WHAT’s the ANSWER? – BE GLAD!

“Today is a holy day for the Lord. Don't be sad because the joy you have in the LORD is your strength.”         (Nehemiah 8:10 – God’s Word©)

 

If you have been following this blog for any amount of time, then you have probably figured out that Nehemiah 8:10 is one of my favorite go-to scriptures.  Therefore, it only made sense that as I began to pray over the quickly approaching New Year and the theme of today’s end-of-the-year blog post, that I would naturally consider taking a peek at this particular verse!  Even before I got out of bed this morning, this verse popped into my mind and I began to formulate what I thought to be some God inspired thoughts for it.

As I read from Nehemiah chapter eight, I suddenly realized that the returning Israeli refugees were facing many of the same dilemmas that you and I are most likely considering today.  These individuals who were tasked with the rebuilding of the city wall, following their vanquish and Babylonian captivity, stood in shock when they entered their holy city of Jerusalem.  You can quickly pick up the sense that these people were devastated by what they saw.  The sight before them had to be a lot worse than what they had pictured before actually setting their eyes on the piles of destruction everywhere they turned.

I couldn’t help but think that in many ways, the sense of hopelessness, despair, frustration and thoughts of giving up could be likened to those of many conservative Christians today in our country.  All one has to do is to look at the news reports to read about the conflicting scenarios on the status of the world-wide effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and what might become a new administration that is already predicting dire situations ahead, describing what they believe to be the need for more rules and regulations, shutdowns and the like, all while predicting their discouraging thoughts on how 2021 will be worse than the current year.

When Nehemiah and Ezra the priest saw the despair on the faces of the people, they immediately knew the answer and began to read to them from the sacred writings.  They had the good sense to replace the voices of FEAR with the encouraging TRUTH of the Word of God!  They immediately rerouted the picture of hopelessness that was being painted in their minds with the life-giving, impossibility to possibility making power of God’s Word… and then in the midst of all this emotion… they had the audacity to tell the people to NOT BE SAD, but instead to BE GLAD!

The word that is translated as “SAD” or “neither be ye sorry” in the King James Version, means “to fabricate or fashion something into a bad sense.”  It also has the connotation of “to forcibly pull something from a person’s grip.”*  That something being an individual’s hope, their faith and/or their confidence.  From my point of view, most of what the general public heard last year online, on TV or in the printed page was deceptively crafted with this idea… with the results being the current confusion and unrest with our American election process.

I can just imagine the look on the people’s faces when their two leaders encouraged them to BE GLAD in the midst of all the YUCK they saw around them… probably thinking, “How can I BE GLAD when reality is telling me to feel awful, throw away my hope and have a grand old pity party?”  Mind you… I speak from experience here because I have felt the same thing a time or two in similar circumstances… when things didn’t look too rosy… but Piper always encouraged me with the Word of God… and stuck to it… along with her big smile, sweet disposition and maybe a tickle or two.

Piper did the same thing that Nehemiah and Ezra did!  She turned my attention from the problem at hand to the definitive ANSWER found in God’s Word!  And let me tell you… once you are able to see God’s TRUTH as THE truth and THE reality on the matter… then you can’t help but BE GLAD!

According to verses eleven and twelve in the same chapter in Nehemiah… it worked quite effectively. As the writer explained, “So the Levites (the priestly class assisting Ezra) calmed all the people by saying, ‘Listen. Today is a holy day. Don't be sad.’  Then all the people went to eat and drink and to send portions. (and) They had a big, joyful celebration because they understood the words that had been explained to them.” (God’s Word ©)

Well… with this example in mind, I can’t help but think of a better scripture promise and TRUTH for each of us to keep in our back pocket (or maybe better, in our hearts!) as we enter the New Year in a few hours… and then keep reminding ourselves of these verses repeatedly throughout the year.

What better way to put one tough year behind us and prepare to step into a NEW YEAR with the promise, expectation and subsequent faith in the TRUTH of GOD’s WORD over everything that the enemy of our faith may try to toss in the pathways of our daily lives in 2021.  This way… You’ve got the answer WELL BEFORE the problem comes along!

I pray that each of you has a wonderful, blessed and ENCOURAGING New Year’s celebration as you step into the blessings that God has in store for you in 2021!

 

*Strong’s and Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions

RE-ARRANGING, RE-ALIGNING and RE-CONFIGURING

It was with great sorrow and discipline that I forced myself to individually wrap the remaining pieces of the delicious fresh Holiday fudge that I purchased just before Christmas… and place them in the freezer to be enjoyed at a future date.  It was the one thing… okay, the second thing that I allowed myself to indulge in for the Christmas celebrations.  The other was for a small container of old-fashioned bakery made Christmas Sugar Cookies, of which are already stored away in the freezer.

I have been doing so well on my diet over the last few months that I really didn’t want to blow all the gains I’d made… or I guess it would be more accurate to say the loses I made!  Overall, it has taken a few years and some focused times of dedicated effort to get back toward what I weighed way back in 2010 when I quit my position at Home Depot to focus my attention on the 24-hour care of my sweet wife.  Besides our commitment to keep our faith built up on the Word of God, I’ve come to realize that FOOD had become my other comfort during all those difficult, emotional and stressful times.

But here we are now, some two years after her home-going and I am beginning to feel that I am getting a handle (however small it might be at this point…) on my life.  For me it isn’t about going back to the life we had, because that life just isn’t there anymore!  When we moved to Oklahoma to attend Bible School (the original plan was for both Piper and I to attend) in 2006, everything back home changed!

In the last few weeks, I have sensed the Lord telling me that He is in the midst of RE-ARRANGING, RE-ALIGNING and RE-CONFIGURING my life.  And you know what?  I think that I am finally ready to begin the move onward to what the good Lord has planned for me to accomplish in this new stage of my life!  I sense His Spirit of ADVENTURE stirring up in me a spirit of EXCITEMENT over the new things that I will be doing, the new folks I will be meeting and the new places and things that will become a part of my new life… and I am EXPECTANT of His Word working IN, FOR and THROUGH me unto to others as I aligned myself with what He will bring forth in my life for 2021.

I mentioned in my last Advent Calendar Saturday and Sunday post (12/26/20) that I have recently heard that small-still-voice within me sharing Jesus’ Words spoken in Luke 4:18-19 where He declared to the people present in the synagogue that day, and I believe to you and me as well today saying that: “The Spirit of the Lord is with me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to announce forgiveness to the prisoners of sin and the restoring of sight to the blind, to forgive those who have been shattered by sin, (and) to announce the year of the Lord's favor." (God’s Word ©)

I firmly believe that 2021 is the year of the Lord’s FAVOR for those of us who will humble ourselves, believe and actively pursue Him in prayer and in His Word.  Over the weekend I heard from at least two other Christian leaders that I know and greatly respect who are saying similar things!  Is that confirmation or what?  I can’t help but get very EXCITED and EXPECTANT of a New Year that is blessed of the Lord… How about you?

My one bit of advice for each of us, is respond to any negative issue that might arise as you set your faith toward the good things that God has in store for you in 2021, as Jesus immediately told the leader of the synagogue when the man was faced with a negative report saying: “…Be not afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5:36 – KJV) 

I pray that this short week ending in the celebration of the NEW YEAR is a blessing for you and a time where you can prepare yourself for the FAVOR of the Lord that He has planned for YOU in 2021!

Advent Calendar - The Days After Christmas...

Now What?

 

Saturday and Sunday, the Days After Christmas…

Today’s Readings: Nehemiah 8:10, Matthew 2:10, Luke 4:18-19

I don’t know about you… but I was tempted to be downcast this morning as I got out of bed and thought, “Christmas is ALL over, NOW WHAT?”  Was I alone in that reaction today?  After weeks and weeks of hype, unending Christmas music and all those commercials on TV telling us what items we just can’t live without… its all finished!  Most houses have nothing but scraps of brightly decorated torn Christmas wrapping paper under their trees, piles of dirty dishes in the sink… and if you have kids… all kinds of toys, Lego pieces and empty battery packages all over the house!  But, if you’re like me… the one good thing is the leftovers in the refrigerator from yesterday’s scrumptious meal!

So, what do we do?  How do we recoup, refocus and prepare for whatever comes next? Well, that’s actually a question that I have been asking myself daily over the last few months.  After the year we have all had with the COVID-19 pandemic, I sense that 2021 is going to be a much better year for all of us despite the continued doom and gloom that the potential current President Elect continues to declare.

While praying over the upcoming year a week or so ago, I suddenly heard the familiar words that Jesus spoke at the beginning of His earthly ministry as He stood and read a portion of scripture from the book of Isaiah which prophesized that very day saying:

"The Spirit of the Lord is with me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to announce forgiveness to the prisoners of sin and the restoring of sight to the blind, to forgive those who have been shattered by sin, to announce the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19/Isaiah 61:1-3 God’s Word ©)

As I highlighted in the text above, the portions of the prophecy that stuck out in my thoughts was Jesus announcing the Good News that 2021 was going to be a year of the Lord’s favor for those of us who believe His Word and actively walk in faith for its fulfillment in each of our lives.

Then as I read from Matthew 2:10 over the last two days, I must admit that I got REALLY excited when I thought of the reaction of the three Wise Men who were searching for Jesus and saw the star which led them to His abode, who “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” (KJV)  The Passion Translation declares that “when they saw the star, they were so ecstatic that they shouted and celebrated with unrestrained joy.”  And the Message Bible states that “They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary explains that the language (used in this verse) “is very strong, expressing exuberant transport.”  A footnote in The Passion Translation informs the reader that “The Greek is hard to translate since it contains so many redundant words for joy in this one verse.  It literally reads, ‘They rejoiced with a great joy exceedingly.’  They were ecstatic!”

I like that… How about YOU?  That’s how I am preparing myself to receive the favor of God throughout the rest of 2020 and all of 2021.  And because I have God’s Word on it, I am going to expect God’s best… and I will not apologize for it!  And AGAIN, I’ll ask: “HOW ABOUT YOU?”

So, I’ll go back to my first question a few paragraphs up in this post… “What do we do?  How do we recoup, refocus and prepare for whatever comes next?”  Well, if your anything like me, you’ll do just like the three Wise Men did when they saw the star. (symbolizing, the revelation and light of God’s Word!) “They were so ecstatic that they shouted and celebrated with unrestrained joy!” After all, I would think that they weren’t known as “WISE MEN” for nothing! 

So, YES… I too am excited about the New Year ahead.  And when things don’t look the way that I think that they should, then I am gonna rejoice and be glad and let my JOY in the Lord be not only my strength but also the vessel that will carry me into His Favor! (See: Nehemiah 8:10)

How About YOU?  Merry Days After Christmas Everyone!  Keep expecting God’s best for you in the new Year and keep sounding off the JOY of the Lord throughout your days ahead!

Advent Calendar - Final Day

The Greatest Gift!

 

Thursday, the fourth week of Advent – Christmas Eve

 

Readings Today’s:  Exodus 23:14-17 / Deuteronomy 16:16 / Luke 2:41-52

 

As we bring our daily look at the story of the first Christmas to a close during this season of Advent, it is only fitting that we take a peek at “the only passage of story recorded concerning our blessed Savior, from his infancy to the days of his showing to Israel at twenty-nine years old…” (Luke 2:41-52 Matthew Henrys Commentary on the Whole Bible)  It is interesting to note that this incident takes place when Jesus was about the same age as His mother when the angel Gabriel originally appeared to her as a young teenage girl.

Many years had passed since the miraculous set of events had occurred to Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.  Jesus as a young man of twelve was at the age when “boys began preparing to take their place in the religious community the following year.”  (Luke 2:42 footnote in NIV Study Bible)  But there was something different about this lad that separated Him from others His age.  I believe that this unique quality that set Him apart is the key to understanding this portion of scripture.

Jesus had a hunger for more of God.  He was also at the age where He was beginning to develop greater cognitive abilities and understanding of the world around Him, as well as seeing the first light of dawn concerning His divine purpose.  His retort to His mother after she had shared Joseph’s and her concern for Him was not one of rebellion, but simply an honest answer as seen through the eyes of a typical Junior High boy!  He was so focused on the revelation that was beginning to unfold to His understanding that I believe He did not even consider the worry and anxiety that His actions had caused His parents.  He was beginning to see that He had a job to do and decided that He would do it!

Jesus walked in the footsteps of David as He marveled and sought after the Lord’s precepts. (See: Psalm 119:99-106)  And like the Apostle Paul who would come after Him, He sat at the feet of the rabbis who were the experts in Judaism, absorbing their every word like a sponge absorbs water! (See: Acts 22:3)  But as the realization of the unveiling of His calling was beginning to come to Him, Jesus was also “an obedient child, whatever sense He also had of another relationship unconnected in itself with subjection to human parents.  Consciousness of the one did not injure His perfection in the other.” (Luke 2: 41-52 John Darby’s Synopsis)  Jesus duly obeyed the word of His earthly parents, went back home with them to Nazareth and “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52 NIV)

The example for us to draw from this final portion of our story is Jesus’ hunger for the things of God.  His pursuit and obedience to His father’s Word was the foundation for everything He became in life.  Every action that He took was based on His intimate knowledge of His father’s love and faithfulness to His Word.  That is also the key to yours and my success in the New Year ahead.  Jesus was the ultimate gift given to the world on that first Christmas over 2000 years ago.  It would be quite a shame to leave a gift of that magnitude unopened under the tree this year! 

Think about the look of excitement and adventure that must have been glowing in the eyes of Jesus as He sat at the feet of the religious scholars while they expounded the truths of the scriptures to Him!  You can experience that same excitement, peace and joy that will lead you through every adventure that you face ahead.  2 Timothy 1:7 declares that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power (or ability) and of love and of a sound mind.” (NKJV)  All the tools and all the answers are to be found in His Word… and they are all very user friendly!

As you open presents with family and friends tonight and tomorrow, choose to remember to open the greatest gift of all and experience life in the New Year to come with a peace and joy like you’ve never realized before!  Have a Blessed and Joyous Christmas!  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… What GOOD THINGS am I expecting today as well as throughout 2021?”

Advent Calendar - DAY 18

The GO, RUN & TELL of the Christmas Story

 

Wednesday, the fourth week of Advent

Today’s Readings:  Proverbs 23:18, Jeremiah 29:11, Luke 2:1-38,

 

I can’t help but be encouraged and get excited every time I read the Christmas Story as told in the first two chapters of the book of Luke.  Piper’s family had the annual tradition where her Dad read the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus before the opening of the family’s Christmas gifts.  For her Dad, it wasn’t the real thing unless he read it from the King James Version.  I believe that he enjoyed the pageantry and the memories it held for him within the format of the old Elizabethan English rendering.

Through the ensuing years of my Christian walk, as I began to read from and collect other English translations, I started to gain a deeper understandings of that simple story that lays the foundations for the New Testament and the building blocks of our Christian faith.  Instead of concentrating on the prose and poetic flow of the older translation, I found myself focusing in on the message of PEACE and HOPE that was brought forth with the incarnation of Jesus Christ into our world.

Today, I can’t help but want to jump for joy as I see and feel the excitement of the Shepherds as they began to grasp the depth of the message that the angels were telling them on that quiet night in the fields near Bethlehem.  The Passion Translation tells us that the angels that filled the skies sang praises unto the Lord and declared, “Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven! For there is peace and a good hope given to the sons of men.” (Luke 2:14)  Suddenly life had a whole new purpose and goal for these lowly shepherds.  God had given them a vision of HOPE that presented a potential of a different present and future for them and their families.

These men KNEW that they had received a special revelation WORD from the Lord that night.  While the King James version tells us that they said to each other following the angels return to the heavens, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass,” the modern translations bring out the true meaning of the word translated “thing” as actually being the Greek word “rhema” which is defined as a unique and special WORD of significant revelation. (as compared to the “logos” of God which is His Word in general.)

In other words, God had a very special message for the angels to deliver that night!  The excitement and anticipation was overflowing within those shepherds as they breathlessly proclaimed, “Let’s go! Let’s hurry and find this Word that is born in Bethlehem and see for ourselves what the Lord has revealed to us” and then they literally, “ran into the village and found their way to Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in a feeding trough.” (The Passion Translation - Luke 2:14-16) 

The Christmas Story is so much more than just a story of a special little baby being born in a tiny hamlet in Israel.  It is a life changing event that brought an opportunity for PEACE for our weary souls and HOPE that changes our today, our tomorrow and our eternity.

I personally do not believe that the birth of Jesus and the WORD that the shepherds told everyone they saw that night… and most likely for the rest of their lives (as I find it difficult to believe that those men could EVER forget what they HEARD and SAW in the skies above them that night) was as great a surprise as many of us have been led to believe.  Luke 2:18 tells us that all the people who heard their story were “astonished” or “amazed” or “marveled” at what they said. (The Passion Translation, God’s Word ©, EMTV)  I would imagine that it changed their very lives.

When one studies the writings of the Old Testament, they’ll clearly see that the coming of a Savior and the particular events of that night had been prophesized for hundreds of years.  I’m pretty sure that Simeon and Anna (See: Luke 2:25-38) weren’t the only ones who understood what was going on!  The change that people had been sensing for years was finally present in their midst… and it was a change that would affect the world for thousands of years to come… and continues to do so today!

I’m not sure how you see the story of Christmas.  But for me… I want to experience it as did the shepherds that the angels appeared to on the quiet night.  I want to get up and “GO!” and continue to find this WORD that the Father God is speaking to us today!  And I want to “RUN!” into His presence on a daily basis and commune with Him.

Then when I am full to overflowing with the revelation of the lovingkindness and goodness and faithfulness of the Lord and His message of PEACE and HOPE, I’ll share it with everyone I come into contact with!  That’s the GIFT that Jesus would want us to share with everyone in our sphere of influence.  That’s how I want to celebrate Christmas and the ending of 2020 throughout this next week or so… How about you?

You might even consider making a list of potential people with whom you are acquainted with, who might profit from knowing what you know… and then give ‘em a call!

 

Advent Calendar - DAY 17

“His Star”

Tuesday, the fourth week of Advent

 

Today’s Readings:  Numbers 24:17, Matthew 2:1-12, John 1:1-9, John 8:12,                         2 Corinthians 4:4, Revelation 22:16

 

For as long as I can remember, religious leaders, scientists and various other scholars have tried their best to discredit the supernatural origins of the STAR, that the Bible tells us, miraculously led the Wise Men to that one particular house in the little town of Bethlehem where the newly born Jesus and His earthly parents resided some two thousand years ago.

Let me say first of all, that no where in the scriptures is the STAR referred to as “The Star of Bethlehem” or “The Christmas Star.”  In Matthew 2:2 the Wise Men clearly speak of the STAR that they were following as “HIS STAR!”

Explanations for the STAR run the gamut from simply being pious fiction, to planetary conjunctions where certain planets closely align in the skies to look as one object from the earth (as with yesterday’s conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn), to a Heliacal rising where a star briefly becomes visible in the eastern skies after spending a season behind the moon rendering it invisible, to being a comet, meteorite or a supernova.*

I remember Piper’s parents taking the family and I to a presentation of “The Christmas Star” at The Morrison Planetarium in San Francisco’s famed Golden Gate Park, during one of the Christmas holiday’s before she and I were married.  It was a marvelous visual and audible show projected across the ceiling in their gorgeous theater, describing their astronomer’s theories of the alignment of celestial bodies that happen around the time of the story of the Biblical birth of the Christ Child.  But I have to admit… that even way back then in the beginning stages of my Christian life and burgeoning Biblical education… it just didn’t sit right with me… nor with my vivacious girlfriend!

I tended to learn early on in my Christian walk, that the Bible tells the story of a supernatural God with Whom the impossible is possible and that we, as believers, have to approach Him with an attitude of faith and trust and the inherent understanding that most things that God does can easily go way beyond the extent or capabilities of our natural intellect.

With that understanding, I find that I would have to agree with the Anglican clergyman and Biblical scholar E.W. Bullinger (1837 – 1913) who, as primary editor of The Companion Bible, wrote in the footnotes as to the explanation of “HIS STAR” as recorded in Matthew 2:2 that: “All questions are settled if we regard this as miraculous”.

I believe that most Christians would relate the STAR that guided the Wise Men to Jesus’ house, to the LIGHT of salvation, instruction, direction and the way of life that the incarnation of Jesus made available to all who would humbly respond to His invitation.  Jesus Himself summed up His entire presence in our world in the book of John, chapter eight verse twelve when He declared, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (KJV)

So… if you haven’t as of yet, you might want to consider responding to His invitation for eternal life with the extra bonus of walking in this life with the direction and covering of The Light of Life, Jesus Christ! (Simply follow His instructions in: Romans 10:8-13) And if you already have, then maybe you might want to let that Light of Life in you shine even brighter during this Christmas season and be a blessing going somewhere to happen in your daily activities of life.

Have a blessed day, let His Light in you shine, keep on expecting God’s best in your life today… and then share it with others who might need a smile, a word of encouragement or a helping hand.

 

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Bethlehem#:~:text=The%20Star%20of%20Bethlehem%2C%20or%20Christmas%20Star%2C%20appears,who%20has%20been%20born%20King%20of%20the%20Jews%3F

Advent Calendar - DAY 16

Announcing: "The Message"

Monday, the fourth week of Advent

 

Today’s Readings: Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah 41:27, Isaiah 52:7, Isaiah 61:2, Luke 1:19, Luke 2:8-11, Luke 4:16-21, Acts 13:32

 

For many people Christmas is all about the baby Jesus & the story of His birth as foretold in the scriptures.  And while that is all true, it is only part of the story.  The full story is The Message that was given throughout the Old Testament by the Prophets of God and then announced by the Angels in the beginning of the New Testament, carried out by Jesus in the four Gospels and then developed and further explained by the writers of the epistles.

When God made His first public declaration of The Message to the lowly shepherds who were “abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night,” (Luke 2:8 KJV) He described it as containing “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10 KJV)  He then went on to define it as the coming of the “Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11 KJV) 

You’ll note when you read the story in Luke’s gospel, that although the angel of the Lord had previously shared The Message, that it was given separately to specifically chosen individuals.  When the angel and his heavenly companions appeared to the shepherds, the announcement was given to a group of individuals who, after confirming the information by going to Bethlehem in order to see what the Lord had told them (See: Luke 2:15) immediately shared the good news of The Message with everybody they came into contact with.

The next public announcement of The Message came some thirty years later when Jesus stood to read the scriptures in His hometown synagogue in Nazareth, where He boldly declared that, "The Spirit of the Lord is with me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to announce forgiveness to the prisoners of sin and the restoring of sight to the blind, to forgive those who have been shattered by sin, to announce the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19 God’s Word ©)

Both of these announcements made it perfectly clear that this Message was one of GOOD NEWS, was a Message that should instill a spirit and sense of JOY in everyone who heard it, and was a Message with the promise of a new way of life that was available for EVERYONE!

So, let me ask you then… if it is such a JOYFUL Message… why aren’t more people EXCITED, EXPECTANT and HAPPY about it... especially now, during the Christmas Holidays? 

When Piper was confined to her wheelchair, we tended to make friends everywhere we went.  I firmly believe it was because the people in those stores, restaurants, doctor’s offices and even during our many trips to the emergency rooms in both California and North Carolina saw the joy of the Lord both in us and radiating from us… and Piper for most of that time, couldn’t talk but still caused people to come up to me to tell me what a sweet spirit she had about her!  I think that they saw something in us that gave them hope and just enjoyed being around us.

I believe with all my heart that this is exactly The Message that you and I need to visibly live, not only during the Christmas season, but during the other eleven months of the year as well!  It is an actual decision that I make every day when I rise out of bed each morning.  Take today for instance… when I didn’t want to get up and face the day… but prayed and made myself physically put on a smile BEFORE I pulled the cover off…

If I truly believe my Bible… then I HAVE to believe that The Message announced at that very first Christmas in Bethlehem a few thousand years ago, really WAS and still IS today, “a message that will fill everyone with joy.” (Luke 2:10 God’s Word ©)

And then… I’ve got to communicate it to my heart as well as to my FACE!  What do you think about that?  Maybe today would be a good time to talk about this with your family and come up with some special ways in which each of you individually and as a family can be a HAPPY blessing to someone else during these last few days before Christmas!

I pray that you have an especially HAPPY and REWARDING week as you expect God’s blessing upon yourself and then share them with others!

Advent Calendar - DAY 15

Christmas Kids…

Friday, the third week of Advent

Today’s Readings:  Proverbs 22:6 / Luke 2:39-40

 

As we near the conclusion of the story of the first Christmas, our portion of scripture in Luke infuses together with Matthew’s details concerning Joseph, Mary and Jesus’ escape to Egypt and their eventual return to Israel.  The author makes a point to declare that “they return into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.”  (Luke 2:39 KJV)  It seemed that it must have been very important to God that Jesus be raised in the familiarity of His earthly parent’s home town.  To have the comfort and security of living amongst family and friends who knew and cared for them.

From the scarce amount of information that the canonical scriptures give us, we can come to the conclusion that Jesus lived an ordinary childhood and experienced the same pleasures, trials and challenges that all children do as they grow up.  But verse 40 establishes some very important details about His childhood and the way He was raised.

I believe that this small section of our story is to be read as a tribute to Joseph and Mary! The NKJV says that “the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.”  The God’s Word translation ends the verse by stating the “He gained favor from God and people.”  Those statements make it clear that Jesus’ earthly parents taught Him by precept and (probably more importantly) by example the things of God.  

They did whatever it took to establish Mary’s first-born son in the understanding, trust and love of His Father God.  And this was not accomplished at the expense of a natural education.  Jesus was a well-rounded individual in His secular and spiritual education, but what preeminently came forth in His adult life and ministry was the firm foundation of the Word that was put into Him, primarily by the effort of His parents.

I think that this is one of the greatest lessons that parents, grandparents and all relatives alike should learn to follow in this life!  We have a responsibility to the children and youth around us to be the best example of God’s love and holy living that we can be.  I must confess that this was one of the primary reasons that I gave up having an occasional glass of wine or a beer many years ago.  As I had prayed and agonized over this, following a conversation with my Pastor, I one day came to the realization of the poor example that I was setting for my own children as well as for the ones that I ministered to in our church and as a soccer coach!

Many times the church will tend to attach Jesus’ unquestioning trust in God to His being the Son of God.  But Jesus lived a normal life as the Son of Man until the Holy Spirit came upon Him following His baptism by John the Baptist.  At that point I don’t believe that He was suddenly endued with all spiritual wisdom and understanding, but came to a much greater understanding of all the teaching that His earthy parents had bestowed upon Him as He grew up under their love and care.  

And you know what?  It is never too late to start if this wasn’t the pattern you followed when your kids were at home!  I have developed a stronger relationship with my adult children now, than when they were younger.  Now it is increasingly more exciting and rewarding to share the Word and our experiences with our faith to each other as never before!

I also hold my responsibilities as a grandfather in high esteem and honor.  I desire to back up the kid’s parents and be able to share from my life’s experiences through the Word of God!  Then there are the neighborhood kids, the kids at church, the young adults who bag my groceries and… the potential just goes on and on!  I want to have the same kind of purpose, commitment and unselfish heart that Joseph and Mary demonstrated to Jesus!  How about you? 

Maybe that is one of the gifts that you can give to the children and youth in your family, your church and in your world this Christmas!  Have a great weekend and keep an eye open for those young folks that you can bless this Holiday Season.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “WHO or What am I expecting to BLESS and be an EXAMPLE to today?”

Advent Calendar - DAY 14

Come On Home!

Thursday, the third week of Advent

 

Today’s Readings:  Isaiah 11:1 / Matthew 2:19-23 / John 1:46 / John 7:52

  

In some respects, it is difficult to sense what Joseph and Mary must have been feeling when they suddenly found themselves on the run and living in a foreign land.  My understanding is that Egypt was a Roman province at that time and that there actually were a fairly large contingent of Jewish settlers living there.  With that in mind, it would not have been as big a shock as if they had to cross the border and try to fit into a totally independent country, with different laws, a different culture and different traditions.  It reminds me of our stay in Oklahoma a few years back when we moved there so that I could attend Bible College.  It too was a temporary stay, but the main difference was that we had a specific purpose in being there and had a definite beginning and ending point.

Joseph, Mary and Jesus on the other hand did not have that foundation.  They just knew that they needed to go there in a hurry and then wait until the angel returned with the news that they could go home again.  We took three years to plan our move to Oklahoma, search out employment, find housing and generally get everything set before the moving van arrived.  We also had been there on numerous previous occasions so we already knew the lay of the land.  As we mentioned yesterday, Joseph and Mary had no such luxury!

I have read of all kinds of estimates as to how long they actually sojourned in Egypt ranging from two months to six years.  Think about it for a moment.  What do you do?  Do you get a temp job or go through all the work of starting your business up, rent or buy a home, live off your savings, attempt to set down some roots?  What a quagmire to find yourself in!

Then the day finally arrived when the angel shows up again and tells Joseph that “those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” (Mathew 2:20 NKJV) Whew!  What a relief they must have experienced.  But then plans changed again.  According to the scriptures, Joseph and Mary had every intention to return to Bethlehem and raise Jesus there, but once more, God had a different plan!  Being as the new leadership in Bethlehem was as bad or maybe even worse than the previous administration, the angel informed them that they needed to go back home to Nazareth in the region of Galilee.

As we have witnessed throughout our story, this was done so as to fulfill the ancient prophecies.  An interesting point about Galilee and Nazareth in particular, was that they were areas “whose inhabitants were objects of sovereign contempt to the Jews.” (John Darby’s Synopsis)  Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary says that “The family must settle in Galilee.  Nazareth was a place held in bad esteem, and Christ was crucified with this accusation.”  Jesus carried that “put down” or stigma with Him throughout His earthly ministry!

How many of us have “put downs” that sit on our shoulders everywhere we go?  The real question is how we deal with it.  It definitely didn’t stop Jesus from successfully completing the tremendously tough assignment He accepted from His father.  Can you say the same thing?  I think Joseph and Mary probably figured that it would have been much easier to raise God’s Son in the royal city of His earthly ancestor David within the close proximity to Jerusalem, where they assumed that Jesus would have the bulk of His adult ministry.  And they were probably right. 

Jesus could very well of lived a more privileged life around those who had heard and or seen the miraculous events surrounding His birth.  But like we said, God had a much different plan and a deeper purpose than just Jesus’ personal well-being.  A privileged life would have made Him less accessible to the common folk, and totally divorced Him from any contact with the Gentiles.  Jesus began His ministry as a common man but ended up making a life-changing impact on this world that is still felt strongly today!

What a great example for us to follow in our individual lives.  Each of has a unique background and a special set of gifts and talents, but each share the same love of our heavenly Father.  It doesn’t matter what stigmas we may carry, where we’ve been and what we have been through, He has given each of us the tools in His Word for us to successfully make our mark in this world!

Talk about a Christmas gift that you can really use!  Jesus, God’s love Who came down on that first Christmas thousands of years ago, is on your side, and has your best interests in mind.  If you find yourself living in a type of Egypt today, don’t give up!  Don’t give in to feeling sorry for yourself either!  And don’t think for a moment that you are all alone.  “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV)  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What divine purpose am I expecting to fulfill today?”

 

Advent Calendar - DAY 13

Detour Ahead!

 

Wednesday, the third week of Advent

Today’s Readings:  Jeremiah 31:15 / Hosea 11:1 / Matthew 2:13-18 / John 10:10

 

Have you ever found yourself in the place where everything seems to be going very well, when something happens that totally rearranges your life?  Well, that is the exact spot that Joseph, Mary and their child found themselves in today’s section of the story of the first Christmas.

After the rocky start of having to travel to Bethlehem with a baby due at any moment, and then being forced to stay in a stable because the local Inn was full, things had finally settled down into a normal routine for Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus.  In fact, things were looking up.  Following the birth of the special child they had received confirmation of the calling that was thrust upon them, by the visit of the Shepherds, the words of Simeon and Anna in the temple and more recently by the unexpected arrival of the Wise Men who had travelled a far distance from the East in order to see the One called “The King of the Jews.”  The Wise Men had brought gifts befitting a King and left with them treasures of frankincense, myrrh and gold.

I would think that Joseph and Mary were just beginning to enjoy a sense of calm and stability when the angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that they had to take the baby Jesus and quickly flee to Egypt as Herod was out “to destroy Him.” (Matthew 2:13 NKJV)  With that urgent notice, there was no time to think but just react by quickly packing what essentials they needed and then head off to a distant land with nothing to go by except the words of God sent through the angel.

From there, all personal plans, hopes and desires where thrown out the window as Joseph, like Abraham his great ancestor, had to “trust God with an implicit dependence upon God, not knowing whiter he went.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the whole Bible – See also Hebrews 1:8)  The angel told Joseph when and where he needed to take his family, and also left him with the assurance that he would come again and tell them when it was safe to return to their former lives.

That is a similar assurance that we can hold close to our hearts when the circumstances of life interrupt our well laid plans.  It may seem like the rug has been pulled from under us, but we are never left alone!  God is always faithful to His Word. (I Thessalonians 5:24)  A turn of events may look to have rerouted the course of your life, but if the original direction that you were heading was led of the Lord, He will eventually return you to the right path.  In other words, never give up!  Even if what has happened to you or to those around you is cataclysmic in nature, remember that “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (John 4:4 KJV)

The fallout from Herod’s fear and hatred of Jesus and what he thought that He stood for was horrendous when the king had the boys two years and younger killed.  When He had begun His public ministry many years later, Jesus named the devil as the perpetrator of the unthinkable atrocities like Herod’s act that we see around us in this world when He stated that “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.  I have come that that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 NKJV)

But in the end, did this stop Joseph, Mary and Jesus?  Well, as we know, the answer is no!  They made their way through the detours in their life (without any written evidence of complaining, I might add!) and successfully accomplished the plan that God had for them.

What about you and me?  Can we do the same?  I think that the answer to that question is also quite easy… YES!  God’s Word gives us the directions, the hope, the strength, the comfort and all the love that we need to look beyond the temporary distractions and live a happy and successful life.  Don’t ever give up.  Joseph and Mary didn’t and either does our loving and faithful heavenly Father! 

Is there anything going on in your life today that may have thrown your life into a tizzy?  Well then, maybe NOW is the time for you to hand it over to the Lord in prayer (see: Philippians 4:6-7) and thereby allow Him to work it out for you.  I am a firm believer that once we put our hope in Him…  That the best is yet to come!  So, have a good day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting Him to handle for me today?”

 

Advent Calendar - DAY 12

Following the Star!

 

Tuesday, the third week of Advent

Today’s Readings:  Matthew 2:1-12 / Matthew 5:6 / Matthew 8:11

 

Let’s take a slightly different perspective on the story of the Wise Men who came to visit Jesus as described in the beginning of Matthew chapter two.  Experts say that these men arrived in Bethlehem anywhere between a few months to two years after Jesus was born.  It would seem that these scholarly men were not kings as some have thought, but actually members of a priestly, upper class among the Persians and Medes similar to the order of men that Daniel was put in charge of.  (See Daniel 2:48)  They were learned individuals “who cultivated astrology and kindred sciences.”  (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary)

They were men that were hungry for truth.  Their lives were devoted to watching the skies and studying the ancient writings as they searched for meaning in life.  When the extraordinary star appeared, they understood its meaning and followed it to the land of Judah where they found an extraordinary person, Jesus the foretold of King of the Jews.  When they arrived in Jerusalem and began their inquiry, they, like the shepherds before them, did not ask “if” such a king was actually born, they asked “where” the One called the King of the Jews was born!

I believe that these Gentile Wise Men were like most men and women today who are searching for the truth in their lives.  People all over the world are searching for the peace, love and security that we know only God, through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, can offer.  They may not realize exactly what it is they need or where to find it, so they experiment with all kinds of substances, lifestyles, religions, jobs, and recreational pursuits to name a few.

The star that led the Wise Men to the infant Jesus brought them to the successful conclusion of their search.  I think that our heavenly Father would liken His children to that star that showed up a few thousand years ago.  Matthew 2:2 tells how the Wise Men related that “we saw His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (NKJV) 

This would infer that they first saw the star while they were in their home country in the Eastern lands, not that they observed the star in the eastern sky, for then they would have traveled east and not west to Jerusalem.  They were going about their everyday lives when the star appeared.  That bright shining celestial object caused them to hunger and thirst after something that they needed to inquire of and they traveled many hard miles to discover Him.

People all around us today are living their daily lives while hungering and thirsting for more meaning.  They are searching for Him and we as His children can act as that bright shining star to lead them to His peace!  John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states that “This star had a motion to it; kept pace with them, and was a guide unto them.” (Commentary on Matthew 2:9-10)  This is the perfect example of how we should allow ourselves to become involved in the lives of the non-Christian’s with whom we rub elbows with on a regular basis- our neighbors, those we work with and even with the store employees that we interact with every time we go grocery shopping or to the Mall!

Get to know them.  Learn what is important to them and then let the light of Christ just shine through you!  Keep in step with them and show them that they are special to you, and that you accept them, whether you agree with their lifestyle choices or anything else that they pursue in life that is contrary to your belief system.  In other words, be who you are, live what you believe and be their friend.  Don’t preach it, live it!

Be someone’s star that leads them to the King of kings!  Take a moment right now to think about those familiar employees at the stores you frequent... and consider how you can bless them the next time you go in.  I can’t think of a better Christmas gift than the gift of Jesus!  How about you?  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “Whose Bright Shining Star am I expecting TO BE today?”

Advent Calendar - DAY 11

Senior Citizens

Monday, the third week of Advent

Today’s Readings:  Isaiah 49:6/ Luke 2:21-38 / I Peter 2: 3-8

 

Many years ago there was an older man who was on the board of directors of our church.  He was a deeply spiritual man and the presence of the Lord just seemed to radiate from him.  It was the Pastor’s custom near the beginning of each monthly board meeting, to ask each member if they had anything that they wanted to share.  Brother Chester always had a word that normally turned into 15-30 minute sermon where he would share a bit of insight on something that the Lord had taught him over the years.

While some of the board members would grow impatient or raise an eyebrow as he started talking in his slow country drawl, I would find myself expectantly poised with pencil in hand; ready to record the gems that he was to share that night.  There was just something special about this unique Senior Citizen. He could have been anybody’s grandfather with his snow white hair and easy going personality.  But this kindly gentlemen KNEW God!  When he spoke you had the instant understanding that he spent a lot of time in the presence of the Father!  When he spoke at our meetings concerning a need or situation that the church was facing you knew that he had, in common vernacular, “Been there, done that and won the tee-shirt!”

When I saw Chester, I saw the love of God in Action!  I had the honor of officiating at this special man of God’s graveside service when he passed on into glory.  It was a wonderful day as everyone there was exuberant about his life and his new residence at home with our heavenly Father.  I still have the notes from that service, and in fact, carry them around with me in my notebook that I use every day!

Today’s section in our continuing look at the original story of Christmas brings to my remembrance the qualities that my older friend possessed and freely shared with those around him.  As Joseph and Mary came into the temple in order to complete the requirements of presenting their first born son to the Lord, they were met by two special Senior Citizens.  Both Simeon and Anna radiated the love of God in their lives.  They were two individuals who loved the Lord with all their hearts.  The writer also makes it clear that they, like Chester, KNEW the Lord.

As Jesus came to be a comfort to all of those who would accept Him, Simeon and Anna must have been a great comfort to Joseph and Mary as they began the very important call that had been placed upon their lives.  To me it would be similar to the comfort that a loving, caring and understanding grandparent imparts to their grandchildren.  And once again, Joseph and Mary discovered two more saintly people who knew and understood the task that lay before them.

The excitement that Simeon and Anna must have felt at that defining moment in their lives is quite evident by the words that they spoke that day.  They had waited their whole lives for this time, and finally it was upon them.  Both of them were content that they could now pass on into glory, for as Simeon joyously declared, “my eyes have seen your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples.” (Luke 2:30-31 NKJV)

My desire is to be like Simeon, Anna and my old friend Chester.  To live a life filled with expectancy in seeing the promises of God coming to pass in my life, and in the lives of those around me.  I want to KNOW God as these unique Senior Citizens did.  When I walk into a room I desire that those there will sense the presence of God and then hunger and thirst after the righteousness that only Jesus can satisfy them with.  I want my life to be an open book that shares the goodness, the faithfulness and the non-judgmental love of God to all I touch.  How about you?

As you study the interactions of Joseph, Mary, Jesus, Simeon and Anna today, I would encourage you to allow the joy that radiated in that temple court to attach itself to you. Then take it, develop it in you and spread it throughout your world in the coming New Year!  Have a great week.  Stay in tune to His word, and keep asking yourself… “How close am I expecting to KNOW God today?”

Advent Calendar - DAY 10

Excitement and Expectation!

Friday, the second week of Advent

Today’s Readings: Luke 2:15-20 / Luke 4:16-22

 

I can’t help but sense the excitement that must have prevailed in that tiny stable when the shepherds arrived in order to “see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” (Luke 2:15 NKJV)  When the angels returned to heaven the shepherds were left with a burning expectation of the word that they had just received.  You’ll notice that there were no misgivings of what they had just heard.  They didn’t say “let us go and see if this thing be true.”  No, there was no doubt in their minds that this supernatural intervention of God was true and had, in fact, taken place!  God’s rhema Word spoken to them through the angel had stirred them up and they were ready to go see it and spread the good news to all who would listen!

Can you imagine the unity and fellowship that was experienced between Joseph, Mary and the shepherds?  For the first time in a year or more, Joseph and Mary could share freely with others who could fully understand all that had occurred to them!  I bet everyone was talking at once, sharing their experiences, their feelings and their thoughts on the future events that would come from that night’s activities!

Luke 2:19 says that Mary “kept” and “pondered” everything that they talked about in her heart. (NKJV)  How important it is for each of us to ponder, consider and weigh the word that God gives to us.  Vincent’s Word Studies explains that the term “kept” is “a very expressive verb” implying as Robertson’s Word Pictures says, that “she kept on keeping together all these things.  (that) They were meat and drink to her.”  Just like Mary, we need to keep the Word alive and fresh within us.  God’s Word builds expectation and excitement is us, just like it did with our cast of players on that night in Bethlehem many years ago.

The shepherds reacted to the overwhelming event by returning to their flocks “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.” (Luke 2:20 NKJV) They were bursting with glee and could not contain themselves!  Verse 18 states that all “those who heard it marveled (or were amazed) at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” (NKJV)  The Word that was being shared that night was different than most people had ever heard before.  Some thirty years later, the people would respond identically to the Word that Jesus shared as He began His public ministry! (See; Luke 4:16-22)

We should always be in a place where God’s Word amazes us!  Jesus said that “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63 English Majority Text Version)  When He said they are life, He was talking about “Zoe” life, which in the original Greek refers to “the absolute fullness of life!” (Thayer’s Greek Definitions)  When we read or hear the Word of God, our spirits should jump with excitement as we look forward with glee to the expected fulfillment of that Word in our lives!

Take some time this weekend to keep and ponder the excitement and expectation that prevailed in and around that little stable after the birth of the Christ child.  As you do, allow yourself to become overwhelmed with His love for you and be like the shepherds who clearly saw that “Everything happened the way the angel had told them,” (Luke 2:20 God’s Word ©) or like Mary, who was assured by the angel Gabriel at the very beginning, that “No word from God shall be void of power.” (Luke 1:37 ASV) 

Remember too, that Hebrews 13:8 profoundly declares that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (God’s Word ©)  And if He was faithful to His Word for those back then, He will do the same for you and me today!  Have a super weekend.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What excitement and expectation am I expecting to experience today?”