December 31, 2017

Be Still December 30, 2017

John 16:33 (NIV)

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

This world is a place of struggle. Yes, we can live above the struggle for a while. We can find a way to simply ignore or re-label the struggle for a time. But in the end, the struggle will find us. But in the midst of struggle, we can remind ourselves that our victory is secure. Jesus has won! We will share in his great triumph. In case you didn't know, the final outcome is already determined and Christians "win big" through Jesus. And this victory is a forever win!

Thought for today: Can I relax in knowing God’s keeping me?

Presentation and Preparedness December 29, 2017

John 14:1-3 (NIV)

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

He's coming back! As much as the world likes to remember Jesus' first coming during the Christmas season, we need to remind them that his Second Coming will be even greater. We want to be prepared — lives dedicated to his glory and hearts full of expectation at his coming.

Thought for today: How do I present to God?

Surrender December 28, 2017

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

At the end of the year, it sure is nice to be invited to rest in Jesus. So before we begin a new year, let's pause and place our hopes, our future, our dreams, and especially our burdens down at his feet and let him give us rest.

Thought for today: Can I give it all to God and not return to the same struggle?

Clothed in Praise December 27, 2017

Psalm 103:1-3  (NIV)

1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,

Praise must not just come from our lips. Praise must emanate from deep within our soul, recognizing all the great blessings God has given us. While God is worthy of praise because he his holy and majestic and mighty, we have even greater reasons to praise him. He has been so very gracious to us!

Thought for today: What does my praise look like?

God’s Gift December 26, 2017

Luke 2:28-32  (NIV)

28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

God's gift to Simeon was truly precious and touching. Yet Simeon is just the embodiment of all of every nation, race, and culture who are seeking God's salvation. God's salvation, as Luke loves to remind us again and again, is for all people! What's more, God's light has dawned. Let's greet that dawn and share it with others.

Thought for today: Do I embrace God’s gifts?

Sharing December 25, 2017

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

6 For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

While Jesus is God's Son and Mary's son, according to Isaiah's prophecy, he is also shared with us. Jesus is the child given to the world so you and I can become God's child. What greater gift can we have than Jesus, and through Jesus, God as our Father.

Though for today:  What gifts do I present to God?

Behold December 24, 2017

Luke 2:16-20(NIV)

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

The shepherds reaction to baby Jesus is exactly what our reaction will be when we see the returning Jesus: we will glorify and praise God for all the things we see and hear and will find that they are just as God has promised them to us. Since God kept his word in the first coming of Jesus, we can be assured that he will do it with the Second Coming of Jesus!

Thought for today: How do I respond when I see or feel the things of God?

Humility December 23, 2017

Luke 2:11-14 (NIV)

11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The sign to the shepherds was a baby in a feed trough. Pretty potent sign isn't it! The Almighty Creator of the universe sleeping where the sheep and goats have eaten their grain and hay. That God would love us so much as to reduce himself to such an inauspicious beginning reminds us why the angels praise him so. He is glorious and yet he chose not to hide or protect that glory, but instead he shared it so we could find it, too!

Thought for today: Can I humble myself to share?

Following December 22, 2017

Luke 2:8-11 (NIV)

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Shepherds and the glory of the Lord in the same sentence. Shepherds enjoyed a great heritage in Israel with Abraham, Moses, and David as notable shepherds and God being identified through Psalm 23 as a great shepherd. But by this time in Israelite history, they were not highly regarded. They smelled like sheep. They spent their time with sheep. They were not really clean and religious enough to be considered spiritual. So when God chose to announce the birth of Jesus to shepherds with his contingent of angels he makes his point clear: Everyone is loved by God, everyone has access to God, and everyone is desired by God.

Though for today: Can I be led?

Seeing Through It December 21, 2017

Luke 2:6-7 (NIV)

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

I've always been amazed at how God chose to place his Son into our world. He could have done it any way he wanted. But he chose this way — to enter the world in difficult times under difficult circumstances as a helpless infant who must be cared for by parents who were vulnerable to so many frailties. Yet in spite of the challenges that lay ahead and the bewildering mystery that confronted them, Joseph and Mary — along with everyone around them — were caught up in the great joy of this new child. Thank God for such new hope!

Though for today : Can I praise through my circumstances?

Willingness December 20, 2017

Luke 2:1(NIV)

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

Isn't it amazing at how many inconveniences in our lives the Lord uses to accomplish his will in us. Can you think of a worse time to have to go on a cross-country trip with their modes of travel than Joseph and Mary faced. Yet God turned it into the moment in which the angels found their tune and Satan met his match.

Thought for today: Am I willing to extend my all?

Saving Grace December 19, 2017

Luke 1:76-78 (NIV)

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

Where does salvation come from? Does it come from our sense that something is desperately wrong and we need to change and make it better? Does it come from casting things in a more positive light so we don't become discouraged and quit? Does it come from a lucky break? Does it come because we are scrupulously righteous and deserve it come our way? Does it come from rigorously obeying everything in the law? No! Salvation and forgiveness come from one source, "the tender mercy of our God."

Thought for today: Can I and do I show mercy?

Promises December 18, 2017

Luke 1:68-70 (NIV)

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),

What God does in Jesus, is not a surprise. Yes, it was unexpected, but the "hints" and prophecies of his coming are found all over the Old Testament. The holy prophets had spoken about it "long ago." But more than the prophets, Jesus coming is God keeping his word. Jesus' coming is God's answer to his promises. That's why Paul can say that all God's promises find their yes in Jesus and it is through Jesus that the "amen" is spoken (2 Cor. 1). In Jesus, God comes, God ministers, God cares, God saves, God redeems, and God keeps his promises.

Thought for today: Do I keep my promises?

Taking It On December 17, 2017

Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV)

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus first had to become the sins of the people before he could save them (us) from those sins (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 John 4:10). His own people rejected him before his forgiveness could be received. Jesus' gift of salvation was incredibly costly to him. It is a reminder of two great truths: God loves us incredibly and salvation is a precious gift. In Jesus we know and experience both truths!

Thought for today: Do I honor God’s sacrifice by offering my confessions?

Magnification December 16, 2017

Luke 1:46 (NIV)

46 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

While Mary's submission to God's will costs her in ways we can never imagine, for Jesus to come to life in the hearts of people today our attitude must be the same as her attitude was on this night of miracle and mystery. We too, must be willing to be the Lord's servant and offer him the praise of our lives and of our lips. In Jesus, the Lord has done great things for us!

Thought for today: how do I magnify the Lord?

Naming December 15, 2017

Luke 1:30-33 (NIV)

30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Jesus is identified by many names stated or implied in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Notice how Jesus is identified in just this one passage: child, son, Jesus, great, Son of the Most High, King, son of David, and leader of Israel (Jacob). Jesus exhausts all descriptions, and yet chose to be limited to imperfect descriptions by becoming human. But this flood of names and descriptions helps us find Jesus as our Savior in every trial and blessing of life. Jesus is Savior for all seasons.

Thought for today:  What is God (name) in my life?

Birth Announcement December 14, 2017

Luke 1:26-28 (NIV)

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Wow! Such a familiar sentence packed with emotion. An angel comes to Nazareth to visit and speak with a young woman engaged to be married. Before the history shattering news is announced, she is given one key reminder that will be truer than she could imagine, "The Lord is with you."

Thought for today: Have I heard my birth announcement? 

Humility December 13, 2017

Matthew 2:4-6(NIV)

4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.

"The first will be last and the last will be first." That's one of Jesus' favorite sayings. Isn't interesting that God said it long before he was born. Isn't interesting that those who knew the Scriptures, but didn't know Jesus, said it too! Isn't it interesting that Herod and Jesus lived it thirty years before Jesus would teach it? Isn't it interesting that the Jesus gave us the Lord's Supper to remember that while Jesus died and shed his blood, on the first day of the week, Sunday, he rose. When it matters most, Jesus and his people will finish first!

Thought for today: Do I acknowledge my position?

Adoption December 12, 2017

Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV)

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

God waited till history reached his appointed time and sent Jesus. Just the right time — Roman rule, Jewish subordination, good roads, freedom, a degree of safety, a common trading language, cruel and barbaric punishment accompanied by religious infighting. In times such as these, he sent his Son to be a woman's son. He emptied his home so he could send a redeemer to our home. He did it so we could be his children — not pretend children, but real children, with full rights. So he could not only be God, but so he could be Abba.

Thought for today:  A I fully “invested” in my adoption?

Called December 11. 2017

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

God is interested in us personally. So much so, that he personally gives us this sign. Because of Matthew's explanation of the meaning of the name Immanuel, we know what that sign was - Jesus coming to live as God with us. His presence is God's presence. His life is God's sign. The miracle of his conception is God's mystery and also his statement of grace for us.

Thought for today: Am I neglecting and blocking the calling of what is birthed in me?

Elevation December 10, 2017

Deuteronomy 18:15 (NIV)

15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

Jesus is that prophet like Moses. He has come and taught us God's truth. He has taught us with his words recorded in the Gospels. He has taught us with his example, through the deeds he has done. He is teaching us through his abiding presence in us and through the Spirit he has given us. But he teaches us most effectively when we put into practice what he has said.

Though for today: Are my works a result of my faith?

Bearing Fruit December 9, 2017

John 15:5 (NIV)

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

We take on Jesus' character (bear fruit) by remaining intimately connected to him. The distance between heaven and earth is not so great when heaven lives within us. In John 14, Jesus reminded us that if we will obey him, he will come and live in us and will reveal himself to us. So as we obey him, we know him better. His life becomes real in us.

Thought for today: Am I mature enough to bear fruit?

The Way December 8, 2017

John 14:6 (NIV)

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

I don't want to be any more exclusive than Jesus. But I do want to hear his voice. He calls me to find the way to the Father through him. I must also know that others must know him to find their way to the Father, too. How can we not be more passionate about those around us who do not really know Jesus as their Savior, Redeemer, Brother, and Lord? How can the first four books of our New Testament lie unread?

Thought for today: Do I seek “the way” when I’m feeling lost?

Paid In Full December 7, 2017

John 11:25 (NIV)

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

This is the most important question you will ever answer. Do you really believe this? Do you believe that when you died with Christ in baptism through faith, that you died the most significant death and that your physical death will not separate you from Jesus? All of life, even all of eternity for you, hangs on this one question.

Thought for today: Do I believe He paid it all?

Hearing December 6, 2017

John 10:14-15 (NIV)

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

The goal of our walk with Jesus is to come to know him as our shepherd just as intimately as he knows the Father. A key thing for us to remember: In a world where so many people want to attract our attention and are willing to give us advice, we can refuse their voice. We listen to Jesus because he has shown his love for us by laying down his life for us. He is not a hireling, he is the Good Shepherd.

Thought for today: Can I hear God’s voice in the world’s noise?

Fullness December 5, 2017

John 10:7 (NIV)

7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.

John 10:9-10 (NIV)

9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Jesus came to the world to give us life. He didn't come to bring us rules, or judgement, or fear, or work. Jesus came to give us life in its fullest form. While we know that this is promised to us when we go to be with him for all eternity, John wants us to clearly hear that Jesus' promise to give us life begins right now! Not JUST life later, but also life NOW!

Thought for today: Am I living my life to its fullest?

The Light December 4, 2017

John 8:12 (NIV)

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Darkness is more than a symbol, it is a pervasive way of living and viewing the world. Darkness is the place of deception, evil, crime, predators, sin, and death. To follow Jesus means to bring him our heart and let him cast from the darkness that plagues us on the inside so we don't have to be afraid of the darkness on the outside. In this way, Jesus gives us light, but it is a light that does more than fill a dark room with light. This is a light that illumines the heart.

Thought for today: Do I seek to be in the light?

The Hunger December 3, 2017

John 6:35 (NIV)

35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

We crave food at regular intervals during the day. During this holiday season food occupies our thoughts and fills up our activities. But deep in our soul is a hunger, a soul hunger. This hunger cannot be filled by food, drink, or chemicals. This hunger was the desire built into us by our Creator, placed there when he knit us together in our mother's womb. This hunger can only be satiated by Jesus.

Thought for today: Are my cravings godly?

Interpreter December 2, 2017

Hebrews 1:1-2 (NIV)

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

God is a speaking God. He loves us and has chosen to get his message to us in words. First there were the patriarchs and great prophets. Then there was the written record in the Scriptures. But God's greatest message, his most powerful words, were not really words at all, but a person named Jesus of Nazareth, who is Christ and Lord of all. For us, his Church, to be what he wants us to be, we must not just look at Scripture, we must also look at him. He is the key to understanding what Scripture means and how it is to be lived.

Thought for today: Do I allow God to speak to my spirit?

It’s Real December 1, 2017

John 1:1-2 (NIV)

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

John 1:14 (NIV)

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

All true ministry is "incarnational" - it involves people to people contact, human touch, and genuine physical care. While there is Internet ministry, it will never live in cyberspace. It must be carried into the daily life of believers who are committed to share the grace of Jesus with their FRANs (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors). Just as God purposely sent Jesus at the right time to the right place, he did so with us. We are here to bless others, "not just in word, but in deed and truth!"

Thought for today: Is my faith living and breathing?