Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
24-28 “‘For here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You’ll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God!
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 passage from Ezekiel speaks comforting words.
Here the Sovereign Lord promises to use his people to declare his holiness among the nations.
But the question is: were the people of Israel up to this most difficult task?
Already in Egypt we have seen their repeated hesitation to follow God.
They grumbled and complained, twisting and turning against God’s will, refusing to trust him.
And then once they established their home in the promised land, their disobedience spiraled out of control – read the book of Judges.
We these words for ourselves and we wonder if it was even going to be possible for the people of Israel, on their own, reveal the holiness, righteousness of God.
And TBT, the sad fact was that it was completely impossible for them to do so.
But in this passage, as well as others sprinkled throughout Ezekiel and the other prophets, we will find God’s own promise to bolster the hearts, minds, and wills of his people by putting His Spirit in them.
He promises to cleanse them from their impurities and give them a new heart.
To take hearts of the hardest stone and create in them a heart of flesh for God.
God himself, through the Holy Spirit, makes his people a witness to the nations.
Just as the people of ancient Israel fell short in following God, so each one of us struggles to be holy – our hearts are no less than theirs – made of hardest rock.
When a Child Smiles Your Heart Grows Three Sizes
In Dr. Seuss’s classic Christmas tale, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch suffers from having a small heart.
The source of his heart problem is his severely negative outlook on life, an absence of feeling joy clear, a lack of understanding the meaning of Christmas.
Only the very most negative feelings give him the greatest satisfactions in life.
Anything that might bring even 1% joy or happiness is to be immediately gone.
As the story goes, the Grinch tries to put a stop to Christmas, but in the end, as a little child smiles at him, he comes to understand what Christmas is all about, his heart grows three sizes! This heart change makes a big difference in his life.
I’m not very sure what Dr. Seuss’ intentions were when he wrote the story back in 1957, it was a few years before I was born, but it certainly comes across as a Christian parable to me that parallels the change that takes place in a person’s life when he or she comes to understand the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of Immanuel, God’s only Son, was born to save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)
Matthew 1:20-23 The Message
20-23 While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” This would bring the prophet’s embryonic revelation to full term:
Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).
When the light of the Good News of Jesus dawns upon the heart of a person, God replaces the heart of stone, with a new, fleshy heart – a new person emerges.
As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!”(2 Corinthians 5:17)
“Welcome Christmas – While we stand – Heart to heart – And hand in hand.”
It might just make all the difference in the world.
Holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin and enter in; Be born in us today!
We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel! (from O Little Town of Bethlehem)
We celebrate the real meaning of Christmas because of the power Jesus brought to change our hearts-the power of a child to smile at us, to melt our cold hearts.
Going Deeper with God and your families, your friends, your neighbors too:
Give an example of a time when you changed your mind about something.
How did the words or actions of others influence your change of heart?
Towards the end of the story “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” what happened that caused the Grinch to change his mind about Christmas? What lessons might we learn from the story?
How has understanding the true meaning of Christmas made a difference in your life?
Even more Quality Family Time:
Gather your family together and watch the classic half-hour Christmas cartoon, How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Then, using the content above, pick up your bibles and lead your family in a devotional discussion about how Jesus has the power to change our hearts.
Pray the Spirit into your family time,
Emmanuel
Emmanuel, Emmanuel, His name is called Emmanuel God with us, revealed in us His name is called Emmanuel We love Him so, we love Him so, His name is called Emmanuel
Call on the Holy Spirit today and ask Him to fill you, your family, friends and neighbors’ hearts so that you can be holy and reflect his holiness in his world.
He will turn hearts of hardest stone into a heart of truest love and goodness.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Lord, I thank you for all you’ve done for me. I just pray that you would change me, oh God. Please guide my heart, from stone to flesh, and help me to grow into the person you want me to be. Rather than me following my own ways, please purify my heart and make me more like you. Please guide my path and help me take steps that will guide me toward your plan for my life and not my own whims. In Jesus’ name I pray.
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.
29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” 35 And the angel said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[a] will be called holy, the Son of God.
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.
Opinions? It is not Jesus’ birth which is so remarkable but His conception.
When the angel appeared before her, announced that although she was a virgin, Mary would have a baby who would rule the entire universe, she simply asked the most sensible question possible: “How?”
And with that single question of “How?” asked in the loneliness of the moment, the miracle, mystery moment, we arrive at the very heart of the Christian story.
How was this child to be conceived?
How was God’s own created and ordered human physiology going to be set aside – where a man and a women come together and have sexual intercourse and by God’s own mystery and miracle moment, one sperm enters one egg and conception happens, life begins and God goes to work to weave together a baby.
Psalm 139:13-18 Revised Standard Version
13 For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful.[a] Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; 15 my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. 16 Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee.[b]
God was going to make it happen.
By some unknowable miracle, by some unknowable mystery, He would do it.
The language of being “overshadowed” reminds us of God’s divine presence being symbolized to the Israelites by a great cloud pillar (Exodus 40:34-38).
The conception, in other words, would be miraculous, would be mysterious and would be undeniably supernatural too, able to be accomplished by God alone.
As Apostle Paul contemplated, pondered, worked through the theology of the incarnation, he wrote, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
He emphasized that the Redeemer had to be human so that He would be of the same nature as those whom He came to save: a man dying for mankind.
But it was equally imperative that the true Redeemer should be perfectly holy, perfectly righteous because no sinful person could effect atonement for the sins of others – He had to be Immanuel—God with(in) us—and He had to be man.
The early Christians hammered out the incarnation’s implications and came up with ways to describe the one who was conceived by the Spirit in Mary’s womb, coming to the true convictions that have passed down to us in the early creeds.
Our spiritual forefathers identified the wonderful mystery of the incarnation, bowed before the mystery and miracle of it, and affirmed through the holy scriptures that indeed Jesus was, is, and remains, very God and very man.
The idea that God would supernaturally invade this world shouldn’t surprise or discomfort us.
Considering how hardcore sin is, it takes a supernatural invasion of God into individuals’ lives, after all, to bring them to living faith, just as God sovereignly wonderfully worked a miracle in Mary’s womb in order to bring us – Redeemer.
Jesus told Nicodemus that unless someone is born from above—a birth brought about by God through His Spirit—they would not see God’s kingdom (John 3:3).
If we have been brought to salvation, it is only because God alone has done it.
You did no more to save yourself than Mary did to become pregnant with your Savior – the “How?” of salvation is forever answered only by – “God did it.”
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God calling me to be wonderfully, mysteriously, different?
How is God miraculously reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
Ephesians 2:8-10 Revised Standard Version
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God— 9 not because of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
So, kneel today before the wonder, miracle and mystery of God taking on flesh.
And bow today before the wonder and mystery of God redeeming you – for that, no less than the virgin birth of the Son of God, is the supernatural work of God.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 139:1-18 Revised Standard Version
The Inescapable God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me! 2 Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up; thou discernest my thoughts from afar. 3 Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou dost beset me behind and before, and layest thy hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Let only darkness cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to thee, the night is bright as the day; for darkness is as light with thee.
13 For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful.[a] Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; 15 my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. 16 Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee.[b]
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.
36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant[a] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
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.
Luke 1:37cNew International Version
37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
This verse allows us to know the authority of God’s word.
God is as good as His word, and His word shall be accomplished, and that which is accomplished lasts forever.
For example, God used His word to create the heavens and earth and all things; He promised to give Sarah over childbearing age a child and blessed Abraham; and His word also made the blind see, the lame walk and Lazarus come alive.
Plenty of historical facts bore witness to the authority and power of God’s word.
And even more, God’s word can change us, can save us and can bring us the light and hope.
When in these times and seasons of max celebration and unspeakable joy we are pained in failures and setbacks, God’s word can comfort us, help us regain faith.
When we are confused about life and unable to find direction, God’s word will guide us forward.
When we live in sin and cannot free ourselves, God’s word can show us the way of practice so that we can break free from the shackles of sin.
The Lord Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”
From this we can each see that God’s word practically gives us the supply of life.
Therefore, it’s so important to read God’s word and we can put it into practice.
What if we were asked why God’s Word is Important?
Luke 1:37 New International Version
37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
When the angel Gabriel visited the unsuspecting Mary with news of her being highly favored and chosen to carry and give birth to God’s only son on earth, he left her with a spoken promise that we can all hold onto (Luke 1:37).
In our socially and politically engineered world today, where countless people are rewriting God’s Word to say things He isn’t saying and to support causes that go against His will, we need to remember that God’s Word will never fail.
Especially now with the weight of socially, politically, globally changing times, there are individuals and groups are believing God’s Word needs a new spin on it and updating, a cultural modernization to keep up with the changing times.
But these are foolish, untrue thoughts, attitudes because they are dead wrong.
2 Corinthians 4:4 explains the source behind their ideas. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 The Message
3-4 If our Message is obscure to anyone, it’s not because we’re holding back in any way. No, it’s because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won’t have to bother believing a Truth they can’t see. They’re stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we’ll ever get.
When people so arrogantly or so naively think they can rewrite what God said and meant, they are only revealing their lack of knowledge and faith in Him and exposing their underlying uninformed, or badly educated unbelief in His Word.
As John 8:47 explains, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
John 8:42-47 The Message
42-47 “If God were your father,” said Jesus, “you would love me, for I came from God and arrived here. I didn’t come on my own. He sent me. Why can’t you understand one word I say? Here’s why: You can’t handle it. You’re from your father, the Devil, and all you want to do is please him. He was a killer from the very start. He couldn’t stand the truth because there wasn’t a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies. I arrive on the scene, tell you the plain truth, and you refuse to have a thing to do with me. Can any one of you convict me of a single misleading word, a single sinful act? But if I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone on God’s side listens to God’s words. This is why you’re not listening—because you’re not on God’s side.”
Still, God’s Word cannot really ever be changed, rewritten, or torn down.
In fact, it can’t even be touched, damaged, or modified in any way that lasts.
Humans do not have any of the power or authority to make His word void.
Matthew 5:17-19 English Standard Version
Christ Came to Fulfill the Law
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Whether people are being deceived, really believe what they are promoting is true or knowingly determined to tear down God’s Word, all their efforts are in vain As Psalm 119:89 confirms,
“Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”
Psalm 119:89-96 The Message
89-96 What you say goes, God, and stays, as permanent as the heavens. Your truth never goes out of fashion; it’s as relevant as the earth when the sun comes up. Your Word and truth are dependable as ever; that’s what you ordered—you set the earth going. If your revelation hadn’t delighted me so, I would have given up when the hard times came. But I’ll never forget the advice you gave me; you saved my life with those wise words. Save me! I’m all yours. I look high and low for your words of wisdom. The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me, but I’m only concerned with your plans for me. I see the limits to everything human, but the horizons can’t contain your commands!
God’s Unchanging Word
Although some individuals, groups may think they can rewrite and reword what God is saying to us, they are actually powerless to do so because His word comes with an everlasting promise, to stand eternally (1 Peter 1:25) to never, ever fail.
1 Peter 1:22-25 The Message
22-25 Now that you’ve cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That’s why the prophet said,
The old life is a grass life, its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers; Grass dries up, flowers wilt, God’s Word goes on and on forever.
This is the Word that conceived the new life in you.
To help us in understanding how God’s word is lasting and never changes, Isaiah 40:8 describes, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
Isaiah 40:6-8 The Message
6-8 A voice says, “Shout!” I said, “What shall I shout?”
“These people are nothing but grass, their love fragile as wildflowers. The grass withers, the wildflowers fade, if God so much as puffs on them. Aren’t these people just so much grass? True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade, but our God’s Word stands firm and forever.”
Likewise, we read and diligently ponder the admonition from these words …
Spoken by Jesus Himself …
Matthew 24:32-35 The Message
32-35 “Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer’s just around the corner. So it is with you: When you see all these things, you’ll know he’s at the door. Don’t take this lightly. I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.
The Living Word
God’s Word is not like human words written in the past.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”(Hebrews 4:12).
Because God’s Word is living, it is timeless, untouched by changing times, and able to speak to hearts through all generations.
“So is my word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
Isaiah 55:8-11 The Message
8-11 “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.
In ordering priorities, organizing our thoughts, choosing our words, let us all speak, write, share God’s Word over our own whenever given the opportunity.
Whereas our own words may at times fall flat, become outdated, or fail to have a good lasting effect, God’s Word is never void or falls short of its divine purpose.
A Sure Foundation
Because God’s Word is, from beginning to end, sure, solid and steadfast, we can count on it being a strong unbreakable foundation for us to build our lives upon.
We can have absolute assurance, maximum confidence in God’s Word because it doesn’t change with the times, or politics, or culture – it will not fail us, ever.
We can ground ourselves, base every day of our lives, on its principles because modern-day thoughts and opinions do not change the 100% truth of His word.
As 1 Corinthians 3:11 reminds us, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 The Message
5-9 Who do you think Paul is, anyway? Or Apollos, for that matter? Servants, both of us—servants who waited on you as you gradually learned to entrust your lives to our mutual Master. We each carried out our servant assignment. I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God’s field in which we are working.
9-15 Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
John 1:1-5 GOD’S WORD Translation
The Word Becomes Human
1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was already with God in the beginning.
3 Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.
4 He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity.
5 The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.
John 14:1-7 English Standard Version
I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life
14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b]3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”[c]5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.[d] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Jesus said; “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me”
Jesus said to him, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Take time in these next coming weeks to commit to truly reading God’s Word.
At Christmas, make a gift of a study Bible, In the New Year, resolve to ask God alone to reveal His truth to you and show you how to apply it to your daily life.
Develop the habit in the coming year, if you’re uncertain what God’s Word says about a situation, resolve to check His Word first before making any decision.
When sorely tempted to choose what the world tells you to do over what God says is right, commit to following and trusting His Word over worldly advice.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 119:9-16 GOD’S WORD Translation
9 How can a young person keep his life pure? ⌞He can do it⌟ by holding on to your word. 10 I wholeheartedly searched for you. Do not let me wander away from your commandments. 11 I have treasured your promise in my heart so that I may not sin against you. 12 Thanks be to you, O Lord. Teach me your laws. 13 With my lips I have repeated every regulation that ⌞comes⌟ from your mouth. 14 I find joy in the way ⌞shown by⌟ your written instructions more than I find joy in all kinds of riches. 15 I want to reflect on your guiding principles and study your ways. 16 Your laws make me happy. I never forget your word.
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.
Refrain: Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and ev’rywhere; go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.
1 While shepherds kept their watching o’er silent flocks by night, behold, throughout the heavens there shone a holy light. [Refrain]
2 The shepherds feared and trembled when lo, above the earth rang out the angel chorus that hailed our Savior’s birth. [Refrain]
3 Down in a lowly manger the humble Christ was born, and God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn. [Refrain]
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin [a]betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the [b]descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was [c]Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord [d]is with you.”
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.
In an instant, in one moment of time, young Mary’s life was forever changed.
As the angel of the Lord spoke about her future, Mary went from an obscure Jewish teenager to the hand-selected mother of the long-awaited Messiah.
In that exact moment, everything changed when she understood her destiny.
This obscure teenage girl Mary didn’t have nor know any power or popularity, wealth or fame; nothing was great about her we don’t even know her last name.
Yet in this great moment she was chosen by God above all women throughout all time to bring the greatness of God’s salvation and healing into this world.
The bearer of God’s greatness in her womb, it’s the kind of salvation needed by both paupers and presidents, rich and poor, black, white, known and obscure.
And such healing would become the spark of life in the darkness of dead men’s souls, and bridge the one great divide between lost humanity and a loving God.
Yet her journey was not without difficulty as she had to deal with practical facts: not fully understanding God’s plan, or God’s greatness, all of those judgmental people speaking lies about her, about the coming greatness of her own first born son, her own doubts and fears, and trusting God to vindicate and protect her – Mary’s story was that trial of faith – yet she made it through and so can we.
Because like Mary, we are all, in our own God-ordained way, anointed, called to bring something extraordinary into the world – the Greatness of our great God.
145 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. 7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
But to do so, we must learn from Mary’s experience.
1. Commit Ourselves to Personal Righteousness
“Personal righteousness” refers to a commitment by believers to live their life consistent with our great God’s high calling to carry His light into a lost world.
Matthew 5:13-16 New American Standard Bible
Disciples and the World
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [a]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a [b]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor do people light a lamp and put it under a [c]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
We must commit to display integrity, purity, honor, respect and holiness.
Our lives should be examples for others to emulate – not perfect lives without fault, failure or messiness, but lives consistent with being on a mission for God.
We must hold on to, we must cling to God’s grace, not as an excuse to sin, but as a motivating force to present our whole selves to God live honorably before God.
Romans 12:1-2 New American Standard Bible
Dedicated Service
12 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, [a]acceptable to God, which is your [b] spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this [c]world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may [d]prove what the will of God is, that which is good and [e]acceptable and perfect.
We should neither become judgmental nor a stumbling block to those who desperately need to experience His humbling greatness, Christ’s forgiveness.
Personal righteousness is an enormous battle that we commit to fight in order to be messengers, examples, of God’s love that helps lead people to salvation.
And I believe a life of “personal righteousness” was a factor in “Hailing Mary” Mary’s favored anointing by our great God to bear the Messiah for mankind:
Luke 1:26-28 Revised Standard Version
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”[a]
These verses imply that Mary, who was divinely chosen for this extraordinary task, was chosen partly because of her commitment to personal righteousness.
In fact, the Word makes it clear that there is a connection between personal righteousness and God’s decision to entrust great responsibilities to people.
This also implies lackluster personal righteousness limits the effectiveness of the individual in their being God’s messenger, their message in their success.
Hebrews 12:1-2 Revised Standard Version
The Example of Jesus
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Anything less than focused commitment to personal righteousness will become our own millstone, weight standing in the way of our God-given assignment.
And I am quite convinced that if we would fight as vehemently for personal righteousness as we do for social righteousness, or pointing out the sins of the world, we would greatly impact the world in much more GOD profound ways!
2. Make Our Not So Great Selves Available Unto God
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 The Message
26-31 Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, actually chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”
Translation – neither you nor I have to be ‘great’ to do great things for God!
Notice here what Mary later says of herself on behalf of future generations:
Luke 1:46-55 The Message
46-55 And Mary said,
I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened— I’m the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts. He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold. He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It’s exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now.
Luke 1:46-48 New Living Translation
The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise
46 Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. 47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! 48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
“Lowly Servant Girl,” “Low estate” means someone who is low in rank, considered vile, or who is humiliated.
It describes a person who is down and out, rejected, despised, overlooked or simply not popular!
Although it can’t be proven, some people believe Mary was perhaps the least in her father’s house, as if she were under some particular contempt and disgrace among her family – like the belittled Cinderella archetype of ancient Israel.
Regardless, whatever her actual social place in her family, it is clear that Mary felt there was nothing “favored” extraordinary about Mary! Yet, God chose her.
Why?
The Word of God for His Children demonstrates that she made herself available to God; “unfavored” to be used by Him to carry out His extraordinary mission.
In her own “unfavored” “humbled and lowly estate,” She was willing to make room, in her “unfavored by man” life, in her virgin womb, for God to use her.
I might guess if we took a hard look at our “unfavored lives” our own “humble estates” busy schedules, our wildly diverse priorities, most of us would mirror Martha, the sister of Mary Magdalene rather than Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Luke 10:38-42 New Living Translation
Jesus Visits Martha and Mary
38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Translation – our “blessed and highly favored” schedule is probably packed too full to focus on the “blessed, highly favored” things of God, matter most in life.
At times, our “favored” lives get so cluttered, so over-burdened that we don’t have time or mental space to be available for God to use in any significant way.
If that somehow unfavorably resonates with you, then it’s time bring them back into favorability, to reorganize, reprioritize some things; we must intentionally make ourselves fully available so that we are able to carry out anything He asks.
3. How Well Do We Understand the Purpose of Favor?
One of the most memorable words of the angel’s announcement was “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you…” (Luke 1:28).
Many times, we will intentionally misunderstand favor in our society.
God’s favor is not all about a blessing, good breaks and open doors, favorable versus unfavorable circumstances in order to increase personal or social status.
Rather the purpose of divine favor is to anoint us, to bring God into our spheres of awareness, which allows us to accomplish what God needs done in our lives.
– Joseph found favor with Potiphar, found favor in prison, and found favor with Pharoah…because his purpose was to serve as Prime Minister over Egypt in a time of great famine.
– Young David found favor in the eyes of the prophet Samuel, and God touched David’s sling shot with favor to defeat the giant Goliath in battle…because his purpose was to serve as King of Israel.
– Daniel found favor in the courts of the wicked King Nebuchadnezzar…because his purpose was to serve as the prophet of the LORD to the nations.
– Esther found favor in the eyes of the King of Persia…because her purpose was to serve as an intercessor to save her people from destruction.
Favor is not as much for our person, as it is for our purpose.
Even so, when we commit our humbled unfavorable selves to God, that mindset then status of “favored by God” does positively affect our lives in many forms.
4. But Are We, like Mary, Willing to Risk Everything
Think of what young Mary risked to bring the salvation of God into the world.
Imagine all of those dinner conversations with her parents.
Or the angry, hushed argument raging between her parents, Joseph’s parents.
Imagine the “eyes and gossip” of her village community, what it felt like to walk to the marketplace, sit in synagogue or look into Joseph’s wounded eyes.
For Mary to fulfill her God-given assignment, she had to release control and risk it all: her reputation, family and friends, her financial security – her life.
In the culture of that day, she could have been severely humiliated, divorced, and ultimately stoned to death for adultery while being betrothed to Joseph.
Whatever God entrusts you to bring into the world, regardless of your sphere of influence, be aware there could a day, might be a high and mighty personal cost.
Jesus did not try to hide this aspect of being His disciple.
Luke 9:22-24 New Living Translation
22 “The Son of Man[a] must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”
23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
One of the greatest challenges for many of us, especially in Western society, is seeing, acknowledging, publicly confessing ourselves as God’s actual servants.
We will allow ourselves to forget that as believers, we have given our lives over to Christ, we are no longer our own; rather, we have been bought with a price.
The Christ who created us and redeemed us from death now has the sovereign right to direct our lives and our actions in it, regardless of perceived risk to our most favored plans, our most favored social standing or financial well-being.
But every person who lives, who impacts the world in a significant way for God understands this truth.
For example, we will see the Apostle Paul in his epistles constantly reaffirm his submission to Christ.
Romans 1:1-4 Amplified Bible
The Gospel Exalted
1 Paul, a [a]bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative), set apart for [preaching] the [b]gospel of God [the good news of salvation], 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the sacred Scriptures— 3 [the good news] regarding His Son, who, as to the flesh [His human nature], was born a descendant of David [to fulfill the covenant promises], 4 and [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated to be the Son of God with power [in a triumphant and miraculous way] by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
A “bondservant” was someone who had been purchased as a slave.
At the time appointed for them to be set free, they elected to stay with their master for life and serve them, because of love.
Ultimately, that’s what it takes to bring divine greatness to the world in an impactful way.
By Covenant, it requires we that love Jesus so much that, even though we must reprioritize things in our lives to reflect His character, intentionally make room in our schedules to answer His call at any time, and to be courageous enough to step out in our unfavored status in life, in a faith well beyond our comfort zone.
We devote our lives and everything we do to favorably serve Him as our Savior.
It may seem unfavorably impossible now, but nothing is impossible with God!
He is greater than our human limitations, He can find favor in our unfavorable circumstances to prepare and position us for every good thing He has planned.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a [a]manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
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 time had come for Mary to give birth to her first child.
Husband Joseph goes from place to place to find warmth and comfort.
All Joseph hears is: “I am sorry but …!”
Place after place – rejection even for a pregnant teen mother about to give birth.
Let the words of these constant rejections come in direct contact with your soul:
“Sorry …”
“No room for them.”
“Sorry again …”
“No vacancy.”
“Nope! Don’t tell me, I know … I heard it before … but Sorry …”
“No place – no not none.”
Words when seriously considered, still seem to hang close, cold, cruel, today.
Makes my soul just bristle with anger-does no one care enough about this child.
Surely, not in our caring and compassion driven healthcare systems would the sound of such words ever be heard or if they were heard they’d not be tolerated!
No room in anyone’s heart to offer mercy, a place to stay – to save a life or two?
In our divided chaotic world that seeks to crowd the message of the child Jesus out, where busyness and distractions abound, and hearts are stirred to focus on other fear focused things, it can be hard sometimes to choose to keep Him first.
Why is it for us that it’s all too easy to get caught up in the whole hurried dash of the holidays, and not give our fullest attention to what seems more urgent?
Too many of us, focus gets blurred; and the most important gets pushed aside.
There is too much of that attitude – “Sorry, not today, but no room in my Inn.”
It takes an active, daily choice to put Christ first, especially in a culture that says you’re too busy to focus there. Or that life is too full. And there’s no more room.
I sit and pray a whole lot now that I have had my Triple Bypass Heart Surgery.
Proverbs 4:23 New American Standard Bible
23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23-27 The Message
23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.
The proverb writer is deeply concerned about helping his children build a wise and discerning life. “Listen,” he pleads, “pay attention to what I’m saying.”
“Make room for God – Maximize all spaces within your soul => solely for God!”
Throughout the early chapters of the book of Proverbs we find one plea after another from author King Solomon who the wisest man to ever live, like this.
And in Proverbs 4:23 the writer points out the central issue in all this teaching.
“Above all else,” the writer says, “guard your heart.” In other words, “Look inside – less room for sin and maximum room for God who is our salvation.”
Be concerned about your inner life before you build your external life.
After all, your heart, your inner life, ‘is the very wellspring of life.’ Your heart shapes who you are.” More room for darkness means far more room for chaos.
Jesus taught this truth also. He said that a person produces good things when that person has a good heart— that is, a heart focused on living for God.
But if a person has room for only an evil heart, a sin darkened heart closed off to God, that will show up inside the evil things that person does. (See Luke 6:45.)
Let’s simply talk about what’s inside. After all, it would be a wasted effort to try building a way of life (on the outside) if the heart wasn’t healthy (on the inside).
We can hardly go through any Christmas season without at least receiving one reminder that the infant Jesus was born in much less than ideal circumstances.
Christmas cards often have scenes of a stable filled with animals, while Mary and Joseph both look lovingly into a manger, where the baby Jesus is lying.
While many written and cinematic portrayals of this one scene aim for a warm, sweet, nostalgic approach, the birth of Jesus was far from a pleasant experience.
But remember how it began -forced to travel to Bethlehem for a Roman census, Mary and Joseph were repeatedly rejected, found no comfortable place to stay.
So Joseph had to go from place to place, each less savory, healthy, and Mary gave birth in a cold, dirty stable and used the animals’ feedbox for Jesus’ crib.
What irony! Repeated rejections, no room was available here for the birth of our Savior who had in truth came to prepare a place for us in heaven (John 14:1-3).
John 14:1-3 English Standard Version
I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life
14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b]3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Everyday life has plenty of room its own ironies too.
For example, people were created to live in community and enjoy each other’s friendship.
The sheer chaos and havoc that sin has wreaked in this world often breaks down that sense of community and friendship, leaving far, far too many of us feeling as though there’s never going to be no place where we can actually feel at home.
The infant Jesus was born into a place that was hostile to the presence of God.
But, thanks be to God, the infant became a man who made room in His heart for all of God’s Children of all coming generations-made room, changed the world.
Throughout his entire ministry here, Jesus called people to Himself, where those who felt homeless, lost, lonely, and unwelcome could find a place where they experienced the warmth of being at home in the presence of the Lord.
May God help us to choose wisely, what room we make for whom, what voices we choose to listen to, and in Jesus’ name, where we give our attention today.
He is the only One who makes room, who brings true meaning to Christmas.
He is the only One who brings real peace in this all-too-often hectic season.
He is the only One worthy of making room for, giving our maximum time and attention, listen for God, we slow down the maddening rush around our lives.
We can make more room for God, we can know all of this in our heads, but may He help us to really believe it in our hearts…and choose to live it out this season.
Reminded.
Renewed.
Refreshed.
Repenting.
Believing the Good News.
That the Kingdom of God has, in maximum truth, Come Near.
And He will surely and certainly, as promised, come again!
Standing on the Promises of Christ our King and our Savior!
Making maximum effort to clear out maximum room for Him alone, first.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
ABBA Father, Help us to keep our focus first on Christ this season. Please forgive us for giving too much time and attention on other things. Help us to reflect again, on what Christmas is really all about. Thank you that you came to give new life, peace, hope, and joy, that you came to make room in our eternal darkness for your Son.
Help us to repent, make room for Him, remember that the gift of Christ, Immanuel, is our greatest treasure, not just at Christmas, but for the whole year through. Fill us with your joy and the peace of your Spirit. Direct our hearts and minds towards you. Thank you for your reminder that both in seasons of celebration and in seasons of brokenness, you’re still with us. For you never leave us. Thank you for your daily powerful Presence in our lives, that we can be assured your heart is towards us, your eyes are over us, and your ears are open to our prayers. Thank you that you surround us with favor as with a shield, and we are safe in your care. We choose to press in close to you today…and keep you first in our hearts and lives.In Immanuel‘s 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.
3 It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler[a] over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler[b] over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him! 5 The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth. 6 And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’”[c]
7 When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 9 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”
10 The crowds asked, “What should we do?”
11 John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”
12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”
14 “What should we do?” asked some soldiers.
John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”
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.
Hypothetically, imagine slipping into an airline seat for a three-hour flight or boarding that same old commuter train for that long morning work commute.
The man next to you politely begins to exchange some general pleasantries.
But as the commute continues, the polite tone of the conversation changes.
The man begins to mutter something, in fact, he mutters several somethings.
These “somethings” are things which instantly cause you to bristle, to squirm.
Luke 3:7-9The Message
7-9 When crowds of people came out for baptism because it was the popular thing to do, John exploded: you “Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God’s judgment? It’s your life that must change, not your skin. And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as ‘father.’ Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there—children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green and is it even flourishing? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.”
Very soon you discover, realize that he also has extreme views about religion, even more extreme views about politics and governance, how people respond.
His goal as you fly the friendly skies or just try to get to work for another day, is to convince you that your far too casual way of life is putting you in danger of snake venom, the fires of hell – it dawns on you it’s going to be a very long day!
Now imagine that it is not just you who are in ear shot of all these harsh words.
You aren’t the only one on the airplane nor the only one on the commuter train.
On the plane we might hope that the louder and more raucous this guy gets that the flight attendants would not be so slow to intervene on this guys intrusions.
They might even try to move him to another seat – but that is no promise nor is it any guarantee that this guy will not just stand up and cause another ruckus.
Maybe if it gets to be too much – someone would inform the pilot – or if there was an Air Marshall with a pair of handcuffs and something to cover his mouth.
Maybe if it goes to the extreme of extremes, the Pilot will turn the plane around.
Anything, anywhere-as long as someone figures out how to shut the guy down.
Now, back in the commuter train – the people just have to sit restlessly and just listen until they get to the next station and hope he gets tired and he gets off or they do and they simply accept the uncomfortable fact they will be late for work.
Imagine walking the downtown streets of any city or serving meals in a shelter and this guy walks up beside you, gets into your ears, or hands you a meal tray.
Perish the thought and pray such an occurrence is one you’ll never experience.
In a homeless shelter?
In an overnight shelter?
Spending a morning, an afternoon or evening or a whole night with the words of John the Baptist ringing in your ears would have been a similar experience.
After all, John’s hardcore extremist views believed you got ready for Christ’s coming by taking a hard, long, intense look at the ethical quality of your life.
Hearing enough of this message, listening to all the vitriol, high end criticism spewing from his mouth about quite literally everybody – who would not want have the plane turned around, to call the police this guy arrested – like Herod?
Luke 3:19-20 New Living Translation
19 John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee,[a] for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. 20 So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.
Which one’s of us reading this reflection would be praying to God to keep such a man out of our lives, as far away from our “Christian experience” as is possible?
The Covenant Reality of Becoming an Advent Prophet
Isaiah 40:1-3 New Living Translation
Comfort for God’s People
40 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. 2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.”
3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!
Yet our preparing a pathway for the coming of the Messiah is our Advent task.
That means listening to John’s words and some (Psalm 51) clearing away the moral rubble that prevents God from taking His straight path to your hearts.
I mean we’ll never like, nor appreciate, anyone calling us a “brood of snakes!”
Yet, OUR King is coming, and He will remember the poor, cut down the proud.
The all too comfortable, utterly corrupt order of things, must come to a change.
The hardest thing for “contemporary Christians” is actually taking the time for us disciples to make the U-turn of repentance, to straighten out their priorities.
Preparing our homes for the season, getting it ready for Christmas isn’t first a matter of our remembering our perfect gifts for everyone on our family gift list.
It’s about remembering the very nature of citizenship in the King’s kingdom!
It’s about taking a moral inventory of our lives. What changes do we need to make so that we can welcome Christ with integrity on Christmas morning?
More Like Christ – More Like John the Baptist First?
Ephesians 5:1-2 New Living Translation
Living in the Light
5 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
When I have asked, very Christian I have ever known will always profess this:
“Work in progress, trying to be more like Jesus every moment of every day!”
But, what about a bit more like John the Baptist in his camel hair wardrobe?
Luke 3:10-14 New Living Translation
10 The crowds asked, “What should we do?”
11 John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”
12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”
14 “What should we do?” asked some soldiers.
John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”
The changes John the Baptist was calling for do not appear .0001% radical.
One teacher I know of thinks John’s counsel is, for us, rather commonplace.
All we need to do, it seems to him, is to love a little, show a little kindness.
No career change is required.
I believe that interpretation goes too easy on many of us.
After all, many of us are well-to-do.
Many of us out there in the world have far more than two sets of clothing; many of us also have two cars, two or more credit cards, and maybe even two homes.
Our freezers are probably most full preparing for the Christmas feasts to come.
Yet, our hardcore reality: in light of our riches, John’s words become unsettling.
They demand a radical generosity that few of us are genuinely accustomed to.
True, John the Baptist does not specifically order anyone to leave his or her job.
But he definitely and directly does demand that we actually live out our faith by actually being honest and genuinely content and not ever abusing our power.
Clearly, any reading of Luke’s narrative reveals “John the Baptist Discipleship” is not something for the uncommitted, the timid nor for “after-hours only.”
We are not, so to speak, called or covenanted by God to moonlight for Christ.
Quite the contrary, our allegiance to Christ rules not only our after-work hours but also our hours travelling to work, our hours of actual work in the office, at the plant, on the road, in the air, on the trains, in class, at those sales meetings.
We can neither ignore the hardcore words of John the Baptist, leave Christ in church on Sundays nor let him “wait for us in the parking lot” on weekdays.
Here’s a question:
How do we, who are supposed to be dying to self and coming alive to Christ, do our work and other activities so that we honor Christ and respect our neighbor?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Lord Jesus, too often after hearing the good news we go right back to business as usual. Forgive us, and make our every thought captive to you. Lord, we admit that our lives are a mess. It’s been a long time since we’ve held them up to the light of your truth. Now is the time. Help us to begin today. Let us read these words from Luke’s narrative, let us hear the hardcore accusations spoken by John the Baptist against us as so called “contemporary Christians” and your so called Body of Christ, the Church in your kingdom, let us finally come to our senses. In your 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.
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.
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.
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.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 