TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Psalm 139:1-12
1 O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord. 5 You hem me in--behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.
Do you sometimes wish God weren't with you every minute? Is it because you're embarrassed about being where you are? Or ashamed of something you're doing?
I remember being called to the principal's office in junior high, which made me plenty nervous because I knew I was in trouble. But the real anxiety started when I saw who else was sitting in his office. My mom. Suddenly the air grew thinner and the room grew smaller. Oh, how I wished that she . . . or I . . . were anywhere else!
In Psalm 139, David described God's complete knowledge of him. Was David complaining? Did it make him claustrophobic? No way. It was a comfort to David that no matter where he went, he could count on God being there too.
The feeling of being claustrophobic with God can mean only one thing--He's too all-knowing for us to be comfortable with Him. Could it be a sin that we're trying to hide? Or clear instruction from Him we're refusing to obey?
When we are right with God, we enjoy His company. We look forward to spending time with Him. We're not ashamed to have Him hear a joke we tell or a conversation on the phone with a friend. We want to share with Him our deepest feelings. We don't fear Him as a cruel master who wants to beat us into submission. He's not an unfair employer hoping to pounce on us for another mistake. Nor is He a spiteful instructor who enjoys flunking students.
He is our Father. He is our Savior. He is our Advocate. He loves us. He empowers us. He desires and knows the best course for our lives. And instead of a claustrophobic feeling that He is always there, watching our every move, we can be comfortable in His presence.
No one knows us better--or loves us more--than God. --Cindy Kasper
DESTINATION POINTS
* Do I remember a time when I wished I could hide something from God? What happened?
* Is there any sin in my life right now that I'm allowing to keep me apart from God? What's my next move?
bottom line: God's presence is to be enjoyed--not feared.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Sunday, February 26, 2006
God's Economy
John Fischer
Today's devotional mistakenly was linked with Friday's text. Here is the proper text for today. We apologize for the inconvenience.
God's economy is all about turning our hardship into help for someone else. There is a purpose in pain. It's never pleasant at the time, but it bears fruit for others. The process is quite simple really. I go through something that necessitates my receiving resources from God to get through it. And while God is strengthening me, the strength that He gives me is something I can share with someone else, especially someone going through a similar difficulty.
Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5…
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the Lord of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
There you have it. Overflowing comfort. When we're going through a hard time, God gives us more than enough to cope, so we'll have something leftover to share with someone else, thus giving us a purpose even in our hardship. This is so important because one of the tendencies when things go bad is to think that our life is suddenly pointless and wasted. We find it hard to wrestle anything good out of the bad things that happen to us. But the good is always there, and if we can't see it, it's because we aren't tuned into God's economy. We are just looking at the situation from one point of view, and it happens to be the most depressing one.
Did you notice, also, that our sufferings and comfort both come from the same source? We share in the sufferings of Christ so that we can share in the comfort that comes from Christ as well. That's God's economy.
So are you going through it right now? Are you asking God, "Why?" and not getting any answers? Well, at its most basic level, the unique set of circumstances that set you up for this are such that they will qualify you to help someone else in a similar situation. So if that someone should say to you, "You can't possibly know what I'm going through," you will be able to say, "Oh yeah? Let me tell you my story and show you how God met me." It keeps circling around like that. That's part of God's economy.
PDL
John Fischer
Today's devotional mistakenly was linked with Friday's text. Here is the proper text for today. We apologize for the inconvenience.
God's economy is all about turning our hardship into help for someone else. There is a purpose in pain. It's never pleasant at the time, but it bears fruit for others. The process is quite simple really. I go through something that necessitates my receiving resources from God to get through it. And while God is strengthening me, the strength that He gives me is something I can share with someone else, especially someone going through a similar difficulty.
Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5…
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the Lord of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
There you have it. Overflowing comfort. When we're going through a hard time, God gives us more than enough to cope, so we'll have something leftover to share with someone else, thus giving us a purpose even in our hardship. This is so important because one of the tendencies when things go bad is to think that our life is suddenly pointless and wasted. We find it hard to wrestle anything good out of the bad things that happen to us. But the good is always there, and if we can't see it, it's because we aren't tuned into God's economy. We are just looking at the situation from one point of view, and it happens to be the most depressing one.
Did you notice, also, that our sufferings and comfort both come from the same source? We share in the sufferings of Christ so that we can share in the comfort that comes from Christ as well. That's God's economy.
So are you going through it right now? Are you asking God, "Why?" and not getting any answers? Well, at its most basic level, the unique set of circumstances that set you up for this are such that they will qualify you to help someone else in a similar situation. So if that someone should say to you, "You can't possibly know what I'm going through," you will be able to say, "Oh yeah? Let me tell you my story and show you how God met me." It keeps circling around like that. That's part of God's economy.
PDL
Saturday, February 25, 2006
“May I Help You?”
John Fischer
Don't you find it appalling when people who make a living in service-oriented jobs act as if you are presuming upon them by expecting to receive the services they were hired to render? You walk up to a clerk at a fast food restaurant and she looks at you with that “Come-on-buddy-you're-keeping-me-waiting-here” look. Or you go up to a floorwalker in one of those huge discount stores and he looks at you as if to say, “If you think I'm here to help you, you've got another thing coming.” Or how about the car repair man who goes, “You want it when?” and laughs at you?
When we moved into a house in New England, we immediately had septic tank problems due to the inactivity of the water system. I called a plumber and he checked it out but couldn't determine the problem. When I asked him what I should do, he scratched his head and said, “Hard to say.” I asked him if the problem might take care of itself in time, he said, “Hard to say.” And when I asked if there might be someone else who would know what to do, he scratched his head and said (you guessed it), “Hard to say.” My dad, who was helping me move in at the time, started calling him the hard-to-say guy. All the while I'm thinking, aren't you supposed to be the person who knows about these things? Aren't I paying you to solve my problem?
Having said this, I have to say I love my druggist, Alana. She is the most “can-do” person I know. She is always in cheery spirits and when she says, “May I help you?” that means she is ready to put all her resources to work for you at that moment. And if it involves a problem to solve, that's even better. “No problem,” is one of her favorite statements. And she says it with such confidence! I wish you could see her face. I'm picturing it right now and she has a little smirk that says, “Relax, John. I've got it covered.”
Would that we all could have such an attitude towards each other. The Bible tells us we are more than husbands and wives and sons and daughters and neighbors and friends, we are servants, and as such, we should have a continual “May I help you?” attitude towards each other. And when we face an obstacle in serving someone, we either get an answer or find someone who can.
Maybe you have an Alana in your life. Think about that person and what you can learn from her or him. We need to get used to thinking of ourselves as servants, because that is what Jesus called us to be.
PDL
John Fischer
Don't you find it appalling when people who make a living in service-oriented jobs act as if you are presuming upon them by expecting to receive the services they were hired to render? You walk up to a clerk at a fast food restaurant and she looks at you with that “Come-on-buddy-you're-keeping-me-waiting-here” look. Or you go up to a floorwalker in one of those huge discount stores and he looks at you as if to say, “If you think I'm here to help you, you've got another thing coming.” Or how about the car repair man who goes, “You want it when?” and laughs at you?
When we moved into a house in New England, we immediately had septic tank problems due to the inactivity of the water system. I called a plumber and he checked it out but couldn't determine the problem. When I asked him what I should do, he scratched his head and said, “Hard to say.” I asked him if the problem might take care of itself in time, he said, “Hard to say.” And when I asked if there might be someone else who would know what to do, he scratched his head and said (you guessed it), “Hard to say.” My dad, who was helping me move in at the time, started calling him the hard-to-say guy. All the while I'm thinking, aren't you supposed to be the person who knows about these things? Aren't I paying you to solve my problem?
Having said this, I have to say I love my druggist, Alana. She is the most “can-do” person I know. She is always in cheery spirits and when she says, “May I help you?” that means she is ready to put all her resources to work for you at that moment. And if it involves a problem to solve, that's even better. “No problem,” is one of her favorite statements. And she says it with such confidence! I wish you could see her face. I'm picturing it right now and she has a little smirk that says, “Relax, John. I've got it covered.”
Would that we all could have such an attitude towards each other. The Bible tells us we are more than husbands and wives and sons and daughters and neighbors and friends, we are servants, and as such, we should have a continual “May I help you?” attitude towards each other. And when we face an obstacle in serving someone, we either get an answer or find someone who can.
Maybe you have an Alana in your life. Think about that person and what you can learn from her or him. We need to get used to thinking of ourselves as servants, because that is what Jesus called us to be.
PDL
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Hungry for God
John Fischer
Our ministry is to serve the needs of believers; our mission is to serve the needs of those who are not presently Christians. The latter can present a problem. You can’t really serve someone if you don’t know them, but being in relationship with those who aren’t Christians can be dangerous. Old habits and old ways of life can come back to haunt us when we are around people who don’t share our desire to follow Christ.
For this reason it may be necessary to keep only Christian friends for a season, but the goal for us all is to be stronger than this. God didn’t save us and leave us on earth to band together and live nice, safe little Christian lives until He returns or we die, whichever comes first. We are here to share the good news of God’s forgiveness with those who don’t know about it yet, and we can’t do that without getting close to people who need it. We need to be close enough to people to know them, love them, identify with their need, and serve them without judging them or losing our own hold on Christ.
How will we do this? A couple suggestions to think about today:
1) don’t ever forget we are all sinners in need of salvation. This will help keep us from a self-righteous and judgmental attitude. We never have a perfect day; we encounter our own need to be saved all the time, because we all sin and fall short of God’s glory. We lead people to Christ, not by reaching down to them from a place of invulnerable perfection, but as one hungry person showing another where the food is.
2) Remember that sin entraps everyone. Our friends who are resistant to Christianity may very well have a soft heart to God and the truth but it’s covered up by a host of things that blind us all like fear, failure, addictions and all sorts of false coping mechanisms. Success, power and wealth can blind us just as easily. We need to ask God for the ability to look past all these distractions to the heart, because at the heart, everyone is hungry for God. We were created that way.
Lord, teach us to see people as you see them. May we not give in to the things that once entrapped us. Make us keen to the lie and hungering for the truth today, and help us to find it even in those who don’t know you. Remind us that we are all children when it comes to you, even the toughest among us. Show us how to love everyone and stay true to you.
John Fischer
Our ministry is to serve the needs of believers; our mission is to serve the needs of those who are not presently Christians. The latter can present a problem. You can’t really serve someone if you don’t know them, but being in relationship with those who aren’t Christians can be dangerous. Old habits and old ways of life can come back to haunt us when we are around people who don’t share our desire to follow Christ.
For this reason it may be necessary to keep only Christian friends for a season, but the goal for us all is to be stronger than this. God didn’t save us and leave us on earth to band together and live nice, safe little Christian lives until He returns or we die, whichever comes first. We are here to share the good news of God’s forgiveness with those who don’t know about it yet, and we can’t do that without getting close to people who need it. We need to be close enough to people to know them, love them, identify with their need, and serve them without judging them or losing our own hold on Christ.
How will we do this? A couple suggestions to think about today:
1) don’t ever forget we are all sinners in need of salvation. This will help keep us from a self-righteous and judgmental attitude. We never have a perfect day; we encounter our own need to be saved all the time, because we all sin and fall short of God’s glory. We lead people to Christ, not by reaching down to them from a place of invulnerable perfection, but as one hungry person showing another where the food is.
2) Remember that sin entraps everyone. Our friends who are resistant to Christianity may very well have a soft heart to God and the truth but it’s covered up by a host of things that blind us all like fear, failure, addictions and all sorts of false coping mechanisms. Success, power and wealth can blind us just as easily. We need to ask God for the ability to look past all these distractions to the heart, because at the heart, everyone is hungry for God. We were created that way.
Lord, teach us to see people as you see them. May we not give in to the things that once entrapped us. Make us keen to the lie and hungering for the truth today, and help us to find it even in those who don’t know you. Remind us that we are all children when it comes to you, even the toughest among us. Show us how to love everyone and stay true to you.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
God's Valentine
John Fischer
The two most universal symbols of Valentine's Day for children are still the little single-sheet cutout cards you can buy in bulk for all your classmates (and one for the teacher), and those pastel-colored, heart-shaped candies carrying two-word sayings like "LOVE YOU" and "BE MINE."
Well, thinking like a child -- as those who enter heaven always think -- God wants us to be His Valentine, and He has put a big "BE MINE" on His Valentine to us. Remember, He has set us aside to be His Bride. In Christ's miraculous death and resurrection, God has offered us His heart. He has communicated a simple message to the whole human race: "BE MINE," and it is now up to us to decide whether or not we want to be.
Of course that's the amazing thing about it. It's an offer. It's His desire expressed to us. It's an invitation. We're being courted. It's the desire of His heart to have a love relationship with us, but a relationship, in order to be a relationship, has to go both ways. That is precisely why we were created: to have the opportunity to respond to Him. To miss this is the miss the point of our existence.
God wanted a relationship with someone like Him, so He made us in His image. And then He sent us this very big heart with an empty cross on it and the message "BE MINE."
My wife asked me this last weekend why there weren't more big red hearts strung all over town. I answered that it was probably because the weather is so nice here that Valentine's Day is not as compelling as it would be in a colder climate entrenched in the middle of a long, cold, grey winter. In many parts of the country, people are looking for an excuse to celebrate right about now, and Valentine's Day provides just that.
Well God wants us to celebrate, too. When He established the nation of Israel in the Old Testament He commissioned a number of annual feasts and celebrations. Celebrations have always been important to Him. So if you're fortunate to have a special person in your life, celebrate that love today, but also realize that the best human relationship is only a picture of the greater love we all have with the Father. And today, every time you see one of those red hearts, think of it as God's special message to you and enjoy a quiet celebration in your heart.
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love" (John 15:9) …or in other words: "BE MINE."
PDL
John Fischer
The two most universal symbols of Valentine's Day for children are still the little single-sheet cutout cards you can buy in bulk for all your classmates (and one for the teacher), and those pastel-colored, heart-shaped candies carrying two-word sayings like "LOVE YOU" and "BE MINE."
Well, thinking like a child -- as those who enter heaven always think -- God wants us to be His Valentine, and He has put a big "BE MINE" on His Valentine to us. Remember, He has set us aside to be His Bride. In Christ's miraculous death and resurrection, God has offered us His heart. He has communicated a simple message to the whole human race: "BE MINE," and it is now up to us to decide whether or not we want to be.
Of course that's the amazing thing about it. It's an offer. It's His desire expressed to us. It's an invitation. We're being courted. It's the desire of His heart to have a love relationship with us, but a relationship, in order to be a relationship, has to go both ways. That is precisely why we were created: to have the opportunity to respond to Him. To miss this is the miss the point of our existence.
God wanted a relationship with someone like Him, so He made us in His image. And then He sent us this very big heart with an empty cross on it and the message "BE MINE."
My wife asked me this last weekend why there weren't more big red hearts strung all over town. I answered that it was probably because the weather is so nice here that Valentine's Day is not as compelling as it would be in a colder climate entrenched in the middle of a long, cold, grey winter. In many parts of the country, people are looking for an excuse to celebrate right about now, and Valentine's Day provides just that.
Well God wants us to celebrate, too. When He established the nation of Israel in the Old Testament He commissioned a number of annual feasts and celebrations. Celebrations have always been important to Him. So if you're fortunate to have a special person in your life, celebrate that love today, but also realize that the best human relationship is only a picture of the greater love we all have with the Father. And today, every time you see one of those red hearts, think of it as God's special message to you and enjoy a quiet celebration in your heart.
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love" (John 15:9) …or in other words: "BE MINE."
PDL
Sunday, February 12, 2006
staying with it
1 Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. Hebrews 12:1-3
A few years ago my daughter Libby ran the Chicago Marathon. I was so proud of her for training and staying with it. Needless to say, my wife Martie and I showed up to cheer her along and meet her at the finish line with camera flashing and flowers in hand. Watching her run kindled my interest in marathons—those massive, grueling 26.2-mile endurance tests. As I took in the event that day, I noted that friends along the way threw towels to the runners and gave them cups of water to drink. It became apparent that companions were essential to the runners' success.
It's like that with perseverance. You can't run the marathon of life without it. Especially in difficult times.
It's no wonder that the author of Hebrews wrote to his readers, who were under severe pressure: “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (12:1). The race marked out for them was like an obstacle course. It required that they run in spite of rejection, loss of friends, economic difficulty, and daily persecution. Perseverance would need to be their indispensable companion.
In the original Greek language, the word perseverance literally means “to remain under.” Perseverance is the ability to stay under the pressure of our difficulty with a steady spirit until God has finished his work. We usually want to squirm out from under the pressure . . . to be done . . . to hurry the sunshine.
But God intends that in time we will blossom under pressure. We can imitate Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (v.2).
Perseverance gives God time to do his work and prepares us for the future.
Joe Stowell www.rbc.org —Joe Stowell www.rbc.org
seeking: Father, how have you encouraged me to remain under your wisdom and power today? What are you asking me to do?
responding: What are the pressure points in my life right now? • What will I do to persevere through these challenges? • How will I reach out to God and seek his strength?
Father, life can be so difficult at times. Teach me to persevere in your strength and not my own. Please show me the way to a resilient faith that will not buckle or fade away.
following: Perseverance leads to a deeper faith in God.
our journey
1 Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. Hebrews 12:1-3
A few years ago my daughter Libby ran the Chicago Marathon. I was so proud of her for training and staying with it. Needless to say, my wife Martie and I showed up to cheer her along and meet her at the finish line with camera flashing and flowers in hand. Watching her run kindled my interest in marathons—those massive, grueling 26.2-mile endurance tests. As I took in the event that day, I noted that friends along the way threw towels to the runners and gave them cups of water to drink. It became apparent that companions were essential to the runners' success.
It's like that with perseverance. You can't run the marathon of life without it. Especially in difficult times.
It's no wonder that the author of Hebrews wrote to his readers, who were under severe pressure: “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (12:1). The race marked out for them was like an obstacle course. It required that they run in spite of rejection, loss of friends, economic difficulty, and daily persecution. Perseverance would need to be their indispensable companion.
In the original Greek language, the word perseverance literally means “to remain under.” Perseverance is the ability to stay under the pressure of our difficulty with a steady spirit until God has finished his work. We usually want to squirm out from under the pressure . . . to be done . . . to hurry the sunshine.
But God intends that in time we will blossom under pressure. We can imitate Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (v.2).
Perseverance gives God time to do his work and prepares us for the future.
Joe Stowell www.rbc.org —Joe Stowell www.rbc.org
seeking: Father, how have you encouraged me to remain under your wisdom and power today? What are you asking me to do?
responding: What are the pressure points in my life right now? • What will I do to persevere through these challenges? • How will I reach out to God and seek his strength?
Father, life can be so difficult at times. Teach me to persevere in your strength and not my own. Please show me the way to a resilient faith that will not buckle or fade away.
following: Perseverance leads to a deeper faith in God.
our journey
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
come to jesus
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 ” 'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.' ” Matthew 2:1-6
I have some issues with the Christmas carol “We three kings of Orient are . . .” It's really confusing. The wise men weren't kings and they weren't from the Orient. One thing we know is that they overcame some significant barriers in getting to Jesus. And the barriers were ones we also face if we choose to worship him.
Matthew 2:2 says, “After Jesus was born . . . wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'”
The wise men overcame cultural barriers to get to Jesus. They saw a star and followed it. Undoubtedly they believed Numbers 24:17, which prophesied, “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” How easy it would have been to dismiss the sign as only for the Jews. Instead, these men traveled by faith, believing God's Word.
They also overcame religious barriers to get to Jesus. Throughout history, people have believed that you can make your own way to God. Make no mistake about it—Jesus will not be welcomed into some portfolio of world religions. There's just one way to God and it's through Jesus.
Finally, the wise men overcame convenience barriers to get to Jesus. Some think it took them over a year to travel the 900 miles across the desert on foot and by camel. No matter how difficult the task, the magi had a mission—they had come to worship Jesus.
What draws you to Jesus this Christmas? Have you stepped off the broad road of “many ways to God” or cultural do-good-ism and said, “I've come to worship him as my Lord and my Savior”?
Nothing else in the Christmas story matters as much as who you believe Jesus is. He broke the barriers that our sin had built between us and God. He is worthy of our worship. He is worthy of our lives. Do you know him? —James MacDonald walkintheword.com
seeking: Father, how have I just seen the birth of Jesus in a fresh way? How has the idea of his overcoming barriers to reach me touched my heart?
responding: What barriers keep me from worshiping Jesus as my Lord and Savior? How can I pray for friends and family who are still at a distance from him? What can I say or do as I visit with them this holiday?
Lord, I know I'm a sinner. I believe your Word that says Jesus was born to die so that I could be forgiven. I believe he rose from the dead to prove that he is God. I turn to you by faith, and I embrace Jesus as the only basis and hope for my forgiveness. Come into my life, Lord. Forgive my sins. Help me to live for you for the rest of my life.
following: Come let us adore him, Jesus the Lord.
our journey
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 ” 'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.' ” Matthew 2:1-6
I have some issues with the Christmas carol “We three kings of Orient are . . .” It's really confusing. The wise men weren't kings and they weren't from the Orient. One thing we know is that they overcame some significant barriers in getting to Jesus. And the barriers were ones we also face if we choose to worship him.
Matthew 2:2 says, “After Jesus was born . . . wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'”
The wise men overcame cultural barriers to get to Jesus. They saw a star and followed it. Undoubtedly they believed Numbers 24:17, which prophesied, “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” How easy it would have been to dismiss the sign as only for the Jews. Instead, these men traveled by faith, believing God's Word.
They also overcame religious barriers to get to Jesus. Throughout history, people have believed that you can make your own way to God. Make no mistake about it—Jesus will not be welcomed into some portfolio of world religions. There's just one way to God and it's through Jesus.
Finally, the wise men overcame convenience barriers to get to Jesus. Some think it took them over a year to travel the 900 miles across the desert on foot and by camel. No matter how difficult the task, the magi had a mission—they had come to worship Jesus.
What draws you to Jesus this Christmas? Have you stepped off the broad road of “many ways to God” or cultural do-good-ism and said, “I've come to worship him as my Lord and my Savior”?
Nothing else in the Christmas story matters as much as who you believe Jesus is. He broke the barriers that our sin had built between us and God. He is worthy of our worship. He is worthy of our lives. Do you know him? —James MacDonald walkintheword.com
seeking: Father, how have I just seen the birth of Jesus in a fresh way? How has the idea of his overcoming barriers to reach me touched my heart?
responding: What barriers keep me from worshiping Jesus as my Lord and Savior? How can I pray for friends and family who are still at a distance from him? What can I say or do as I visit with them this holiday?
Lord, I know I'm a sinner. I believe your Word that says Jesus was born to die so that I could be forgiven. I believe he rose from the dead to prove that he is God. I turn to you by faith, and I embrace Jesus as the only basis and hope for my forgiveness. Come into my life, Lord. Forgive my sins. Help me to live for you for the rest of my life.
following: Come let us adore him, Jesus the Lord.
our journey
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
First Small Group
John Fischer
It occurs to me that the first fellowship group that ever formed around Christ is probably represented somewhere in your house right now. It has some common shepherds in peasants’ clothes, three princes in royal robes, a man and a woman holding a newborn baby, and a random assortment of farm animals seeking shelter in a run down barn. We have ours actually on the windowsill in the dining room because there was no room for them in the inn (the living room, actually).
That these figures represent two different visits roughly two years apart in two different locations isn’t a concern for today’s reflections. Taken together they constitute the first welcoming committee and, in a way, the first small group brought together by Jesus. They are the only people we know about, aside from Mary and Joseph and a handful of others, who had any clue what was going on with this miraculous birth. Angelic appearances had informed Mary, Joseph and the shepherds; the magi had deduced it from the stars.
They represented most likely Jews and Arabs, perhaps multiple races, numerous social class distinctions, different nationalities and religions, and a broad range of intellectual knowledge. And there they were gathered around Jesus, and the one thing they had in common is that they were all invited. They all heard from God. They were hand picked for the occasion. I wonder if you could call this the first small fellowship group.
Given that it was the first fellowship group, what do you suppose they talked about? I can imagine they talked about how they got there -- what the angel said, how the stars were positioned in the sky, what the ancient books of knowledge indicated, or how their ears were still ringing from the angelic choir. They must have heard some of the story from Mary and Joseph and they would have been trying to put all the pieces together, while still left with plenty of pieces that didn’t fit. But most of all, I believe they were filled with wonder over why they were there and not someone else.
Today, we’re still gathering together around Jesus. We’re amazed that He invited us. We’re telling stories about how we came to know Him, and we’re talking a lot about how our lives have never been the same since. We’ve been thrown together from all walks of life with one thing in common. We, too, don’t have all the pieces together, but we are most amazed that among all the people in the world, He would choose us.
PDL
John Fischer
It occurs to me that the first fellowship group that ever formed around Christ is probably represented somewhere in your house right now. It has some common shepherds in peasants’ clothes, three princes in royal robes, a man and a woman holding a newborn baby, and a random assortment of farm animals seeking shelter in a run down barn. We have ours actually on the windowsill in the dining room because there was no room for them in the inn (the living room, actually).
That these figures represent two different visits roughly two years apart in two different locations isn’t a concern for today’s reflections. Taken together they constitute the first welcoming committee and, in a way, the first small group brought together by Jesus. They are the only people we know about, aside from Mary and Joseph and a handful of others, who had any clue what was going on with this miraculous birth. Angelic appearances had informed Mary, Joseph and the shepherds; the magi had deduced it from the stars.
They represented most likely Jews and Arabs, perhaps multiple races, numerous social class distinctions, different nationalities and religions, and a broad range of intellectual knowledge. And there they were gathered around Jesus, and the one thing they had in common is that they were all invited. They all heard from God. They were hand picked for the occasion. I wonder if you could call this the first small fellowship group.
Given that it was the first fellowship group, what do you suppose they talked about? I can imagine they talked about how they got there -- what the angel said, how the stars were positioned in the sky, what the ancient books of knowledge indicated, or how their ears were still ringing from the angelic choir. They must have heard some of the story from Mary and Joseph and they would have been trying to put all the pieces together, while still left with plenty of pieces that didn’t fit. But most of all, I believe they were filled with wonder over why they were there and not someone else.
Today, we’re still gathering together around Jesus. We’re amazed that He invited us. We’re telling stories about how we came to know Him, and we’re talking a lot about how our lives have never been the same since. We’ve been thrown together from all walks of life with one thing in common. We, too, don’t have all the pieces together, but we are most amazed that among all the people in the world, He would choose us.
PDL
Monday, February 06, 2006
The Winter Blues
Missey Butler
It seems to happen to all of us. One minute we’re running here and there with Christmas parties at every turn, the frenzy of shopping sprees and the unending regalia of holiday cheer.
The next minute we’re flipping over the New Year’s calendar, dazed at the huge pile of bills, while old-man winter slowly crouches just outside our frosted window pane, sneering at us once again.
To quote a rather worn out statement: “Then depression set in.”
We just can’t seem to escape those long, gray days of Winter. The first months of the year always seem so dull in comparison to the jeweled lights, laughter and celebration of the previous weeks of December.
But you know what? Who says it always has to be that way? In fact, January represents a time of new beginnings. And there is nothing quite as exhilarating as starting from a clean slate. Did you know that God hands us a clean slate everyday? In the words of the prophet we hear:
His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).
How wonderful and freeing those words are when daily applied to our mind, our will and our emotions. For we know only too well that our soul is in constant need of continual renewal and fresh restoring.
Every day God longs to minister the “still waters” of His un-surpassing peace whenever our soulish realm begins to stir and the restlessness of life tries to manifest itself with the gnawing voice of discontent.
God lovingly shushes that voice with His command to: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
In contemplating these words, we can finally exhale with a sigh of relief, recognizing His beautiful presence within, as we gladly resign ourselves to a sweet surrender. We become aware that He is there…and all will be well.
The once gray skies of our mind begin to break away as shades of a heavenly blue begin to emerge.
For the dawning of a new morning has arrived, and with that dawning comes the promise of those wonderful and blessed…new mercies.
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimony (Psalm 25:10).
cbn
Missey Butler
It seems to happen to all of us. One minute we’re running here and there with Christmas parties at every turn, the frenzy of shopping sprees and the unending regalia of holiday cheer.
The next minute we’re flipping over the New Year’s calendar, dazed at the huge pile of bills, while old-man winter slowly crouches just outside our frosted window pane, sneering at us once again.
To quote a rather worn out statement: “Then depression set in.”
We just can’t seem to escape those long, gray days of Winter. The first months of the year always seem so dull in comparison to the jeweled lights, laughter and celebration of the previous weeks of December.
But you know what? Who says it always has to be that way? In fact, January represents a time of new beginnings. And there is nothing quite as exhilarating as starting from a clean slate. Did you know that God hands us a clean slate everyday? In the words of the prophet we hear:
His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).
How wonderful and freeing those words are when daily applied to our mind, our will and our emotions. For we know only too well that our soul is in constant need of continual renewal and fresh restoring.
Every day God longs to minister the “still waters” of His un-surpassing peace whenever our soulish realm begins to stir and the restlessness of life tries to manifest itself with the gnawing voice of discontent.
God lovingly shushes that voice with His command to: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
In contemplating these words, we can finally exhale with a sigh of relief, recognizing His beautiful presence within, as we gladly resign ourselves to a sweet surrender. We become aware that He is there…and all will be well.
The once gray skies of our mind begin to break away as shades of a heavenly blue begin to emerge.
For the dawning of a new morning has arrived, and with that dawning comes the promise of those wonderful and blessed…new mercies.
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimony (Psalm 25:10).
cbn
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Football DNA
John Fischer
It's guaranteed. 120 new footballs will be broken in during Super Bowl XL in Detroit. That's because that's the number of footballs that have been affixed with a DNA that insures they have officially been used in the most celebrated pro football game of the year. The authentication has been set in the leather of the ball by a complicated laser process that makes it virtually impossible to duplicate. “The chance of replicating this exact DNA sequence is one in 33 trillion,” said the president of PSA/DNA Authentication Services, the company that created the special branding. “The ball can change hands a thousand-plus times, but it will never lose that DNA.”
Apparently one of these footballs will be able to fetch $1,500 or more for a charity auction or a collector. That's because each one is more than just an ordinary football. It was officially used in the big game and its DNA number will even link it to the particular play in the game for which it is famous.
We are, each one of us, branded with a purpose to worship and serve the one who created us. You are not just any person. You are not just a number. You are an official, made-in-heaven, marked-with-God's-DNA, one-of-a-kind person. And you can change hands a thousand-plus times, but you will never lose that DNA. You can fetch a pretty good price, too, because you have already cost God the life of His only Son. That's what He paid in order to buy you back from sin. It was the ultimate cost; who can even begin to put a value on that?
And imagine you are one of these balls somehow slipping out of the hands of those who know your value, and finding yourself in circulation among the lost souls of the world, getting kicked around and scuffed up in a sand lot or smothered in the bottom of a ball bag at the local gym -- maybe even deflated and thrown in a closet somewhere, and someone takes a second look and notices something about you. You aren't just any old ball; you were in the big game. You are one of a kind. It can happen to any us when we find out who we are and to whom we belong.
So if you watch any of this game, remember to think of this. God made you, put you in the game of life and branded you with His purposes. And regardless of what has happened, or will happen to you, nothing can change that. You are worth a lot to the one who made you. And you have the DNA to prove it.
PDL
John Fischer
It's guaranteed. 120 new footballs will be broken in during Super Bowl XL in Detroit. That's because that's the number of footballs that have been affixed with a DNA that insures they have officially been used in the most celebrated pro football game of the year. The authentication has been set in the leather of the ball by a complicated laser process that makes it virtually impossible to duplicate. “The chance of replicating this exact DNA sequence is one in 33 trillion,” said the president of PSA/DNA Authentication Services, the company that created the special branding. “The ball can change hands a thousand-plus times, but it will never lose that DNA.”
Apparently one of these footballs will be able to fetch $1,500 or more for a charity auction or a collector. That's because each one is more than just an ordinary football. It was officially used in the big game and its DNA number will even link it to the particular play in the game for which it is famous.
We are, each one of us, branded with a purpose to worship and serve the one who created us. You are not just any person. You are not just a number. You are an official, made-in-heaven, marked-with-God's-DNA, one-of-a-kind person. And you can change hands a thousand-plus times, but you will never lose that DNA. You can fetch a pretty good price, too, because you have already cost God the life of His only Son. That's what He paid in order to buy you back from sin. It was the ultimate cost; who can even begin to put a value on that?
And imagine you are one of these balls somehow slipping out of the hands of those who know your value, and finding yourself in circulation among the lost souls of the world, getting kicked around and scuffed up in a sand lot or smothered in the bottom of a ball bag at the local gym -- maybe even deflated and thrown in a closet somewhere, and someone takes a second look and notices something about you. You aren't just any old ball; you were in the big game. You are one of a kind. It can happen to any us when we find out who we are and to whom we belong.
So if you watch any of this game, remember to think of this. God made you, put you in the game of life and branded you with His purposes. And regardless of what has happened, or will happen to you, nothing can change that. You are worth a lot to the one who made you. And you have the DNA to prove it.
PDL
Saturday, February 04, 2006
When Trouble Knocks
Cathy Irvin
Trouble comes in all forms -- family problems, financial problems, emotional stress, or personal illness, just to name a few. Sometimes it seems like an onslaught of bad situations, and other times it is little things that happen every now and then. Troubles are what we call them, but God calls them trials and testings.
May I pass on some good news? God is not sitting in the heavens saying, “How can I send chaos on My children today.” No way! He is the One who will make a way of escape. He is our Deliverer and our Rescuer.
I have quite a few friends who are really going through major trials: their children are using and/or selling drugs; two of the families are dealing with alcoholics; and one close friend is so badly stressed that she is on medication for depression and it isn’t helping. Now it is taking a toll on her physically. All of these women know, love, serve, and trust God, so what is going on? How do we all survive when troubles come our way? The answer is always in prayer and reading God’s Word.
The mind can mentally assess the difficulties and sort them out, but the heart can’t cope. I heard a pastor say in a sermon recently, “It is hard to wrap your heart around trouble when it pierces your soul.” What a profound statement! It is one of those statements that you want to tape to a mirror or to your refrigerator. I know I definitely want it to get down into my spirit.
We are not to cope with our troubles; we are to give them to God:
“Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully” (1 Peter 5:6-7, Amplified).
If you cope, you hang on to it. If you give it to God, you can let it go.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NASB).
We see here that the Lord will comfort us, and that is what we need. Once we are comforted and pass through our problems, we will be able to help others. Next time trouble knocks at your door, send Jesus to answer it!
cbn
Cathy Irvin
Trouble comes in all forms -- family problems, financial problems, emotional stress, or personal illness, just to name a few. Sometimes it seems like an onslaught of bad situations, and other times it is little things that happen every now and then. Troubles are what we call them, but God calls them trials and testings.
May I pass on some good news? God is not sitting in the heavens saying, “How can I send chaos on My children today.” No way! He is the One who will make a way of escape. He is our Deliverer and our Rescuer.
I have quite a few friends who are really going through major trials: their children are using and/or selling drugs; two of the families are dealing with alcoholics; and one close friend is so badly stressed that she is on medication for depression and it isn’t helping. Now it is taking a toll on her physically. All of these women know, love, serve, and trust God, so what is going on? How do we all survive when troubles come our way? The answer is always in prayer and reading God’s Word.
The mind can mentally assess the difficulties and sort them out, but the heart can’t cope. I heard a pastor say in a sermon recently, “It is hard to wrap your heart around trouble when it pierces your soul.” What a profound statement! It is one of those statements that you want to tape to a mirror or to your refrigerator. I know I definitely want it to get down into my spirit.
We are not to cope with our troubles; we are to give them to God:
“Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully” (1 Peter 5:6-7, Amplified).
If you cope, you hang on to it. If you give it to God, you can let it go.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NASB).
We see here that the Lord will comfort us, and that is what we need. Once we are comforted and pass through our problems, we will be able to help others. Next time trouble knocks at your door, send Jesus to answer it!
cbn