We, Too, Shall Seek Him

As we pack up our Christmas treasures for another year, it is good to reflect on the rest of the story of Jesus Christ, born in a stable. I don't hurry to take down all of our Christmas. I'm just not ready to move on yet. I want to linger around the Christ Child. Everyone loves babies and I'm sure Christ was the best baby ever. I want to hold Him and gaze upon His Holy face a while. Too soon He will be grown up and gone.

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: "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 be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" "Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route." (Matthew 2:1-12 NIV).

The wise men traveled thousands of miles in search of the Messiah. They saw a star placed in the sky by God and they followed it to the east, possibly from Parthia, a country second in power to Rome. It is suggested the Magi had traveled for a year or more, following the star. They must have known the Old Testament predictions or studied astrology or received a message directly from God, to begin such a lengthy search. It was an important journey for them. They were on a mission and they weren't going to give up until they found Jesus.

After stopping to pay respects to Herod in Jerusalem they traveled on to Bethlehem to find the Messiah, again led by the star. They brought with them treasures worthy only of a King: precious gold for a worthy Ruler, incense for the highest Priest or Deity, and myrrh - a burial spice for a Savior. All signs they knew more than they revealed. They were wise men, indeed.

As they approached Bethlehem they were filled with joy and presented their gifts to the Child. But as they began to leave, they were warned by God to change their travel plans. They avoided Herod in Jerusalem and took a different route home.

As believers, we too, are called to leave behind our old sinful ways and pursue a holy pathway by following Jesus' light and leading. Let us remember the Magi and their persistent journey and take up our own mission to find Jesus once and for all. Let us bring along the precious gifts that only we can offer. We, too, shall seek Him.

The Zeal of the Lord Accomplished It!

Merry Christmas!

"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. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne, and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. 

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this," (Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV).

The bloom of my Christmas cactus
opened quickly with its brilliant
color. So far there have been two
blossoms to enjoy.

Are you filled with zeal today? I love that God was filled with zeal as He prepared the way for us to be in a relationship with Him. What is zeal? Since we don't hear that word very often I checked the definition: enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal or goal. So what would the zeal of God look like? Perfect, without flaw, righteous, holy, angelic...Jesus.

God sent His Only Son as a special baby Who would bring light to our darkest sins. God put on the flesh of man and came to experience all of our joys and sorrows but with a perfect sin-free nature. Then He carried all of our sins - every single one - to the cross where He laid them down to be forever forgiven. If we believe in Him.

Isaiah references zeal two additional times in the NIV: each time when he talks about God.

"For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion, a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord will accomplish this," (Isaiah 37:32 NIV).

"He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak," (Isaiah 59:17 NIV).

On this day, God brought forth a Savior. Out of His enthusiastic devotion to one perfect goal came Jesus, Messiah, Immanuel - God with us, Son of God, Son of man, Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

On this day, the Zeal of the Lord Accomplished It! Amen.

SDG

The Light is Coming

I love Christmas lights. We drove through town last night and I noticed so many beautifully decorated homes. I am partial to blue lights, but I don't think there is anything more elegant than a house trimmed completely in white lights. A neighbor across the pond from us put up a tall Christmas tree in the middle of November and we have been enjoying its light twinkling - day and night.

The lights remind me that Jesus is the light of the world - yesterday, today and for all of our
tomorrows. His coming was announced long before His birth by prophets:

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you," (Isaiah 60:1 NIV).

"The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory," (Isaiah 60:19 NIV).

Until Jesus came to earth as a man, the Word of God was given so we would know all that God had planned.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path," (Psalm 119:105 NIV).

Jesus arrived as a baby, born of a virgin, in a humble stable in Bethlehem; a brilliant star announced His birth and led the shepherds and wise men to bow before His manger bed.

As Jesus began His ministry, He explained to His followers, both then and now, that His presence has an everlasting affect and effect on our lives. Once we are believers in our Savior, we are forever changed.

"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"," (John 8:12 NIV).

"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world," (John 9:5 NIV).

I especially love the light that glows from a candle. The flickering movement of light makes it seem alive, just like the light of life we have in Jesus.

Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven," (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV).

The scriptures tell the whole story of Jesus: how His life and light was predicted by prophecies, how He came to earth in the light of a star, how He became the Light of Life for His disciples and for us - still, over 2000 years later! Jesus is our long-awaited Light. Let that warm glow of love and life in Christ Jesus show through us to spread the Good News so others can know His Light in their lives, too.

He Chose Shepherds

(You didn't think we would get through the Christmas season without me talking about sheep and shepherds, did you? I couldn't let you down.)

One of the most iconic pictures on a Christmas card for a hundred years or more is the image of sheep on a hillside with the shepherds and their crooks standing at attention of the brilliant star shining over Bethlehem.

Though shepherds look rather refined on a Christmas card or in a crèche, the reality of shepherds is more like the dirty, smelly chore clothes my husband hangs in the garage. The sheep of Bible times were rarely, if ever, in a barn. They found shelter in caves or just huddled together in a spot out of the wind, with their shepherds watching over them to protect them from hungry coyotes, or mountain lions.

I'm sure the shepherds rarely bathed or brushed their teeth. The men probably had long unruly beards and their hair was matted from lack of attention. Their faces may have appeared dusty and wrinkled from exposure to the hot sun. Shepherds were shunned by the village-folk, yet they took their jobs quite seriously.

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night," (Luke 2:8 NIV).

Luke presents the shepherds as dutiful, dedicated servants. Isaiah presents the coming Messiah in the same way.

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young," (Isaiah 40:11 NIV).

Though I am partial to shepherds, when I read the description of Jesus as my Shepherd I would drop everything to run to His arms and be held close to His heart; wouldn't you? There is nothing as wonderful as resting in the strong, loving arms of my Savior.

Just as God chose the lowly shepherds to be the first ones to hear about the birth of their Savior, God also chooses us to be His servants to fulfill His will from right where we are - shepherds of a flock or not.

"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV).

Amen.
SDG

God's Plan to Save Us

...Started with Baby Jesus. From the beginning of time - Creation - God had a plan for us. He desired man and woman to be in a relationship with Him. A loving, perfect relationship. But humankind quickly disappointed Him with sin. One sin after another. He forgave them and they sinned again. And again. Just like you and me. Man sacrificed flawless animals before God as he sought a remedy for his sinfulness. The altars became covered with the blood sacrifices, staining the ground below, again and again.

David wrote this prophecy of Jesus, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, "Here I am, I have come--it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." (Psalm 40:6-8 NIV).

God had to send a Savior who would come into the world and begin to fulfill every prophecy written about Him for hundreds of years. Throughout the Old Testament Jesus was revealed as a Savior King who would rule the world and bring us eternal salvation so we could live with Him forever.

Immanuel, meaning God with us, would come as a baby born of a virgin. The most perfect infant, created without sin by the Holy Spirit. God in human form. Solus Christus. Christ alone.

"Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.'" (Hebrews 10:5-7 NIV).

There aren't enough fireworks, fancy decorated cakes, noisemakers, piñatas, or solemn candlelit nights to properly celebrate the arrival of our Savior.

We must give Him our total being. We must be all-in for Jesus... His worshipers, His followers, His believers, His glorifiers in all that we are, all that we say, and all that we do. It is His will.

Amen.

SDG

Walking Toward Bethlehem

We began the Advent season fresh, with energy and anticipation of what was to come. We made plans for all the ways we would make the Christmas season meaningful and Christ-filled. "It will be the best Christmas ever!" we said. Our goals seemed realistic at first, but soon the list became lengthy and elaborate and time passed too quickly. We didn't get started on the "to-do" part soon enough, and maybe we forgot what was most important: to put our trust in God. Maybe we rushed out the door without our shopping list, or we forgot to check the calendar until...here we are on December 11 with a broken sandal, 35 miles to go, no hotel reservations and the eminent Deliverer's arrival imminent.

The Advent season is a bit like the walk Joseph made from his hometown of Nazareth to Bethlehem, the town of his family line and of Mary's - the line of David. Joseph and Mary must have been very realistic about their travels. They had 70 miles to walk from their hometown of Nazareth to Bethlehem of Judea to report for the census as ordered by Caesar Augustus. It was a long, slow walk and Mary was, it turns out, very pregnant. She shouldn't walk so far in her condition so Joseph presumably put her on a donkey to ride the distance. I wonder if they packed for the baby King, just in case? From what we are told in Matthew and Luke, Joseph and Mary put their trust in God - there were no motel reservations made in advance and no doctor on standby for delivery.

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times," (Micah 5:2 NIV).

Micah prophesied that the little town of Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the ruler over Israel. The long-desired Messiah would be born as a baby from the ancient line of David, just as God had planned hundreds of years before. And Micah predicted it again, still hundreds of years before His holy birth.

As Bethlehem becomes visible, down our road to Christmas, we must remember that the story only begins in Bethlehem. Jesus' life took Him back to Nazareth, on to Cana, Tyre, all around the Sea of Galilee, over the road to Emmaus, and ends in Jerusalem at Calvary. We must walk all those steps with Jesus so we can see with our own eyes how and why Jesus came to dwell on earth as a baby who grew into the One, the Only, perfect and sinless Man sent by God to give us salvation from our sins, through His death on the cross and His resurrection.

"He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace," (Micah 5:4-5 NIV).

SDG: Glory to God Alone

Discovering the News

"Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel," (Isaiah 7:12 NIV).

Back in the olden days (40 years ago) finding out about a pregnancy usually happened by a visit to the physician. I'm not even sure there were pregnancy test kits yet. The woman may have had an inkling or may have received a surprise. But, no woman other than Mary received such a big surprise, not even if the doctor pronounced twins or triplets.

Mary had no idea that she was the virgin who would be chosen to carry and deliver the Blessed baby

Jesus. Mary was engaged to Joseph, a descendant of David, but they had never been together. Luke tells the story of the Angel's visit to Mary in Luke 1:26-38 NIV, as follows:

"In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth...The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

I can't imagine Mary's emotions at this time. Her head must have been spinning with questions, concerns, and most of all, praise to God for this amazing blessing! She expresses her feelings in song, often called the Magnificat, Mary's song reveals that she believes what the Lord has told her would happen, and that she would praise God and give Him the glory!

"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name," (Luke 1:46-49 NIV). Mary's song continues to list the many attributes of God that she has seen.

December begins with the proclamation of the coming of Christmas Day. We cannot let the trivial tasks of the season overshadow the real story of Jesus' birth. Let our hearts fill with the joy and wonder Mary must have experienced as we anticipate the day of our Lord's birth.

December Celebrations

The Christmas season blues have found me again this year. I am obsessed with the desire to be with my parents and those who have gone before me. My heart aches for the childhood kitchen filled with the wonderful scents of Mama's baking. When every surface was covered with wax paper topped with delicious and beautiful treats like luscious fluffy white divinity, homemade cherry mash candies, creamy chocolate fudge, coconut macaroons topped with red and green maraschino cherries, chocolate dipped Ritz crackers filled with peanut butter, and so much more.

This is a start from one of my mother's Christmas cactus plants.
I've had it for several years, thanks to Nurse Barb Hilleman who
nurtured the slip from a plant my mother gave to the doctor's
 office in State Center. I'll share the progress of its first blooming
year during this Christmas season.

Mostly I miss Mama, sitting in her big recliner, trying to get comfortable, struggling to breathe, yet giving me the greatest gift of her presence and motherly love that radiated through my soul. And I miss Daddy, sitting in his wheelchair with a beautiful welcoming smile for me, calling me 'Glory' and offering me an undeserved proclamation of pride.

"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out,"Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir," (Galatians 4:4-7 NIV).

You are an heir of God! Your treasures are waiting in heaven. No more worry about finances or 'stuff'; no more shopping for gifts within the budget; no more filling that emptiness with buying more. God will provide it all. God's awesomeness will fill the air with completeness and satisfaction and unending joy. We will not want for anything. We will have it all: the goose-bumping, bone-shaking, cuddly warmth of the softest blankets, pore-filling perfection of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and Father of us all!

Who can imagine such utter and complete joy? It will be blow-your-socks-off, knock-us-off-our-feet wonderful!

Come, Lord Jesus. Come. Fill us with the glory of your presence in the manger. We wait expectantly for the celebration of Your arrival. But, You are already here, Lord! So, surround us with your glory now so we can feel the celebration in our hearts. We love You, Jesus. Come...