Wednesday, the THIRD week of Advent

I have always had a fascination with black and white photography.  There is just something special and unique about the ability to have a picture tell a specific story through the use of creative lighting and various shades of gray!  Back in the seventies and eighties I did a lot of research on black and white films and the differences in the ways they captured the image.  Before the advent of digital photography the outcome of the photograph seemed to be totally in the hands of the photographer and the processing lab.

 

That is probably why I had to have total control of my prints and spent hours in the darkroom perfecting my processing skills.  I was able to procure darkroom equipment and my folks allowed me to assemble a shed in our backroom and convert it to engage in my photographic indulgences while still in high school.  About ten years later after my wife and I were married and just had our first child, I purchased a bigger shed and assembled it in the backyard of my Grandmother’s house that we were renting from my folks.  Once again I would literally spend long hours deep into the night as I developed my own creations and the prints I had shot as the photographer for the local Catholic diocese newspaper.

 

I think that skill of seeing the world in black and white and the various shades of gray that make up the view you are attempting to capture has helped me to learn a valuable lesson when it comes to the stands of faith I have taken throughout my life.  This has been especially prevalent in our stand for my wife’s health over these last six years.

 

When we first began to take a firm stand on the Word and the directions we needed to follow, I quickly realized that in faith there are NO gray areas!  Every decision, every word spoken, every action taken and even every thought needs to be what is known in photographic terms as a high contrast print.  In other words, there are no gray or in-between shades, but only clear crisp blacks and whites.  As a Christian taking a stand of faith in God’s Word, gray areas would be considered doubt and unbelief.  Either we believe what God says… or we don’t.  It is yes or no, black or white!

 

That’s the kind of faith I see in Mary and Joseph as they were faced with another big dilemma… just when things seemed to be going good for them!  I don’t read anywhere in the Biblical documentation of today’s part of the Christmas story where either of them hesitated or doubted God’s Word for one moment!  It was a black and white decision.  There was no room, nor time for questioning.  They simple took God at His Word, followed through on His directions and were safe!

 

Is that the way that you approach the stands of faith you have taken throughout your life?  Are you a high contrast decision maker, or one who clouds his or her mind with shades of gray?  Let that thought be your guide as you read today’s Wednesday, the third week of Advent post.

 

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?  That is the 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 as the king had the boys two years and younger killed.  When He began 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 detours 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!  Take a moment and think about the detours that you may currently be walking in your life.  Then hand them, one by one, to God and allow Him to redirect your steps in 2016.  Have a good day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What or Who’s STEPS am I expecting today?”

 

Tuesday, the THIRD week of Advent

My wife and I have been in our new home a little over a month and haven’t had a chance to meet any of our neighbors as of yet.  As you may have noted from the pictures I’ve been posting on our blog, we live in a rural neighborhood and the houses are not real close to each other as in a typical suburban subdivision.  When you add our physical location at the end of street, we just don’t get many people walking past our home!

But you know, I am not too concerned about it because I believe that we will meet those who live around us in Papa God’s perfect timing.  So in the meantime, I smile and wave to the cars that may drive by and continue to show myself as friendly and open.  We have begun to develop some relationships with the employees at a couple of the new stores that we have been frequenting though.  Both my wife and I enjoy making people feel comfortable in our presence and work to elicit a smile from them as we interact.

In fact, we’ve been doing that since the early days of our marriage beginning at that old apartment we rented from 1975 to 78.  There was a small privately owned grocery store next to the apartment complex that we would frequent for those little things we needed in between the bi-monthly big shopping days at a nearby Lucky’s store.  We used to laugh and carry on with some of the workers on a regular basis to the point that they would make funny announcements to or about us over the store PA system when they saw us in the ceiling mirrors placed around the store!

And as usual we would share our life of faith with them.  Our Christian beliefs have always been a big part of who we are and it would just naturally come out in our conversations.  We had taken the time to get to know these folks and they knew us and they were not frightened off by our beliefs and the way we choose to live our lives.  A few of them actually came to our church on occasion on Sunday mornings or to see a special program that we were doing with the youth group.

In some respects, I guess you could say that we were (and still are) a bit like that light that drew the three wise men to Jesus soon after His birth in Bethlehem so many years ago.  I also believe that anyone who calls him or herself a Christian is called to do the same.  Not forced or under condemnation because someone at your church says you have to witness, but simply as a natural outflow of your life shared with those around you!

Keep that thought in mind as you meditate on today’s Tuesday, the third week of Advent reading.  By the way, since my wife and I were out most of the day yesterday, I did not have the opportunity to post Monday’s Advent reading to all my usual online groups.  If you missed it, I would encourage you to go to our blog at pjberruto.blogspot.com and read the post, or any others that you may not have seen.  I wouldn’t want you to miss any of the days of the Advent Calendar.

 

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 like 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.  These being 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!

I would encourage you to pray about it, choose the right individual(s) and then be someone’s star this holiday season that leads them to the King of kings!  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… “What am I expecting TO DO for OTHERS today?” 

Monday, the THIRD week of Advent

My wife has always had a zeal and spark for life.  I think that spunk was what drew me to her in the first place.  It was like a smile and a laugh came very easy for her.  She always seemed to have the right encouraging word for any situation and would brighten any room that she walked into. 

I remember her taking my hand not long after we had moved into our new residence around 1996 and telling me that she was praying that our house would always be a place of peace, praise and refuge to anyone who came in the door.  And you know, over the years since then we have had countless friends, relatives and even a few strangers who we invited in comment about how peaceful our home was!

In fact, now that I think about it… that was already happening in every house we had previously lived in!  From the young guy that passed out at the door of the first apartment we lived in, the Mormon neighbor across the street at the next house who came over asking us to pray for his hurting back, to the teenage deaf girl who frantically knocked at our front door many years later as she had been recently assaulted, to the beer truck driver in that same neighborhood who would come by asking me to tie the knot on his tie when he was forced to attend a formal event.

My wife just expected those kinds of things to happen… and they did!  It reminds me of today’s Monday, the third week of Advent reading.  Here we find a couple of senior citizens who were very expectant of the fulfillment of the scriptures concerning the coming Messiah to happen within their lifetime.  They never gave up even though I bet they received quite a bit of skepticism from those around them throughout the years.

These two special people simply KNEW God!  They had an intimate experiential knowledge of Him, His Word and His promises and they were not about to let go of what they knew to be true!  I also would venture to say that they talked about their expectations all the time, and because it was of God, it most likely filled many others with peace, praise and a refuge from the troubles they faced in their lives.  Do you have a similar kind of expectation about you?  Do other people get excited about the things of God when they are around them?  Think about that today as you read the beginning of the third week of Advent blog postings today.

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 a 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 about to share.  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 God!  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 thrust upon their lives.  To me it would be similar to the comfort that loving, caring and understanding grandparents impart 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, as well as 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 and long simmering expectancy 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!  You might even want to take a clean sheet of paper and write across the top: “What am I expecting this New Year?”  Then attach the paper to your refrigerator door and jot down whatever comes to your heart throughout the remainder of this month.  And then when January arrives, you’ll have your personal goal sheet for the next year!  Have a great week.  Stay in tune to His word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”

Friday, The SECOND week of Advent

I had a crises moment last evening about an hour before we turned in for the night.  I had gotten up to get something when Piper erupted with a hacking cough.  She hadn’t coughed since lunch and I had been relieved thinking that she was over it when this happened.  Well… I was tired and as I spun around in the hallway to return to her side, I started to get angry (and probably a little afraid) that she seemingly wasn’t getter better.

In the midst of my turn I started to loudly complain to God about the situation and was just about to ask what He was going to do about Piper, when He arrested my thoughts and said: “It’s not up to Me… It’s up to you!”  That immediately caused me to stop my spin and almost fall over from the motion.  In fact I had to reach out to the wall for a little support!

I stood there for a moment in shock and in embarrassment.  When I was finally able to find my voice, I simply replied “You’re right!”  You see, I’ve been speaking the Word of healing over my wife for years and ramped it up with the on slot of the Bronchitis.  His glass of ice cold water to the face remark quickly brought me back online with my faith in Him and His Word.  Either I believed Him and His word on healing for my wife or I didn’t…

So before I moved another muscle from that spot in the hallway of our new home, I made a quick adjustment of my confession and began to reiterate my thanksgivings to Him for His promises of healing for my favorite girl!  And you know, she didn’t cough again until 1:30 in the morning.  Except this time and a few others through the night, were gentle coughs removing the phlegm from her throat.

His Word of instruction to me last night highly encouraged me and reignited my expectations for His best for my wife and I.  When I got up this morning, I felt a bit like the people who filled that manger in Bethlehem on that cold winter night and the ones who were fortunate enough to be in that temple about thirty years later when the man Jesus began His formal ministry on this earth.  As I stood up from the bed, I found myself with a smile on my lips and thinking of God’s promises, declared: “Prepare to be amazed!”

Do you expect to be amazed when you study and then act on the Word of God?  Let that question rattle around in your head and heart today as you read the amazing events and words spoken in our Advent story today!

 

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 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 thoughts of the atmosphere of 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 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 am I expecting to AMAZE me today?”

Thursday, the SECOND week of Advent

Just before we headed off to bed the other night, I stepped out onto the deck to encourage the dog to follow and take care of her business.  My eyes were immediately drawn up and I was suddenly awash in wonderment as I gazed at the bright star-strutted evening skies.  I think that it was the first time I had looked to the stars since we moved in.  The country view without the blinding glare of city lights was simply amazing!  But my astonishment only lasted about one minute as the dog reluctantly came out the door and plodded slowly down the stairs on her way out to the lawn. 

You see, one of the cool things about this home is that it has motion sensor lights under the eave’s on each of the four corners of the house as well as a set over the rear door to the garage.  Which means that nothing nor no-one can come close to the house without that area of the front or backyard being brightly lit up!  As soon as Mandie exited the stairs the lights over the garage door went on and inhibited my clear view of the evening skies.

A few nights later I went into the garage and switched off the power to the lights over the garage door before I let the pooch out.  Then when I stepped onto the deck I enjoyed the vast expanse of the heavens over our section of the world in North Carolina. 

Two things quickly came to mind as I stood there.  First I thought of how much Piper would enjoy this particular view and how she would be standing next to me pointing out all the constellations visible to the naked eye.  Years ago she had taught the kids in their homeschool science class about the constellations and during the course of the multi-month project they had memorized their names and locations.  She was always quite proud of that class and freely shared her knowledge of the heavens with me every time we would be out in the night!

Secondly I was reminded of Ephesians 1:4 in the Message Bible.  It declares a promise of the Lord saying, “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.”

As I gazed at the stars I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the extent of his love for us.  The stars were like sparkling little windows of heaven shining forth with the radiant beams of His love for you and me.  It made me realize how small I am… and how big He is!

I wonder if the shepherd’s in that pasture outside the town of Bethlehem that special night many years ago were thinking the same thing as they glanced up into the star lit skies?  As I stood on our deck, I could almost see the angel of the Lord manifesting himself against the backdrop of God’s gorgeous sets for the plays of our lives!

What would he say to me if he really did appear?  What would he say to you if he appeared to you one starry night as you stepped out into the brisk autumn air?  Think about it as you read today’s Thursday, the SECOND week of Advent blog post.

 

Star Gazing

Thursday, the second week of Advent

Today’s Readings:  Psalm 23:1 / Luke 2:8-14 / Ephesians 1:22

 

The story of the angel of the Lord appearing to the shepherds who were tending their flocks under the open skies is a very easy one for me to imagine.  A few years back my family and I were camping in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at our favorite State Park and we decided to do a little high elevation star gazing.  One night about 10:00 pm we hopped in the Suburban and drove up the narrow road to the parking lot of the Johnsville Historic Ski Bowl, the site of some of the original long boarding events in the state of California.  When we reached the lot I noticed that there were other vehicles parked throughout the area, so I turned off the lights and navigated by the reflection of the stars.  As we opened the doors we all made a collective sigh as we were totally overwhelmed by the bright beauty of the overhead stars that seemed to be within arm’s reach!

The sight was simply amazing and it immediately brought my thoughts to that night when the “glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9 NKLV) in the countryside near the little town of Bethlehem.  What was truly arresting to the senses was that the more you looked at the sky, the more stars you saw!  Then as I viewed it through my camera and telephoto lens set on a tripod, the vision was absolutely spellbinding!  It was almost like the whole sky was one bright light that seemed to shine from eternity.  I would imagine that this was similar to the shepherd’s sight of the “multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men’” (Luke 2:13-14 NKJV)

It is very significant that the shepherds were the first to receive the announcement of the birth of their Savior.  These weren’t just ordinary shepherds, but those commissioned to watch over the sacrificial lambs for the temple in Jerusalem.  They were the protectors of the perfect lambs to be sacrificed for the covering of the people’s sins each year.  Isn’t it appropriate that these individuals be among the first to pay homage to the Lamb of God who would offer up Himself as the complete and final sacrifice who would not just cover but totally remove our sins, once and for all?

The shepherds also represented the common man, not the intellectuals, the rich or religious leaders.  Jesus came for all men (not just a select few) and is easily accessible to all who come to Him.  It is also important to note that the patriarchs of our faith were all shepherds.  In fact, Moses and David were actually called out while tending their flocks to rule God’s people.  Later in His life, Jesus would refer to Himself as “The good shepherd who giveth his life for the sheep.”  (John 10:11 KJV)

When the angel appeared to the men out in the field in the middle of the night, he instantly calmed their fears and reported that he was bringing “good news… that will fill everyone with joy.” (Luke 2:10 God’s Word ©)  He was excitedly declaring that “I am not come to declare the judgments of God, but his merciful loving-kindness, the subject being a matter of great joy!” (Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible)  The angel was pronouncing Jesus’ life changing task of providing a way for there to be peace between God and man.  (See: Romans 5:1)  He came to introduce us to God as a loving Papa!

Our story also records that the word of the Lord came to those who were “abiding in the field, keeping watch…” (Luke 2:8 KLV)  How important it is for each of us to abide in the fields of our lives and keep watch for the directions and leadings of God.  This is the perfect time of year to take a look for and consider removing the unnecessary things in your life that may distract you from being attentive to the plans and purposes that our heavenly Father may have for you.  I would encourage you to take the opportunity this week to step outside late some night and look up into the heavens and view the glories that present themselves before you.  As you do, think about the shepherds out in their fields and listen intently for the message God has for you!  Have a great day!  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting TO SEE…and HEAR  today?”

Wednesday, the SECOND week of Advent

As I thought about today’s Advent post, I recalled how “my” plans for the purchase of a house changed over the year and a half that we have been in North Carolina.  I came with big dreams but the longer we were here, and the more areas we looked at, those dreams began to shrink.  The original time frame also changed as I was pretty tired when the original one year lease was up.  So “my” plans for our house got smaller, I began to focus on what “I” thought “I” could handle in a house, both physically and financially, what “I” thought was best for my wife and I with our current set of circumstances, and began to come to the conclusion that our dream place was just that… a dream!

But you know, God had a different plan.  Soon after I renewed the lease for another year, I began to sense a stirring inside of me concerning the purchase of a home.  As I yielded to that inner sensation in prayer, many of the roadblocks I had assembled in my mind concerning the house began to disappear and suddenly that old expectation of believing for God’s best began to reappear in my heart.  The dream began to explode and grow again and the restraints I had bought into snapped as we made a decision to go forward even though we had originally thought this to be the wrong time.

Papa God had a plan… the perfect plan for us and I think He was reminding us of it.  It was time to let go of “my” plans and yield to “His” plans.  And am I glad that we did!  We not only were able to snag the place of our dreams in the country, but ended up getting it for $11,000 under our budget, which allowed us the ability to replace the carpets, get some outdoor equipment needed for the upkeep of the new home and finally replace the furniture we sold when we moved from Oklahoma six years ago.

Mary and Joseph faced a similar set of decisions as we did on the way to their new home.  So far up to today’s part of the story, not much had gone according to “their” original plan for their new “normal” life together.  Everything was dramatically changing… but yet… as they trusted Papa God, everything worked out for them!  Contrary to common belief, I would imagine that they didn’t even bat an eye when the inn keeper slammed the door on them proclaiming that there was no room in the inn.  I can just see them holding hands, looking away from the closed door with a smile on their faces and stating in unison: “So what’s ‘your’ plan Papa?”

That’s probably a good question for each of us to ask, each day as we step out of bed!  It is also a good thought to keep in mind as you meditate on today’s Wednesday, the SECOND week of Advent reading.

 

In The Fullness of Time

Wednesday, the second week of Advent

Today’s Readings: Psalms 118:23-26 / Daniel 2:44 / Luke 2:6-7

 

There are many life lessons that can be derived from our small but most important part of our look at the first Christmas.  Luke 1:26 in the American Standard Version states that “while they were there, the days were fulfilled…”  God’s perfect timing had come.  That which had been prophesied throughout the previous ages was actually happening on that wonderful night over 2000 years ago.  The anxious moments that Joseph and Mary went through finally came to a sweet conclusion as the baby Jesus was born in the stable of an inn.

How appropriate that the King of Kings was born in that lowly place and then laid in a manger for His introduction to the world.  What is an inn but a place where temporary sojourners in a land stay as they are passing through while they complete their immediate responsibilities.  Jesus was manifest as a man for only a short and temporary time so that He could complete the greatest deed ever known to man.  He was to live His abbreviated stay on this earth as a sinless man so that He could suffer and die in our place, for our sins as the full and total payment to legally free us from the domain of darkness that had ruled mankind since the original sin in the Garden of Eden.

An inn is also an establishment that receives all who come into its abode, as is the same with Christ.  I believe that God had it planned all along that the Holy Family would stay in the relative quiet and privacy of the stable so that they could humbly receive those who would come that night in awe and in worship to their newborn king!

When Joseph and Mary arrived with every intention of staying at the inn, they discovered that there was no room left vacant.  This is similar to those who know of and may even desire to accept Jesus as their Lord, but never make room for Him to come into the inn of their hearts.  Then there are those of us who have received Him as our Savior and have every intention of making Him to be Lord, but as with the others, never make room for him to abide in a preeminent position in our will and with the daily activities of our busy lives.

Our loving heavenly Father greatly desires that the days be fulfilled in us where His perfect plan for our lives can come into fruition.  Let this season of giving be the time where you give yourselves totally to Him so that He can have a preeminent hand in the events ahead.  Just as He worked out all the details and took loving care of Joseph, Mary and the baby, He will do the same for you!  Then you can shout like the Psalmist did when he exclaimed “This is the Lord’s doing (and); it is marvelous in our eyes!” (Psalm 118:23 KJV)  Go ahead… shout that out right now!  Rejoice and be glad that His ways are marvelous for you today then pray about and consider how you and/or your family can be a blessing to someone else this year by planting a seed of giving into their lives.  And with that in mind, have a terrific day!   Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What SEED am I expecting to plant today?”   

Tuesday, the SECOND week of Advent

I’ve mentioned on a few occasions about the exciting times we have experienced over the past few months with our purchase of a new home.  But as I sat down in the quiet solitude of the early morning hours today, not feeling quite on top of things with the lingering effects of a cold, I was reminded that this time has also brought with it lots of stress!  Once we engaged our fantastic Realtor it seemed like everything went into warp drive!  The only problem with that was that it seemed that there were a thousand things to accomplish before we could find and then be moved into the new house.

Then on top of all this, Piper’s Dad had been diagnosed with cancer and that weighed very heavily on both of us, especially since Piper (and to be honest… me too) were in no condition to make a trip to California.  We were receiving very little feedback from the home front and my numerous attempts at various types of communication to Piper’s family went unanswered.  All this was very frustrating, confusing and stirred a bit of anger as we were concerned but were being left out of the loop.  Having lost my own father a few years earlier, I could imagine what Piper might have been feeling but due to the Alzheimer's could not communicate.

So… to say there were many things on my mind as well as on our calendar throughout our new house project, would be an understatement!  At times I had to fight feelings that I could not simply go on, but yet I KNEW that this was from the Lord and that I needed to do my part so He could do His.  Finally I did what I’ve always done in the past and organized everything needed to be accomplished into a timeline.  Then I just took one day, one part of the project at a time and refused to be concerned about everything beyond that day.  Besides, there were (and still are) many things that Papa God was going to have to make a way for us in order to complete future tasks, so why be anxious when I don’t even know all the facts yet!  And here we sit this morning, just a few days over a month in our new, completely own home of our dreams… and all those parts of the project from the immediate past are little but a distant memory!

You know, I think Joseph and Mary had to make a similar decision to the one I made in order to make it… sanely… through the journey that the Lord had called them to accomplish on the way to the birth of our Savior.  I would imagine that there were plenty of times where Joseph was tempted to FREAK OUT at the trip ahead with a very pregnant wife and the very special child that she held in her womb.  He could either get overwhelmed and fail at this initial part of the program that God had set up for them, or choose to simply trust the Lord for each step, one day at a time.  Well, I don’t read anywhere in the Gospels when he freaked out… do you?  So he must have trusted God, for everything worked our perfectly! 

I would encourage you to think about the projects in your own life and how you will choose to handle them as you read from today’s Tuesday, the SECOND week of Advent posting.

 

Road Trip!

Tuesday, the second week of Advent

Today’s Reading:  Micah 5:2-3 / Luke 2:1-5

 

I can but only imagine the tension mixed with an atmosphere of excitement in the air as Mary and Joseph packed their things in preparation for the trip to Bethlehem.  To many it must have seemed to have been the worst timing ever for the Roman Emperor to have decreed a Census of the people under his authority.  With Mary in the final trimester of her pregnancy, a journey of that magnitude would be unbearable.  But nowhere in the recorded manuscript of the event do we find the principle cast members ever uttering a single word of complaint!  Mary and Joseph had cast the care of their lives and that of the special baby into the hands of their God, and nothing was going to sway them away from their intended course.

God used the reach and authority of the reigning heathen power of the world to unknowingly set the stage for His grand plan.  The timing was perfect, and every detail was in place for our intrepid travelers to set out on a trip that most scholars say took about a week.  The Romans had built an extensive array of roads designed to move their troops and equipment around the empire.  With the world experiencing a time of peace, Mary and Joseph were able to take advantage of the roadways and due to the broad scope of the Census, were able to safely travel with groups of others as they made their ways to their hometowns.

If Joseph had been anything like me, I am positive that he must have done some research into the prophecies concerning the adventure that they had been chosen by God to fulfill.  He would have read from the writings of Micah as to the location where the Christ child would be born.  He would have learned that the name Bethlehem meant “the house of bread”, and while probably not knowing the significance of that as Mary’s child would later refer to Himself as the “bread of life” (John 6:35), he would have understood that Micah’s prophecy “respects the personal character of the Messiah, and the discoveries of himself to the world, (and how) it distinguishes his human birth from his existing from eternity.” (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary – Micah 5:1-6)  

As the drama began to unfold on that first day of the journey, I can picture Joseph smiling at his lovely wife to be, holding her hand with a comforting grasp and uttering the calming words that “everything was going to be alright!” They may not have known the multitude of situations that they would have to deal with along the way, but they were confident that the hand of their Lord was upon them.  By then they had to be aware that they were part of a well-orchestrated plan that had been set in motion many years before. 

When they turned to take one last look at the city limits of Nazareth, I would imagine the words from Mary’s son’s namesake Joshua was buzzing in their hearts saying “I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave.  Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged!  I am the LORD your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9 Contemporary English Version)  With that they would have turned and set their faces toward Bethlehem and the task that was set before them.

As this year comes to an end and you take your final considerations of all that you successfully accomplished as well as those things that were not done as well, or maybe not at all in 2015, I would encourage you to be like Mary and Joseph.  Let your heavenly Father’s words of encouragement and faithfulness fill your heart and then set your face toward all that He has for you in the New Year to come – and live it one day at a time!  Joshua 1:9 would be a great scripture to memorize and then hide away in your heart for the upcoming year!  Have a great day!  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting to be Strong and Courageous about today?”