Tag: jesus

Advent Reflection: While We Wait For Him, Do We Know How To Say Why It’s Important To Draw Near To Him? James 4:7-10

James 4:8-10 Holman Christian Standard Bible

8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. 10  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt 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.

The Advent and Christmas seasons are a powerful and unique time of year to remember that Jesus came from eternity to make a way for us to be near God.

In his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus built a bridge between us and God allowing us to have continual, unhindered communion with our Creator.

But God can’t force us into nearness with him.

Even as believers filled with the Holy Spirit, we can choose to live as if God is still far off.

So this Advent, Christmas season, may we choose to open our hearts to the living God that we might experience fullness of joy in his loving presence.

Except, what do we do when we cannot find God?

The Christian author C. S. Lewis searched for God during the illness of his wife without finding him.

In his book A Grief Observed, Lewis wrote, “Meanwhile, where is God? … Go to him when your need is desperate … and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double-bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away.”

Both believers and non believers, sceptics and agnostics and atheist’s have searched for God without being able to find him.

David, who wrote of the wonderful comfort of God in Psalm 23, also cried out in Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus said those self same words on the cross (Matthew 27:46).

If for some reason you can’t seem to find God, or identify with the voice of God calling them as Eli and Samuel, let God know you can’t find Him—then listen.

Listen longer, Listen harder, Listen hardcore, Listen continually, continuously, Listen repeatedly, Listen as if your very eternity (because it is) is at highest risk.

Psalm 139:23-24 Holman Christian Standard Bible

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns.
24 See if there is any offensive[a] way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way.

God is right where He always is.

The writer C.S. Lewis found that perhaps the volume of his own cries deafened him “to the [still small] voice [he] hoped to hear.”

He wrote later, “I have gradually been coming to feel that the door is no longer shut and bolted. Was it my own frantic need that slammed it in my face?”

Accept God’s invitation: “Come near to God and God will come near to you.”

Come as you are, empty handed, and with a simple prayer.

God is where we are.

Says Jesus in John 6:37, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

It’s a sure promise.

Try Identifying The Importance of Our Drawing Near

James 4:7-10 Easy-to-Read Version

7 So give yourselves to God. Stand against the devil, and he will run away from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. You are sinners, so clean sin out of your lives.[a] You are trying to follow God and the world at the same time. Make your thinking pure. 9 Be sad, be sorry, and cry! Change your laughter into crying. Change your joy into sadness. 10 Be humble before the Lord, and he will make you great.

James 4:8 contains a profound promise of God.

Scripture says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” 

For a while I thought this verse seemed backwards.

Does not God do the drawing?

Is not God the one who’s constantly pursuing us?

After diving deeper into the meaning of James 4:8 I discovered an important truth that’s foundational to living in communion with God: the door of God’s heart is always open to us, His love is always for us, presence always available.

At Calvary, The Father turned away from Jesus as ours sins rested squarely on His Son’s shoulders ensuring He would never ever have to turn away from us.

To draw near to God is to simply open our hearts to what was always available.

It’s not that God ever withholds his presence from us.

It’s that He never forces us to abide in Him.

If all us sheep want to go our own way, He willingly and patiently waits for us.

And the moment that we turn our hearts back to him, He is there to fill us with a grand celebration, revelation, of His loving nearness and unwavering devotion.

Luke 15:17-24 GOD’S WORD Translation

17 “Finally, he came to his senses. He said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more food than they can eat, while I’m starving to death here? 18 I’ll go at once to my father, and I’ll say to him, “Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and you. 19 I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore. Make me one of your hired men.” ’

20 “So he went at once to his father. While he was still at a distance, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son, put his arms around him, and kissed him. 21 Then his son said to him, ‘Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and you. I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore.’ [a]

22 “The father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s celebrate with a feast. 24 My son was dead and has come back to life. He was lost but has been found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

In his book, The Pursuit of God, A. W. Tozer describes two veils.

The first veil was the veil between the Holy of Holies and the world was torn at the death of Jesus, signifying the availability of God’s manifest presence to all.

The second veil is the veil of our own hearts, our decision to tear by God’s grace.

Whether it’s the effects of sin and shame or a lack of understanding what’s available to us in Christ, all of us have the ability to veil places in our hearts.

Like the Prodigal son while wildly spending our inheritance, all of us can shield our beliefs about our identity, our possessions, or all our relationships from the abiding presence of Jesus and live to live far apart from communion with Him.

We all have the ability at any given moment to go our own way and miss out on abundant life.

Isaiah 53:6 GOD’S WORD Translation

6 We have all strayed like sheep.
Each one of us has turned to go his own way,
and the Lord has laid all our sins on him.

But the truth is that the Christian life is not about our ability to abide in God perfectly, but about God’s grace to draw near to us in response to repentance.

Reading Scripture, God has no expectation that we would live this life perfectly.

He remembers our frame and knows we are dust (Psalm 103:14).

What God desires from us is to allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate any parts of our lives that are not His that we would be quick to repent, return to our right minds, renewing our worship, and enjoy his grace-filled presence once again.

God is not angry with us for veiling your heart.

He knows better than we do the reasons we are not letting him fully in.

His heart is filled with the fullness of compassion for us that we might all live to experience the fullness of His grace rather than strive, condemn ourselves for all of our bodily and sinful, spiritual failures and unchangeable imperfections.

While we wait for His Advent, our Christmas gifts, why not take some brief time today to rend apart the veil of your own heart, draw near to God, and experience the abundance of His glory, the nearness of His breath, His manifest presence.

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

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s promise to draw near to you if you will draw near to him. Allow the truth of God’s word to fill you with faith to encounter God.

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

2. What parts of your heart seem veiled today? 

Where are you going your own way?

Where in your life are you not experiencing abundant life in God synonymous with communion with him?

3. Rend the veil over your own heart today and allow God to flood those places with his forgiveness and grace.  

Take time to allow him to fill you with a revelation of his love.

Psalm 139:23-24 The Message

23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:19-20

May Hebrews 10:19-22 provide joy and hope to your heart as you seek to draw near to your heavenly Father:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Lord our God, show us your presence in our lives. Help us to trust that you will never let go of us. As you have promised, you will never forsake us. In Jesus name, Amen.

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

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Advent Reflection Does Mary Saying ‘Treasuring All These Things in Her Heart’ Speak to Anything About How We Reveal Christ Today? Luke 2:19

Luke 2:19-20 English Standard Version

19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

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

As many times as I have read these verses from Luke’s narrative, I believe I have never seriously pondered, nor really asked the question: What did Mary ponder?

Did she drop to the ground in “shock?”

Did she kneel in prayer?

Did she laugh or giggle or pinch herself, trying to grasp the truth that lying in front of her in a manger was the Son of God himself, the promised Messiah?

Did she wonder how the whole of God could also be a real human baby boy?

Did she wonder about all of God being her first born baby that needed cuddling, feeding, diaper changes, baths, potty training and her motherly attentive care?

Somewhere, our Mary surely realized that she was in the presence of a miracle.

Somewhere, thinking about what the shepherds had said, she probably thought back to the very day nine months earlier when she too was visited by an angel.

On that day she learned that she, a virgin, would become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that the child in her womb would be the very Son of God.

Almighty God, who Created all things, brought order from chaos, who is beyond space and time, chose her young life to empty himself, to take on human flesh.

By some miracle she could not begin to comprehend, out of His greatest love for her you and me, He came as a baby born to this mother that night in Bethlehem.

Somehow, somewhere on this day, sit and ponder for yourself: there in the manger lay our Savior, who would surrender his own life for your sake, mine. 

The one whom Mary held and nursed, who could not even hold up his head and would need his bottom washed, his diaper changed, would too need to be taught when, how to stand up and walk, would need her help to even stand up on his own, what to touch, not to touch, was God in the flesh, come to make us whole.

One day this very real human being needing every single inch, need every single ounce of our life’s energy, our support in the good times and the bad and all the very worst, to just get through the day, and issues growing up, issues of puberty how to make friends would choose to give his very real body over to be crucified.

And Mary would be there to ponder every single precious moment of that too.

Will we, today, take any one single moment to ponder these things with Mary?

Pondering How We Ourselves Will Reveal Jesus Today

Luke 2:19-20 The Message

19-20 Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The shepherds returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

The seasons of Advent and Christmas.

Time to make all those travel plans.

Time to hang all those lights and decorations both inside and outside the house.

Time for a family outing to go to some tree farm, some nursery, or some mall parking lot and look among all of the trees which have been cut and harvested.

Time to go up to the attic or the lost in the garage or the storage out back and retrieve all of the treasured family and the traditional Christmas decorations.

Time to make a family day and set the tree up and decorate it to its finest and plug it in and light it to its brightest glow – so our neighbors may admire it.

Pick a theme for the Christmas season – Country Christmas or Red, White, Blue.

Cookie cutter Christmas, an International theme – whatever is in your hearts.

Time to pull out all of those recipe books of all your families favorite foods.

Time to buy all those last minute gifts, sing all those carols, watch the movies.

Many Christians will also read the traditional Christmas stories from the Bible in some form, the Prophecies from Isaiah, birth narratives, Matthew and Luke.

The biblical Christmas narrative tells an exciting story filled with prophecy, danger and supernatural guidance, protection, and even angelic declaration.

Young Mary moves and reacts at the center of the story, a young girl of faith who is given a difficult and epic role — to be the mother of the Son of God.

She and her betrothed Joseph are given one miraculous supernatural message after another, whether through angels or people and they must know its God.

At one point, the Bible tells us Mary “treasured all these things in her heart.”

We’ve heard or read this phrase a hundred times, and we can often look over it as too familiar.

But we should we our contemporary selves not take the time Mary and Joseph did to ponder and explore this miraculous story and the glory of God, further?

What does Mary’s “treasuring all these things in her heart” say about how we reveal Christ today?

In the Gospel of Luke, the story begins with the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary and announcing that she will conceive and bear a son, Jesus, who will be the Son of the Most High.

Mary, initially perplexed, accepts this divine calling with humility and faith.

Subsequently, she visits her relative Elizabeth, who is miraculously expecting a child, they share in a moment of joy, praise for the work of God in their lives.

As the narrative progresses, Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem due to a decree from Caesar Augustus, who has ordered a census.

It is in Bethlehem that Mary gives birth to Jesus in a humble setting — a manger — because there is no room in the inn.

Shortly after Jesus’ birth, angels appear to shepherds in the fields, proclaiming the good news of the Savior’s arrival.

The shepherds then visit the holy family and share the angelic message about the significance of the child they have just witnessed.

Amidst these extraordinary events, Luke 2:19 provides a real 1st century glimpse into young Mary’s deep emotional and spiritual response to the unfolding story.

The verse states, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

This reflection captures for us today Mary’s deep contemplation and thoughtful consideration of all these miraculous events surrounding the birth of her son.

This verse highlights Mary’s contemplative nature, emphasizing her role not only as the mother of Jesus but as a woman of deep faith and spiritual insight.

She could have easily been overwhelmed by these epic events, but she, as Luke states, instead, sat, pondered and meditated on the events and their meaning.

Her response is a model of lasting obedience, faithfulness and contemplation in the face of extraordinary occurrences beyond all human pale to comprehend.

The Gospel of Luke the continues to unfold the narrative of Jesus’ early life as a child growing up, and maturing, in ministry, in ultimate sacrifice for humanity.

Mary’s role remains significant throughout, from her initial acceptance of the angelic message to her presence at key moments in Jesus’ earthly journey.

What Did it Mean for Mary to Treasure All These Things in Her Heart?

Mary’s incredibly mature act of treasuring and pondering as a teenage mother reflects a deep and profound spiritual reflection which sets us a high example.

The miraculous nature of Jesus’ conception, the angelic announcements, and the visitations from shepherds all pointed to the extraordinary nature of Jesus.

Her response indicates that at her age she recognized the divine significance of these events and patiently sought to understand the deeper spiritual meanings.

Mary, as the mother of Jesus, played a central role in the unfolding of God’s plan for salvation.

By pondering, treasuring these events, this young teenager Mary acknowledged the sovereignty of God, creative handiwork of God in her life, and in the world.

Her contemplation suggests a recognition these were not mere coincidences but rather direct divine interventions holding profound implications for humanity.

The events surrounding Jesus’ birth were shrouded in mystery, divine purpose.

Mary, in pondering and treasuring these things, plumbed the depths, embraced the incomprehensible mystery of God’s plan for humanities final redemption.

She recognized that her role as the mother of the Messiah was part of a grand and intricate narrative that had been steadily unfolding throughout history.

Her response can also be seen as an expression of gratitude.

Gratitude for the angelic messages, the visitations of shepherds, and the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

By pondering and treasuring these moments, this young Mary acknowledged the fullness of blessings bestowed upon her and expressed unyielding gratitude and obedience to God, for being chosen as a vessel for God’s redemptive plan.

Mary’s act of treasuring and pondering implies a greater personal and intimate connection with the divine.

It suggests that she did not merely witness these events passively but actively engaged with them on a spiritual and emotional level.

Her mother’s heart became a repository for the sacred moments that unfolded around the birth of her son.

Treasuring these things in her heart might have also served as that essential source of strength and guidance for Mary in the future when Calvary came.

As Jesus grew and matured and embarked on his earthly ministry, Mary’s reflections on the miraculous events surrounding his birth likely provided a foundation of faith and resilience for the toughest challenges that lay ahead.

She contemplated, she pondered, she treasured them all, which speaks of an inclusive nature to each event as part of a whole, both for her individually, for her family, for the nation of Israel, and for generations ahead and the world.

She did not reject any part of the message she didn’t like but received it all.

Further, she didn’t consider these things intellectually, as if she would one day write a long theological treatise or submit Doctoral dissertations on the events.

Mary acted like these wonderful events should impact the state of her heart, and others, and she valued these revelations where they mattered: in her heart.

How Do Jesus and the New Testament Teach Us the Importance of Our Hearts?

Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament consistently emphasize the importance of truth in the hearts of believers.

Jesus speaks of the types of people who are blessed at the beginning of the famous Sermon on the Mount, what we call the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Speaking of our whole heart, Jesus responds to the question, “What is the greatest commandment?” with the following answer: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

Mary didn’t simply acknowledge her heart but used her heart to focus on the truth of the events around her. We must address our hearts with truth.

In John 8:32, Jesus declares, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Here, truth is not merely a collection of facts but a transformative force that liberates individuals from the bondage of sin and ignorance.

The idea of know here is an intimacy, a oneness.

We must let truth deal with our hearts because the heart is the problem.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus links the condition of the heart to the words spoken:

“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts — murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”

Matthew 15:18-20 English Standard Version

18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

This underscores the importance of cultivating a truthful and righteous heart to produce words and actions aligned with God’s will.

Jesus used parables to deal with the importance of receiving the truth in our hearts.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus likens the good soil to those who hear the word of God and understand it.

This understanding is rooted in truth, emphasizing the necessity of truth in the receptive heart for spiritual growth.

Later in the New Testament, Paul writes the following about God’s love in the first letter to the Corinthians. “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

This highlights the inseparable connection between love and truth.

Genuine love is grounded in truth, and living truthfully is an expression of authentic love.

Where do we find God’s Truth? In His dynamic, living, powerful revealed Word.

How Can Christians Today Reveal Christ to the World?

Revealing Christ to the world through treasuring God’s Word and truth in our hearts is a powerful way for Christians to embody the teachings of Jesus and share the transformative impact of faith. What are some of these principles?

1. Live out biblical principles. 

Mary didn’t hear and say amen and then leave to do her own thing.

God’s Truth revealed through Christ Jesus is meant to be lived out daily.

Luke 9:23-24 English Standard Version

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

This includes demonstrating sacrificial love, compassion, humility, and justice in our daily interactions.

By aligning words and actions with those in our biblical teachings, we become true living testimonies of the revealed transformative power of God’s Word.

2. Integrity in character. Mary treasured it all.

This is integrity.

We can reveal Christ by exemplifying honesty, kindness, and ethical conduct in all aspects of life.

A character shaped by God’s Word becomes a beacon of light in a world often marked by moral ambiguity.

3. A heart for service. 

Mary submitted to the Word of God through the angel to serve God and others.

The teachings of Jesus emphasize service and selflessness.

We can reveal Christ by actively engaging in acts of kindness, generosity, and service to others.

This outward expression of love mirrors the selfless love modeled by Jesus and draws people to the transformative message of the Gospel.

4. Sharing the gospel. Mary received the Word in her heart but also in her womb, becoming a vessel for God to work through for salvation for others.

Treasuring God’s Word includes a commitment to sharing the Good News with others – Christians can reveal Christ by effectively communicating the message of salvation and the transformative power of a relationship with Jesus.

5. Being born again. Mary was the first embodiment of the incarnation.

God created a new life within her, and Jesus was both human and divine.

As both God and man, Jesus was the first of a new race of people, the born again, the new creation.

We cannot reveal Christ without the incarnation, God in our hearts.

We must rest in this new, divine nature he shares with us.

6. Responding to adversity with faith. 

For Mary, following the Word of God meant she would face adversity and difficulty, but she faced it with faith and trust.

The same is true for us.

We are promised difficulty by Jesus, but we are also promised we can overcome those difficulties with Christ (John 16:33).

He has overcome the world, and so will we if we continue with Him.

By facing adversity with faith, resilience, and trust in God’s promises, we reveal Christ’s sustaining presence even in difficult circumstances.

7. Cultivating a joyful spirit. 

After getting a confirmation of God’s power and word when meeting with Elizabeth, Mary sang a song blessing God for his redemption and salvation.

The joy that comes from treasuring God’s Word is infectious.

We can reveal Christ by cultivating a spirit of joy, gratitude, and contentment.

This joy becomes a dynamic living testimony to the transformative impact of God’s Word upon the ever fickle and finicky sin blasted human heart.

By embodying the teachings of Jesus and sharing the transformative power of God’s Word, believers become powerful agents of change and ambassadors of their Savior Christ in a world that desperately needs all the light of the gospel.

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 119:1-16 The Message

119 1-8 You’re blessed when you stay on course,
    walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions,
    doing your best to find him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;
    you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
    now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
    keeping to the course you set;
Then I’d never have any regrets
    in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
    I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I’m going to do what you tell me to do;
    don’t ever walk off and leave me.

* * *

9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?
    By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;
    don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.
I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart
    so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
    train me in your ways of wise living.
I’ll transfer to my lips
    all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
    than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
    I attentively watch how you’ve done it.
I relish everything you’ve told me of life,
    I won’t forget a word of it.

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

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

James 3:13-18 The Message

Live Well, Live Wisely

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

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

The Word of God for the Children of God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Says James,

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

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

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

James 1:5-8 The Message

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

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

Wait for God.

Anticipate God

Expect God.

Listen for God.

Hear God.

Be mindful of God.

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

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

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

True Wisdom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isaiah 66:1-2 English Standard Version

The Humble and Contrite in Spirit

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

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

“the meekness of wisdom.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

God’s Servant Depends on God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 24 New International Version

Psalm 24

Of David. A psalm.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John 16:31-33The Message

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

The Word of God for the Children of God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John 16:33 Amplified Bible

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We still have trials.

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

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

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

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

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

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

What tribulation faces you today?

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

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

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

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

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

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

This IS My Story: Blessed Assurance Jesus Is Mine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 Easy-to-Read Version

A miktam of David.

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

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

8 I always remember that the Lord is with me.[f]
    He is here, close by my side,
    so nothing can defeat me.
9 So my heart and soul will be very happy.
    Even my body will live in safety,
10 because you will not leave me in the place of death.
    You will not let your faithful one rot in the grave.
11 You will teach me the right way to live.
    Just being with you will bring complete happiness.
    Being at your right side will make me happy forever.

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

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Advent Reflection: “For Unto Us An Answer is Provided For Our Suffering World.” Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah 9:6-7 New King James Version

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

The Word of God for the Children of God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Psalm 23 New King James Version

The Lord the Shepherd of His People

A Psalm of David.

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

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

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

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

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

What Is the Answer for a Suffering World?

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

Isaiah 9:6-7 New Living Translation

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

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

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

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

Isaiah 9 verses 6 and 7 are one of them.

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

It will not happen all at once.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16 New Living Translation

Psalm 16

A psalm[a] of David.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Advent Reflection: To Make Room, to Truly Put Jesus First this Christmas. Luke 2:6-7

Luke 2:6-7 New King James Version

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.

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

Matthew 3:1-6 English Standard Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

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

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

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

The Word of God for the Children of God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Psalm 32 English Standard Version

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil[a] of David.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matthew 5:4 Amplified Bible

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let us Pray,

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

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

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Advent Prophet: if John the Baptist Called Out into the Gathered Crowds? Luke 3:1-14

Luke 3:1-14 New Living Translation

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

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.

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

Mark 1:1-8 New Living Translation

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

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

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

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

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

The Word of God for the Children of God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nehemiah 8:1-11 New King James Version

Ezra Reads and Explains the Law

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John 1:29-31 The Message

The God-Revealer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Read through the Bible in a Year

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

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

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

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

But where do you start?

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

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

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

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

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

2. Devote Your Year to Discerning God’s Wisdom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can do the same thing with Psalms.

There are 150 psalms.

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

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

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

3. Do Twelve 30-Day Challenges

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Deep Dive into a Topic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. Pick a Person and Start Your Own Bible Fellowship

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 New Living Translation

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

Proverbs 27:17 Amplified Bible

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

2 Timothy 2:14-18 English Standard Version

A Worker Approved by God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let us Pray,

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

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

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This Advent Reflection: About Being That Person With a Prophetic Vision of Our God In and Within Our Lives. Proverbs 29:18

Proverbs 29:18 Names of God Bible

18 Without prophetic vision people run wild,
    but blessed are those who follow God’s teachings.

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.

We serve a God of boundaries.

In God’s limitless capacity, endless creativity, and boundless existence God still chose to create boundaries which man cannot hope to pass. (Genesis 3:22-24)

Genesis 3:22-24 New King James Version

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Even so, God still had vision for what was good, right, pleasing, and perfect.

And as children made in His image, we are to live, think, and create as he does.

In this time of year leading up to Christmas marked by busyness and infinite distractions from seemingly infinite opportunities to be more like our God, it’s important now more than ever for us to create boundaries, establish priorities.

May we find our vision of God, find freedom and joy these days ahead as we receive His vision and set boundaries under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

About Being The Person Who Sees What God is Doing

Proverbs 29:18 The Message

18 If people can’t see what God is doing,
    they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
    they are most blessed.

The world we live in constantly bombards us with its attempts to define who we are and what we should do.

The internet and television are bombarded with advertisements hard selling all their products telling us why we fall short of expectations, sell us what we need.

Our jobs tell us how we should spend our time and find a sense of self-worth.

Our families and friends often define us by what we’ve done or said in the past.

And even our churches will sadly define us according to how we can best meet the needs of the worlds cultures rather than getting to know who God truly is.

TBTG, we serve ONE God who knows us even better than we know ourselves. 

Psalm 139:1-4 says, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.” 

And then later in Psalm 139 verse 16 David writes, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

Then as we try to plumb the depths of God’s words, we simply have no concept so, instead of trying to reach the ends of understanding, grasping God’s Words,

David concludes with blessed words which accept His humanities limitations –

Psalm 139:17-18 English Standard Version

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

From the foundation of the earth, God knew He would make us.

On the day we took our first breath He already had perfect, pleasing plans for us.

He has known our every thought and looked upon our every action with grace.

We could not be more known than we are right now by our heavenly Father.

And there could not possibly be anyone better, Shepherd us through the chaos, morass, of this life than God, the Father and God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Reading, envisioning those ancient words of Psalm 23, to be that person with healthy, life-giving, God first boundaries starts with being a person of vision.

And the only place to get true vision is from the only One who truly knows us.

God longs to be the true north on our compass.

The Word of God which stands as the only Global Positioning System we need.

Through His Words, He longs to give us honest insight into how He’s made us.

He longs to give us a prophetic vision of how He sees us and feels about us.

And in our receiving a prophetic revelation of who we are we will each be better equipped to envision God, follow his leadership into his perfect, pleasing will.

As we take the Word of God into the next week of Advent, proceed into this week of vision and boundaries by a fresh meeting with our heavenly Father in prayer.

From Alpha to Omega, Our God longs to help us see ourselves, this world, and vision opportunities before us, as He does that we might gain wisdom, insight.

We can choose to become more like God – become that person of Godly visions.

We can choose to pick our heads up and put on the lens of the Holy Spirit.

We can Ask God questions.

We can inquire of God about our vision of our life and our “God” opportunities.

In response God will provide the leadership we all need, exactly how we need it.

May we be overwhelmed by fresh revelation of how loved we are-just as we are.

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

Let us Pray,

1. Meditate on the simple truth that God truly knows you. 

Allow Scripture to lead you to a place of faith, trust, in God’s knowledge of you.

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.” Psalm 139:1-4

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”  Psalm 139:16

Psalm 139:17-18 Authorized (King James) Version

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!
how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand:
when I awake, I am still with thee.

2. Ask God to give you a revelation of how he sees you. Ask Him for a revelation of his nearness and love. Begin to talk to Him about any imperfections you have.

Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31

3. Ask God for a revelation of what God has called you to. 

Ask Him about your role in your family and His calling on your life as a spouse, child, parent or grandparent.

Ask Him for vision for your work, for your roles with your co-workers and even with that “connection” those “relationships” you have with your Supervisors.

Ask Him for vision for your relationship with His Son – Journal His responses.

God my Creator, God my Father, pray restrain me to your will and vision for my life. Father I will wait expectantly for your vision and the steps I should take according to your will. I will go forth in faith as I step because I surrender my will to you. Amen.

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

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