long life, riches, popularity, or power, Solomon asked for wisdom – he understood that the “wisdom that comes from heaven” is the one thing we need more than anything else if we are to be what God wants us to be.

According to our reading from the third chapter of James for today, wisdom is not some intellectual pursuit or intellectual gift that makes us more intelligent.

True wisdom does not come from a high I.Q. or from high scores on high school aptitude tests or college entrance exams.

True wisdom is a gift from God, given to help us live life as God expects us to.

It is the kind of wisdom that literally effects every area of our everyday lives.

Says James,

“The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

As we eagerly or not so eagerly watch and we wait, as we anticipate and expect the world around us to either fly apart at the seams or for our Savior’s second Advent, which ever one comes first, this is the #1 wisdom each one of us needs.

Putting our faith into practice, hearing God’s Word, speaking and teaching God’s Word and doing it, begins with asking God for his wisdom (James 1:5).

James 1:5-8 The Message

5-8 If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, and ask believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Without praying for our “blank check” we can’t be what God wants us to be.

Wait for God.

Anticipate God

Expect God.

Listen for God.

Hear God.

Be mindful of God.

Pray for the presence of the Holy Spirit to help you experience as King Solomon had those thousands of years ago -“the wisdom that comes to us from heaven.”

Why? Because It Is God’s Wisdom Our World Needs!

James 3:13-18 Easy-to-Read Version

True Wisdom

13 Are there any among you who are really wise and understanding? Then you should show your wisdom by living right. You should do what is good with humility. A wise person does not boast. 14 If you are selfish and have bitter jealousy in your hearts, you have no reason to boast. Your boasting is a lie that hides the truth.  15 That kind of “wisdom” does not come from God. That “wisdom” comes from the world. It is not spiritual. It is from the devil. 16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there will be confusion and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. 18 People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living.

Considering our education system, listening to what is being “taught” to the children as the truth, it is incredibly easy to confuse wisdom and intelligence.

If someone allegedly has all the right answers and an encyclopedic knowledge of seemingly every subject known to man, and particularly of Bible verses, we may be prone to assume that they are wise — and they each very well could be.

But equally true is that they may well not be, for raw intellectual ability and the capacity to retain a vast number of facts don’t necessarily equate with wisdom.

In his epistle, the author James correctly links wisdom not with just knowledge alone but also with good conduct and meekness.

The one who is truly wise in God’s sight will act in a way that accords with the humility (Philippians 2:3-4), gentleness (Ephesians 4:2), joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16) that God asks of His people.

God, who needs no counselor (Romans 11:34), doesn’t need us either to impress Him with what we know or with what we want other people to believe we know.

God tells us what draws His appreciative gaze is the man or woman, girl or boy, who is “humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:1-2).

Isaiah 66:1-2 English Standard Version

The Humble and Contrite in Spirit

66 Thus says the Lord:
“Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
    and what is the place of my rest?
2 All these things my hand has made,
    and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
    he who is humble and contrite in spirit
    and trembles at my word.

James has a memorable phrase for this approach to ourselves and to life:

“the meekness of wisdom.”

A genuinely wise person knows exactly how much they will never know.

They know that however much they come to know, it is only ever going to be a tiny portion, miniscule fraction, of the vastness of the knowledge that God has.

Intelligence marked by wisdom will not be polluted by our showy displays of grandiose verbosity or railroad others with “gold medal” intellectual vigor.

Instead, such a measure of wisdom will be marked by a kingly humility which will always aim to build others up with whatever we have—be that physical, or intellectual, spiritual, or emotional strength.

Wisdom echoes the prophet Isaiah, who acknowledged, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary” (Isaiah 50:4).

Isaiah 50:4-9 Easy-to-Read Version

God’s Servant Depends on God

4 The Lord God gave me the ability to teach, so now I teach these sad people. Every morning he wakes me and teaches me like a student. 5 The Lord God helps me learn, and I have not turned against him. I will not stop following him. 6 I will let those people beat me and pull the hair from my beard. I will not hide my face when they say bad things to me and spit at me. 7 The Lord God will help me, so the bad things they say will not hurt me. I will be strong. I know I will not be disappointed.

8 God is with me, and he is the one who shows that I am innocent. So no one can say I am guilty. If anyone wants to try to prove me wrong, they should come here, and we will have a trial. 9 But look, the Lord God helps me, so no one can prove me guilty. As for them, they will all be like worthless old clothes, eaten by moths.

The truly wise maintain a high view of God, a sober view of themselves, and a generous view of other people.

How do I know if I have a high view of God?

If I am constantly aware of just how much I depend on Him for everything.

How will I know if I have a sober view of myself?

If I admit I am aware of my own shortcomings and understand that all I have is only what I have received from God—if by my own public and private lifestyle, if I am in the habit of pointing away from myself instead of towards myself.

How do I know if I have a generous view of other people?

If I am routinely building them up instead of cutting them down.

This is the sort of wisdom from above which pleases God, which the world so desperately needs from you and me—a gentle yet strong expression of wisdom that demonstrates itself in our speech, good conduct and consistent meekness.

As we watch and we wait, just how does this not so eagerly challenge us today?

As we go about our daily affairs waiting for Christmas, waiting for the promise of a new and we pray a better year ahead, how does God’s wisdom challenge us?

As we anticipate and expect How does this, will this, challenge us tomorrow?

How will will either of us eagerly pursue living with this true wisdom today?

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 24 New International Version

Psalm 24

Of David. A psalm.

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
    and established it on the waters.

3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not trust in an idol
    or swear by a false god.[a]

5 They will receive blessing from the Lord
    and vindication from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek your face, God of Jacob.[b][c]

7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
    be lifted up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord strong and mighty,
    the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
    lift them up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
    The Lord Almighty—
    he is the King of glory.

Lord, our God, Author of all life, Giver of every good and perfect gift, grant us our portion of your wisdom to help us understand your Word and to live by it every day. Guide us into peaceful, wise living that shows your love. In Jesus name, Amen.

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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Advent Reflection: A Mighty God And Hardships, Peace of God in the Chaos. John 16:31-33

John 16:31-33The Message

31-33 Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

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.

I Will Lift Up My Eyes Praying for Peace in the Chaos

“If there is really a God you want me to believe in, why then is there always so much chaos, trouble everywhere we look, why doesn’t God just take it away?”

Standing in a super market check out line getting my groceries for the week, I got into a line where the customer ahead of me was trying to engage the clerk.

Her message was a simple one in this Christmas season – Happy Holidays and of course, Merry Christmas – but the cashier responded – not in my streets, not in my neighborhood, not in my city where I always read about someone killed.

The cashier’s experience was obviously very different and was far more tragic.

She then told the customer ahead of me that her neighbors son was just killed by someone- yet to be caught – who walked up to that teenager and shot him.

A Christmas Season now checkered, now colored, by that worst kind of chaos – the loss of a son who was out trying to shop for a Christmas gift for his mom.

Pick up any local newspaper, watch any local news channel, turn on your own computer or iPad or Smartphone and that kind of news is literally everywhere.

Your own life is moving along at its own good pace, in its own good place, in a state of relative peace and quiet and tranquility – then comes the belly buster.

The reality that not all is well, not all is peaceful, not “kosher in their kitchen!”

Things go real somber, sullen and quiet in your own heart in a real big hurry.

Just how fast can peace, joy and the good life life turn on the proverbial dime?

How fast can it turn into something we want to throw away as far as we can?

How does this truth color and checker our own Christmas experience realizing that the person or the people we encounter directly in front of us, the silent and quiet ones, are those whose place of peace, joy and goodwill is now, shattered?

Stop, and think about that today as you go about your day at work or in school.

As you smile, please quietly reflect, fervently pray for those who pass you by.

Reflect on today’s verse from the Gospel of John Chapter 16 verse 33, perhaps making a substantial effort to memorize it and then mightily pray it forward:

John 16:33 Amplified Bible

33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous  [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]

Pray it forward for the people on the highways and the streets you drive on as you go to work, or go to school, or go to the supermarket and get your groceries, for the strangers on the stores and in the streets, as you watch that daily news.

Keeping in mind that Jesus never promised His followers the absence of trouble.

Nowhere in any of His Gospel narratives does He teach to us, preach to us, that as a result of His coming, dying, rising, and ascending, the world is going to be that more peaceful place or that our place in it is going to be more comfortable.

In TRUTH, what He says to us is this: “In the world you will have tribulation.”

Sometimes we desperately want to import to now that which is promised only for then—that is, for the eternal future of peace of which Christ has assured us.

We might want to claim only for ourselves, just for today all those promises—of God, all the blessed assurances of Jesus’ salvation – wealth, healing, or absence of tribulation—that God intends to bring into fruition during the age to come.

Except, there is an important caveat which Jesus’ commanded us not to ignore:

John 10:11-18 Easy-to-Read Version

11 “I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12 The worker who is paid to keep the sheep is different from the shepherd. The paid worker does not own the sheep. So when he sees a wolf coming, he runs away and leaves the sheep alone. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 The man runs away because he is only a paid worker. He does not really care for the sheep.

14-15 “I am the shepherd who cares for the sheep. I know my sheep just as the Father knows me. And my sheep know me just as I know the Father. I give my life for these sheep. 16 I have other sheep too. They are not in this flock here. I must lead them also. They will listen to my voice. In the future there will be one flock and one shepherd.[a] 17 The Father loves me because I give my life. I give my life so that I can get it back again. 18 No one takes my life away from me. I give my own life freely. I have the right to give my life, and I have the right to get it back again. This is what the Father told me.”

There are a few others who are standing in front of us, working right next to us, driving and walking right by us, shopping in the same stores as us, in front of us in the super market check out lines, behind the cash registers serving our needs.

We do not know their stories, we are not privy to their lives at home or at work.

We know they have their stories, and blessed assurance, Jesus knows them all!

Yes, His kingdom has broken into our world with the advent of Christ.

But you, me, we, and all of those people around us, still await its full benefits.

And we “leave someone, their “known but to God” story behind, not prayed for?

And if we make the mistake of thinking that God has promised us today what He has in fact only promised us in eternity, then we will certainly be disappointed, and we will run the risk of turning our backs on Him on the basis that we did not pray for and deliver, He did not deliver what He had never actually promised us.

But though like Jesus taught in that Upper Room to His disciples, we can expect to encounter trouble and tribulation right now simply because we follow Jesus as our King, we’ll pray for others, we still have hope for true peace in this world.

Apostle Paul writes, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1, emphasis added).

This is a peace with God that we can claim now as our own.

This is a peace with God we can, always should be, fervently praying forward.

For us and all of those who are around us, it is ultimate freedom from the fear of judgment and death, from recrimination, and from all the dredging up of all the vileness that Christ has already – once and forever – 100% dealt with at Calvary.

The true gospel is the “good news of peace through Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:36).

We still have trials.

We will groan, suffer under the weight of sin—both our own and that of others.

But in the good news of the gospel we have a true and steady peace, even in turbulent times.

“Let not your hearts be troubled,” says Jesus, “neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

We may not feel like it’s true today, but the #1 unchangeable truth remaining is our Lord and Savior Jesus has already overcome the world and all its troubles.

We await His second Advent, the day is not yet here when He will dry all the tears from your eyes, but you can know that that day will arrive, for there is nothing in all of the world that can prevent Jesus bringing His final victory.

In the meantime, you can know, we can know, you and I can share, we can pray it forward at every kingdom opportunity that Jesus always stands with you and me and everybody else, by His Holy Spirit, no matter what “trouble” meets us.

What tribulation faces you today?

What tribulation do we not face but others directly in from of us, assuredly do?

Be sure that Jesus is with you in it and that Jesus will bring you through it—that Jesus will bring them through it too for He has overcome the world! Take heart!

1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.

2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)

3. Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
(Refrain)

Blessed Assurance Text: Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915

This IS My Story: Blessed Assurance Jesus Is Mine

In that Upper Room, Jesus told the disciples that he, and they, would suffer.

And, even though the disciples would experience mourning and pain after Jesus’ death, the Holy Spirit would be sent, would come to comfort them.

Ultimately, the disciples’ peace would be in Christ; a peace which is eternal.

The unavoidable truth is that we all have trouble in this life, Christian or not.

But we also have a Mighty God who in the beginning spoke, brought order from the chaos, light from the darkness, creation from the great void of nothingness, who is with us-with that sacred and blessed assurance we are to be courageous, encouraged, no matter what we face as our #1 hope is Jesus who has overcome.

We can be at peace, can face anything; as we too have overcome because of Him.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 Easy-to-Read Version

A miktam of David.

16 Protect me, God, because I depend on you.
2 Some of you[a] have said to the Lord,
    “You are my Lord.
    Every good thing I have comes from you.”
3 But you have also said about the gods[b] of this land,
    “They are my powerful gods.
    They are the ones who make me happy.”

4 But those who worship other gods will have many troubles.
    I will not share in the gifts of blood they offer to their idols.
    I will not even say their names.
5 Lord, you give me all that I need.
    You support me.
    You give me my share.
6 My share[c] is wonderful.
    My inheritance[d] is very beautiful.
7 I praise the Lord because he taught me well.
    Even at night he put his instructions deep inside my mind.[e]

8 I always remember that the Lord is with me.[f]
    He is here, close by my side,
    so nothing can defeat me.
9 So my heart and soul will be very happy.
    Even my body will live in safety,
10 because you will not leave me in the place of death.
    You will not let your faithful one rot in the grave.
11 You will teach me the right way to live.
    Just being with you will bring complete happiness.
    Being at your right side will make me happy 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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Advent Reflection: “For Unto Us An Answer is Provided For Our Suffering World.” Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah 9:6-7 New King James Version

6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

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.

Nowadays, well, at least since my open heart surgery this past July, I think a lot about life – not just about my life and how it has just been so drastically altered by the rapid sequence of events leading up to it, but too the increasing suffering I had experienced in my physical body – the angina pains, shortness of breath.

How in the beginning, I hadn’t recognized these symptoms as being something of significance which if left unchecked would have resulted in great sufferings.

My wife had an inkling of the significance of what I was feeling in my chest and tried to drop several hints from her experiences with her own mom and father.

I, of course, was brushing it off – it was all just unrelated stuff and excused it all away because eventually, with a couple hours of rest, that suffering went away.

But gradually, even I had to acknowledge to my self and her that my new found suffering was not going away – in point of fact – it was getting that much worse.

After a couple of visits to my Primary Care Doctor, I was sent to the Emergency Room and several hours later, after numerous EKG’s and blood tests and Image Studies (Echocardiogram and Nuclear Stress Test) a Cardiologist told me that I was in a whole lot of trouble and needed an immediate Cardiac Catheterization.

Now, in addition to my physical suffering, was being added Spiritual suffering and a growing realization and growing anxiety level – something is very wrong.

The Catheterization revealed six blockages – three of which were very critical.

My one Coronary Artery was 99% blocked – 1% from a severe Heart Attack!

I was told by the Cardiologist that I required emergent Triple Bypass Surgery.

Three days of growing spiritual anguish later I had that Triple Bypass Surgery.

Within that mounting and maturing spiritual anguish, not so much physical as my medication regimen had been significantly changed to address all of those, I found found myself becoming more reflective and still more than I’d ever been.

Looking at the digital clock in my room slowly ticking away the seconds until I was rolled away for my five plus hours of surgery – Psalm 23 became far more relevant than it had ever been – its deeper meanings becoming far more deeper.

Especially relevant and more deeply meaningful was verse 4 – “yea, as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

“I will fear no evil,” ergo, neither will I fear my suffering – God is my Shepherd!

His Son Jesus who gave up everything and suffered enormously the very worst of everything humanly possible for me, through this indescribable suffering, for the joy which was before Him, endured the Cross – saved my suffering soul.

Psalm 23 New King James Version

The Lord the Shepherd of His People

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not [a]want.
2 He makes me to lie down in [b]green pastures;
He leads me beside the [c]still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will [d]dwell in the house of the Lord
[e]Forever.

Today, as I reflect back on those days of my suffering and then my waking up with my new surgically repaired heart to write this devotional, I think a whole lot about the suffering, questioning, world which has always been around me.

Always the inevitable questions about “is there an answer to all that suffering?”

What Is the Answer for a Suffering World?

Yes! There absolutely is an answer to all of those deeply theological questions!

Isaiah 9:6-7 New Living Translation

6 For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,[a] Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will make this happen!

One of the questions that I’ve heard many times is, if Jesus is the messiah then why is there still suffering and sin in the world?

Where is the greatest expression of shalom promised by all of the prophets.

I would point them to a couple verses in the Old and New Testaments.

Isaiah 9 verses 6 and 7 are one of them.

In God’s revelation through Isaiah it is discovered that the Messiah’s authority will “grow continually,” “His PEACE will come, His Peace will have NO END!”

It will not happen all at once.

In fact, Jesus refereed to the kingdom authority as leaven in dough.

It starts small and grows to eventually saturate the entire lump of dough.

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” (Matthew 13:33)

In a similar parable Rabbi Jesus likened the kingdom to a mustard seed.

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32)

Reflect then, how appropriate it is that Immanuel, God with us, God within us, came from everything to the earth as the smallest, most humble form, a baby.

This baby would eventually grow and mature and radically change the world as we know it and bring eternal deliverance unto anyone who would follow Him.

Do not despise the small and humble beginnings in your life.

It is through all the small victories, even open heart surgery when compared to Calvary, as we sit and reflect upon the Word of God to cut open the soul and the spirit, follow the Lord that we grow and in turn we spread the kingdom with us.

God sent His Son (John 3:16-18) that God would use the humbled and obedient, the suffering servants, to serve in and through their suffering to do His work.

I and my newly repaired heart can strive mightily to be at max peace with that.

It is just waiting on the will of Him who saved my life twice, who is my Savior, to be revealed through my long period of prayer, study, Cardiac Rehabilitation.

The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will make this happen!

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 New Living Translation

Psalm 16

A psalm[a] of David.

1 Keep me safe, O God,
    for I have come to you for refuge.

2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!
    Every good thing I have comes from you.”
3 The godly people in the land
    are my true heroes!
    I take pleasure in them!
4 Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
    I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
    or even speak the names of their gods.

5 Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
    You guard all that is mine.
6 The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
    What a wonderful inheritance!

7 I will bless the Lord who guides me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.[b]
    My body rests in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead[c]
    or allow your holy one[d] to rot in the grave.
11 You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever.[e]

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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Advent Reflection: “Listen to What I Say; Praying for Peace Everywhere!” But Can We Each Really Pray Without Ceasing? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Easy-to-Read Version

16 Always be full of joy. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ 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.

On my mind exactly right now is the word ‘Peace.’

Heavy on my soul exactly right now is the phrase: “Pray for Peace Everywhere!”

As I am allowing that phrase to weave in and out of my conscience, the words and music to my favorite Advent/Christmas Hymn start playing – calming me.

Do You Hear What I Hear? Song by Bing Crosby

Do you hear what I hear?

Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see?
(Do you see what I see?)
Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see?
(Do you see what I see?)
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
(Do you hear what I hear?)
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
(Do you hear what I hear?)

A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know? (Do you know what I know?)
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you know what I know? (Do you know what I know?)

A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say! (Listen to what I say!)
Pray for peace, people, everywhere
Listen to what I say! (Listen to what I say!)
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Noel Regney / Gloria Shayne

Do You Hear What I Hear? lyrics © Regent Music Corp., Jewel Music Publishing Co. Inc.

“Said the king to the people everywhere …”

“Listen to what I say! Listen to what I say!

“Pray for Peace, people everywhere …!”

Psalm 85:8 Easy-to-Read Version

8 I heard what the Lord God said.
    He said there would be peace for his people and his loyal followers.
    So they must not go back to their foolish way of living.

Psalm 85:8 Names of God Bible

8 I want to hear what El Yahweh says,
    because he promises peace to his people, to his godly ones.
        But they must not go back to their stupidity.

Well, I definitely want to hear what El Yahweh says, because I definitely want to live long enough to bear witness to the works of El Yahweh achieving His Peace.

Because I want to live long enough to bear witness to El Yahweh’s fulfillment of this great promise of His Perfect Peace to His imperfect people, His Godly ones!

Because I am, as so many other of His people are, so utterly tired of stupidity!

And it goes without saying, that El Yahweh, is utterly fed up with our stupidity!

Getting away from our stupidity to that place of perfect peace with El Yahweh is admittedly a onerous task, an impossible for us to accomplish on his own task.

Admittedly, too great a proportion of humanity loves their stupidity more than they love their El Yahweh and they refuse to give up their foolishness for Him!

But with El Yahweh, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love for His most wayward of His stupid children, nothing is impossible-if God’s people will Pray.

2 Chronicles 7:11-18 English Standard Version

If My People Pray

11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished. 12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. 17 And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, 18 then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’

El Yahweh Gives His Command: Pray Without Ceasing

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Amplified Bible

17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer;

This is the spoken Word of God for we who are the Children of God.

Apostle Paul affirms the significance of prayer, and wrote in one of the epistles, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Prayer is a powerful way to connect with God, to develop a relationship with Him, and to cast your cares upon Him.

There are countless examples of prayer throughout Scripture.

It is apparent that prayer is significant to the faith of a believer.

When we read about the life and ministry of Jesus in the Gospel accounts, we find that He prayed often and made this spiritual discipline a priority in His life.

Jesus deliberately took time to get away and spend time with God.

Prayer is incredibly important for every believer’s spiritual growth.

To pray is God’s will for us.

But, as inspiring as that sounds, is it possible to pray without ceasing?

What did Paul mean by such a statement?

Praying without ceasing means to have a heart inclined to prayer, to pray often, and to make the spiritual discipline of prayer a high priority, just as Jesus did.

What Does “Pray without Ceasing” Mean?

The Apostle Paul wrote the epistle we know as 1 Thessalonians to the church of Thessalonica.

He sent it shortly after he had established the congregation there.

In the letter, he affirmed and commended their ongoing love and passion for Jesus.

Paul also warned the church of Thessalonica to be prepared for the second coming of Jesus by keeping their hearts pure and holy for His return.

It is in this context that we find Paul’s assertion to “pray without ceasing.”

Here in the fifth chapter of Thessalonians, Paul urged the church to cling to the Gospel message they had received, to hold onto what was good and righteous.

They were to continue living holy lives and the spiritual discipline of prayer was essential to that instruction.

Paul reminded them of the importance of prayer to keep their faith strong, to stay connected to God’s truth so they would not be deceived by false messages.

The Greek word translated to “without ceasing” is (adialeíptōs), which means constantly or without intermission.

In most Bible translations, this word is interpreted as “without ceasing,” but other versions also translate to continually (NIV) or all the time (The Message).

Whichever version of the Bible you read, the meaning remains the same and consistent with the Greek word.

The various translations of the Bible help emphasize the same message, which is to pray often and pray diligently.

Can We Really Pray without Ever Stopping? 

Throughout the Bible, there are many kinds of prayers demonstrated.

In our own lives, we may also be accustomed to saying a variety of prayers.

The verses and prayers that we read throughout Scripture can become the prayers we use in our time with God.

Realistically, it would be impossible to actually pray without ever stopping.

We have thoughts, we read, we sleep, we eat, we converse with others, we work, and have a whole host of responsibilities to tend to throughout the day that would quite naturally and obviously disrupt our attempts at constantly praying.

There are an over abundance of tasks and roles we need to participate in that would naturally hinder our ability to ever be able pray without ever stopping.

When we take into account the context of what Paul wrote, we recognize that Paul wasn’t instructing believers to give up their responsibilities and only pray.

Rather, the Apostle Paul teaches us in this passage that we each need to commit ourselves to maturing our discipline to prayer, make it top priority in our lives.

By doing so, we will remain holy and pure, living lives consecrated to El Yahweh making our life paths straight – having our hearts ready for when Jesus returns.

Prayer helps us stay accountable to living righteously.

Can We Realistically Apply This Verse to Our Lives?

The verse 1 Thessalonians 5:17 serves as a serious reminder to all believers how significant prayer is to our faith.

Prayer is the way we talk to God, hear from God, and keep our minds on Him.

Prayer is the channel in which we can let go of fears and concerns, and how we lift up our praises and thanks to God.

Prayer is vital to our spiritual formation and growth.

Just as Jesus was often seen taking time away to go pray, we should do the same.

Paul knew prayer was key to guarding our hearts against evil and to keeping ourselves in line with God’s will.

Proverbs 4:23 English Standard Version

23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
    for from it flow the springs of life.

As Christians, it bears continual repeating that it is important to pray to God and to carve out time throughout the day to speak to Him and worship Him.

Paul was right when he wrote to the church of Thessalonica, urging them to pray often because prayer is what helps us find our way through difficult times, tough decisions, or expressing our hopes for a lasting peace and everlasting joy.

Prayer draws us closer to God and helps us practice our faith.

Prayer has been a spiritual practice since the beginning of time and the point Paul made was that the spiritual discipline of prayer is still something each and every Christians needs to spend quality time maturing, integrating in our lives.

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

Let us Pray,

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one’”

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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Advent Reflection: Tis the Season for Us To Cling Tightly to What is Good. Romans 12:9-13

Romans 12:9-13 English Standard Version

Marks of the True Christian

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,[a] serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

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.

Tis the season for Good News!

Tis the season for glad tidings – for inexpressible indescribable heights of joy!

Unless, for you – it is not!

Tis the season also for inexpressible, indescribable depths of greatest sadness.

Such a depth of sadness will soon teach us to cling to what is good for survival.

In the ugly cry moments that always seem to arise in our lives, we can all cling, hold tightly to Christ Jesus, and know He absolutely understands how we feel.

Paul’s words in the verses above are often the very reason we are clinging as we cry, holding tightly to the comfort Christ Jesus provides. 

“Don’t just pretend to love others,” he wrote to the Romans, “really love them.” 

As iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), when we then take Paul’s words to heart, when we really give “tough” love unto others, it’s bound to get painful at times.

Paul wrote earlier in his letter to the Roman church, “we all fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) 

We are all flawed human beings-but we are flawed human beings covenanted by an absolutely Holy God to imitate Him, love each other as God first loved us.

Clinging to His Love, Living in Harmony Is Necessary

Wise believers acknowledge when Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another” (John 13:34-35), this was not simply a suggestion for getting along.

So too, the Bible’s commands us as to how we each treat one another shouldn’t be considered minimally optional – that’s not the nature of God’s commands.

As Christ’s followers, we must cling to the Word of God, cling to the life Jesus revealed to us throughout His Gospels, cling to His miracles, remember exactly how our very relationship with God affects our relationships with each other.

When we pray, “Our Father,” we acknowledge before God, our Father, Creator of heaven and earth, we are part of a family that includes sisters and brothers.

We are called to cling to the example set by Jesus – live in harmony together.

Today’s reading mentions specific ways of doing so, such as honoring one another above ourselves, holding tightly to what is good, praying faithfully, sharing with people in need, showing hospitality, and our not being proud.

When believers cling to harmony, live in harmony, expressing their love for one another by sharing tears of sadness in times of sorrow, expanding their joy by celebrating together, they become appealing witnesses to their hope in Christ.

When a family member or friend or a stranger or a coworker observes, “It’s amazing how you guys love each other,” the cause of Christ moves forward.

John 13:34-35 Easy-to-Read Version

34 “I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. 35 All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.”

Jesus went even further when He was alone with His Father, taught this when he prayed that all believers “may be one” “may be brought to complete unity.”

Then, ”He prayed unto the Father, “the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23).

John 17:22-23 Easy-to-Read Version

22 I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. 23 I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.

Now Comes the Hard Part – Actually Clinging to God!

Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT

Joshua was about to take over for Moses who had just died, and God’s people were the most fickle and finicky to lead.

Long years with Moses had taught Joshua – always rebelling and losing faith.

The Lord faithfully clung to Joshua, encouraging him in his coming conquests.

The Lord is faithful to encourage us today, too. When life gets hard, and we find ourselves clinging …turn to the only One who can mend the cracks in our hearts.

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

Let us Pray,

Father, 

Praise You for the way You faithfully place people around us. When the hurt is so bad, and the fear of connecting with others is paralyzing, please remind us who we are in Christ Jesus. More than conquerors, we are Your children, equip us with hearts full of encouragement. Fill us with the love we need to cling to You, heal and move forward and pour out and spill onto others who are discouraged and in need of a faith-filled friend. Help us to be encouraged by the same words Moses encouraged Joshua with:

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 Easy-to-Read Version

7 Then Moses called Joshua. All the Israelites watched while Moses said to Joshua, “Be strong and brave. You will lead these people into the land that the Lord promised to give to their ancestors. You will help the Israelites take that land and divide it among them. 8 The Lord will lead you. He himself is with you. He will not fail you or leave you. Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid!”

Intersecting Faith and Life:

There is no one person we can guarantee will love us perfectly, but You do, Father. Help us to gain a clear understanding of who we are in Christ, and allow others grace. Help us to see the good in each of us, created in Your image. Father, when we find ourselves clinging too tightly to ourselves, it can cause us to fear. Remind us in those moments, tis always the good season You have placed people in our lives to encourage and love us, even at times when we’re having trouble loving ourselves. 

Father of all forgiveness, mercy grace and compassion, when our hurts are too big to think of or talk about, we know the Holy Spirit takes them to you in prayer, and You meet us right where we are at. We confess our disobedient tendency to quit and run on people, God. It’s hard to cling to You alone, and You don’t shame or blame us for our feelings of fear. But help us to stick it out more, God. To stay with You as You stay with us, to stay with people, and learn the remarkable relationships which grow out from clinging to Your ageless example of forgiveness, mercy, grace, and compassion.

Mature us to be strong and courageous and to cling to the good. Allow us each to see people the way You do, Father, fearfully and wonderfully made. Father, we want to cling to You and we want to live with others in such a way that shows we are in a life-giving relationship with you. Grant us your Spirit to do so. In Jesus’ Name,

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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Advent Reflection: How Sure Are We That We Would Listen to the Message of Our John the Baptist? Matthew 3:1

Matthew 3:1-6 English Standard Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”[a] 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare[b] the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight.’”

4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

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.

If John the Baptist were alive today, a noisy passenger on an airplane, or an unkempt passenger on a commuter train, a homeless person sitting against a building with his sign or someone standing on some street corner or in some other public place with a bullhorn or mic running his mouth, his message to the masses would be the same message he preached in the wilderness so long ago.

“Where do you think you are going , how far can you run you brood of snakes?”

“Do not think for even one hot second you can flee from God’s coming wrath!”

Picking up a rock or stick he says shaking them; “God can raise up far better Christians than you with these!”

“Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Who is actually going to take any time to actually listen to any of those words without thinking: “He is Drunk!” “He is off of his medications!” “Arrest him!”

We certainly won’t ever go near him to be baptized in any river called Jordan!

Just another sad, down on his luck soul in weird clothing not worth any time.

Yet, I wonder how many of us would take him seriously – in our world that is deafened by the constant noise and chaos, how many would actually listen to a man in the streets of any city who claimed to be preparing the way of the Lord?

John’s timeless message is like a banner waving over every heart on the planet.

It continues to wave bold and strong, even in our darkest of days – like today!

We all need only look up, pay attention and see that God’s kingdom is at hand.

Our present circumstances are not our final destination-here is not all there is!

The beautiful thing about that ancient John the Baptist’s invitation, is that it does not require any whole google search check-list of things to accomplish.

There is no get-your-life-together-first requirement – there are no rules you and I have to follow before repentance – for repentance now is where it begins.

A moment of recognition then a moment of confession (Peter’s Confession of Christ as Messiah when the disciples were asked by Jesus who did the people say, and thought Jesus was – and Jesus proclaiming BINGO) Matthew 16:13-20

The Bible assures us that when a person, or a nation, repents of sin, God is faithful and just to forgive (1 John 1:9).

When people humble themselves and with their whole heart seek the Lord, He will hear them – He will heal them. And, He forgives them (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Have we lost that “very first loving feeling” of being 1000% forgiven by God?

Psalm 32 English Standard Version

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil[a] of David.

32 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

What a simple, yet unheeded message from the Psalmist’s and John’s call:

“Know you will be blessed” “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

If that ancient John the Baptist declared the kingdom of heaven was at hand, more than 2,000 years ago, exactly how much nearer is God’s kingdom today?

Every new moment of everyday, we are one step closer to our heavenly home.

Yet, how likely is it that we will continue to live as though this is all there is?

We will continue to strive for the things of earth, which will one day pass away.

Even Jesus himself said to those who had gathered around Him, His Message,

Matthew 5:4 Amplified Bible

4 “Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].

Today, let’s take 1% more heed to John’s ancient, yet relevant message, ask God to begin, renew our hearts, minds, souls, surrendering more everything to Him.

Every spark of coming chaos, darkness, hardship, trial, sin, and struggle, let us enter our prayer closets, invite God inside, confess them, to lay them at His feet.

Will you read John’s ancient admonishment as recorded here in Scripture and in some part of your busy day-take the time to absorb them-try to find relevance?

There is a brooding, budding John the Baptist within every single unbeliever!

There is a brooding, budding John the Baptist within each and every Christian!

When does our world of chaos and darkness around us-hear his words of truth?

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

Let us Pray,

Heavenly Father, We come before You, humbly seeking Your will and Your way. Forgive us, Lord, for doing as we please, in a world that is not our home. Help us to gain a heavenly perspective of “By Your stripes we were healed”. Help us heed the timeless call of John the Baptist—“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

Please, ABBA Father, give us a fresh and refreshed and refreshing boldness and more clarity to share this message with those around us, to break away from the noise and chaos and speak words of truth. Thank You, Father, for preparing the way through Your Son. There is no other way. Continue to work in our lives until the glorious day when Jesus returns. For it is by Him, for Him, and because of Him that we live, and move, and have our being. It is in His name above all names that we pray. Amen.

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Advent Reflection: “Behold! God Sends His Messenger! Prepare Ye, Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!” Mark 1:1-8

Mark 1:1-8 New Living Translation

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.[a] It began 2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written:

“Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    and he will prepare your way.[b]
3 He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
    Clear the road for him!’[c]”

4 This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 5 All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. 6 His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.

7 John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. 8 I baptize you with[d] water, but he will baptize you with 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.

A Message is Sent – “There Will Come a Fresh Start!”

After Israel’s long 40 year sojourn in the desert, God opened a way before Joshua for the people through the Jordan River and into the promised land.

The waters upstream “piled up in a heap,” perhaps like the “wall of water” on the right and left as the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 14:22).

Both stories say that the people passed through “on dry ground” (Joshua 3:17).

Although God had been faithful to Israel, keeping His promises to rescue them and bring them to the land He had promised them (Genesis 12:1-8; 15:13-16; 28:10-15; 46:3-4; Exodus 3:4-10), the people turned away and rebelled.

They did that again and again in a long history of unfaithfulness (Exodus 32; Numbers 14; Judges 2:10-23; 2 Kings 17:1-23; 25:1-21).

Eventually they were punished and sent into exile, but God, still ever faithful, brought them back again (Ezra – Nehemiah).

Nehemiah 8:1-11 New King James Version

Ezra Reads and Explains the Law

8 Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate [a]from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

4 So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God.

Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. 8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.

9 And Nehemiah, who was the [b]governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the  Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.

10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”

The people who had been gathered in that place before Ezra and the Scribes had just just been read, had just received for the first time in who knows how long, a fresh reading and a fresh anointing from God’s messenger, of the Word of God.

Then they were sent on their ways back to their homes – to their families – to their friends – to their neighbors – to their neighborhoods – their communities. (Verse 10) “Be Still for the Day is Holy; Go and Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!”

Then, about 30 years after the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1; Luke 2), God called a man named John to again send God’s message before the people: prepare ye the way for the Messiah, who had come to be the Savior of the world (John 1:29-31).

John 1:29-31 The Message

The God-Revealer

29-31 The very next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and yelled out, “Here he is, God’s Passover Lamb! He forgives the sins of the world! This is the man I’ve been talking about, ‘the One who comes after me but is really ahead of me.’ I knew nothing about who he was—only this: that my task has been to get Israel ready to recognize him as the God-Revealer. That is why I came here baptizing with water, giving you a good bath and scrubbing sins from your life so you can get a fresh start with God.”

Now, here in the first 8 verses of Mark 1 we see John preaching in the wilderness, calling the people to gather, to repent and baptizing them in the Jordan River.

And here the people are called not to cross the Jordan but to be baptized in it.

God calls them back to receive a fresh anointing, to make a new start through repentance, seek forgiveness, prepare their hearts for the coming of the Savior.

God’s Messengers Are Still Sent With God’s Message

Christmas is always a time when everyone tries to give that special someone that perfect gift – that gift that genuinely says “I Love You and I always will!”

In these days when those perfect gifts are probably far too expensive to buy, but we still have the same heart to give that special someone a “100% perfect gift,”

I suggest that this year for Christmas, remembering that Christ comes first in the season of Christmas because that is the way it is spelled, the gift of a Bible.

Yeah! I know, another Bible … but this year make a plan to go beyond just the receiving of the physical book, but instead, enter into the messengers head.

The coming of the new year is always a great time to begin a new challenge.

On January 1st 2024, many of us make those self same automatic resolutions.

Some resolve to break bad habits, while others resolve to pick up good habits.

Others attempt to acquire a new hobby or even a new skill throughout the year.

Many Christians might even resolve to read the Bible daily or might challenge themselves (a bit self centered) with another reading plan throughout the year.

Here are 5 challenges for you to consider (selflessly this time) sharing in 2024.

1. Read through the Bible in a Year

The most basic challenge is to read through the Bible in an entire year.

There are 1,189 chapters in a typical English Bible.

Divide this by 365, that means you would need to read only a little over three chapters of the Bible each day to read through every word of the Bible in a year.

When you consider that some of these chapters are only a few verses long, that is not that daunting of a task.

But where do you start?

Is it always good to start in Genesis and read three chapters of every book?

That is one possibility, but my experience is that most people end up just like the Israelites – lost in the wilderness for 40 years inside the book of Leviticus.

Many give up these challenges when they have to trudge through the historical books of 1 and 2 Kings 1 and 2 Chronicles, then sort through the minor Prophets.

From all your Android and Apple smart phones, you can go to their respective “stores” and you can download many apps to assist with a Bible reading plan.

Many of these plans will have the reader in one chapter of the Old Testament, read a Psalm or Proverb per day, and a chapter or two in the New Testament.

2. Devote Your Year to Discerning God’s Wisdom

Reading through the Bible in a year can be incredibly daunting and rewarding.

You often “open your eyes” to see those things that you’ve never seen before.

But that can also be a bit like taking a road trip through a state where you only see the state through tinted windows while driving 70 mph to your destination.

You learn things and see beautiful sites, but you may not get the full impact.

Wouldn’t you know a state better if you decided to live there for an entire year?

What if you decided to spend an entire year in a book like Psalms or Proverbs?

Solomon’s wonderfully simple Proverbs is helpful because there are 31 chapters.

That corresponds to each day on the calendar – except in those months which only have 29 or thirty days and those years – like 2024 – which are “leap years.”

Pick up that nice monthly business planner with those individual days which are set apart by all those wonderfully convenient lines for the individual hours.

Look at your monthly calendar, spot the date, look for all of those wonderfully empty lines just waiting for a single entry and read that chapter of Proverbs.

Do that for every day of the year, with some Biblical text and the Psalms and you’ll be quite surprised at how much wisdom you glean from the Scriptures.

You can do the same thing with Psalms.

There are 150 psalms.

If you choose to dedicate the 31st of each month to working through the largest Psalm, Psalm 119, then that means you have 5 psalms you could read each day.

Simply take the day on the calendar and then add 30, 5 times.

For example, as today is the 5th, you could read Psalm 5, 25, 51, 10o, or 150.

3. Do Twelve 30-Day Challenges

This is the same concept as reading through Proverbs and Psalms.

Yet, here you would find twelve different 30-day Bible reading challenges.

Here you would challenge yourself to pick 12 books of the Bible and spend a month in each one, or seek, find, a topical 30-day challenge and conquer it.

You could take that challenge even further – add something like a chronological New Testament Bible Reading Plan to send this challenge to furthest horizons.

There is a great one at Bible Study Tools that you can use here.

They also have a 45-day gospel challenge that you might find helpful.

4. Deep Dive into a Topic

This one will be much more difficult to organize but might be one of the more rewarding yearly challenges.

Consider working with your Pastor’s at picking a point of doctrine or Christian living and deep ocean-diving into everything the Bible says about that topic.

You could do several of these as mini-challenges throughout the year as well.

Can you imagine how high your understanding would increase if you picked something like justification and studied it in the Scriptures for an entire year?

Years ago, I independently tried something like this with the attributes of God.

I meditated upon a particular attribute of God every month of the year and used these attributes to preach and teach the gospel to myself and to a legacy church.

It was incredibly daunting but also incredibly “eyes>ears>hands” beneficial.

If you decide to do this challenge, consider picking up a Strong’s Concordance to find out quite everything the Bible text’s says on a particular word or topic.

5. Pick a Person and Start Your Own Bible Fellowship

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 New Living Translation

9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Proverbs 27:17 Amplified Bible

17 
As iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion].

2 Timothy 2:14-18 English Standard Version

A Worker Approved by God

14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God[a] not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,[b] a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth,  saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.

In fellowship together we are “as Iron” motivated when reaching toward a goal.

Our adrenaline flows, our creative juices churn, and our mind works overtime at solving the problems that stand in the way of achieving God’s vision for our life.

In the United States, where I live, there is an defeating, unhealthy trend toward mediocrity.

Recent sales of tee shirts; the most widely distributed logo in the United States is now seemingly “Undereducated and Underachiever and !@%$ Proud of It.”

I remember the days when the most popular shirt read, “We’re Number One.”

Even in our church today we can become more satisfied with less than our best.

Paul admonishes Timothy, faith communities, and the church community to “come together, to fellowship, do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman [a community] who does not need to be ashamed.”

Paul was not content with anything but the best. He valued repetition, valued community here now instructing Timothy to “keep reminding” his listeners.

Fellowship and Repetition through Bible study and prayer really works for me.

There are certain critically important messages I must hear over and over again. from someone other than “Me, Myself and I.”

My Mother’s favorite Proverb saying “the early bird gets the worm” nudges me out of bed each morning to feast on God’s manna.

I used to have a card in my wallet, “Prayer changes things,” moved me to pray before I attempted to fix a problem in my own malignant, selfish strength.

A sign on my wall once reminding me, “People are forever,” calls me to put people before projects no matter how inconvenient that may seem at times.

Repetitious Fellowship, Repetitious Bible Study, Prayer, produces excellence.

God has given us His permission to come together to create GOD opportunity.

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

Let us Pray,

Dear Lord, as I read these passages of scripture, show me Your truth and what you want me to learn. Pinpoint the things in my thinking and my life that aren’t right. Help me to remember that Your word is life and always true, whereas my ideas are often fleeting. Use the truth of Your Word to transform my limited thinking and behavior. Let Your truth inform my faith and let my faith guide my actions. Amen.

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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