Christmas Joy! Christmas Characters! Joy of the Shepherds, Joy of the Angels We Have Heard on High. Luke 2:8-15

Luke 2:8-15 World English Bible

⁸There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. ⁹Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. ¹¹For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.” ¹³Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest,
on earth peace, good will toward men.”

¹⁵When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

As you and I have read these scriptures each year, have we ever seriously noticed how the characters in the Christmas story tend to respond to angels when they show up?

If we rewind to Luke 1:11-18, the angel came to Zacharias as he was going about his priestly duties in the temple and announced the pregnancy of Elizabeth, his wife who has long been barren of child and is beyond her child bearing years.

Zacharias was initially afraid, but then almost immediately settled back down to fulfill his responsibilities.

Then in response to the angelic announcement, he seemed to casually brush the announcement aside incredulously asking; “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” (verse 18)

It seems that the angel expected Zacharias to suddenly raise up, “jump for joy,” start running around the temple telling everyone, everywhere of his good news.

Zacharias expresses his disbelief with a loud “harrumph,” basically telling the angel to go back to where ever the angel came from and to “leave me alone!”

To which the angel replied – “because you have disbelieved, you will have no voice to speak to anyone until the time of your son’s birth. then you will sing!”

When his wife Elizabeth had given birth to their son, John – Zacharias had his voice restored and then indeed did sing his prophetic song …. Luke 1:67-79

If we rewind to Luke 1:30 when the angel Gabriel visits Mary, he tells her, “do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

Mary said, “so be it!”

Here, in Luke 2, we read that these rough tough shepherds are instantly “filled with fear” at the sight of an angel and are quickly told to “fear not…”

Angels play an important role throughout the entire birth narrative of Jesus.

An angel visits Zechariah to announce the coming of John, who would prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry (Luke 1:11-20).

An angel appears to Mary to announce the coming of Jesus, the Son of God (Luke 1:28-38).

An angel appears to Joseph in a dream, urging him to stay with Mary because she is carrying the baby Jesus, who will “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).

Then, when Jesus is actually born and an angel announces his birth, a crowd of angels appears, lighting up the night sky in the fields near Bethlehem.

“A great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God. . . .” This was no simple birth announcement—the Savior of the world had come!

“Angels We Have Heard On High” tells the story in a beautifully lyrical way.

And the refrain picks up the angels’ song, using the Latin phrase “Gloria in excelsis Deo,” which means “Glory to God in the highest.”

The angels could not contain their praise.

As we celebrate Christmas this season, we are reminded of God’s great love for us in the birth of Jesus.

Like the angels, we too have the opportunity to burst into praise. And let’s invite others to join us as we give glory to God, for the Savior has come!

With all of these angelic proclamations of “Good News!” and “Great Joy!”

This should just maybe make us wonder why they were initially frightened?

Maybe viewing angels as cute, cuddly versions of cupid is completely wrong.

If we scan the the scope of scripture, it appears that whenever angels showed up on the scene they were on a mission to bring a message from God; quite often to announce, that is “open wide the can” of the good news of God’s judgement.

Some type of serious destruction often followed their arrival.

Luke writes that as this angel is sharing the news of Jesus’ birth with the shepherds, that suddenly, a “multitude of the heavenly host appears.”

For some reason, this multitude is often displayed as a white robed angelic choir, sometimes with song books in hand.

Ironically, the word “host” gives a radically different picture

https://www.blueletterbible.org/web/luk/2/13/t_conc_975013

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— it’s translated from the Greek word stratia, and literally means a military encampment or a band of soldiers.

This was not a choir of cupids but an angelic army straight from heaven.

God had sent His army to announce that the Messiah had arrived and the rescue mission for humanity had begun.

This army had no intention of dethroning an arrogant Caesar in Rome or removing a corrupt High Priest in Jerusalem.

They weren’t about to wipe out the Roman army or restore Israel as a world power.

They had arrived to announce “a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger”— an undeniably unexpected way for God’s rescue mission to begin.

Why do you think God sent an angelic army to announce the birth of Jesus?

The good news this angelic choir delivered was for ALL humanity.

For God loved the whole world so much that His gave His only begotten Son into the world, not to condemn but to be the ONE sacrifice for the sin of the world –

Not Judgment!

Not Condemnation!

But unconditional, undeserved LOVE so that everyone in the world who would believe on Him would not remain at enmity with God, but would be forgiven of their sin, regain fellowship with God, the Father and receive life everlasting.

This message of goodwill to all men, is particularly remembered when we celebrate the birth of Immanuel – God with us, God within us – recalling the beautiful story of a young virgin, her espoused husband, entrusted with the upbringing of God’s only begotten Son – Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

But the true message that was shared on that ordinary Bethlehem hillside, was that these extraordinary good tidings which spoke of joy to mankind, peace on earth were for a particular group of people – the Shepherds – men of good will!

The good tidings of great joy and lasting peace about which the angels sang, were for MEN OF GOODWILL.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men – the MEN, with whom God is pleased. Peace on earth to people who enjoy God’s favour.”

We read that on earth there will be peace… among men of goodwill.

God has promised peace to men with whom the Lord is well-pleased – those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ.

Although the gospel message these angels shared continues to be available to ALL men, only those that enjoy goodwill before the Lord, by believing on the infant Immanuel, the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, and trusting in the name of the only begotten Son of God for the forgiveness of sins, will enjoy the peace on earth that this heavenly choir proclaimed.

Only they will discover the joy of the Lord in their hearts and peace with God in their lives.

Although the message of salvation was for all people –

the Messiah had to be Jewish.

He had to be the Son of God, born of a Jewish virgin, in the little town of Bethlehem, as a descendent of David and Abraham.

He had to fulfil these and numerous other prophecies to fulfil Scripture, and thus He became qualified in two distinct areas

1) as Messiah of Israel and

2) Saviour of the world.

Christ came to fulfil both the Law and the prophets and not one prophetic scripture relating to Christ’s first advent was broken – and every prophecy relating to His second coming will likewise be fulfilled, to the glory of God.

Although this extraordinary good news which was delivered by the army of angels is open to ALL who will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ – nowhere in Scripture is it specifically taught that peace on earth is “for all men.”

Peace with God and the favour of God comes by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.

Peace WITH God is received when one is justified by faith.

The peace OF God within and peace ON earth, during Christ’s millennial reign, is only given to – men of goodwill.

Only those that trust in the name of the only begotten Son of the Father are identified in this verse as, “men of goodwill.”

John 14:19-31World English Bible

¹⁹Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. ²⁰In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹One who has my commandments and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.”

²²Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, what has happened that you are about to reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?”

²³Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. ²⁴He who does not love me does not keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine, but the Father’s who sent me. ²⁵I have said these things to you while still living with you. ²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. ²⁸You heard how I told you, ‘I go away, and I come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I said ‘I am going to my Father;’ for the Father is greater than I. ²⁹Now I have told you before it happens so that when it happens, you may believe. ³⁰I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world comes, and he has nothing in me. ³¹But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let’s go from here.

Come, and let us arise and join with Jesus, the author, perfecter of our faith!

Come, let us join our voices and our lives with that angelic army, with that angelic chorus, and hearken unto souls that are dead in their sins the truth.

Let us hearken unto the song of the angels, tell all who are at enmity with God,

the extraordinary good news of the gospel of grace – that Christ died for their sins, and rose again.. so that ALL who believe on Him would not perish, but receive peace with God and will be granted the peace of God in their heart.

Only those who have been saved by grace, will be among the joyful congregation witnessing the glory of the coming of our Prince of Peace, when He finally comes to set up His everlasting Kingdom – when true peace on earth will be governed in righteousness, Jesus is crowned King of kings and Lord of lords.

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

Let us Pray,

Heavenly Father, Giver of every good and perfect gift. Thank you for Immanuel, thy Son! Thank you for the Host of Angels with their message of the coming good news. Let us hearken unto their song of peace to those for whom You have found favor. Thank You for the revelation of your Son to your biblical servants, and their ancient responses which have set the best example of faithfulness for all generations to come.

Thank You that I have peace with God, and as Your born-again child, that I have received Your goodwill and grace, not only in this age but in the ages to come. Thank You that because I am positioned in Christ and clothed in His righteousness, I am identified with Him, have found favour in Your sight, and the peace of God in my heart. I know that without Jesus there is nothing I could have done to warrant peace with You, for I acknowledge that I am a sinner, deserving of death – but glory to God in the highest, that peace has been granted to men with whom You are pleased.

Beloved Immanuel, beloved God with us and within us, Dear Jesus, may we celebrate your birth by rejoicing and joining voices with others in singing your praise. Amen.

Praise Your holy name that both peace with God and the peace of God, is available to who place their faith in the only begotten Son of God, in Whose name I pray, AMEN.

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How Am I Living Out all of my Joy in My Lord? Ordinary Shepherds being made Extraordinary Missionaries. Seeing all of our God’s Extraordinary Inclusiveness. Luke 2:15-20

Luke 2:15-20World English Bible

¹⁵When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough. ¹⁷When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. ¹⁸All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. ¹⁹But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

David, the king who had led the nation of Israel to greatness a thousand years earlier, spent much of his boyhood as a shepherd in the outlying fields around Bethlehem.

While he was leading his father’s flocks into hills and valleys, he witnessed firsthand how a shepherd’s care is a fitting picture of God’s care for his people.

He summarized with imagery in a song he wrote, saying, “The Lord is my shepherd . . .” (Psalm 23:1).

Ten centuries after David, other shepherds were in those outlying fields outside Bethlehem, and one night they were met by a chorus of magnificent angels!

One of the angels spoke of a baby, born in the town of David, a child who was Christ the Lord.

The other angels, with voices that exploded into the night, cried out: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

God had found favor with these Shepherds. God was still shepherding his people! And now God would begin doing that through these Shepherds and a newly born baby lying in a manger who would become a Savior of His People.

Later, after seeing the child, the shepherds at Bethlehem became the Lord’s first missionaries, declaring, spreading the word about all that had happened.

God sent to the citizens of Bethlehem, simple shepherds—people trained in the not so glamorous art of tending clueless, helpless animals, not so glamorous art of defending and protecting those clueless helpless animals against predators, and thieves whose intent is clearly to cause great discomfort and harm.

With this new found purpose, the Shepherds rose up from the ground and with a newfound determination and passion and God given, God driven plan for life.

Perhaps they were inspired, pushed by God into finally believing in themselves.

Being pushed by God to finally believing they could move beyond the ordinary;

With a new found confidence in themselves, with the strength of God in them;

Perhaps they remembered the most timely words of their ancestor King David:

Psalm 18:31-35World English Bible

³¹For who is God, except Yahweh?
    Who is a rock, besides our God,
³²    the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
³³He makes my feet like deer’s feet,
    and sets me on my high places.
³⁴He teaches my hands to war,
    so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵You have also given me the shield of your salvation.
    Your right hand sustains me.
    Your gentleness has made me great.

Psalm 144World English Bible

By David.

144 Blessed be Yahweh, my rock,
    who teaches my hands to war,
    and my fingers to battle:
²my loving kindness, my fortress,
    my high tower, my deliverer,
    my shield, and he in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues my people under me.
³Yahweh, what is man, that you care for him?
    Or the son of man, that you think of him?
⁴Man is like a breath.
    His days are like a shadow that passes away.
⁵Part your heavens, Yahweh, and come down.
    Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.
⁶Throw out lightning, and scatter them.
    Send out your arrows, and rout them.
⁷Stretch out your hand from above,
    rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters,
    out of the hands of foreigners,
⁸    whose mouths speak deceit,
    whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
⁹I will sing a new song to you, God.
    On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you.
¹⁰You are he who gives salvation to kings,
    who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword.
¹¹Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hands of foreigners,
    whose mouths speak deceit,
    whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

¹²Then our sons will be like well-nurtured plants,
    our daughters like pillars carved to adorn a palace.
¹³Our barns are full, filled with all kinds of provision.
    Our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields.
¹⁴Our oxen will pull heavy loads.
    There is no breaking in, and no going away,
    and no outcry in our streets.
¹⁵Happy are the people who are in such a situation.
    Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.

Lowly ordinary shepherds of Bethlehem, mightily, extraordinarily stirred up by God began to stir up their latent much suppressed curiosity, their hearts, souls and vocal cords to now announce the arrival of the Good Shepherd from heaven.

Whenever we read the story of Jesus’ birth or attend a church Christmas play, we expect the shepherds to play a prominent role.

Every nativity scene includes a cute “little angel” and “gentle shepherds.”

They are just an ordinary, traditional part of the seasonal Nativity package.

We may easily embrace shepherds as key characters in the story, but a Jewish person 2000 years ago would have found this echelons beyond incredulous.

For the birth of the Messiah, surely God would invite kings or chief priests, political influencers, scribes or religious insiders, but never shepherds.

God would not “stoop so fully, and completely, utterly low,” invite shepherds.

Shepherds were social outcasts.

They were poor, uneducated, uncultured, filthy in their hygiene and uncouth.

They were rough characters in a small town on the furthest fringes of society, so much so their testimony was not even admissible in court.

If you were with your family, walking through town, and took even minimal notice of you would very likely go to the other side of the street to avoid them.

Shepherds were religious outsiders.

Because of the incredibly disagreeable work of caring for the sheep made them ceremonially unclean, they were just not allowed into the temple courts or the temple community, no expectation to be an active part of synagogue worship.

Religious leaders often considered them on the same level as prostitutes.

When it came to religion, they were always kept on the outside looking in.

Into this most disagreeable scene of exclusion, God has just invited a group of guys who had been labeled as outcasts and outsiders by everyone, and placed them at the tip top of the invite list for the most important birthday in history.

This early in Luke’s Gospel Narrative, this introduces our ordinary existence to an extraordinary theme we will see continue throughout the story of Jesus’ life:

An extraordinary theme we should know today as extraordinary inclusiveness.

Jesus dines with and hangs out with religious outsiders, social outcasts, and “sinners” so much that He is accused of being a glutton and a drunkard.
Jesus casually crosses across the path of the much hated tax collectors, to offer them something extraordinary, which no one had previously dared: Salvation!
Jesus heals a man with leprosy—considered contagious and religiously unclean— by touching him. Most people would have avoided lepers altogether.
Jesus “crosses borders” previously, traditionally, left uncrossed, intentionally, directly, decisively walking His disciples into “no man’s land” – into Samaria.
Jesus chooses an inner circle of followers that includes uneducated fishermen, a former tax collector who has sold out countrymen, a zealot who wants to kill the Romans, and even a former prostitute.
Jesus consistently looks beyond hindrances, the shouts of the gathered crowds to see those who would otherwise not be recognized, to their needs for God.
Jesus sees those whom we would ordinarily push away, not associate with.
Jesus consistently seeks out all those who are considered social outcasts and religious outsiders and invites them all to be at the very center of His ministry.

Those who have been relegated to the outside, excluded for one rationale or reason, are not only focus of His rescue mission—they become its leaders.

The shepherds had nothing to offer Jesus.

They were not religiously trained or socially polished.

Unlike the wise men who would arrive later, they did not have exquisite gifts.

These guys lived under the stars with only the clothes on their backs, a staff to guide the sheep to still waters and meadows for food, and a rod for protection.

They had nothing of ordinary value to bring to Jesus except for themselves.

That’s exactly what He wanted, and what He still wants today.

Who are “shepherds” in your community— social outcasts and religious outsiders?

Do you believe God can use them to impact your community, point people to Him?

Can God use your “ordinary” to invite them to extraordinarily join Him in mission?

Bringing the light of God’s extraordinary inclusiveness into the not so extraordinary darkness of man’s exclusiveness – creating extraordinarily extraordinary disciples?

Edifying the Kingdom of God – that His Kingdom is the ONLY one being Revealed?

Imagine all the extraordinary “GOD” possibilities which await us ordinary people!

All of those God sized possibilities for all other “ordinaries” just made available!

Are we too, tired of our ordinary?

Are we, too, tired of the extraordinary finding another reason to pass us by?

Seeking something or someone who is a wee bit more extraordinary?

Seeking an awareness of a glory infinitely more purposeful than our own?

This close to Christmas, feeling strangely warmed by a baby in a dirty trough?

Stirred, to engage in the extraordinarily extraordinary works of the Lord God?

The Word of God for even the most extraordinarily ordinary among us says;

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 16World English Bible

A Poem by David.

16 Preserve me, God, for I take refuge in you.
²My soul, you have said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord.
Apart from you I have no good thing.”
³As for the saints who are in the earth,
they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight.

⁴Their sorrows shall be multiplied who give gifts to another god.
    Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
    nor take their names on my lips.
⁵Yahweh assigned my portion and my cup.
    You made my lot secure.

⁶The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.
    Yes, I have a good inheritance.
⁷I will bless Yahweh, who has given me counsel.
    Yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.
⁸I have set Yahweh always before me.
    Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices.
    My body shall also dwell in safety.
¹⁰For you will not leave my soul in Sheol,^[a]
    neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.
¹¹You will show me the path of life.
    In your presence is fullness of joy.
In your right hand there are pleasures forever more.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen!

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What Ordinary Joy is there left for us in our Extraordinarily Extraordinary God? Ode to Joy? Where Exactly is all of our Extraordinarily Extraordinary Joy in our One Extraordinarily Extraordinary God? Luke 2:15-20.

Luke 2:15-20Authorized (King James) Version

¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. ¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. ¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Two words which best describes the actual day before, the true day of, and the beginning of the night infant Lord Jesus was born – extraordinarily ordinary.

The sky was extraordinarily ordinary.

An occasional, ordinary gust of stirred the leaves and chilled the air.

The stars were sparkling like diamonds sparkling on ordinary black velvet.

Fleets of ordinary clouds floated in front of the moon.

It was a beautiful night – a night worth peeking out of your bedroom window to admire – but not necessarily an unusual or an extraordinary one as it all began.

No reason for anyone to expect an extraordinary surprise.

Nothing out of the ordinary as this night began designed to keep you awake.

An ordinary night with an ordinary sky.

The sheep were ordinary too.

Some fat.

Some scrawny.

Some with barrel bellies.

Some with twig legs.

Common everyday ordinary animals probably owned by ordinary people.

No fleece made of gold.

No history makers.

No blue-ribbon winners.

They were simply ordinary sheep – sleeping silhouettes on an ordinary hillside.

And the shepherds?

Ordinary peasants they were.

Ancestors of today’s Bedouin.

Wearing all the ordinary clothes they ordinarily owned.

Ordinarily smelling like the ordinary sheep and looking just as woolly.

True they were conscientious, and hardy as well, to spend every night outside guarding their ordinary flocks.

But you won’t ordinarily find their staffs in a museum.

You won’t ordinarily find their writings in a library.

No one asked for their extraordinary opinion on social justice or meaning of the Torah – after all – they were exactly this: anonymous, simple, ordinary people.

An ordinary night with ordinary sheep and ordinary shepherds.

And were it not for the extraordinary God who delights in transforming the ordinary, the night would have ordinarily gone unnoticed and unrecorded.

No breaking news event expected here for the first Jerusalem Press- the sheep would have been forgotten, the shepherds would have slept the night away.

Except an extraordinary God, lost in the ordinary, dances amidst the common.

The black star lit sky suddenly exploded with an extraordinary brightness.

Ordinary rocks and trees previously hidden in shadow jumped into clarity.

Sheep that had just a few moments before been ordinary and silent became a extraordinary chorus of extraordinary curiosity.

One minute, these ordinary shepherds were fast asleep, the next they were rubbing their eyes, staring into the face of an extraordinary angel of the Lord.

This ordinary night was ordinary no more.

It was indescribably extraordinary ….

The angels came in the night because that is when light is best seen and when light is most needed.

An extraordinary God transforms the ordinary for the same reason.

That’s also probably why the announcement came first to the shepherds.

They did not ask God if he was sure he knew what he was doing.

Had the angel first gone to the scribes, the leading theologians of the times, they’d have first run headlong into committee consulted their commentaries.

Had the shepherds first gone to their local politicians, they would have looked around to see if anyone was watching, finding none – gone back to “so what?”

Had he gone to the influential and powerful they’d have checked their sundials.

So?

Guess what?

Our extraordinary God went straight to the ordinary fields, ordinary shepherds.

People whose testimony ordinarily did not count in a law court.

People who did not have a reputation to protect, or an ax to grind, or a ladder to climb, or an opinion to express, or a sword to swing.

Three simple observations we can make from this story.

Three observations about how the Lord brought glory to the ordinary, when he brought heaven to earth.

Three ordinary observations about how the extraordinary Lord ordinarily longs to work in and through an extraordinarily ordinary you and extraordinarily me.

1. The Shepherds Searched for Jesus

“the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby.” (Luke 2:15-16)

The shepherds were probably several miles away from Bethlehem in the Judean wilderness.

Their ordinary curiosity was extraordinarily peaked – they obeyed the angel.

They went looking for the infant Jesus, in the dark, leaving their flocks behind.

The word ‘found’ in verse 16 means ‘found after a search’.

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It must have taken some considerable time to find Mary and Joseph and the baby.

They searched and they searched and searched until they finally found Jesus.

They heard the Word of God and they obeyed.

They wanted to see whether what they had been told was true.

It took an extraordinary amount of time and effort to find Jesus, but boy was the extraordinary effort they made ever much worth it for generations of believers.

In this respect, the ordinary shepherds are extraordinary role models.

Let me ask, have you (lately) extraordinarily searched for Jesus – personally?

Let me ask, How extraordinarily desperate are you to extraordinarily find Him, to extraordinarily know Him, and to be with Him extraordinarily?

Jesus said,

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3).

It is extraordinarily important that we search the scriptures for ourselves.

The three most extraordinarily important questions we will ever ask are these:

1. Who is Jesus?

2. Why did Jesus come?

3. What does it mean to follow him?

A secondhand faith based on what our parents or family believe will not be strong enough to withstand the storms of life.

A secondhand faith will not ordinarily save us.

We must each develop extraordinarily deep personal convictions based on the historical facts. Based on the extraordinary eyewitness testimony of those who first encountered Jesus. They extraordinarily searched for Jesus. We must too.

The Shepherds Shared News of Jesus

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” (Luke 2:17-18)

Perhaps because they had no fixed address, like Bedouin today, shepherds could not testify in court.

How extraordinarily Ironic therefore that God choose these shepherds to be the first human witnesses to tell others that prophecy had been fulfilled, that God’s extraordinary angels had appeared and that the Messiah had finally been born.

And they didn’t need to go on an evangelism course first.

Their extraordinary testimony was extraordinarily spontaneous.

The ordinary shepherds spoke from the heart and their extraordinary words extraordinarily connected with generations of the deepest needs of others.

When you hear extraordinarily exciting news, it’s hard not to share it isn’t it?

You don’t think about your ordinary self or the ordinary words to say – you are simply consumed by the extraordinarily good news and you cannot keep it in.

When a baby is born in the family, you can’t stop talking about your child or grandchild, you can’t resist pulling out the photos, can you?

It brings an extraordinary smile to your face, a skip to your walk, and you find your ordinary self sharing with anyone, even strangers, who will stop to listen.

The more extraordinarily exciting, the more extraordinarily amazing the news, the greater the extraordinary eagerness to extraordinarily share.

The gospel is the greatest news on earth.

If we ordinarily feel reluctant or embarrassed to share it, perhaps we have not really understood what “extraordinary” Jesus has extraordinarily done for us.

The more extraordinary time we spend with Jesus the more extraordinarily infectious we become.

We are His extraordinarily extraordinary ordinary witnesses exactly right now!

These ordinary shepherds extraordinarily searched for our extraordinary Jesus.

After an extraordinary discovery – The shepherds shared news of Jesus.

And ….

The ordinary Shepherds extraordinarily Praised God because of Jesus

“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” (Luke 2:20)

Worship is simply our high praising our extraordinarily extraordinary God for exactly who he is and our giving our extraordinary thanks for what he has done.

That is why worship and evangelism flow from the same heart attitude.

The more we extraordinarily understand what our extraordinary God in Jesus has extraordinarily done for us, the more we will praise him and thank him.

Perhaps that is why some of the most extraordinarily beautiful and memorable Christian hymns are actually Christmas Carols.

Perhaps that is why at this time of year they are even extraordinarily played on TV and radio stations, in shopping centers, even in elevators and Dental offices.

If our ordinary hearts have been extraordinarily warmed in the fire of God’s love, how can we not extraordinarily sing in spontaneous thanks and praise?

The ordinary shepherds extraordinarily searched for an extraordinary Jesus.

And extraordinarily, when they found Jesus, the shepherds extraordinarily praised God for Jesus and shared the news of Jesus with all who would listen, “and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them”.

Maybe you feel rather ordinary yourself today.

Behind the ordinary festivities, maybe you secretly feel rather self conscious, insecure, unsure how you would respond to such a visitation from angels.

Then remember our extraordinarily extraordinary God delights in the ordinary.

Today, a small unassuming church building marks the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem.

It is the oldest church in the world.

Underneath the altar is a cave, a little cavern lit by silver lamps.

Crusader crosses are etched into the marble pillars, witness to countless generations of ordinary “shepherds” and ordinary pilgrims.

Unlike many of our Cathedrals, you can freely enter the building and admire this ancient church.

You can even step down into the quiet cave where a star embedded in the floor denotes the place where the Savior of the world was probably born.

But there is one condition, one requirement, one stipulation.

You have to stoop.

The entrance to the church is so low only a child can enter standing up.

A most profound an extraordinary parable.

To view the place where Christ was born, we must humble ourselves.

We must bow to enter his presence.

On our ordinary TV screens and in our ordinary newspapers, we see the world standing tall, ordinarily the taller, ordinarily the more impressive, but to bear witness to our extraordinarily extraordinary Savior, you get on your knees.

On your ordinary knees.

So… While the ordinary theologians were ordinarily sleeping,

While the ordinary elite were dreaming and while the successful were snoring, the extraordinarily extraordinary ordinary meek were ordinarily kneeling.

They were ordinarily kneeling before the extraordinarily extraordinary One only the extraordinarily, extraordinary, ordinarily meek will ever truly see.

Extraordinarily, ordinary shepherds were extraordinarily kneeling before Jesus.

They were the first to worship and they were the first to share the good news.

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them… glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:17-18, 20)

May our extraordinary God extraordinarily bless you and may the extraordinary infant, Emmanuel, God extraordinarily with us, extraordinarily keep all of you.

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

Let us Pray,

An Ode to Extraordinary Joy ….

Psalm 150

¹Praise ye the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary:
praise him in the firmament of his power.
²Praise him for his mighty acts:
praise him according to his excellent greatness.
³Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:
praise him with the psaltery and harp.
⁴Praise him with the timbrel and dance:
praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
⁵Praise him upon the loud cymbals:
praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
⁶Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.

Praise ye the Lord.

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Advent Week Two: What Joy in the Lord? I will Recall the Works of Our Lord, all the Power of God’s Miracles. Psalm 77

Psalm 77English Standard Version

In the Day of Trouble I Seek the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

77 I cry aloud to God,
    aloud to God, and he will hear me.
²In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
    in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
    my soul refuses to be comforted.
³When I remember God, I moan;
    when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

⁴You hold my eyelids open;
    I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
⁵I consider the days of old,
    the years long ago.
⁶I said,^[a] “Let me remember my song in the night;
    let me meditate in my heart.”
    Then my spirit made a diligent search:
⁷“Will the Lord spurn forever,
    and never again be favorable?
⁸Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
    Are his promises at an end for all time?
⁹Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

¹⁰Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”^[b]

¹¹I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
¹²I will ponder all your work,
    and meditate on your mighty deeds.
¹³Your way, O God, is holy.
    What god is great like our God?
¹⁴You are the God who works wonders;
    you have made known your might among the peoples.
¹⁵You with your arm redeemed your people,
    the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

¹⁶When the waters saw you, O God,
    when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
    indeed, the deep trembled.
¹⁷The clouds poured out water;
    the skies gave forth thunder;
    your arrows flashed on every side.
¹⁸The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
    your lightnings lighted up the world;
    the earth trembled and shook.
¹⁹Your way was through the sea,
    your path through the great waters;
    yet your footprints were unseen.^[c]
²⁰You led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

A Psalm of Asaph ….

Reckoning with God what was weighing so heavily on his heart, upon his soul.

The passage of time stretched out like an unending journey.

Light had vanished and left me afraid.

Prayers went unanswered, and I cried out for the Lord to do something, but every day I faced the same struggles.

My heart felt frozen, my mind numb, I went through the motions of my daily tasks. I doubted God’s presence in my life and accused him of ignoring me.”

At times it can feel like we have been sidelined.

We pray for healing in our bodies or relationships, and things get worse and worse, we wonder to ourselves when it will finally be our turn for a miracle.

We cry and plead, but God seems silent.

The agony of silence gives way to an outburst of anger or disappointment.

Psalm 77 helps us to reckon our negative thoughts with God’s Truth, helps us to express our utter frustration, but also points our hearts toward God’s goodness.

Everyone faces days of trouble because trouble is part of our world.

It serves several purposes.

It’s an opportunity for our spiritual roots to go deeper as we choose to trust God with the unknowns that lie before us.

The thing with troubles is that we do not have any kind of guaranteed outcome, and we like positive outcomes we can all count on, in the end, the victory is all ours, but when the beginning seems long ago, the middle can seem unending.

What do we do when the middle seems long and victory far off?

Losing seems ever more imminent and retreat the only real way forward.

We remember that our miracle unfolds day by day and we turn to the past to propel us forward.

Sometimes we can’t see God clearly in our own lives, but that’s when we can turn to the Bible for ancient words of encouragement, hope, undeniable joy.

We find encouragement as we trace God’s faithful heart and his miraculous deeds throughout the Old and New Testaments.

When we remember how he parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, we can look for how he made a way in our lives too.

Our parting of seas might look like the strength to walk into any doctor’s office, unsure and uncertain and wholly afraid of the “news” we are about to receive.

It’s this maxed reliance on the ancient Words of God for the very next step that reveals so much more of the unfolding miracle he does in our day-to-day lives.

Luke 2:25-35New Living Translation

The Prophecy of Simeon

²⁵At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him ²⁶and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, ²⁸Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

²⁹“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
    as you have promised.
³⁰I have seen your salvation,
³¹    which you have prepared for all people.
³²He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
    and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

³³Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. ³⁵As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

Our hearts grow stronger when we remember aged and devout Simeon who was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel.

The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

How long had he been waiting and wondering for the miracle to take place in his life – that God would actually remember his name, remember His promise?

How consumed was Simeon with the thoughts that he would live long enough to see the Messiah but not be living long enough to see actual Messiah crowned?

How had he lived his life differently or the same trusting God would bless him above all others with hope, a miracle of blessed assurance, spiritual comfort?

Who was Simeon before the Holy Spirit came upon him – a despondent but too devout man like Asaph who had long desired for the Lord to make a difference?

His journey to this spiritual healing lasted years and cost him a place in society,

No one could help him wait.

His way was probably darkened with great discouragement.

Yet the infant Jesus was brought to the temple for ritual purification by his mom and dad, Simeon, convinced that a single touch of Jesus’ young body would heal him of his despondency and his impatience, perhaps failing faith.

His staunch persistence led to his miracle healing.

Simeon’s example of his steadfast trust in his God’s promise gives us courage to persist, helps us see where we stayed the course, even though we felt defeated.

Our persistence is part of the anticipated joy of our miracle of waiting for Jesus.

We may find ourselves in situations that seem as impassable as a wide sea.

There’s no way around it, and our despondency, defeat, grow ever closer.

We can surrender, or we can keep searching for a way through, trusting the ancient prophesies of God will miraculously come true, be with us, thru it all.

That’s just as much of a miracle as the seas parting and our despondency and defeat disappearing from taking center stage at the forefront of our thoughts.

The miracle of Immanuel, God with us!

The miracle of Immanuel, God within us!

The miracle of Immanuel, God goes with us.

He is our strength and companion for the troubled waters ahead.

For more years than I care to confess to (thirty) God carried me through that time when I felt discouraged and abandoned by him all those 20+ years ago.

There was very little hope of anything significant happening in my life. My joy was my pride in my ability to remain off the grid, all alone in my despondency.

Like Simeon, I somehow persisted in seeking him. And the miracle was a slow unfolding of grace as he met me, drew me closer to him, and renewed my heart.

Maybe, like the Psalmist Asaph, like I did, you are feeling this spiritual trough.

Intersecting Faith and Life:

If you find yourself in a situation where you feel like you’re in deep trouble and God seems far off, continue to call on him and remember what he has done.

When you couple that spiritual trough with an intentional time of remembering what he has done with you crying out to him, you might learn God strengthened your faith so that you too can see your miracle unfold as he carries you through.

Big splashy miracles are exciting testimonies of God’s power. Quiet miracles that unfold slowly are enduring testimonies of God’s glory revealed in you.

Right now, in this exact and God exacting moment, we are the sum total of all the practically unnoticed mini – miracles which God has performed in our lives.

Mini-Miracles!

Mini -Miracles …. which I agree wholeheartedly strikes me as oxymoronic.

Miracles, after all, are defined as acts of God, amazing and marvelous events, and “seals of a divine mission” (Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary).

Generally speaking, there’s nothing small about them.

What I’m talking about then, are instances of heavenly intervention in the lives of believers impacting what we would consider “minor” areas of our existence,

the things that cause us to make statements like: “It showed me that God cares about even the minutest things in our lives,” always as if that’s a profoundly shocking proclamation.

Those passing moments None of us ever responds to by saying, “Well, duh…”

I believe it’s because it never stops being a mind-blowing concept – the Creator of the universe, who hears every single one of the prayers, praises of billions simultaneously and loves each one the same, provided, perhaps, just the right amount of money for a struggling single mom to buy her child a pair of shoes.

It’s not the ancient grand parting of the Red Sea to preserve for Himself a people, or the resurrection of His son to purchase the redemption of humanity.

It’s, for lack of a better term, nearly imperceptible moment – a mini-miracle!

Which almost certainly finds its ancient roots in scripture written thousands of years ago – ancient truths, revealed to ancient writers, affecting ancient lives!

Mark 6:30-44New Living Translation

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

³⁰The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. ³¹Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

³²So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. ³³But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. ³⁴Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

³⁵Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. ³⁶Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.”

³⁷But Jesus said, “You feed them.”

“With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money^[a] to buy food for all these people!”

³⁸“How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.”

They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”

³⁹Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred.

⁴¹Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. ⁴²They all ate as much as they wanted, ⁴³and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. ⁴⁴A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed.^[b]

I remember one time in our Adult Bible Fellowship class I stepped in to teach our continuing series in Mark’s gospel.

We were in Chapter Six, focusing primarily on the Feeding of the 5,000.

As I began my carefully crafted, well thought out, well researched lesson, I had admit that I had never quite been able to visualize this scene, or to understand exactly what the miracle was meant to reveal to me 2 thousands of years after.

I mean, there is the lesson of provision, but the human body can go without food for quite some time.

Jesus Himself fasted in the wilderness for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-4).

So it’s not like life and death were hanging in the balance if all of those people who had followed Him to this “desolate place” went without dinner that night.

It could be, as I suggested, Jesus just didn’t want the people to go away – He had just suffered the death of His cousin John the Baptist, and recently endured the “prophesized unbelief” (Mark 6:6) of those from His hometown of Nazareth.

It could be, I mentioned, Jesus took great, immense delight in this multitude foregoing their bodily needs to attend to His every wisdom and every Word.

It very well could be our Lord simply wanted to do something “just for them.”

Maybe, I said, that’s why I said I always tended to overlook significance this miracle hidden in these short few verses of Mark’s Gospel a little bit too much.

“You know how sometimes when God does something that you know was ‘just exclusively for you,’ and you tell someone else about it, and they’re like, ‘That’s cool and all,’ but it just does not carry the same weight or meaning for them?”

I knew exactly what that was like, and the class liked where I was going. I could sense an even greater personalization in mini-miracles, in God drawing delight from blessing our socks off in ways that speak to our individual hearts.

The idea also gave me greater permission to attribute to the Lord all sorts of mini-transpiring’s I had always chalked up to my own efforts, happenstance, or even worse, brushed them off, “gone, completely “so what”” without noticing.

Today, I write this devotion and I wonder how many mini-miracles I’ve missed out praising and thanking the Lord for by being impatient, or plain inattentive.

Count on your own fingers and count on your toes, count on all your neighbors fingers and toes at exactly how many of those “mini-miracles” “imperceptible works of the Lord our God” have passed by you – how many miracles missed?

Romans 1:19-22 New Living Translation

¹⁹They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

²¹Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. ²²Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.

Moses told those worshipping the golden calf: “Your problem is not that God is not fulfilling, your problem is that you are spoiled”

Romans 1:19-22 would seem to indicate that the Lord’s hand is always evident everywhere – “all people can clearly see all His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So, ergo, they have no excuse for not knowing God”

I like these verses very much, because, when it comes right down to it I like to see of myself as being constantly on the lookout for the smallest works of God.

But that brings me to the other ways to miss miracles – by not accepting them, anticipating or expecting them, by resenting them, or wanting to earn them.

“I love to give to charity, but I don’t want to be charity. This is why I have so much trouble with grace.”

Can we get past the affront of accepting a free gift?

If we can, we might see the Lord trying to say through the Feeding of the 5,000 and even today, “Here I Am, stay here, spend more time, no need to go away, please accept this, put yourself in My hands, keep your eyes open, I will feed and love you.”

After all, says Matthew 7:11,

“If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him?”

Mini-miracles are the “good gifts” “baskets of bread crumb” treats God brings home to His beloved Children, those who will and do seek him with a childlike faith, those who consider themselves “the little ‘mini miracle’ things in life.”

Well, duh…

Today, try bringing some ‘mini-miracle’ something or other home to a loved one, remind yourself, them, how much indescribable joy God gets from giving.

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

Let us Pray,

O Lord my God, Mighty in Power, Mighty in Word and in Deed. You say that I should have unshakeable faith in You so that I will be upheld. I believe I do, Mighty Lord. I place all my faith in You. You strengthen me. Your holy force keeps my spirit alive and burning fiercely for You. I know that with You I can overcome anything. Thank You for remaining faithful to Your chosen people. Thank You for guiding me in my life and helping me to become a vessel for Your will. I pray that I continue to put my faith and trust in You because You know all things. You know what the hearts of Your people need, and I know You will help me through whatever this life brings. Amen.

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Advent Week Two: What Joy in the Lord? Mary’s Response to Joy – “O My God!” My Lord Truly Knew MY Name!” Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:26-38Evangelical Heritage Version

The Angel Gabriel Appears to the Virgin Mary

²⁶In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.”^[a]

²⁹But she was greatly troubled by the statement and was wondering what kind of greeting this could be. ³⁰The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. ³¹Listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. ³³He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

³⁵The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶Listen, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age even though she was called barren, and this is her sixth month. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible for God.”

³⁸Then Mary said, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

A conversation for the ages ….

The Angel Gabriel suddenly, quietly appears to a young teenager named Mary.

And now, unfolding before each of us is the glorious mystery of a conversation unlike any other in all of the Word of God for His Children as it then takes place.

– some how, today, we are all privy to this moment in Luke’s Gospel Narrative.

The Angel Gabriel appears …. and in his angelic voice …. speaks to Mary ….

“Greetings, YOU who are highly favored!

“The Lord IS with YOU!”

“Blessed are YOU among women!”

“Do not be afraid, MARY, because YOU have found favor with God!”

“Listen, YOU will conceive and give birth to a son, and YOU are to name him Jesus.”

“He WILL be great and WILL be called the Son of the Most High!”

“The Lord WILL give Him the throne of his father David!”

“He WILL reign over the House of Jacob forever!”

“AND his kingdom WILL NEVER end!”

“The Holy Spirit WILL come upon you, and the power of The Most High WILL overshadow YOU!”

“So, the holy one to be born WILL be called the Son of God!”

“Your relative, Elizabeth, has also conceived a son in her old age even though she was called barren, and this IS her sixth month!”

“For nothing is impossible with God!”

Blessing after blessing after blessing is pronounced by the Angel Gabriel.

One after the other, after the other, after the other ….

Indescribable blessings, Unimaginable blessings, are being announced ….

To a stunned teenage girl who is not the least bit sure what is happening in but the few short minutes it might have taken for this conversation to take place.

What can we allow ourselves to imagine are her thoughts at this revelation?

“How can this be…?” she mutters to herself – but still loud enough for the Angel Gabriel to hear her and respond with more blessings than Mary can even grasp.

She heard the Angel of the Lord speak out her name – Mary, as if he had always known it and her – but they had never met before, or have ever been introduced.

“How can this be…?”

“The Angel of the Lord …. KNOWS MY NAME!?!”

That means that “GOD KNOWS MY NAME TOO AND HAS ALWAYS KNOWN IT!”

“I am an anonymous teenager from a quiet little village, going about my daily chores, as are many others on this day, and suddenly I realize “God knows me!”

“GOD KNOWS ME!”

“GOD KNOWS MY NAME!”

The One who created the heavens and earth, by the command of his voice and touch of a finger, knows each of our names.💛

Genesis 1:16 reminds us, “God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.”

“It always makes me smile when I read, “He made the stars also;” as if they were an after thought and not important.”

“My mind cannot even comprehend how easy it was for Almighty God to bring forth the magnificence and beauty of ALL the stars and constellations.”

“Though, obviously anonymous, lesser brilliant than the stars of the night, I am STILL the handiwork of MY God’s finger and containing all His glory!”

“Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.” Isaiah 40:26

“As I look out into the night sky at all the twinkles that stretch as far as my tiny little eyes can see, I am amazed that God calls them each by name and He knows where they ALL are located. Not one of them is missing – and NEITHER AM I!”

“My very thoughts extend to the heart cry of David in Psalm 8:3-9. One who is acquainted with spending nights under a blanket of stars as a shepherd boy.

The young Psalmist boy now declaring the greatness of the Lord with humility and reverence for his grace bestowed on us, BESTOWED ON EVEN ME, MARY!

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?”

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is woman, Mary, that you are even mindful of her,
and the son of man that you care for him?”

“What amazing love God has for each of us, His Children that He even took us into consideration when creating the brilliancy of the heavens. He gave us eyes to see, cared about our comfort to provide and give us each a genuine identity.”

“God, with just a word formed light (setting every star in place, day and night, sun and moon, planets, and every expanse of light) making a way for us to look upward, see the work of His hands, then look down and see ME His handiwork.”

“To now, as I gaze upwards upon the heavens in awesome wonder to all that belongs to Him (Psalm 115:16). A reminder of His love for mankind and how much more His gaze is forever and ever upon us, and WE BELONG TO HIM”

“We never have to question if we are known in this tiny little acre of this tiny little section of the world. For we were not hidden from Him when formed in our mothers womb. He is knows everything about us and loves us without end.”

GOD KNOWS MY NAME!

“What an awesome thought!”

“What a comforting thought!”

“What an incredibly indescribably JOYFUL, JOY-FILLED THOUGHT!”

“Out of all the people in world; God knows MY Name! Out of all the stars and planets in the universe; God knows MY Name, He knows ME. Out of all the animals upon yonder hills and the deep forest; God knows even MY Name!”

“God called Hagar by name.”

“Lonely in the wilderness and crying – He called her, He knew her Name.”

She did not know His Name but in that moment – He KNOWS her Name.

God blessed Hagar with a son, Ishmael … Ishmael … God WILL hear YOU!

Ishmael … The Lord WILL HEAR YOUR AFFLICTION! (Genesis 16:11)

“Think about how important we feel, when so called important people so dryly call us by name – how “so what” anonymous we continue to feel afterwards.”

“Yet, how can we ever allow ourselves to ever imagine; the God of the universe coming to us, but not just “coming to us” but too calling us each by our Name!”

“What Does it mean?”

“My Name is the sum total of who I am.”

“I am not a number…I am not a meaningless symbol.”

“I am God’s own.”

“I am His FRIEND!”

“I am known by the Most High!”

“I am His and He IS mine!”

“He who occupies heaven’s throne, KNOWS MY Name!”

To know a Name is to know ALL there is to know about the person.

“He KNOWS My Name. He KNOWS the good and the bad equally.”

“He sees my heart and my mind and soul immediately at all times; (like even exactly right NOW), He knows all of my thoughts before their manifestation!”

WHAT DOES EVEN ONE WORD OF THIS CONVERSATION MEAN TO US NOW?

I. God Knows YOU.

He knows YOU apart from everyone else.

He knows YOU apart from everyone else with the same name.

He knows you incomparably.

No one knows you like God does.

He knew me before conception.

Before my mother named me, He knew My Name.

Before My Name was written on my birth certificate, He knew My Name.

Before My Mother was born, He knew My Name.

He knew the name she thought about giving me before naming me.

II. God Knows YOU Absolutely.

He knew you too, from your mother’s womb.

He knows your thoughts.

He knows your deeds.

He knows your hurts.

He knows your weakness.

He knows your sickness.

He knows your circumstances.

He knows your down sitting and your uprising.

He knows YOU.

EXACTLY RIGHT IN THIS MOMENT; God KNOWS our Name.

III. God Knows Where You Are At All Times.

Hagar was sent away by Sarai but not beyond the all seeing eyes of God.

Hagar declared; God sees Me.

Her value jumped up immediately.

She was cast aside with her son by Sarai and Abram as a nobody.

But God knew her Name.

To God Hagar was somebody.

You may be down right in this exact moment but God KNOWS your name!

You may be used and refused but God ABSOLUTELY KNOWS your Name!

IV. God Calls Us By Our Name.

Hagar was evicted and unemployed.

Hagar was impregnated by Abram and thrown aside by Sarai.

Hagar was broken by a conspiracy between a husband and a barren woman.

Hagar was hurting and helpless with no solution in sight.

There was no one to help her or her son.

Hagar was setup by Sarai and used up by Abram.

Hagar fell out of favor with the woman who asked her for a sexual favor.

But still God CALLED her by Name.

God will meet you where you end up and He WILL CALL YOU by name.

V. God Knows Your Name. Do you Know His Name?

Is is (amazing) that God knows My Name.

But do we realize it is OUR SALVATION) when WE KNOW His Name?

There’s no other Name given whereby men can be saved.

His Name is a saving name.

His Name is a prayer endorsing Name.

His Name is a healing Name.

His Name is a soothing Name.

His Name is a powerful Name.

His Name is Demon scaring Name.

His Name is sin remitting Name.

His Name is a Death Conquering Name.

His name is a present refuge name.

His Name is a God given Name.

His Name is a Praise Worthy Name.

In this EXACT moment, I dare you, Praise His WORTHY Name, right Now!

VI. One Day God Will Call Our Name to Enter Our Heavenly Home!

John 11:20-26Evangelical Heritage Version

²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, while Mary was sitting in the house.

²¹Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

²³Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the Last Day.”

²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish.^[a] Do you believe this?”

Do WE believe this?

Do WE also believe this …. ?

John 14:1-14English 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. ²In 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] ³And 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. ⁴And you know the way to where I am going.”^[c] ⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.^[d] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” ⁹Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

¹²“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. ¹³Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If you ask me^[e] anything in my name, I will do it.

VII. I Know His Name.

All My fears have been hushed because I know His Name.

I go to sleep at night remembering that He KNOWS MY NAME!

I go to sleep at night remembering that I know His Name.

I wake up each morning declaring that He KNOWS MY NAME!

I go to work or I go shopping KNOWING He KNOWS MY NAME!

I eat my meals with my wife thankful WE KNOW HE KNOWS OUR NAMES!

I faced sickness knowing that HE KNEW MY NAME!

I faced sickness knowing that I knew His Name.

My Wife has faced sickness knowing that she KNEW HIS NAME!

My Wife has faced sickness knowing that HE KNEW HER NAME!

I will die peacefully one day, because I KNOW His Name!

Isn’t it an AMAZING thought?

The GOD of the UNIVERSE KNOWS MY NAME!

The God who ordered the stars, who knows them all by name ….

Should also KNOW YOUR NAME and desire to give order to your life?

HMM ….

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

Let us Pray,

Psalm 8 Evangelical Heritage Version

Your Name Is Majestic

Heading

For the choir director. According to gittith.^[a] A psalm by David.

The Glory of God Declared by the Heavens
The Glory of God Declared by Children

¹O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Set this glory of yours above the heavens.^[b]
²From the lips of little children and nursing babies
you have established strength^[c] because of your foes,
to put a stop to the enemy and the avenger.

The Glory of the Son of Man

³Whenever I look up at your heavens, the works of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place—
⁴what is man that you remember him,
the son of man^[d] that you pay attention to him!
⁵Nevertheless, you make him suffer need,
apart from God for a while,^[e]
but you crown him with glory and honor.
⁶You make him the ruler over the works of your hands.
You put everything under his feet:
⁷all flocks and cattle, and even the wild animals,
⁸the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea,
which pass through the currents of the seas.
⁹O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa_ROfRYi-k

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Who has any Hope now for “The Great I Am?” Idolatry, Equality with God? “To whom then will you compare Me That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One. Isaiah 40:12-31

Isaiah 40:12-31 New Living Translation

The Lord Has No Equal

¹²Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
    Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth
    or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
¹³Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?^[a]
    Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
¹⁴Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice?
    Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teach him what is right
    or show him the path of justice?

¹⁵No, for all the nations of the world
    are but a drop in the bucket.
They are nothing more
    than dust on the scales.
He picks up the whole earth
    as though it were a grain of sand.
¹⁶All the wood in Lebanon’s forests
    and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough
    to make a burnt offering worthy of our God.
¹⁷The nations of the world are worth nothing to him.
    In his eyes they count for less than nothing—
    mere emptiness and froth.

¹⁸To whom can you compare God?
    What image can you find to resemble him?
¹⁹Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold,
    overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains?
²⁰Or if people are too poor for that,
    they might at least choose wood that won’t decay
and a skilled craftsman
    to carve an image that won’t fall down!

²¹Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand?
    Are you deaf to the words of God—
the words he gave before the world began?
    Are you so ignorant?
²²God sits above the circle of the earth.
    The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!
He spreads out the heavens like a curtain
    and makes his tent from them.
²³He judges the great people of the world
    and brings them all to nothing.
²⁴They hardly get started, barely taking root,
    when he blows on them and they wither.
    The wind carries them off like chaff.

²⁵“To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.

²⁶Look up into the heavens.
    Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another,
    calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength,
    not a single one is missing.

²⁷O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
    O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?
²⁸Have you never heard?
    Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
    No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
²⁹He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless.
³⁰Even youths will become weak and tired,
    and young men will fall in exhaustion.
³¹But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

What is equality?

To be equal is to be as great as, alike in quantity and quality, evenly proportioned and balanced, and uniform in operation.

Equality is correspondence in all aspects and the slightest deviation results in an equivalent.

God has called you, me, the church, to be equally yoked which requires a clear separation from the sin and darkness to maintain all aspects of His Likeness.

The world has called for us to lower our standards to be equal.

As believers, we are in this world but not of this world.

We are to love all mankind as Jesus Christ did but not become entangled in civilian affairs.

No matter what our political viewpoints may or may not be, we are foreigners in this land called the Kingdom of God with a heavenly home far, far away.

We live in a somewhat democratic society that has skewed our understanding of God’s Sovereignty and our own self-worth.

We are called to be joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

This requires a transition from this world to a place of consecrated holiness – mind, body and spirit.

Just because society has decided everything in life is either good or bad, equal and unequal, to call sin ‘equality’ – does not mean is holy acceptable to God.

Just because God decided to extend grace, mercy and love to His People did not change His Mind on His Way and Word.

We must be very careful that in growing in the love and admonition of Jesus Christ that we do not lower our standards and worth to make sin acceptable and okay as a lifestyle or social status – ever.

We are called to unequally yoked to this world and to be wholly acceptable to God which is our living sacrifice, willing reasonable service. (Romans 12:1-2)

The Way of God is Jesus Christ. He came, died and rose again so that we could be transformed not to be conformed to the sin darkened image of this world.

We must each evaluate our life according to balanced and equal measure which comes from the Word of God which wrapped in flesh is Jesus Christ. Everything in our life should be compared to His Glorious Standard which never changed.

Isaiah 40:25-26Authorized (King James) Version

²⁵To whom then will ye liken me,
or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
²⁶Lift up your eyes on high,
and behold who hath created these things,
that bringeth out their host by number:
he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might,
for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

Who can compare to God?

Who is His Equal?

Good question.

Isaiah 40:12-31 tells of the unsurpassable Greatness and Power of God.

If we the people – meaning you, meaning me, meaning the Body of Christ would only look past the present days comprising their daily life to forever, they would see the true Glory of God and His Sovereignty that makes earthly pursuits futile.

Whose standard of living?

Whose standard of Glory is the correct measure of the “righteous, correct” life?

With our Idolatry as the “great I am” or with His Equality The “GREAT I AM”?

If we could each bring ourselves to a place of God’s Shalom and not our own, to see it definitely doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about the Lord in terms of His Power – He is still All-Powerful – His Authority is not comprised by doubt!

There is no other god ever noted in history that is like our God. (2 Samuel 7:22)

Our inability to comprehend His Being or our refusal, our own unwillingness to accept only His Dominion, His Sovereignty, His Authority, does not change His Identity or Character – it does have any impact on our future and well-being.

Humanity has decided that there is no God or placed the Lord in a fairytale status that is a great story but is not real.

There is absolutely no equal to God. (Psalm 40:5)

A life that is lived in contradiction to this Truth is perceived as rebellion against God and His Kingdom.

On Judgment Day, this will become very real to people which is heartbreaking considering the freedom we have to know and worship God. (John 14:1-14)

God has deemed you and me of great worth.

He sent His Son as a payment for your sins so that He could re-establish a connectional relationship with you and re-establish a relationship with me.

His Holy Spirit lives inside of those who call on His Name as a guide and compass to consecration and citizenship in Heaven. (John 14:15-17)

Yet few take the time to know and understand the Lord and His Great Worth.

Oh, that we could all understand the Greatness of God and His Power – it would change, transform the way we live, act and communicate as we each strive to be His People rather than blending in “equally”, “in our equality” with the crowd.

Isaiah 28:10-13New Living Translation

¹⁰He tells us everything over and over—
one line at a time,
one line at a time,
a little here,
and a little there!”

¹¹So now God will have to speak to his people
    through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language!
¹²God has told his people,
“Here is a place of rest;
    let the weary rest here.
This is a place of quiet rest.”
    But they would not listen.
¹³So the Lord will spell out his message for them again,
one line at a time,
    one line at a time,
a little here,
    and a little there,
so that they will stumble and fall.
    They will be injured, trapped, and captured.

God does not change. (Malachi 3:6)

Let not our hearts an souls be troubled, Jesus is the only Way, only Truth and only Life! Nobody, but nobody gets to God but through Him. (John 14:1-6)

The Lord hates sin.

Always has and He always will.

His Word has not changed and will never be void. (Isaiah 55:10-13)

It will continue to circle the earth until its purpose is accomplished.

Believers love the part of this truth that pertains to blessing, favor, increase, prosperity and promises.

However, when it comes to transforming their life into a holy, consecrated vessel that houses the Spirit of the Living God and is fully committed to His Kingdom – we call out for God’s forgiveness, God’s mercy and God’s grace.

Grace is not an excuse or exemption.

It is an extension of God’s Hand to assist us when we inevitably fall.

It makes way for a quick apology when we accidentally step on God’s “Toes”.

Please understand it does not change God’s Expectation of us.

He expects us to come out of the darkness because we are now Children of the Light.

The Lord expects us to separate our lives from sin to be like Him.

We are to hate sin like God does.

He expects us to love others equally, but not their sinful habits and inclinations.

God loves every sinner, every single “life cheating” one of us.

God desires relationship with everyone – without exception!

It doesn’t matter one iota if we are male, female or unsure, where we live, work and play, what color our skin is, whether we are heterosexual, homosexual or asexual, or whatever political affiliation is upon our voter registration cards.

Isaiah 55:1-3New Living Translation

Invitation to the Lord’s Salvation

55 “Is anyone thirsty?
    Come and drink—
    even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
    it’s all free!
²Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
    Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
    You will enjoy the finest food.

³“Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.

Jeremiah 29:10-14New Living Translation

¹⁰This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. ¹¹For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹²In those days when you pray, I will listen. ¹³If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. ¹⁴I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

This invitation, these promises from God extend to quite literally everyone – without exception, without judgment, without our biases or even prejudices!

He Created Us all! He knows us inside out. His Love provided grace so we could each step out of the social circles and/or sin of this world and into His Presence where there is peace, fullness of joy and pleasures evermore. (Psalms 16, 139)

Grace did not lower His Standards or Expectations of His People.

Rather than taking a stand for a political cause, it is time for Christians to take a stand for a righteous call beginning in their own life.

False teaching is rampant and the only way to escape these lies and deceptions is to know the Truth.

God loves everyone.

He hates everyone’s sin.

Now is a good and acceptable time to ultimately know God and His Authority and Power to align our lives with His Kingdom and stop living as betrayers of His Grace and Glory accepting less than God’s Very Best and calling it “equal.”

Philippians 3:1-11New Living Translation

The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

3 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters,^[a] rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

²Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. ³For we who worship by the Spirit of God^[b] are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, ⁴though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

⁵I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. ⁶I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

⁷I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. ⁸Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ ⁹and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.^[c] For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. ¹⁰I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, ¹¹so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

We cannot assume equality with God because of His Grace.

He is giving us an opportunity to reestablish a relationship with Him.

Jesus Christ is the Way, Truth and Life – the ONLY WAY.

We cannot make up our own rules or pick a doctrine that suits us the best.

He gave us His Spirit so that we could rightly divide the Word of God and pray an apply it to our life – our Ignorance of His Word is no longer anyone’s excuse. (2 Timothy 2:14-18, 2 Timothy 3: 10-17, Hebrews 4:12-13)

God expects you, me, the church to know because we called His Name First.

We are to have the same attitude as Jesus Christ. (Philippians 2:1-11)

He came to do His Father’s Will.

He gave up divine privileges so that we can regain them.

He humbled himself in obedience to God – even to death on a Cross.

What gives us the ‘privilege’ to think God would expect anything less from us?

God elevated Jesus Christ because of His Obedience, wants to do the same for us.

We must use accurate scales to measure our life. (Proverbs 16:11)

God calls for honest measures.

His Word is the most solid measurement of our life and man’s interpretation should always be evaluated next to HIS TRUTH and never as from the Source.

God finds false weights and unequal measures detestable and grace did not change His Opinion. (Proverbs 20:10)

Exactly right now is the good and acceptable time for us to discover our true worth and maximum value to God and make it our “daily cross,” live up to it.

We must each experience Jesus Christ to discover what God expects from us and do IT, rather than constantly trying to lower the bar for our own guilty pleasure.

Instead, constantly raise the bar, Continuously advancing the standard of God!

Ephesians 3:14-21New Living Translation

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

¹⁴When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,^[a] ¹⁵the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.^[b] ¹⁶I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

²⁰Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ²¹Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

I believe the Apostle Paul was using all the possible adjectives he could think of, all the dimensions he knew, in order to give us all a ‘glimpse’ of the love of God.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
and were the skies of parchment made;
were every stalk on earth a quill,
and every man a scribe by trade;
to write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole,
though stretched from sky to sky.

If we know Jesus, the Son of God who became man to die for my sins and yours, as God deeply desires we know Jesus Christ as our Savior, we would truly agree.

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

Let us Pray,

Creating God,

it has been told to us since the very beginning

that you are truly the Lord of all that is and ever shall be.

You are the God of both the prince and pauper,

of feast and famine,

of the mighty and the weak —

and yet, you do not favor the strong over the powerless.

Remind us of your unsurpassable love as we read the scriptures,

O God of True Justice.

You have no equal ….

We cannot strive enough to be Your equal ….

Yet, We do try too hard …. Open our eyes – open our hearts –

that we may be strengthened and renewed by your Word.

In Jesus’ Name …. In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

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Christian Thanksgiving: ALL Thanks be unto God for His Unshakable Kingdom. Hebrews 12:25-29

Hebrews 12:25-29 Easy-to-Read Version

²⁵Be careful and don’t refuse to listen when God speaks. Those people refused to listen to him when he warned them on earth. And they did not escape. Now God is speaking from heaven. So now it will be worse for those who refuse to listen to him. ²⁶When he spoke before, his voice shook the earth. But now he has promised, “Once again I will shake the earth, but I will also shake heaven.” ^[a] ²⁷The words “once again” clearly show us that everything that was created will be destroyed—that is, the things that can be shaken. And only what cannot be shaken will remain.

²⁸So we should be thankful because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And because we are thankful, we should worship God in a way that will please him. We should do this with respect and fear, ²⁹because our God is like a fire that can destroy us.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Buildings will eventually crumble, countries will rise and empires will fall; truth: nothing in this world is permanent and it will one day come to an end.

As Christians, as the Body of Christ, as God’s Church, however, we have something which will never come to end; we have the kingdom of God.

Let us be thankful for this!

Let us be thankful that whether we live or die, we have an imperishable, inheritance in an unshakeable kingdom to come (Hebrews 13:14).

Let us be thankful that this unshakeable imperishable kingdom was designed by the great designer, God himself (Hebrews 11:10).

Because of all of these truths, we can be infinitely thankful for a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28).

The kingdom of God will always be, no ruler or natural disaster can destroy it.

Think about this in relation to all the turmoil that is happening in the world with wars, socio-cultural-economic problems, and great natural disasters.

Our only innate, instinctive response to this amazing truth is one of worship!

Let us worship with reverence and awe because our God is a consuming fire.

Our God is bigger than any skyscraper touching the tip of the sky.

Our God is more powerful than the mightiest ruler.

Our kingdom is ruled by the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Our temporary home may be breaking, quaking and shaking under us right now, but our soon to be permanent home is always standing as firm as ever.

Hebrews 12:28-29Authorized (King James) Version

²⁸Wherefore we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: ²⁹for our God is a consuming fire.

Wherefore we are receiving a Kingdom ….

https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/heb/12/28-29/t_conc_1145028

We are Receiving ….

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3880/kjv/tr/0-1/

A Kingdom ….

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g932/kjv/tr/0-1/

Which CANNOT be moved ….

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g761/kjv/tr/0-1/

Immovable!

Unshakable!

Unshaken!

“A kingdom that cannot be shaken.”

“We are receiving a kingdom.”

Please exercise careful notice of how the anonymous author wrote this.

This present participle in the Greek emphasizes followers of Jesus Christ are now in the process of receiving this gift, that this process will continue into the future.

This unshakeable kingdom is not the gift of a constitution, or government or any other human institution or process—it is the gift of God.

It is a continual, continuing gift of God, who is “a consuming fire” —literally, one whose indescribable, unviewable glory would consume us as he warned Moses and others if we ever looked upon him directly.

This continual, continuing gift of an unshakable kingdom, whose giver is God himself, and whose incarnation is Jesus Christ, is a gift that comes with power.

It is an awesome power and an undeniable glory which sends us to our knees in humble prayer, thanksgiving, praise and worship, with maximum reverence and maximum awe. That’s the only natural posture appropriate to such a great gift.

The unshakable kingdom we are receiving as followers of Jesus Christ, as the Body of Christ, is not any single global movement or a global church denomination.

It is quite literally, an quite awesomely, quite magnificently: the reign of God.

American philosopher also known for his writings on Christian spiritual formation Dr. Dallas Willard captured the Biblical essence of this “kingdom” as

“the range of God’s effective will, where what God wants done is done.”

Therefore, it is defined by the clarity, authority and inspiration of God’s revealed word, the Bible.

The unshakable kingdom is summed up:

in the person, reign, and ministry of Jesus Christ, in whom “all things hold together,” “all the fullness of God dwells” and through whom “all things in heaven and on earth” are reconciled to God (Colossians. 1:17-20).

In other words, wherever Jesus Christ reigns as Savior and Lord—in our lives, our friends, our workplaces, our neighborhoods and our communities—now, and with increasing reign, there we’ll find and receive the unshakable kingdom.

A dear brother in Christ reminded me of these verses as together we have faced this question:

What is at stake for followers of Jesus Christ as we face a culture conflict that is increasingly shaped by the forces of aggressive secularism, moral relativism, religious pluralism, individual autonomy, a utopian hope in secular authority (however repressive it may need to be)?

A people with a Kingdom focus, called to be an instrument of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit for the healing of communities, and nations.

If you dwell on that whole statement as I just did—with the whole Body of Christ in attendance at one time—you realize this is a GARGANTUAN picture.

The man, Master Rabbi Jesus said, “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” (Luke 11:20).

The ‘finger of God’ is a phrase that is also used in Exodus 8:16-20 by Egyptian priests referring to the plagues that God sent upon their whole entire nation.

In Deuteronomy 9:10

it refers to the method by which God himself inscribed the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone that Moses brought down after 40 days, from Mt. Sinai.

During our prayer times, during the course of our praise an worship times, we welcome “the imperceptible touch of the finger of God” in healing ministries to the whole person (body, soul and spirit), in deliverance ministries (following Rabbi Jesus’ example) and in many patient, caring, quiet counseling and small group venues where we witnessed real people changed by real the power of God.

Contemplate this if we dare to:

Human dignity is restored—in the image of God.

Not in the image of any faith Denomination

– but in the IMAGE of GOD ALONE!

You see, a people who are receiving that unshakable kingdom of God, who have that exclusive, unshakably prioritized kingdom focus, will, with all eyes on God

unhesitatingly welcome and invite that power beyond ourselves to change ourselves—through the utterly unshakable power of the intercessions of God, the Holy Spirit.

This Biblical world view is a sharp, stark alternative to the materialism that omits the sovereignty of God entirely in the secular utopian (even culturally Marxist) world views dominating our global socio-economic-culture wars.

If we think and ponder and prayerfully meditate: Frankly, a people with this kingdom focus will be the only ones who can offer true hope to people in need.

In Romans 14:17, the Apostle Paul hints at this when he writes to the followers; “for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but a matter of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

In keeping with such joy and peace,

he then prays

“May the God of hope fill you with great joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13).

As the Body of Christ, this kingdom focus is meant to create a culture that is supposed to be overflowing with hope precisely because of our confidence in the matchless and unshakable power of God—not in our limited weak kneed selves.

It is supposed to be highly contagious.

In my days of working with homeless veterans I heard so many testimonies of people who walked off the street because of a personal invitation into program.

Meetings and small groups were overcome by the love of God, overflowing with hope, and led into the gentle and redeeming reign of Jesus Christ in their lives!

But we have such hope to offer in and through the reign of Jesus Christ and the unshakable kingdom of God.

The Body of Christ, the Church in the world, even as we try to diagnose all of the problems and try mightily to engage our dying culture in praise, worship and in prayer, we must do so with the Gospel – Good News of our only Savior Jesus Christ.

What needs to come from our testimonies is this: There is an alternative, a world-view where Jesus Christ reigns as Lord and Savior, where the poor are lifted up, prisoners set free, people healed, the oppressed released, human dignity restored and God’s favor poured out in abundance (Luke 4:16-21).

Isaiah 2:1-4 AKJV

2 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

²And it shall come to pass in the last days,
that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established
in the top of the mountains,
and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow unto it.
³And many people shall go and say,
Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways,
and we will walk in his paths:
for out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
⁴And he shall judge among the nations,
and shall rebuke many people:
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.

The Body of Christ, Children of God with a Kingdom of God focus, called to be an instrument for the healing of all the diverse arrays of local communities, for the healing of all worlds nations – swords into plow shares, learning Shalom alone?

What an incredibly unshakeable theology for the Body of Christ to LABOR for!!!

Steadfastly and Immovably and Unshakably, Do We Dare to Go Where God IS?

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

Let us Pray,

Heavenly Father, thank You that I have been saved by grace through faith in Christ. Thank You that His kingdom can never be shaken and that in my Savior Christ Jesus, this kingdom is my inheritance. Accept my humble praise and everlasting gratitude for all that Christ has done for me. May I live my life in reverence to You and may the things I do, and say, be acceptable in Your sight. I ask this in Jesus’ name, AMEN.

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Earthquake! Unleashing the Power of Praise and Thanksgiving! Acts 16:22-34

Acts 16:22-34NASB

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

²²The crowd joined in an attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their ^[a]robes off them and proceeded to order ^[b]them to be beaten with rods. ²³When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; ^24 [c]and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the ^[d]stocks.

²⁵Now about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; ²⁶and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened. ²⁷When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” ²⁹And the jailer asked for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas; ³⁰and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

The Jailer Converted

³¹They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³²And they spoke the word of God to him together with all who were in his house. ³³And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. ³⁴And he brought them into his house and set ^[e]food before them, and was ^[f]overjoyed, since he had become a believer in God together with his whole household.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Allow me to ask the question:

Exactly what amount of praise is too much to give to a God who has delivered us from the bondage of sin and filthy habits? How much worship is over-the-top for a God whose own Son shed His blood so that we might have abundant life?

Some say that Praise is embarrassing or will turn people away from the church.

Yet those same people will spend 2 hours at a secular concert with their hands in the air, never once thinking that they might “turn off” other potential fans.

Some say preachers should never be loud and boisterous when they speak, but yet those same people cannot stand to hear a lifeless sportscaster or boring talk show host blather on about some obscure topic which has no connection to life.

The truth is this, the world is max hungry for the real thing: Genuine worship from genuine people, offered up to the only God who is worthy of our praise.

An old song from a secular artist said, “it might be the devil, or it might be The Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”

On that note, I would definitely have to say, even shout this at the top of my lungs: it might be for the world, or it might be for Jesus Christ, but you WILL lift your hands, you WILL lift your voice, you WILL move those happy little feet.

Church, we cannot make apologies for being exactly who we are in Christ.

Psalm 150 NASB

A Psalm of Praise.

150 ^[a]Praise ^[b]the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty ^[c]expanse.
²Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

³Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
⁴Praise Him with tambourine and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.
⁵Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
⁶Everything that has breath shall praise ^[d]the Lord.
^[e]Praise ^[f]the Lord!

As Christians saved ONLY by the Charity and Grace of Almighty God, we are called to unleash the power of praise and thanksgiving every day of the year.

What power?

An Earthquake! reaching, breaching, to the very gates of the devil himself.

The power to defeat the devil, setting him on his heels and unlock victory!

Most people think and even believe that praise is what you do ONLY after you get what you are believing or praying for, but that simply isn’t true.

The devil wants to keep us from thinking about praise and thanksgiving while you and I are in the process of believing, being faith-filled and faithful because he knows too well it’s a vitally important key to our achieving breakthrough.

Remember when Paul and Silas were locked up in the bowels of a prison?

Things definitely looked pretty grim. Most people would be begging and pleading with God to get them out, or considering all the ways they’d served Him and wondering how they could possibly deserve what was happening.

Instead, Paul and Silas just sat there in that dank prison, in their chains and leg stocks and they “were praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25, NIV).

The result?

“All the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose” (verse 26). All the doors. Every chain. All because of praise and thanksgiving to God.

Do you and/or I need an Earthquake?

Do you and/or I need a breakthrough?

In bondage, max imprisoned to sin, do we need that prison door opened?

The “unbreakable” Chains of sin to come loose or just plain shattered apart?

When you learn what can be accomplished in the spirit realm, you will want to activate and then unleash the max power of praise and thanksgiving in your life every day, unleash the max power of praise and thanksgiving with these truths.

1. Praise and Thanksgiving Balance the Scale

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” –Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

Notice how the Apostle Paul phrased Philippians 4:6 to say we are to fervently present all our requests to God “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving.”

Quite often, we get so wrapped up in our needs and desires that our prayers can end up sounding like a long list of what we don’t have, what we want and what we need, without much time spent praising the One whom we are petitioning.

There’s nothing wrong with asking for God’s help, but we should also be taking the time to thank God for everything He has done and is doing for us.

Praise and worship and thanksgiving balance the scale in our prayer lives and can quite literally mean the difference between receiving and going without.

Does the fervency of our praise and worship equal the fervency of our prayers?

Is your and mine scale balanced? Don’t wait to offer praise and thanksgiving to God until things are just as you like them to be—praise Him in every situation,

Praise Him for who He is and what He’s done in your life.

Praise Him that you and me are saved, delivered, healed and headed for heaven.

Praise Him with everything we have and with everything we are because He is God, as our Creator, Restorer, Friend, Counselor, Comforter and Strong Tower.

There was, is and forever will be so much for everyone to be max thankful for!

Take time to thank Him each and every day.

Then, watch as power is released and overwhelmingly unleashed into your circumstances in a way that scared and begging prayers can never accomplish.

2. Praise and Thanksgiving Neutralize the Devil

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” –1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)

Ever wonder why the devil tries to get you to mumble, complain and grumble?

He knows it is a strength sapper, a faith drainer and a dream killer, a separator.

He knows it will keep you wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years, instead of arriving in your promised land in 11 days. (No! Nope! thank you!)

More importantly, he doesn’t want you to know this: Praise and thanksgiving neutralizes the attention we give to the devil – they are like kryptonite to him.

Praise and thanksgiving are powerful spiritual weapons that come from highly developed faith, and they are often the final step before receiving from God.

They are sure signs you have Proverbs 27:17 trust and faith in His Word, have eradicated all unbelief, and have fixed your mind and soul solely on His Word.

That is truly an extraordinarily powerful, Earthquake generating, place to be!

“Praise is much more than just music; it is a powerful, spiritual warfare tool. God never meant for you to fight your battles alone—Praise will shift the battle from you to God. Praise gives you strength and stops Satan in his tracks.”

How do praise and thanksgiving give you strength?

They build your faith and keep you thinking right.

They keep you and me on the right path towards the abundant life in Christ.

When you and I slip into wrong thinking, Satan can gain access to our lives.

Praise and thanksgiving are vital weapons in our warfare against Satan.

So, when you and I are standing in faith and things start to look opposite of what you and I are believing for, keep the highest praises of God on your lips.

Continue to praise Him for the answer.

Continue to worship Him for the answer.

Continue to pray to Him for God hears you and He IS definitely the ANSWER!

Don’t be moved, slowed down by circumstances; keep your eyes on God’s Word; pray, praise and thank Him as the “ant hill” mountain in front of you is moved.

Earthquakes from our Praise and Prayers will always send the devil packing!

Even physical weariness has to flee when it’s faced with real joy-filled praise.

The next time the devil tries to stifle your effectiveness, to drain you of the strength and wealth and victory that are yours in Jesus, turn him back with those powerful weapons – lift both of your hands higher an higher yet, your whole voice and your whole heart to God. Give Him praise and thanksgiving!

You an I ought to be shouting praises to God our whole way to work and also shouting our way back home and as we enter our homes to greet our family!

If there’s anything the devil can’t stand, it’s an Earthquake generated by praise.

If you and I have taken territory from the devil and he’s coming against us to get it back, this is not the time to sit down and whine about how things aren’t working out. It’s not the time to decide God has taken His hand off your life.

It IS time to get into the Word and get yourself re-anchored in God’s promises.

It’s time to keep those promises constantly before your eyes and in your heart.

It’s time to pray the prayer of faith and take your stand on the basis of His provision.

It is time to continue to do the things you know to do.

When Satan starts shaking your mountain, don’t retreat and run for cover. Speak to the mountain with the authority you have in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Then, when we are done with that, start to unleash praise and shout the victory!

3. Praise and Thanksgiving Bring God on the Scene

But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered].–Psalm 22:3 (AMPC)

Do you ever feel like you really need God to show up? You’ve been fighting the good fight, but boy, are you getting tired! That’s OK—but giving up is not. God never loses a battle. And when you do things His way, you and me won’t either.

So, what should you do? Start praising. Praise when you don’t feel like it and keep praising because praise and thanksgiving bring God on the scene.

He inhabits the praises of His people!

You can praise your way to healing, praise your way to a financial breakthrough, praise your way out of any circumstance, any catastrophic event in your souls.

When there is trouble—unleashing praise and thanksgiving bring victory!

You can see an example of that in 2 Chronicles 20

where a multitude of forces was marching against Israel, leaving the army of Israel so outnumbered, they literally didn’t know what to do. So, they fasted and prayed, praised and worshiped until they had received a word from God.

“Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (verse 15, Amplified Bible, Classic Edition).

Do you know what they did in response to that word?

They put together a praise choir!

That’s right.

They appointed singers and praisers’, and sent them out in front of the army!

And when that choir began to sing, the Word tells us that “the Lord set ambushments against the men…who had come against Judah, and they were [self-] slaughtered” (verse 22).

When it was all over, not one Israelite had fallen—and not one of their enemies had escaped.

What’s more,

when they came to take the spoil, they found so many cattle, goods, garments and other precious things, it took them three whole days to haul it all home.

Now, that’s an Earthquake generating victory!

And it all began with an Earthquake of praise.

Are you looking for that kind of victory today?

Then stand up and shout, “Glory!”

After all, you and I are in the same situation those Israelites were.

You and I have an army marching against us, but Jesus has already defeated it. He won that battle for you on Resurrection morning.

That is the kind of power you can have right now in your life.

If you are not familiar with praising God, or it makes you feel uncomfortable, ask God to show you how.

You can start by reading the Psalms aloud.

They speak of the great and mighty works of God.

They praise Him for His goodness, power and mercy.

God is faithful to perfect your praises!

Praise is not something you do when things are rosy.

God is always worthy of your praise.

The Bible says to offer the sacrifice of praise—that means when it feels like a tough thing to give.

More importantly, praise and thanksgiving are more than a pleasant song or a few uplifting words about God.

They do something.

They release the very presence of God Himself.

When the presence of God comes on the scene, your enemies are turned back.

Sickness and disease can’t stay on your body.

Poverty can’t stay in your house.

So, when you praise and worship and pray,

“enter into his gates WITH THANKSGIVING, and into his courts WITH PRAISE: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4, KJV).

Praise and thanksgiving are integral parts of prayer.

They are you and God working together—your prayer and His power.

You can pray amiss, but you can’t praise amiss.

Praise God.

Praise Him in the morning. Praise Him at noon. Praise Him at night.

If you and I have never max praised God in our life, then get started right now.

Praise Him for freedom.

Praise Him for healing and Calvary. Praise Him for the Name of Jesus.

You’ll even find that when you have a need, if you go to God and simply praise Him, you’ll get your answers while you’re thanking Him!

That’s why Philippians 4:6 tells us to mix thanksgiving in with our prayers. There are so many reasons to praise the Lord!

Now we know how to unleash the power of praise and thanksgiving, we can take these truths, put them in remembrance as we pray, engage in spiritual warfare.

Never underestimate the importance of praise, worship and prayer.

It’s one of the most powerful spiritual weapons you have!

1 Corinthians 15:50-57 NASB

The Mystery of Resurrection

⁵⁰Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does ^[a]the perishable inherit ^[b]the imperishable. ⁵¹Behold, I am telling you a ^[c]mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised ^[d]imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For this ^[e]perishable must put on ^[f]the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴But when this ^[g]perishable puts on ^[h] the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; ⁵⁷but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

God will generate that Earthquake ….

God will project that Earthquake into the direction it needs to go.

God will get definite and decisive results from that Earthquake!

God will definitely achieve a decisive breakthrough ….

Miracles will definitely happen ….

My Miracle will definitely happen ….

Your Miracle will definitely happen ….

Because He has already done it for His own Son – The Tomb is still EMPTY!

And all praise and thanks be unto God, we have access to the throne of God.

Ephesians 2:17-22 NASB

¹⁷And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; ¹⁸for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the ^[a]saints, and are of God’s household, ²⁰having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, ²¹in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy ^[b] temple in the Lord, ²²in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

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

Let us Pray,

Father, Miracle-Worker, You raised Your Son from the grave. We have seen the empty tomb with our own eyes. We believe the witness of Your Scriptures, therefore I put my trust and my faith in You because I know that nothing is impossible with You. Just as You told Sarah about the coming birth of Isaac, I know You will make a way when there is no way. You raised Lazarus from the dead. You made the dry bones have flesh again and then made breath enter them. Father, You look out for Your people, and for that, I praise You. You are the same God today as You were then. I believe in the power of Your hand. I believe in Your intervention. My mind has silenced the critics. I cannot hear the non-believers. All I hear is You, my Father. What harm can come to me when I walk with You? Gloria! Alleluia! Amen.

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

Let us Praise and Worship Him with our whole hearts too….

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A Christian’s Expression of Love for Thanksgiving: How Big a Collection of “Memorial Stones” to God’s Goodness and God’s Faithfulness? Joshua 4:1-7

Joshua 4:1-7 ESV

Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan

4 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ²“Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, ³and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” ⁴Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. ⁵And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, ⁶that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ ⁷then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

In this time and season of my life, I am finding that I tend to forget things.

I forget names and faces and places.

I have looked for my cellphone WHILE I was talking on it.

I have looked for my glasses while they were sitting right on top of my head.

I have searched high and low in my house for my truck keys when all the time they were attached to one of the belt loops on my pants, resting in my pocket.

The struggle is real — and becoming more real than I like with each passing day and I find it is not just with the everyday stuff, it happens with the big stuff, too.

Have you noticed it is easy to remember the hard things?

Have you also noticed that it is hard to remember the good things?

I don’t want my habit of forgetting to push me into a place of doubt and worry.

I want to remember the faithfulness of God.

I want to always remember to say: Thank God for His Faithfulness in all things.

But, truth be told, I do not always remember to say “Thanks be to God!”

Forgetting is an issue which has been around as long as there have been humans on the earth.

Thankfully, God instituted various precepts to help people remember.

One of the most common seen in the bible was to build an altar or a memorial.

Joshua 4:4-7 NASB

⁴So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; ⁵and Joshua said to them, “^[a]Cross again to the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. ^6 [b]This shall be a sign among you; when your children ask ^[c]later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ ⁷then you shall say to them, ‘That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”

The Israelites had seen God do miraculous things: delivering them from Egyptian captivity, splitting the Red Sea, providing manna in the desert, and giving them the ten commandments.

Now, after forty years of wandering in the wilderness, they were finally arriving in the land of Canaan, the land long promised by God to the Patriarch Abraham.

God did not want them to forget this moment, so He commanded them to make a “memorial” out of twelve stones taken from the midst of the Jordan River.

The word “memorial” is translated from the Hebrew word “Zikkaron” which means a “sign, symbol, or marker that evokes remembrance.”

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2146/esv/wlc/0-1/

Zikkaron is a memorial or act of remembrance is about remembering the past in such a way that it impacts our present and even our expectation of the future.

Have we taken the time to notice exactly how often, in our fast paced internet, technology driven world we can easily forget moments when God has revealed Himself, His faithfulness, His will, or His calling to us in a significant manner?

It is significant, it is very important for us to make time to establish spiritual markers in our hearts, minds, and souls even more concrete ways such as pictures, or blogging, scrap booking or some other very obvious eye catching conversation starter so that we will not soon forget these divine moments.

Remembering past spiritual markers by some visible means often gives us a better perspective on remembering what God wants to do in the present and His direction for the future; it also helps to prevent us from not so faithfully moving backwards, and can serve as an “AHA!” inspiration for others in difficult times.

Most importantly, these markers remind us and others of exactly who God is.

Joshua 4:20-24New American Standard Bible

²⁰As for ^[a]those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set them up at Gilgal. ²¹And he said to the sons of ^[b]Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ ²²then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the ^[c]Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; ²⁴so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may ^[d]fear the Lord your God ^[e]forever.”

How can we do this now?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24New American Standard Bible

¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit, ²⁰do not utterly reject ^[a]prophecies, ²¹but examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good, ²²abstain from every ^[b]form of evil. ²³Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.

Building a memorial or collecting memorial stones, or an altar can’t look like what it did in Joshua’s day. That would probably break most city ordinances!

But there is still a way: start a [collection of] memorial jars – altar jars.

Begin now – wash it out and bathe it in prayer.

At the start of every month – get a new jar – wash it, bathe it in prayer!

At the start of every new year, get an empty jar – wash, bathe it in prayer!

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy — even an old spaghetti sauce jar will do.

Then, as you experience moments of God’s faithfulness, write them down or add a coin or two or twelve (magnifying God’s faithfulness), put them in your jar.

You can do this at anytime of the day or whenever you “suddenly” remember something blessed just happened – you “recognize” a prayer being answered.

Remember to write down the big stuff, write down the small stuff — Thank God: “My friend was healed from cancer!” or “I was blessed by God today.”

Write down the moments you and I usually or always take for granted — “It is freezing outside but my heater is working!” Or something you are celebrating — “My life became another day older today!” “My first coffee was great!”

The truth is: we will remember the year more accurately is pretty awesome on its own. But there’s infinitely more. Every time you write something down, it is an opportunity for remembering to worship and expressing a gratitude to God.

In addition to that, every time someone else sees your jar, and all of the little tiny notes inside, or how “coin” heavy it is it becomes a conversation starter.

Let’s step into this season of thanksgiving and Advent and Christmas with faith and expectancy. At the end of this year, I believe your “memorial” jar will be full …… and so will your whole heart and so will your whole soul and your whole life.

Then, in 2023, start again – to watch and see whose faithfulness is revealed!

Precisely, how much are we genuinely thankful and exactly, how much are we genuinely grateful, unto God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit?

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

Let us Pray,

O Lord God, Mighty in Power, Infinite in Grace and Charity. You say that I should have faith in You so that I will be upheld. I do, Mighty Lord. I place all my faith in You. You strengthen me. Your holy force keeps my spirit alive and burning fiercely for You. I know that with You I can overcome anything. Thank You for remaining faithful to Your chosen people. Thank You for guiding me in my life and helping me to become a vessel for Your will. I pray that I continue to put my faith and trust in You because You know all things. You know what the hearts of Your people need to remember, and I know You will help me through whatever this life brings. Amen.

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We Are Saved By The Grace Of God. Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31-46New King James Version

The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations

³¹“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the ^[a]holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

³⁷“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

⁴¹“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴²for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

⁴⁴“Then they also will answer ^[b]Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ ⁴⁵Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, we save for you our highest thanks and praise that through your Son, our Savior, Jesus the Christ, you have revealed your glorious will for our lives, and have redeemed us from sin and death. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, open our hearts and minds to your Word and the grace contained therein, that we might come to gain a deeper appreciation for all that our Lord has done for us, and come to embrace him as our redeemer. This we ask in his holy name. Amen.

Today, we celebrate another Sunday of our church year, a Sunday, just as every other Sunday which preceded this one – we will honor Jesus the Christ as King.

It is a day to remember that through the power of the Holy Spirit, God calls us to acknowledge Jesus, and Jesus alone, who alone is the only One worthy to be our Lord, an our Savior – who will one day come, judge the world in righteousness.

Our Gospel lesson for this morning is one of two of Christ’s teachings on the subject of his future judging of the world, recorded in Matthew’s Gospel.

The first occurs at the end of what has become known as “The Sermon on the Mount,” where Jesus says:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’”

In this passage, the judgement of condemnation seems to fall upon those who use Jesus’ name in a casual manner, as if they really did not know and did not understand Jesus from the very deepest depths of their hearts and their souls.

Simply engaging in acts of ministry is not what Jesus wants. He wants us to know him in such an intimate way, that all of our actions, and all of the ways that we live our lives, naturally flow from our koinonia relationship with him.

Our Gospel lesson for today, the emphasis of our Lord’s judgement again seems to fall upon truly knowing Jesus from the heart, in such an intimate way, as we encounter persons in need, we respond to them as Jesus would have responded.

Just listen to how personal and intimate, Jesus makes his judgement.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me…” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

The interesting thing about our lesson for today is the fact those who did what Jesus would have expected, did so without trying to earn our Lord’s good favor.

Because they knew Jesus so intimately, so personally, they didn’t even realize that they were acting the way that Jesus desired.

From knowing Savior Jesus, their life had been so dramatically and thoroughly changed, in such a way they just naturally responded to care for those in need.

It was not as if they knowingly set out and acted in such a way to earn brownie points from our Lord come judgement day.

The fact that those whom our Lord blessed and invited into the kingdom of God, did not even know that they had done these things, is a clear statement that it is not our deeds that make us righteous, but our intimate relationship with Jesus.

As the story goes, in a large Christian University, two persons were called upon to recite the 23rd Psalm of David, in a study group focusing on how hearing the Word of God proclaimed, can effect us in diverse, various ways, even change the meaning of a certain text.

One chosen to recite the psalm was a PhD professor trained in the techniques of Biblical Story Telling, speech, drama and music.

As a result, he intoned the psalm with great beauty and power.

When he had finished, those in the class applauded with enthusiasm, and asked him to repeat those verses, they again might hear his beautiful performance.

Then the second person was asked to recite the text.

She was a young first year student, who had yet to pick a major.

With no musical talent or inclination, she chose to recite the whole psalm from her own memory as she was taught to by her mom and dad, her grandparents.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…

When this young first year non-matriculated student finished reciting that psalm, not one single sound came from anyone the class, even the teacher.

Instead, the students sat quietly, in a deep mood of prayer and devotion.

Finally, the professor stood and addressed the class.

“I have a confession to make,” he said.

“The difference between what you have just heard from my student, from what you have also just heard from me, is that with all of my years of education and of my training. I may know the psalm, but she knows the psalm and loves the shepherd.”

Now I share this illustration with you today, not to simply point to the merits and differences between someone reciting the psalm versus intoning the psalm.

I personally enjoy intoning the psalms, because I deeply believe that is exactly how they were intended to be spoken and heard and felt in a worship setting.

They were ancient hymns and meant to come from the very depths of our souls.

But what is important to me, is that we intone or recite or sing the psalms with maximum conviction, as if we realize that they are written by persons who did know the Shepherd, who understood the context of the shepherd, to convey full of their relationship with God, so that we might come to know God, as did they.

And I believe that this is where these lessons of Jesus about the final judgment ask us to focus our maximum attention on not just Sundays, but every last day.

To honor God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as sovereign.

It is not so important to know a lot of facts about Jesus, as it is to know Jesus.

Of course, the fact that I have just said this, may give maximum impetus to my readership to question why I have them learn so many facets about the Bible and Jesus. But through learning those facets, it is my hope and prayer that they might come to know God, and begin to relate to Jesus as their redeemer King!

It is for that reason, I have stressed to my readership that doing their daily devotions is more important than scoring aces on their “worldly” quizzes.

Even if my readership misses a few major points here or minor there, I can always tell, through their participation in ‘class’ if they understand truth.

And I can an do try to teach a lot of truths in the long course of my writings.

But TRUTH is – I can NEVER teach them to enter into a relationship with Christ.

That is something I have to prayerfully hand over to the grace of God, and the matchless power of the Word of God, Jesus, and His Spirit, to bring to fruition.

I think Luther put it as well as it can be stated, when he said:

“I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to him as my Savior. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith.“

What a marvelous insight, for here Luther is insisting that even our belief in Christ is not something that we can take credit in.

For if it would not have been for the love of God working through the church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we would not even have the opportunity to have heard of Jesus the Christ, let alone come into relationship with him.

But all the highest praise and thanks be to God that he has given us the gift of his Holy Spirit, which has inspired his Beloved Children and church to proclaim his Word, and celebrate the Sacraments, that we might all come to know Jesus, and allow him to become, not only a part of our lives, but through our intimate relationship with him, experience the only direction by which we live our lives.

I remember this story from years past, from my own non-matriculated days.

During the French revolution, a mother of two children wondered through the woods for three days, trying to survive on roots and leaves.

On the third day, she heard some soldiers approaching and quickly hid herself and the children behind some bushes. Several of the young soldiers prodded the bushes with their bayonets, to see what a slight rustling noise might look like.

When they saw the starving woman and her two children, they immediately gave them loaves of brown bread from their own meager soldierly rations.

The mother took them eagerly, broke one into two pieces and gave one piece to each of her children. “Is she not hungry,” said the soldier’s comrade. “No,” he said, “It is because she is a mother and loves her children more than her self.”

Matthew 26:26-30 NKJV

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

²⁶And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, ^[a]blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

²⁷Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸For this is My blood of the ^[b]new covenant, which is shed for many for the ^[c]remission of sins. ²⁹But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

³⁰And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Well, on the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus took a loaf of bread, broke it and shared it with us all. Then he lovingly gave up his all he had on the cross, wearing a crown of thorns, and was mocked as being the King of the Jews. Well, today, today celebrate that he is the King, not only of the Jews, but of the world.

As we solemnly approach this coming Thanksgiving – this time of family and togetherness, this coming season of Advent as we remember and recount the ancient story and prophetic passages from God’s Holy Scriptures, to again be aware of how they have impacted those who came before us, how they impacted our lives, how they will continue to impact them and those of our own children, and every single countless future generations of all the children yet to be born,

Then we enter into the wondrous season of Christmas, the season of gift giving, that absolutely positively the greatest gift in all history was the gift of our God,

In a matchless expression of His matchless Charity and Grace – His own Son!

Immanuel – God with Us and God within Us – Alpha to Omega – for all time!

Jesus Christ – Our King!

Jesus Christ, Our Lord!

Jesus Christ – Our Savior!

Ponder that for a while – a long while, an Alpha to Omega while.

Experience what God will most certainly do for you …..

Until then, ……

We might want to get a little more Alpha to Omega practical experience in ……

Psalm 23 AKJV

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

¹The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
³He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
⁴Yea, 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.
⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

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

³Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear:
though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
⁴One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:3-4)

This I shall yet in everlasting praise, Pray to the Shepherd King of my life ….

To our God and soon coming Savior, I give You thanks. God, I pray today that You will reveal yourself to me and those in my life. May we have an encounter from the true and living God. I pray that the desires of our hearts shall be to seek after You that we may know You and that we will be men and women after God’s own heart, Amen.

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Luke 2:8-15 World English Bible

John 14:19-31World English Bible

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Luke 2:15-20World English Bible

Psalm 18:31-35World English Bible

Psalm 144World English Bible

By David.

Psalm 16World English Bible

A Poem by David.

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Luke 2:15-20Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 150

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Psalm 77English Standard Version

In the Day of Trouble I Seek the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

Luke 2:25-35New Living Translation

The Prophecy of Simeon

Mark 6:30-44New Living Translation

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Romans 1:19-22 New Living Translation

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Luke 1:26-38Evangelical Heritage Version

The Angel Gabriel Appears to the Virgin Mary

John 11:20-26Evangelical Heritage Version

John 14:1-14English Standard Version

I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life

Psalm 8 Evangelical Heritage Version

Your Name Is Majestic

Heading

The Glory of God Declared by the HeavensThe Glory of God Declared by Children

The Glory of the Son of Man

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Isaiah 40:12-31 New Living Translation

The Lord Has No Equal

Isaiah 40:25-26Authorized (King James) Version

Isaiah 28:10-13New Living Translation

Isaiah 55:1-3New Living Translation

Invitation to the Lord’s Salvation

Jeremiah 29:10-14New Living Translation

Philippians 3:1-11New Living Translation

The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

Ephesians 3:14-21New Living Translation

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

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Hebrews 12:25-29 Easy-to-Read Version

Hebrews 12:28-29Authorized (King James) Version

Isaiah 2:1-4 AKJV

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Acts 16:22-34NASB

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

The Jailer Converted

Psalm 150 NASB

A Psalm of Praise.

1. Praise and Thanksgiving Balance the Scale

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” –Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

2. Praise and Thanksgiving Neutralize the Devil

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” –1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)

3. Praise and Thanksgiving Bring God on the Scene

But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered].–Psalm 22:3 (AMPC)

1 Corinthians 15:50-57 NASB

The Mystery of Resurrection

Ephesians 2:17-22 NASB

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Joshua 4:1-7 ESV

Twelve Memorial Stones from the Jordan

Joshua 4:4-7 NASB

Joshua 4:20-24New American Standard Bible

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24New American Standard Bible

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Matthew 25:31-46New King James Version

The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations

Matthew 26:26-30 NKJV

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

Psalm 23 AKJV

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

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The Glory of God Declared by the Heavens
The Glory of God Declared by Children