Happy Birthday Jesus!

Merry Christmas to you all! I’ve mentioned before how this year has been very involved and a time of extreme change. However, one thing has remained the same – Jesus (Heb 13:8)). He has been there throughout the year, interceding for me and keeping me. Thank the Good Lord, He will never leave nor forsake me (Heb 13:5) and because I’m His, He will never lose me (John 6:39). That is especially important to remember now when it’s so busy and we are so easily distracted by the things around us and the things that have happened throughout the year. 

So many have experienced joy, hope, love, loss, and pain – the full gambit of emotions, but still God has kept us. He has been the constant when we were feeling whatever it was we were feeling. Even when we knew He was working it out for our good, we still felt what we felt. But regardless of our feelings, He is still God and Jesus is still our savior. He is the gift who keeps on giving, and it’s only right that we celebrate Him during this season, even if it’s hard. Jesus IS the reason for the season. 

As I thought about the past several weeks, I’ve had to ask myself a few questions which I’ll pose to you. Has your Christmas been consumed by the holiday rush and the commercialism of Christmas? Have you been busily working to earn enough for the video game or bike or cell phone someone was asking for this year? Have you been focused on finding the right gift? Or have you been focused on The Gift? This year, I’ve tried to be more intentional, but I’ve still found myself caught up in the commotion and motions of the holiday, sometimes allowing myself to forget how important The Gift is. 

When God gave Jesus to the world that first Christmas, He did so knowing His son was being born to die…..for me and for you. Even though He knew what His Son would suffer through (the denial, the rejection, the betrayal, the adversity, etc.) before being nailed to a cross, God still gave us His Son. We were His enemy and still He loved us enough to sacrifice His son for us (John 3:16). Who would you sacrifice your child for? For that matter your pet for? Anyone? 

Think about that for a moment. Jesus had been with His Father from the beginning, living outside time, and He was willing to leave Heaven to come to Earth to suffer and die…….for us (1 Tim 1:15). He was separated from the Father He’d been with for eternity (Col 1:17). Who does that? God the Son because He understood that He was our only option. There was nothing we could do for ourselves – we didn’t have a voice or any way out, but He came to take on our shame and our sin and our penalty and give us His righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). 

Celebrating Christmas is so much more than opening presents and celebrating with family and friends. It’s about Jesus and praising God for His Goodness and His rich love for us. Don’t ever forget how important it was for our lives that Jesus was born. Without His birth, there would be no life (Rom 6:23). So I have one final question for you – since we’re celebrating His birthday, what is your gift to Him? When you think about all He’s done for you, what do you have to give? If you haven’t already, think about giving Him you. He came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). You have an opportunity to be found – take it. 

I pray that you experience Jesus in a whole new way that transforms your life. May your life be filled with the love, joy, and peace that only He can bring and may you be blessed beyond measure. 

What are You Taking for Granted?

So I’m a day late, but I’m working to get back on track. I’ve been writing this blog all day, but just now sat down to get words on a page. This week has been hard for me, but I refuse to let the challenges win. I’ve been traveling more than usual lately and while I’ve been in four different cities in the last two weeks, I’m determined to get to the things I know are part of my purpose. This is one of them. 

So I mentioned earlier that I’ve been in four different cities over the past two weeks. I’ve taken four flights and driven over 700 miles in that time. During that time, I had the opportunity to think on what God has been doing and what I’ve taken for granted over the years – direct flights, being able to hop in the car to see my parents in under six hours; having a place to call home; peace and quiet; a solid church family, etc. There are so many things that I can’t name them all. 

Well, recently I got a new job and all that will change. Not sure how yet, but things will not be the same. Now, I have to consider all those things. Nothing is a given. I have to think them through to make the best decisions about how I use the resources with which God has entrusted me. I’ve also realized how as I intentionally consider all those things I’m more conscious of just how grateful I am for the blessings I have. 

I challenge you to sit down and really consider all the good things in your life, the first being your salvation through Jesus’ sacrifice and His resurrection. How many of us take Jesus’ sacrifice for granted? How easy is it during this time of year to forget that Jesus was born so He would later die for my sins and yours (1 Tim 1:15)? We take His love as a given, but we don’t consider how much it cost. It cost Him leaving Heaven and taking up residence among people just like us, who didn’t take Him seriously (except as a threat) and didn’t listen to His message because He dared to come a different way than they thought. 

Have you ever considered how arrogant or self-important we sometimes are when we don’t have a real perspective of who we are and our place in God’s Kingdom. We take for granted that God will do what we ask, but don’t want to follow His rules or guidance. We want to do it our way and then have God co-sign on our dysfunction, as if He owes us something. He doesn’t. We owe Him everything (Psa 89:18-28). So, if you are taking God’s moves for granted – Stop It. He doesn’t have to do anything for us. The fact that He has given us any opportunity at all to be saved is reason to be on our knees thanking Him continually (1 Thes 5:16-18). So the question remains, what are you taking for granted? Take a moment to give thanks! He deserves it!

How Much Do You Really Know?

Have you ever been around someone who knows something about everything? You may have just gotten back from a trip to some place they have never been, but they still know more about the place than you do. They are so proud to share what they know and they like to hear their own voice. I know a few of those types of people. Normally, they are a source of enjoyment, because they make you laugh. They know just enough to be either funny or irritating, but normally you can share a few nuggets they didn't know. Many of those people would be considered to have a wealth of knowledge about different topics. And that might be true, but the amount of knowledge is all about perspective. 

We may have quite a bit of knowledge in comparison to some other people. But, what does that equate to? Why is that important? The fact that I know more than someone else just doesn't mean much in the long run? Because at the end of the day, our knowledge base is still limited. We don't have the capacity to absorb everything around us. We will never know as much as God does (Psa 139). 

I just turned 52 last week and while I have lived well and travelled to some awesome places experiencing some wonderful things, I've only learned a few of the secrets of the universe. In fact, I was just speaking to another minister about the fact that no matter how many degrees or experiences we have, in comparison to the God we serve, what we know wouldn't fill a thimble (Isa 55:8-9).  

We have the Bible and it's God's Word to us - inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by men (2 Tim 3:16-17). I think of Genesis and I'm in awe of how much I don't understand. The book of Genesis for the most part is narrated by God to Moses. It had to be - God was the only one there when creation occurred (Gen 1 & 2). So time is a thing - is one day a thousand years? Is it longer? How long is a day to God? Can you imagine the universe before time began? I can't, but the God who lives outside time, created a world for us to live in knowing from the beginning that I'd be up late writing this blog today, because He knows everything. 

It seems ludicrous to think that we can ever know enough about Him. After all, God has been around forever. At best, we only get 70-100 years, maybe a few more. What could we possibly learn in that time that would give any of us a reason to boast about what we know? That is why it's so imporant to remember who we are and be honest about our place in God. It is also a reason for us to exercise and live in obedience to Him (1 Sam 15:22). 

It amazes me that people want to do what they want and still have God bless them even when they know what they are doing is wrong. Why should He? He doesn't owe us anything and we owe Him everything (Psa 89:18). This is all the more reason for us to stay in His word and live our lives according to it so we can walk in His presence and His likeness. We have to study to understand what real love, peace, and joy look like so we can live in them. It's good to assess what we know so we're honest with ourselves; then do the work of learning more about Him and applying it. So it comes back to the question of what do you know? And a follow up to it is, what are going to do to learn more? You owe it to Him and to yourself.

Right focus

I've been traveling a lot lately and with everything going on the world, there is always a question of safety and risk. The news raises all sorts of concerns due to crime and the senseless disregard for human life. Add to that all the natural disasters we face. No wonder people are anxious and afraid to function.  And often when they do, they go overboard.  

There are those who live as if there is no tomorrow - living their truth believing they control their destiny and basking in doing it their way with no regard for impacts on others or God's plan for them. Then you have those who want to live in a bubble to avoid all the unknowns or unpleasantries of life. They are fearful of the world and just want to protect themselves from harm. Unfortunately, both of these groups  have the potential to be miserable and very self-focused. 

In both cases described, the person is taking on the responsibility of being right and making decisions separate from the Lord and depending on their own strength. So, they  either pull out all the stops or stop everything. These are extremes and neither is a healthy place to be. But what leads us to that place? A lack of understanding that we can't control much. We definitely can't control the outcome - we can influence it but not control it. We have to remember that God is in control of everything, but we have a role to play (2 Chr 2:17). 

If we keep our focus on Jesus, we will not be self-focused because we will be striving to love like He does (Mark 12:31). We will be looking for ways to uplift our fellow man. If we focus on Jesus, He will direct us where to go and how to get there (Psa 23:3). But we have to move. And as we move, our faith is made stronger and we are strenghtened (Jam 2:17). We are reminded of all that God has done and that He will never leave nor forsake His own. 

So, where will you focus?