Best Christmas Gift Ever

When Jesus was born the Israelites knew that the Messiah was coming soon. "How did they know?," you may ask. Because even though there had been no word from God in 400 years, they had been given a timeline. The prophet Daniel told them when to expect the Messiah to arrive. (Daniel 9:24-27) The prophet Isaiah told them how it would happen. (Isaiah 7:14; Matt 1:23)

So when the shepherds, the least desirable people to be around, received the announcement they ran to see if it was true. When they found Jesus they spread the word of the angel's proclamation and what they found. (Luke 2:8-20) They continued praising God. What a revival in a time of oppression!

Further in Luke 2, we see Simeon and Anna, both known to be righteous and devout who proclaim they saw the Messiah. Don't you think the priests would have heard their conversations before and after they saw the Messiah? Sadly, they totally ignored this. 

Then the wise men arrive on the scene. From Matthew 2, we see Magi, or royal astrologers, coming to Jerusalem looking for the new king. Reading between the lines and putting the pieces together, we know they were wealthy. In that case, everyone in the city would know of their arrival because of the large entourage that came with them.

When Herod finally schedules a meeting with these men, he has already gathered information from the priests. Have you ever noticed that none of the priests go with the Magi? The men who knew what signs would accompany the Messiah's arrival end up turning a deaf ear. Were they repeating their ancestors' actions? (Psalm 78:35-37)

Have you ever wondered what your reaction would have been? Would you have been a shepherd, or a Simeon or Anna? Running to see God's salvation come to life? Or, would you have been a priest? Standing back and just saying, "Yes, yes, we know that. You go see and let us know so then we think about going." Truly not caring that God had fulfilled the promise they had taught about.

Let's update this thought. There is talk that another revival is coming to this country before the return of Jesus. I believe this. The question to ask ourselves... will I have a priestly response or a shepherd response? Do I know all the signs to look for yet pass it off as nothing because my church life is where I want it to be? Or will I look for the change to happen and grab hold of the dynamics of the revival?

When the population that we think are lost or less likely to burn with the fire of the Holy Spirit starts praising God and shaking things up, how will we react? Let's give it some thought in this season as we celebrate the act of God becoming man as the best Christmas gift ever.

Am I Like Jonah?

The story of Jonah is known by churchgoers of all ages. A man of God was told to go to a city filled with people Jonah could not stand. I once heard that most Hebrews, along with Jonah, couldn't stand that place because the Assyrians living there would impale Hebrews, then hang those bodies at the city gate as a warning to other Hebrews.

When you think about it, who would want to go to a place where you know you will be hated and, possibly, could face death? But God was doing something in that city and He asked Jonah to join Him in that effort.

So the question I felt God point out to me the other day in regards to Jonah was, "Are we refusing to do something God is asking of us?"

Has God asked you to forgive someone who injured you emotionally? He has asked me to do that, many times. It wasn't easy, but I spoke the words several times. And, actually, anytime I remember the pain or begin to dwell on it, I repeat the words of forgiveness again. Maybe that sounds weak to you, to repeat words of forgiveness. But, I can tell you that each time I do it, there is a lightness in my spirit that wasn't there before. (John 5:38-48)

Maybe for you, it's not forgiving a wrong, maybe it's something else. Is God asking you to speak to someone you dislike? Or someone you consider an enemy? 

I think of it this way. How many times have I turned aside rather than cross the room to speak with someone that turned my stomach? How many times have I refused to speak a kind word to someone who was shunned by others? How many times have I turned the other way rather than seeing the reality of the hurt that was happening?

Do any of these sound familiar? Maybe we can relate to Jonah more than we realized. I'm seeing that I can.

Before we condemn ourselves, there is good news, and hope. Just like with Jonah, God gives us time to come to our senses. And when we do... He uses us just like He used Jonah. Notice in the story (Jonah 3) that God didn't go ahead and destroyed Nineveh without Jonah giving the warning. No, God waited for Jonah to wake up and be willing to give the warning.

God will use us once we realize we need to turn toward that action he wants is to take. We are not terrible because of our hesitancy. We are learning the acceptance of God to our struggle to follow His directions. This is great hope for all of us.

What Happens When You Die?

That's a big question many have. And because they cannot answer it, they fear dying. When you think about it, it can be scary, losing everything we know and understand to something we don't. The anxiety over this loss is so great that people attempt to put off what essentially is a guaranteed future event. The truth is at some point every one of us will have our earthly bodies cease to function.

So where did our fear begin? 

Years ago, in order to get my children to obey, I would warn them of the prospect of death if a certain action was taken. You know the statement... "You could die if you do that." One day immediately after speaking those words, the Lord told me, "That's why people fear death."

It took time of changing my wording and my perceptions to get to a point where I stopped fearing the prospect of death. I don't know how I'll die but being dead is no longer a problem. 

Perhaps you are among the many who see death from the physical aspect only. You know... the vital organs stop working, the physical body is silenced and non-existence begins. But, an earthly death is not an end. Think of the stopping of the human heart and lungs as the key to entering the door to eternity that takes us into the spiritual realm. It's a realm we sing about and maybe talk about, but most of us don't see it until our earthly bodies cease to work. In truth, it surrounds us even now. 

Before we go further, let's look back to a key historical turning point. Hades held the dead captive due to the sinful nature of man. When a person passed away, there was no more contact with God. But, when Jesus died, He rocked the place. Once He arrived in Hades, those who believed in Him as Messiah - Savior - were able to leave. (John 5:25-29; Matthew 27:51-53) Those who believe in Him now, never experience that separation.

When a loved one dies, it is often spoken that now they are in heaven and resting. I wish that were true for everyone. But, the fact remains, to get to heaven you must take the Jesus path. It's the only way through. If you enter death's door without Jesus then you are stuck in the hold of the prison of death.

When we die, we will EITHER enter that place where the walls and streets are made of gold so pure that it's clear. (Rev 21:12-21) A place where there are many mansions/rooms. (John 14:1-6) A place where Jesus will reign over the new earth. (Rev 21:1-4) A place where trees grow tall and bear fruit every month (Revelation 22:2). A place where a banquet is being prepared for celebrating the marriage of the Lamb to the Church. (Psalm 23:5, Matthew 22:1-2) Biggest party ever!

Sounds like the place to be, right?

OR, for those who refused to know God and accept Jesus for who He truly is, they will watch from the other side of the great chasm. (Luke 16:23-31) There will not be celebration in that place. Separation from God's peace exists. Mourning and cries and sorrow will fill their days. 

I hope that all who read this post will think about Jesus and accept Him for who He is and what He did for everyone. I don't know how I'll die. It could be a peaceful passing. It could be a painful uncomfortable way. OR, it could be the best way of all...it could be flying up in the air to meet Him upon His return. In any case, I look forward to life with Jesus on the other side of this earthly physical realm.

 

 

What Happens When We Stop Dwelling?

The Lord continues to impress on me to dwell. To be honest, I thought I already did that. I feel His precious presence so much of my day. Anytime I speak his name, I feel Him. When I first started to sense His presence, I was afraid to move. I thought I might risk losing this awareness if I so much as took a step in a different direction. I have learned over time that I can move and still have Him with me. It has been a wonderful thing to experience.

So, the question I had was what more about dwelling did I need to learn?

Well, in typical Lord fashion, He took me through an exercise. It turned out to be a moment of learning many lessons.

Long story short, I was writing at a location Jesus had designated for me. When I came to a stopping point, I understood the Lord impressing on me that I could go to a particular store. But, I didn't know why I would go, so I decided to push forward in writing a few more minutes before I stopped for dinner. (Looking back on it, I had a sense that I was not doing the right thing. But, I pushed it aside.) 

When I finally headed out on my merry way, I saw a fire truck pulling up to that store. Wondering what may have happened, I said a prayer for the emergency personnel and the victim.

Later, after a Bible study that focused on asking the Holy Spirit into conversations and asking ourselves why we didn't follow through on what we hear from the Holy Spirit, the Lord reminded me of the fire truck at the store.

I realized at that moment the Holy Spirit wasn't telling me I could go to the store, He wanted me to go to the store. He had planted the visit to the store in my mental plans earlier that day. So, when I came to a stopping place in my writing I was to stop and go. But, without realizing it, I had stopped dwelling in His presence and proceeded forward in what I wanted to do... telling myself it was still in His plans.

Joshua 7-9 shares how the Israelites stopped asking what they needed to do to conquer the next town. They just went ahead and took actions that followed what they understood of God's plans. They learned the hard way that they skipped a step. In a sense, they stopped dwelling.

My take away from this exercise was to acknowledge that I had stopped following the directions from the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, when I hear my part of the plan, I think it's the whole package of plans. As a result, I set it in stone... not to be moved by anything. This experience opened my eyes. 

When I confessed my wrong, immediately I felt the return of His presence and equally important I felt His forgiveness and grace wash over me. He also kept bringing to my mind the apostle Peter. The man blundered so many times. Yet, each time, God picked him up and continued to use him to do wonderful things for the building up of the church. In other words, I hadn't blown a gasket in my work for God.

I don't know if I would have been part of the emergency or not on that night of my lesson. That is not the issue. The teaching I received from this was that I should have gone to the store, so if God chose to use me, He could. I need to keep checking with Him for any changes in the plan of the day. We each need to dwell on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, so that we can be used by them for the purposes of the Kingdom.

Are You Dwelling?

The Lord has impressed on me to dwell. 

I looked up the definition. It means to live or stay; to linger over, emphasize or ponder in thought, speech or writing. The Hebrew word used in Psalm 91 for the word dwell translates to sit, sit down (as to judge in quiet), to be set, to remain or stay, to dwell, have one's abode, to abide. We could add, to stay with or keep thinking.

So the question is... What do we dwell on? What are the things we think about frequently?

Usually, we dwell on people, things, or ideas. 

If you find an activity that peaks your interest, how often do you think about it? Do you intentionally find time to do that activity? Do you look for someone who also likes that same thing?  Or, do you move your schedule around so you can spend time with someone who makes you feel good on the inside? Or, maybe it's people who accept you even if you goof up or do something really stupid? Do you think about doing things to make those people happy?

In order to spend time with people who fulfill these desires and needs requires coordinating schedules. To some degree this is not a bad thing, but if that is all consuming with our time then when do we give time to Jesus? 

One of the cool things about Him is that He fulfills all those things. He loves us and wants to spend time with us, even when we mess up. So, are we bending over backwards to do the same thing for Him? Or, do we press the snooze button rather than crying out to Him to help us wake up? Do we choose to read a book that our eyes shouldn’t see rather than reading a book that uplifts Him? Do we listen to songs that speak of negative things or that uplift and glorify the Holy Trinity?

I hope through my questions I am showing that you don't need an all day long quiet time to dwell with Jesus. Dwelling means talking to Him throughout the day, wherever you go. The Lord writes with me. He travels with me. He even helps me with gardening. He's so much fun, and I love Him for that.

There have even been times the Lord has taken me on dates. One day, not long ago, He told me to set aside a specific afternoon for Him. He took me for frozen custard then over to the park, even arranged for my favorite bench to be open. We watched children played, families and friends talk as they lounged on blankets, all while the geese ate and swam in the distance. It was great. To the human eye, it may have looked like I was alone. What they couldn't see was the Lord's comfort enveloping me.

He's also been there as I cried my heart out when I've messed up and when I've been emotionally wounded. I could not do life without Him. He is my hope.

He can be your hope too. Start today by making an effort to dwell on Him and to dwell in Him. You won't be sorry.

The Art of Waiting

 I don't know about you, but I'm not always very good about waiting. If I know something is going to happen, I want to see it or get started with it soon. 

I remember when I went for my licensure exam. I was ready to get the test going, but I had to wait for the explanation of how the exam was scored before they would start the test. My mind lost it's focus and it was by the grace of God that I passed. Had I known they were going to do this, and been prepared, the outcome may have been different.

The Bible speaks of this issue of not being prepared as we wait for Jesus to return in Matthew 24 and 25 (also mentioned in Luke 12). After telling the people the signs that will occur before Jesus will return, he shares some stories. Two of the parables deal with slaves either not working for the master or not using the talents they have been given to advance the master's worth. In a third story, half the virgins are waiting but think it will be sooner than it is and are not prepared for the wait. 

One thing is for sure, we are seeing many of the signs that Jesus spoke about at the beginning of Matthew 24. I don't mean to frighten anyone. I only want you to see that we need to be preparing for the return of Jesus. Don't let down your guard.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be one of the virgins who thinks it's happening pretty soon and be found without enough oil to light my lamp when Jesus does come. This time I want to be patience in my waiting. I want to keep remembering He's coming back. I want to be seen by Him as continuing to do work for Him. Not one who thinks it's not bad enough yet, so He's not coming soon.

Fact is, Jesus is coming back someday. The day draws nearer all the time. Even though I feel like it should be soon, I know that I don't know when it's happening. It could be today, tomorrow, or five years from now. In any case, my plan is to have enough oil for my lamp and be found working for the kingdom. What are your plans?

Speaking Up

We've talked about how to use our words. And now, with all the news coming out about the horrendous events from the Middle East, I think we need to talk about speaking up.

But let's not focus on our petty arguments, let's talk about what matters to God. After all we are to share the good news with others...making disciples...baptizing them. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Those who call on Him and will call on Him matter. Those who act out of misguided information matter as well. Among those God wants to reach are the very people causing believers harm.  In the Middle East, Christian believers are battling oppression resulting in them standing up, and often dying, for their faith. I wonder, did they see it coming or was it an I-can't-believe-this-is-happening kind of a thing?

Tell me...if that were you, what would you do?

Don't nay-say this question.

We may be there someday. We might experience the I-can't-believe-it's-happening event.

What if someone you supported suddenly wants to stop you from meeting together with your church? Would you push back? Would you be willing to look down the barrel of a gun and confess you follow Jesus and that you will not bow a knee to the political power that wants to stop you? (Think of Peter and John in Acts 4.)

Are we ready to put aside the earthly arguments and disagreements and focus on a heavenly calling? Are we ready and willing to take a stand? Do we have enough gumption for God to speak up...to stand with His church... no matter the cost? I hope so.

It is my hope for all of us.