Rejoicing! The beginning of a new year.

Today was the last post for the book, "Abide in Me". I ordered a new book to study that I have not yet received, so I will begin the new year with an old one by the same author...."Rejoice in Me!" by David Rosage. This book was designed to follow "Abide in Me" and focuses on the Psalms plus supplemental verses from elsewhere. I used less Bible translations when I did this book. I may have to rewrite some of these posts, because I first wrote them in 2005-2006 and they may not be current or I may just have something new to discover in the verses. I will be using the same format of prayer. This study had a weekly theme which I will post on the side bar. I will be working on my update for the blog today, so it will be a mixture of the old and the new until we move into the new year, tomorrow! Come along and rejoice with me, in our Lord!

Dec. 31....what God has prepared

1 Cor. 2:9-10 “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him.” (NAB) “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those how love him.” (NIV) “But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” (vs. 10)

Heavenly Father, We can not even imagine all that you offer us or give us unless we have your Holy Spirit! The author of this devotional sometimes “chokes off” part of a passage that robs much of its meaning. This entire passage is about your Holy Spirit and how he reveals you to us. We can’t see or hear or imagine this on our own. The Holy Spirit is the “translator”, the guide, the interpreter. He leads us into your mind and heart and reveals who you are to us. Unless we have your Holy Spirit, we can’t understand. You are Spirit and we learn in spirit through your Spirit. It is the final piece of abiding. Our abiding relationship comes about through the Holy Spirit connecting to our spirit. When he is within us, we are in You. Your thoughts become our thoughts, your will, our will, our actions, your actions. Christ came to bring us to this relationship, the same one he had with you. He cleaned us up and set us in a place in Him, that allows your Holy Spirit to fill us. Without Christ we can’t have your Holy Spirit. He opened the Door. He provided the Way. He gave us Life and truth. The Holy Spirit continues the process on a daily basis. What normal human eye can’t see or human ear hear, or human mind imagine, has been given form and voice and image when filtered through the Holy Spirit. You prepared this for us, who love you. You loved us that we might more fully love you. Your Holy spirit shows us that love, tells us of that love, fills our minds with the possibilities that love holds for us May I always seek to abide in that love, that is found in you, my Father! Holy Spirit bring me to my home where I wish to dwell! Jesus, Savior, wash me clean and create a new heart within me, worthy of your gift. Thank you Holy God, now and forever more! Amen.

Dec. 30....I go to prepare a place

John 14:3 “I am indeed going to prepare a place for you and then I shall come back to take you with me, that where I am you also may be.” (NAB) “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.” (NIV) “It is true that I am going away to prepare a place for you, but it is just as true that I am coming again to welcome you into my own home, so that you may be where I am.” (Phillips) “I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you, so you can live where I live.” (MSG)

Heavenly Father,

Jesus speaks these words the night before this death and right before he said: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” When he says he is going to prepare a place for us, he is describing his death. His death was the preparation. His death washed us clean and made it possible for us to inhabit the “place” he was preparing. He is the Way…we only enter that mansion through him. “Then I shall come back to take you with me”…this is the resurrection. He came back…literally. If he had stayed gone…dead…he couldn’t come get us. His resurrection makes our resurrection possible. He prepared our place with his death (removing our sin punishment) and then returned as promised to insure our being brought to this prepared place. His life is now our life. His home is now our home. His purpose is…”that where I am, you also may be.” He didn’t do all this for his own benefit. He already had a place in heaven, a relationship with his Father. He did all this coming and going and coming again for the sole purpose of making it possible for us to “be where I AM.” That just hit me in a new way! Our place is with God (I AM) Jesus wants us with him and the Father. He wants us to know a restored, redeemed relationship with our Creator, our Father, our Almighty God, our I AM! Two of these translations stress “it is true” or “indeed”. This is fact. This is a “done deal”. This is Truth. Jesus is the Way to get there to the prepared place, Jesus is the Truth that this place exists and that we are being invited to live there. Jesus is the actual Life that we will live there…resurrected life, new righteous life, in the presence of our Father for eternity. Thank you! amen.

Dec. 29....hear, listen, recognize

John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” (NAB)

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish.; no on e can snatch them out of my hand.” (NIV)

“My sheep recognize my voice and I know who they are. They follow me and I give them eternal life. They will never die and no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

Hear…listen…recognize. I feel it takes all 3 of these translations to give a clear picture! We first hear Jesus…he comes into our realm of awareness. Then we listen to him…we pay attention to what he is saying. Then we recognize him…we realize that what he says is truth and we become familiar with his voce, his way, his teaching, his authority. Until we move from just hearing to recognition we won’t follow him. In each case Jesus adds…”I know them, I know who they are.” No uncertainty here! Even before we know him, he knows us! We can hide nothing from him. Jesus chose 12 disciples and he knew them…who would follow, who would deny, who would betray. There were no surprises for him at any of their responses or actions. He knows us, inside and out! I prefer the Phillips translation that links these phrases in couplets…”they recognize my voice/I know who they are (mutual recognition)…”they follow me/I give them eternal life” (following him reaps his gift to us)…”they will never die/no one can snatch them out of my hand” (this is a permanent, eternal relationship.) Once we “recognize his voice”…we can no longer be snatched from his hand. We belong to him. He is our Lord and Savior, our Good Shepherd, our Master. We cling to the voice of our Master, the giver of life, our Defender, our personal Shepherd. Even in darkness or a cloud of confusion, we still hear and recognize his voice. We seek to stay close enough to follow him at all times. He is not just the Voice of Truth, but our beacon of light, showing us the Way to follow. Being a sheep in the Good Shepherd’s sheepfold is a positive thing! A sheep is content with being a sheep. A sheep doesn’t worry because the Shepherd is always nearby. Thank you! amen.

Dec. 28.....Jesus's glory

John 17:24 “Father, all those you gave me I would have in my company where I am, to see this glory of mine.” (NAB)

“Father, I want those whom you have given me to be with me where I am, I want them to see that glory which you have made mine…for you loved me before the world began.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

Jesus prays for all the believers…those who come to faith through the message preached to them. Jesus is seeing ahead to the future. He prayed for his disciples first and here prays for the future disciples…us!…who will come to believe in him. He makes it clear he wants us all. He prays for abiding and for unity, making us all one…a strong unified presence in this world that will “let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me”. (vs. 23) Jesus knew that unity was important, that we needed to be of one mind and heart and belief if we are going to convince the world of anything. He considered this unity of utmost importance and prayed for it. He saw this unity resulting from an abiding relationship…”as you are in me and I am in you”…”may they also be in us”. The Father abides in Jesus. Jesus abides in the Father. We are to abide in them…Father and Son. All so that the world may believe that Jesus was sent by the Father. Glory is mentioned twice in the passage. In vs. 22 Jesus says he gave us the glory that the Father had given him…again for unity like his unity with the Father. Here he asks that we “see” his glory, given by his Father with love before the world began. I’m not totally clear on what this “glory” is. If we see his glory we will understand the glory he has given us. The glory of his relationship with You. The glory of his oneness, the glory of his abiding nature. He gave us his glory…this relationship…when he removed the penalty for our sin and set us free through grace. As we come to him for salvation we join in an abiding, unified relationship with You the Father and Jesus, the Son and Savior. If we have this glory, this relationship, we will be able to show it to the world and convince them of the Son’s role in salvation. He wants us all there to see his glory…to see the truth…to see the Way…to see You, our Father. Thank you! amen.

Dec. 27....within the love of God

Jude 21 “Persevere in God’s love, and welcome the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which leads to eternal life.” (NAB) “Keep yourselves in God’s love, as you wait for the mercy of our Lord, Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” (NIV)

“…build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith and by praying through the Holy Spirit keep yourselves within the love of God. Wait patiently for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will bring you to the life eternal.” (Phillips)

“Staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping yourselves open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life.” (MSG)

Heavenly Father,

“Persevering in your love”....”keeping within your love”…staying right at the center of your love”….these words describe an abiding relationship. The previous verse indicates the importance of ”building ourselves up on the foundation of our most holy faith and by praying through the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit came to make an abiding relationship possible. He takes our faith foundation and builds upon it. He keeps us in your love, he helps us stay right at the center of your love, he helps us persevere in your love…by teaching us, rebuking us, guiding us, helping us remember and understand your word. Because of this we welcome the mercy found in Jesus Christ that will give us eternal life. We wait, we seek, we expect this mercy, this grace, this forgiveness that we find in Christ. We are ready for it, as the Message says! I like the way the Message describes this life…”the unending life, the real life.” Life before Christ no longer matters. Only our life in Christ, through Christ, because of Christ, has any real meaning. The past is gone. Our old life is gone. The life that led to death is gone. Christ makes it possible for us to welcome and embrace this new life, based in your mercy, your love. Abiding in your love. That’s what it is all about. Being in a love relationship with you, our Father and Jesus Christ our Brother. Some times we feel very hesitant about taking our place in this relationship. It’s so new, so different from anything we’ve experienced before. We don’t quite understand it, but we want it more than anything! Building our faith, praying through the Holy Spirit helps to center us in this amazing love relationship with You, our God, our Father. “Bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.” Amen.

Dec. 26....only in his Son

1 John 5:11-12 “God gave us eternal life and this life in his son. Whoever possesses the Son possesses life.” (NAB) “God has given man eternal life and this real life is to be found only in his Son. It follows naturally that any man who has Christ has this life. “ (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

The hardest battle Christians fight with non-believers is the question of Christ being the only way to heaven and eternal life. Many people want other ways, other faiths, to be just as valid. Some say we all worship the same God…in some cases that may be partly true. Every culture seems to recognize that there is a Supreme Being out there somewhere who created and who is our God. You, O LORD, have been called many names by many peoples. Some get off-track and try to split you into many gods, robbing you of your supremacy. Some want to drag you down to our level or raise themselves to an equal level with you. Even those who recognize only one God…the Lord Almighty…can get off track. All of mankind got off track when they sinned, when they chose “free will” working for themselves and their desires, rather than your will working for the good of all. To bring us back to eternal life and your holy presence, you chose one solution for all time….your Son, Jesus Christ. You chose to manifest your being in a human form and to live among us, and to remove our sin by taking the punishment to the cross for us. You cleared the problem once and for all, by one Way and one Way only. If we “have the Son, we have eternal life”. When we work math problems we don’t argue that we don’t want 2+2 to equal 4 but instead want 1+1 to equal 4. The solution is just that…the solution…and there isn’t any other answer! We accept unchangeable natural laws but refuse to accept that in the divine! We are a highly arrogant people! One God has one solution. You are supreme, You call the shots, You make the rules that cannot be changed! Why do we want to argue for a different solution when the one You gave us is perfect? The Son brings eternal life! We just need to accept him and take the gift! Thank you! amen.

Dec. 25.....Abiding

1 John 2:25 “He himself made us a promise and the promise is no less than this: Eternal life.” (NAB) 1 John 2:24-25 “..Keep faithful to what you heard at the beginning. If you do you will be living in fellowship with both the Father and the Son. And that means sharing his own life forever, as he has promised.” (Phillips) “If what you heard from the beginning lives deeply in you, you will live deeply in both Son and Father. This is exactly what Christ promised: Eternal life, real life! “ (MSG)

Heavenly Father, Abiding…the search this year has been to find an abiding relationship with You, O Father God! The author of the devotional has focused for this month on eternal life…your promise to us through Jesus Christ. I feel that today’s verse needs the proceeding verse with it to give it more meaning. Yes, Jesus made us a promise of eternal life. Yes, this is a free gift to us. Verse 24 tells us that this promise, this eternal life, comes from having what we learned in faith from the beginning…the Good News, pure and unaltered, not added to in any way…abiding in us. The Message says: “lives deeply in you”. This isn’t a casual acquaintance with the words of the gospel, this is the message of Christ abiding in us as a part of all we do. Every thought, every word, every deed should be colored by this relationship with God the Father and God the Son. It has become a part of us. It has become who we are. I read once that “Your reputation is what others think you are, your character is what you really are.” We can show a reputation to the world of being a Christian…going to church, doing good deeds, talking the talk, but if it is our character it will go deeper into our heart, our motives, our spirit, our soul. We won’t just “look like” a Christian and ”sound like” a Christian….we will be “Christ-like”, Christ followers. We will abide in our relationship with Christ and with our Father, at all times….naturally, like breathing. It will become our life…eternal life. His promise to us will be fulfilled. We will never be separated from him in any way because our life has become his, and his life is ours…all one and the same! Abiding! Thank you, Father, Son, Holy Spirit! Amen.

Dec. 24....Light

2 Timothy 1:10 “He has robbed death of its power and has brought life and immortality into clear light through the gospel.” (NAB) “For Christ has completely abolished death, and has now through the gospel opened to us men the shining possibilities of life that is eternal.” (Phillips) “Death defeated, Life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, through the work of Jesus.” (MSG) “Christ our Savior defeated death and brought us the good news. It shines like a light and offers life that never ends. “ (CEV) Heavenly Father, “Clear light”…”shining possibilities”…”a steady blaze of light”….”shines like a light”. All of these translations compare Jesus Christ and the grace he brought us leading to eternal life, as “light”. Jesus himself called himself, “the Light of the World.” Sin and death are darkness. Jesus Christ is Light! John 1:4 says: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1:9 “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world!” John 3:19, “Light has come into the world…” John 8:12, “I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life!” Light and life…the same 2 things that are linked in today’s verse. If we have the Light, we have eternal life! I keep hearing the lines from a Christmas carol…”Son of God, love’s pure light”. The Light of love dispels the gloom and despair of the world! The Light of love robs death of its power and gives us the hope of eternal life. The Light of love forgives our sins and restores our relationship with our Father! Light is always a symbol of hope….light gives us illumination and removes fear, light warms us in the cold, light shows us the path so our feet are on secure ground. The complete absence of light is terrifying! It fills life with uncertainty, fear, hopelessness, confusion. Even the tiniest glimmer of light makes a world of difference to our sense of well being. We need light. Light is necessary to growth and well-being. This Light…Jesus Christ…is a “clear light”….”a steady blaze”…”a shining possibility”! Why would anyone refuse the Light and choose darkness? The Light…Jesus Christ…is the Good News! Turn on the Light! Open your eyes! Bask in the Light of Life! Amen.

Dec. 23....a new form, transformation

Philippians 3:21 “He will give a new form to this lowly body of ours and remake it according to the pattern of his glorified body, by his power to subject everything to himself.” (NAB)

“The Lord, Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (NIV)

“He will change these wretched bodies of ours so that they resemble his own glorious body, by that power of his which makes him in command of everything.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

Transformation, change…this is what Christ came to do and will come again to finish at the end of time as we know it. A “new form”…glorified bodies like his glorified body. Jesus has “the power to subject everything to himself”….or “the power that enables him to bring everything under his control”…or “that power of his which makes him in command of everything.” I see 3 consistent words and thoughts here. Jesus has power, this power is his alone, and it covers everything. Jesus has been given all power here on earth. He is fully in control and we need never doubt that what has been done to him will also be done for us because of him. “He will give”…”he will change”….”He will transform”. Jesus Christ is the catalyst, the One who makes it all happen. When Jesus came to earth and lived a human life from Bethlehem to the cross, he made it possible for all of us to transform with him. The disciples saw his changed transformed resurrected body. They saw the “new” Christ, the risen Savior, the first fruits. This was his promise to all of us. Just as he has risen, so shall we. Just as he has a new body, so shall we. He has the power to subject everything to his control he has the power to change us. He can change us within and without if we let him! A glorified body needs a righteous Spirit living in it. Jesus made that possible through grace, through the cross, through the empty tomb. We can be righteous through him. A new form to our lowly bodies and a new form to our lowly spirits. We are rebuilt into the Body of Christ, his church , a holy temple for his Holy Spirit! Thank you, Lord, Jesus, who has the power to control all things! Amen.

Dec. 22....grace through faith

Ephesians 2:8-9 “It is owing to his favor that salvation is yours through faith. This is not your doing, it is God’s gift; neither is it a reward for anything you have accomplished, so let no one pride himself on it.” (NAB)

“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith…this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God…not by works so no one can boast.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Grace…God’s favor. We have salvation trough faith because You gave us this great gift. We didn’t do anything to deserve it. We didn’t earn it. We didn’t even have enough sense to want it or ask for it. We think in terms of worldly happenings, worldly sensations, worldly caused problems, worldly answers. The Jews wanted physical salvation from the Romans, just as you physically saved them from the Egyptians years before. People wanted physical healings from Jesus Christ, and physical release from evil spirits, and raising physically from the dead. We aren’t programmed to see heavenly results and answers. We have trouble seeing beyond this world and its problems. We are so inbred with sin, that the possibility of release from it or its disappearance from our lives just doesn’t occur to us. Salvation is a foreign concept to us. Just like the people then we don’t quite understand what grace is…this heavenly gift brought by Christ. Only when we understand sin and our inability to rid ourselves of it, can we appreciate grace! Faith brings us this understanding. Faith in a God who created us. Faith in a God who is holy. Faith in a God who wants the pure sons he created returned to that perfection and living in a loving, trusting relationship with Him. Faith shows us that we are not worthy to be with a holy God. Faith shows us we need a Savior, one to wash us clean, “fix” us. God’s gift to us is that Savior, the One who brings grace, the One who brings salvation and eternal life, the One who fixes our relationship with our Father, the One who conquers sin and death. God’s favor is upon us! Salvation is ours through Jesus Christ! Hallelujah! Holy, holy, holy is our God and our Savior! Amen.

Dec. 21....momentary troubles vs. eternal glory

2 Cor. :17 “The present burden of our trial is light enough, and earns for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” (NAB) “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” *NIV) “these little troubles (which are really so transitory) are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain.” (Phillips) “These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us.” (MSG) “These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father, Little vs. eternal….troubles vs. glory. We have to keep things in perspective. No matter what happens here on earth, it is “small potatoes” compared to the coming reward…eternal life….”Glory beyond all comparison”…”permanent, glorious solid reward out of all proportion to our pain”….”lavish celebration”…”eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing.” It makes me think of childbirth. Women bear children among stress and labor that seems very daunting at the time. Not only do we spend 9 months in discomfort and plagued with numerous unpleasant symptoms, but the final moments of natural childbirth are very painful and seem to last forever! But then the child is there, the reward for the suffering is in view, the tiny creature we gave birth to immediately begins to make the pain recede to a distant memory. We remember that it hurt…a lot…but the actual pain is eclipsed by the miracle we hold and treasure and nurture. Out of pain, came life! The pain was “small potatoes” compared to the “lavish celebration” that is now beginning as a result. Our birth as sons and daughters of God may begin in pain…both for Christ who died for us and for ourselves as we too die to our old selves…but the eternal glory outshines and surpasses the pain in our new resurrected life. At Christmas when we see the baby in the manger, we don’t think about the pain Mary may have felt giving birth, we only see the glory of the Son of God born for all of us! Any pain we bear for Christ, any suffering we encounter as your children in this world, any trouble we endure in furthering your kingdom, in bearing more “children” into the family, will fade in the glory of eternal life with you! Thank you! amen.

Dec. 20.....swallowed up in victory

1 Cor. 15:54-55 “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Heavenly Father,

“Swallowed up in victory”….engulfed, over-taken, overcome! Our Lord reigns! The battle belongs to the LORD! We can cry out the battle cry of freedom and victory because of Jesus Christ. Death lost. Death has no “sting”. The next verse says that the sting of death is sin and that sin gains its power from the law. That seems a bit strange because you gave us the law! Why would you give “power” to sin? The law showed us our sin. The law made us aware of how far we had moved from your holy presence. The law made us aware of our failure to live the life of a son of the kingdom of heaven. We learn guilt. We learn shame. We learn fear. We lower our opinion of ourselves and recognize the evil that is possible within us. That sounds harsh to most of us…but in truth, we are all by nature capable of great evil with little moral conscious once we head that direction. The law showed us that we are in a battle….a battle within ourselves to do good, to be the person we want to be, the person without guilt or shame. Sin was winning the battle. Man knows it in his heart, if he looks deeply. This awareness of our sin through the law is what makes us aware that we need a “champion”, a Savior, a strong Tower, a Defender. Jesus Christ came to be that for us. The tiny baby we like to smile at in the manger, is in reality a powerful Savior who will win the battle for us against sin and death! He literally swallows up death and drags it into the grave and bursts forth from the tomb a resurrected victor, a resurrected Son of God, a resurrected King of Kings, Lord or Lords….unvanquished, undefeated, undefiled! Holy, holy, holy is the Lamb! Worthy to be slain and to rule forever more! A Savior is born, who is Christ the Lord! Hallelujah! Amen.

Dec. 19.......in Christ all will come to life again

1 Corinthians 15:22 “Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will come to life again.” (NAB) “As members of a sinful race all men die, as members of Christ all men shall be raised to life.” (Phillips) “Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ.” (MSG)

Heavenly Father,

Jesus Christ put an end to death. He arose and we also will arise! Death is not final. Death is a “blink of the eye” before we rise in new resurrected life. What will that life be? The promise here is that Christ made new life possible for all of us…eternal life. What our eternal life consists of is our choice….knowing God, our Father and living in his presence, or being separated rorm God forever. I really hate thoughts of hell. I don’t understand hell or its place in your plan! I don’t want anyone to go to hell….especially people I love… or even people I barely know! You tell us to “love others as we love ourselves.” I don’t want to go to hell, and in loving others I don’t want them to go to hell either! I have so much trouble connecting the Father who loved me enough to send his Son to die for me, with a Father who allows the existence of hell. It seems like those who go to hell are not “raised” to life. Hell is a death sentence. Hell is life on death row…no freedom in sight. Jesus Christ changed that for all who choose him and his resurrection. I know that the words “in Christ” are the important part. We have to choose! I still don’t like it. If my heart breaks at the thought of anyone going to hell…eternal separation and agony…how can my Father’s much larger heart, much deeper love, much holier love allow it? I struggle more with this point of faith than any other! Do you stop loving those who turn their backs on You? Doesn’t scripture say that while we were still sinners, you loved us and acted by sending Jesus Christ? What if some people’s walls are harder to break down? What if their hearts are harder to soften? What if their eyes don’t see and their ears don’t hear? Do you stop loving them? Does the Good Shepherd stop trying to bring them home? Does eternal perfect love stop loving? Help me understand this! I know you are all wise and your will is best and I thank you for loving me.

Dec. 18....slavery vs. freedom

Romans 6:22 “Now that you are freed from sin and have become slaves of God, your benefit is sanctification as you tend toward eternal life.” (NAB) “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness and the result is eternal life.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Again…slavery. The mind resists the word, because we don’t understand it. It battles with our concept of free will. Who would willingly become a slave? We have been conditioned by the civil rights teachings and our country’s shameful past history to view slavery with a great hatred…as we should. All people should be free! We focus on the worst view of slavery. A few slaves actually loved their masters and vise versa and there was caring devotion on both sides. These slaves were treated humanely and as members of the family. The view of slavery is greatly effected by the character of the Master of the slaves. You show us nothing but love. Our “slavery” is really one of choice and love. You don’t shanghai us and drag us unwillingly into your service. We come willingly, which makes “servant” a better translation than slave! We choose to serve a master who has all to offer that we might ever want! Sin is slavery because it is part of our nature….we can try not to sin, but always fail! Sin is in control rather than us. Being set free from sin is not a small thing! Trading the slavery of “no choice”, for the slavery of a loving Master who is also Father, is an easy choice. We see a Master who is worthy of our devotion. We see a Master who we want to serve. Sin is the opposite of holiness. When we leave the slavery of sin, we move into the freedom of holiness. We regain our right relationship with our loving Father. We quit trying to live life focused on just ourselves and our pleasure and we become partners in something bigger, something better…holiness, righteousness, the fruit of the Spirit, eternal life which is knowing God, our Father! We finally know who our God is and we want to be part of his family. We choose life over death, holiness over sin, righteousness over free will. Jesus Christ makes this possible. He gave us this eternal life as a gift. He bought and paid for it with his love and his life. Thank you! amen.

Dec. 17....the gift of God is eternal life in Christ

Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ our Lord.” (NAB) “Sin pays its servants: the wage is death. But God gives to those who serve him: his free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

We don’t like the word “slave” because it speaks of an unwillingness, of being owned. But we are slaves…either to our evil nature and the sin that leads us and the final death we die, or to You, our Father, who wants only to love us and to give us eternal life as sons rather than slaves. After receiving the free gift….eternal life in Jesus Christ, we trade our slavery for life as a son. Only Jesus, the First Born Son, makes this possible. Unless we trust our salvation to him and accept his death for our redemption, we don’t have the changed nature of a Son. Jesus in us, with us, before us…. Like a cloak of righteousness surrounding us…gives us the freedom we desire. Slavery has a connotation of no free will, no say in what happens, forced obedience. This is what sin does to us. We think we are making free choices that will make us happy, but instead like the prodigal son, we find ourselves in a far country, penniless, hungry, unhappy. We really have to reach that awareness of hunger before we can remember our Father who only wanted to love us, only wanted to treat us well, only wanted a son. Our first real choice is to turn from the slavery of sin…that pays wages of death…and head back home willing to serve our Father and to seek reconciliation from him. We go expecting a lower place…servant to a loving Father…but instead find ourselves wrapped in loving arms, welcomed as a Son, given a party of homecoming! The Father gives us the free gift…eternal life through our brother Jesus Christ…and all talk of slavery is gone! We serve this loving Father out of reciprocal love, thankfulness, gratitude. It isn’t forced or demanded…it flows freely from us. We can’t do enough to remain in your blessed presence forever! We really can’t…Christ had to do it for us. “God gives to those who serve him.” Service becomes freedom, crazy as that sounds! Thank you, O LORD, for your grace! Thank you for Jesus Christ! Amen.

Dec. 16.....united with him

Romans 6:5 “If we have been united with him through likeness to his death, so shall we be through a like resurrection.” (NAB)

“If we have, as it were, shared his death, we shall also share in his resurrection.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

“Likeness, shared, united”….the translations all link us together with Jesus Christ in death and in new life. How do we die with Christ? Jesus died in all willingness to take our sins, take our punishment, take our death. If he died for us, how do we die with him? We have to relinquish the sins that link us with our certain death. We have to give them up…let Jesus Christ take them into his death. We must die to sin. This whole passage deals with dying to sin and allowing grace to set us free. My Bible titles this section: “Dead to sin, alive in Christ.” That is a summary…the gist, the heart of the matter. We died to sin and its mastery over us. We died to the old life and its recognition of sin through the law. The law didn’t save us…it only showed us our failure. We were brought into recognition of our sin and the need for a Savior, a permanent solution, a redeemer. Jesus Christ came to save us. Jesus Christ died our death due to sin. Jesus Christ took our place, so we are united with him and “share” in his death. Jesus Christ arose! Jesus Christ was resurrected to new glorified life with the Father in heaven…we share in that resurrections, also! Alive in Christ! As long as we hold onto Christ we get the whole ride…down into death, up into life! At Easter when we sing…”Up from the grave he arose!”…we are singing about our own grave, our own resurrection as well! Up from the grave! Alive in Christ! “We shall also share in his resurrection!” Beautiful words! Promise! Hope! We let the old life die. We let our sin be crucified. We recognized our guilt and let our hearts empty and die when Christ died. New life has begun! Resurrected life came out of the tomb of darkness with the glorious Savior, Jesus Christ! United in eternal life. Thank you! amen.

Dec. 15....grace increased all the more

Romans 5:20-21 “Despite the increase of sin, grace has far surpassed it, so that as sin reigned through death, grace may reign by way of justice leading to eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” (NAB) “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. (NIV)

“Though sin is shown to be wide and deep, thank God, his grace is wider and deeper still! The whole outlook changes. Sin used to be master of man and in the end handed him over to death; now grace is the reigning factor, with its purpose making men right with God and its end the bringing of him to eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

Thank You! No matter how much sin increases, your love, your grace increases more to meet the need! There are some beautiful phrases here in two of the translations. I think I like the Phillips translation best…”Now grace is the ruling factor” (not sin and death)…”with its purpose making men right with God and its end the bringing of them to eternal life through Jesus Christ!” Your grace has a purpose and an end result…a righteous relationship with You and eternal life to enjoy it. Grace…the answer to sin and death! Grace…the answer to all our prayers, all our needs, all our questions. Grace that reconciles, saves, conquers, reigns. Grace that increases as it is needed. Grace that is “wider and deeper still”! I love the word grace! I love even more what it represents. Grace is another word for Godly love. Grace is another word for Jesus Christ, who embodied it. Grace reigns through righteousness…a right relationship with You, our Father. A relationship built on love and mercy and forgiveness that “fixes” our sin problem. You are holy and through Jesus Christ, the holy Son, the love sacrifice, we too are made holy and righteous. Yesterday we learned that eternal life is knowing You through Jesus Christ the Son. That is the “end” we seek…eternal life in an abiding righteous relationship. We want to be “home” with our Father, restored and forgiven . We want to live forever in your presence without the sin and death we brought upon ourselves through our ignorance and arrogance. Grace makes that possible. Jesus Christ makes that possible. Thank you! Keep me forever in your grace! Amen.

Dec. 14....eternal life is this

John 17:3 “Eternal life is this; to know you, the only true God and him whom you have sent, Jesus Christ.” (NAB) “This is eternal life: that they may know you , the only true God, and Jesus Christ whim you have sent.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

“This is eternal life…to know you and Jesus Christ.” Eternal life equals knowledge of our God and a relationship with You through Jesus Christ whom You sent to bring us into that relationship. Man generally thinks that knowledge is the answer to everything. We are a thinking, curious, knowledge-seeking creature. You built that desire for knowledge into us, so that we would seek to know the One who made us. It is like a homing device planted in our brains and hearts that makes us seek to know. Seeking is the beginning of finding and knowing. Our curiosity leads us on a journey to know, to understand. We get side-tracked with seeking physical evidence and forget to seek spiritual evidence and knowledge. We believe what we see easily. We believe what is unseen with more difficulty. You made it easy for us to know You, and to see your love by sending Jesus Christ in human form so we could apply our human knowledge to someone we could see and listen to. You “spoke” the Word, Jesus Christ, so we could find You and find eternal life. Jesus came to show us our Father, to speak your words, to act out your love, to bring us back into relationship with the “One True God” who created us. When we seek and know You, we find eternal life. You are eternal. We must also be eternal, and can be through Jesus Christ. Eternal life….knowledge of You….is your gift to us. The God who created us, loves us enough to grant us this eternal knowledge if we want it. Jesus came to earth to bring it to all of us. We are to abide in this knowledge of our God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As You and Jesus are One, You mean for us to also be One with You and each other in an abiding eternal life. May I know this eternal life found in You, my Father and Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen

Dec. 13.....resurrection and life

John 11:25-26 “I am the Resurrection and the Life: whoever believes in me though he should die, will come to life, and whoever is alive and believes in me will never die.” (NAB)

“I myself am the Resurrection and the Life: the man who believes in me will live even though he die and anyone who is alive and believes in me will never die at all.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

Jesus is Resurrection and Life. Jesus answered the age old question: Is there life after death? Yes!…through him there is both resurrection and life. Resurrection is dying and coming back to life as Jesus did on Easter morning. Resurrection is new life brought out of death of an old life. Jesus promises that if we die believing in him we will be resurrected in new life. The dying part is necessary for resurrection. Jesus speaks these words at Lazarus’ tomb right before he resurrects him. He gives us an “acted parable” showing his power and authority to resurrect new life from one who has died. If he can raise Lazarus, if he can raise up himself, he can also give us this resurrected life. Once again…seeing is believing. His second statement: “anyone who is alive and believes in me will never die”…sounds confusing to us. We all die in the body eventually. But if we believe in Jesus and his resurrection power, than we are already resurrected into the new life. We can live a resurrected…born again…life now during our earthly life before we pass through that flickering moment we call death and continue our life in heaven. He is Resurrection both now and in the future. He is Life both now and in the future. It doesn’t matter which side of the grave we are on…belief in Jesus Christ gives us Resurrection and Life! Today is my sister’s birthday…I celebrate her birth. Soon we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ as a baby here on earth. Birthday’s are a reason for celebration and Jesus’ assurance that he is Resurrection and Life gives new hope to every birthday celebration. Christians are born again in Jesus Christ and we celebrate our birthday every day knowing that he has given us new life, resurrected from the death of the old. Happy Birthday to all who live in Jesus Christ! Amen.

Dec. 12....my sheep hear my voice

John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” (NAB) “My sheep recognize my voice and I know who they are. They follow me and I give them eternal life. They will never die and no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father, “My sheep”…what a comforting title. I want to belong to You! I want to be in your “sheep pen” and be known by you. I want my name to be on your lips when you count and care for your sheep. Your sheep don’t just hear your voice they recognize it. They hear their name being called by the One who loves and cares for them and they run to follow. Once we’ve heard your voice and experienced your love, we don’t want to be very far from you! The crowds followed Jesus everywhere because they heard something they recognized …a voice speaking to their hearts that was full of love, that sounded “right”, that pulled them towards the light, to safety, to home. Jesus knows us. We can’t hide anything from him, but that frees us to release all the burdens we carry, all the guilt we try to hide, all the bad memories of failures and mistakes. If he already knows them, there is no reason to hide them. If he is willing to forgive them, there is no reason to hang on to them. His knowledge of us, leads us to follow him. We want to know more about this Shepherd who loves us so much. He has promises of new life, eternal life! He doesn’t chase us away as unworthy or let anyone snatch us from his presence. Once we are his, it’s permanent. You gave us free will so that we should not be puppets and would have to choose to love you and want a relationship with you. Being a sheep is a choice. Knowing that “free will” doesn’t guarantee happiness unless we make the right choices with it, is a freeing, peaceful decision. Giving our will back to you, is our gift in response to your promise of loving care, eternal life, home in your presence. Being part of a family…sons of God….holds responsibility. A family has a head, a parent…You, O LORD, our Father. We can’t take over that role. We are sons, or sheep…but that is part of a chosen loving relationship, not a forced role. We are where we want to be in your loving presence! Thank you, amen.

Dec. 11....full and abundant life

John 10:10 “I came that they might have life and have it to the full.” (NAB) “….have it more abundantly” (KJV) “I have come to bring them life in its fullness.” (Phillips) “I came so they can have real and eternal life more and better life, than they ever dreamed of.” (MSG)

Heavenly Father,

Why did Jesus come?….”that they might have life”. What kind of life?….”full”….”abundant”…”more and better life then they ever dreamed of”. Jesus wants us to understand that he brings us a new and different life. Not the same old life we already live…a changed life, a life following a new birth, starting over, a full life. What does that mean? Our present life is marked by sin, failure, limits, disappointments, disillusionments, dissatisfaction. We are held down by our own sinful nature, our own “free will” that chooses the wrong things. We don’t like the image of sheep. We are used to being the ones in charge, and not just meekly following along with no brains, no choice of our own. We need to look at the peaceful aspects of a sheep’s life. A sheep has someone powerful looking out for him. Someone who provides “green pastures …still waters… a comforting rod and staff… anointing… lack of fear of evil… goodness and mercy forever.” A sheep is kept by a shepherd and given all the perks of life in the sheepfold. The sheep is recognized for who he is and called by name…this shows relationship and love and acceptance, not “mass cloning”. The shepherd is a guide, a voice to follow in the darkness, a safe haven , and a door protecting the sheepfold. The Shepherd is willing to die for the sheep! The sheep weren’t forced to follow the shepherd, they have built a relationship of trust with him and willingly follow and stay close to him. A full life through Jesus, is a life of provision, protection and an abiding presence! This is peace. This is abundance. This is “more and better life than we ever dreamed”. We dream too little, expect too little, and thus live too little. Jesus makes a full life possible without the restraints of sin and death and evil holding us back. Jesus sets us free to choose to follow him and live abundantly. Thank you! I want to be your sheep! Amen.

Dec. 10....seeing Jesus

John 6:40 “Indeed, this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day.” (NAB)

“This is the will of the One who sent me, that everyone who sees the son and trusts him should have eternal live, and I will raise him up when the last day comes.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

Seeing is believing. Anyone who can truly “see” Jesus Christ will believe in him! When we look upon him, honestly seeking answers, with an open mind and a child-like heart, we will see him. Jesus didn’t come to remain hidden or mysterious. He came to live his life in the open for all to see. He came to unlock the mysteries of the Kingdom, to open the doors of heaven, to show us ”the Father” who loves us, and to take us home. The first people the angels told of the Christ Child’s birth, were simple shepherds, going about their daily job, totally not expecting to be shown your glory or to hear angels sing. But once the angels spoke, they acted on the news they heard….they went to Bethlehem to see for themselves….seeing is believing. It is human nature to want to see something to believe it…so you provided something they could see…a baby that fulfilled prophesies made to their forefather’s long before. Seeing the baby lying there, remembering the stories of their faith and history allowed them to begin to see Jesus as the Messiah, even though he was just a baby in a manger. It took the angel’s message to send them on their way to Bethlehem to see. We must find ways to send others to Bethlehem to see. Until everyone looks at Jesus and begins to see who he is and trust in him, salvation isn’t won for them yet. We have to keep telling the good news. We have to keep showing and living our own faith, so others will believe. We have to lead them to see him. I don’t know how! I struggle with this because it is so important. I want everyone to see and believe! “This is my Father’s will.” Everyone must see Jesus! Everyone must hear the message and come in response. He will raise us up…all of us…if we come! Thank you! Teach me to lead others to see. Amen.

Dec. 9.....Come!

John 6:37 “All that the Father gives me shall come to me, no one who comes will I ever reject.” (NAB) “…whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (NIV) “Everything that my Father gives me will come to me and I will never refuse anyone who comes to me.” (Phillips) “Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me and once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go.” (MSG) “Everything and everyone will come …I won’t turn any of them away.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father, Jesus says, “All”…..everything and every person that You have given to him..... will come to him. Who are “all”? This is a burning question for me. You gave Jesus all people to save. Jesus died for all the sins of every person…but we have to acknowledge that fact and come to him. This verse gives me hope for the as yet unsaved. At some point in time “all” will come. I don’t know when their moment will be. I don’t know when they shall acknowledge You and be drawn to your saving grace. I want to know! I want assurance that everyone I love will be saved. I have to trust your love. I have to trust your Son, Jesus Christ. I have to trust your plan for “all”. You gave all of us to him. He died loving each of us. He arose saving all of us. Jesus is very definite in this verse that he will “never reject”….”never drive away”…”never refuse anyone”….never turn them away”….”never let go”. Those words are so full of hope! Those words are so full of love. But the condition of “come to me (Jesus)” still exists. He is holding on, accepting, saving, redeeming, wanting all of us. Come into his presence. Come and see and listen. Come and seek. Come and acknowledge. Come and repent. Come and be reborn, renewed, re-awakened, redeemed…and rejoice! A Savior is born to you! He is Christ, the Lord! Come…kneel and worship. Come…rest and find peace. Come…be washed and forgiven. Come…he will not reject, but hold on to all who seek him. “Come, now is the time to worship, Come, now is the time to give your heart.” Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming. Hold tight to all of us! Amen.

Dec. 8.....listen and have faith

John 5:24 “I solemnly assure you, the man who hears my word and has faith in him who sent me possesses eternal life. He does not come under condemnation, but has passed from death to life.”

Heavenly Father,

We are told 2 conditions for eternal life…1.) to hear Jesus’ word, and 2.) have faith in him who sent Jesus. Listen and have faith. This entire passage focuses on assuring as that what Jesus says is what his Father says, what Jesus does is what his Father does. You, O Father, and Jesus are One. You sent him that we might more easily see and understand. Instead we seem more confused! Like the Pharisees we have trouble looking at a human form and seeing God! We are so accustomed to You being high above us, unseen, mysterious, too glorious to behold, too great to be known, that when you offer us a chance to see as much of your glory as we can stand, clothed in human flesh, made man, we are too blind to see! If we listen to Jesus his words are full of the Light and Truth of the Kingdom of God. If we listen we hear love, peace, hope, faith, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, and life. When we look at Jesus we see his miracles of healing love, his compassion for all people, and most of all his acted out love on the cross in sacrifice for us! We see an empty tomb that signifies our own resurrection through his love! We see your omnipotent power, your omnipresent Spirit, your omniscient wisdom in every thought, word and action of Jesus. We see You! We see love walking the earth with us. Like the Pharisees we have to listen and we have to have faith in You, the Father, who chose this plan, who sent this Son, who provided this sacrifice. The answer is lying in the stable on Christmas morn, is living in our hearts all year long, is risen from the tomb on Easter day, is reigning in heaven and abiding in our hearts if we let him. We pass from death to life in him! Thank you, amen.

Dec. 7.....the Father loves the Son

John 3:35036 “The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.” (NAB) “….has placed everything in his hands” (NIV) “….has put everything under his control.” (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

You make it clear that we must believe in Jesus to have eternal life. You have put him in charge….”placed everything in his hands”….”put everything under his control”. We can’t go around him. We can’t go over him. We can only go through him. You gave us the greatest gift anyone can give….your Son, your love wrapped up in the person of Jesus Christ and his mission of love and mercy. To refuse that great gift , to throw it back at You unwrapped, to ignore it, is unforgivable. We either take Jesus or we get left behind. Most people can hardly wait to get anything that is “free”. They would stand in line for hours to get some free earthly “treasure”. You offer us the treasure of the kingdom of God, the "pearl of great price", salvation, redemption, eternal life! We don’t even have to stand in line! All we have to do is say, “I’m a sinner. I’ve sinned against the God who created me. I can’t save myself. I believe that Jesus Christ can and did die to save me. He shed his blood as a sacrifice for my sin. I want that gift of grace! I want to be free of sin and belong to the kingdom of God where I belong. I want to change with the help of the Holy Spirit!” The gift is ours to take. I give thanks and praise to the God who created me! I give glory and honor to the Son who saves me! I give praise and thanks to the Holy Spirit who continues to live within me and guide me! Christmas is a good time to reflect on this verse: “The Father loves the Son”. The Son born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, but who always existed in heaven at the Father’s side. The Son who came down. The Son made man. The Son who is my Savior, Jesus Christ! Amen.

Dec. 6....God, so loved the world

John 3:16 “Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not die but have eternal life.”

Heavenly Father,

We have the solution. We have the answer to sin and death. We have the promise of redemption and eternal life. Now how do we convince people to believe in it, believe in Him, in Jesus Christ? Jesus is the answer. We need only be condemned if we choose it. Why doesn’t that make sense to everyone??? Why is it so easy for some to believe, and so hard for others? Why is it so hard to convince people? Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he needed to be born again, born anew, born of the Spirit. To see the Truth of the kingdom of God we must be “Spirit born”. How do we help unbelievers become spirit born? Is it our job or the Holy Spirit’s job? How do we bring them into contact with the Holy Sprit who knows the Truth of the kingdom? I feel we are back at the beatitudes…it begins with being poor in spirit and hungering and thirsting and being meek. Until we “break down” our human spirit and realize it is not the answer, not enough, we can’t allow the Holy Spirit into our hearts to lead us to Jesus. The only way up is down…Beth Moore said that in our Daniel study. She’s right. Without the realization of sin and the need to do something about it we can’t get there! You gave your Son to “the world”. The “world” is all the potential believers, all the sinners, all the unredeemed. You love them and still want them to come home. Once we come we are no longer “of the world”. John 3:16 is for the lost, the ones still held tight by the world. Until the world believes they can’t grasp eternal life. The Son came to lead them. The Son came with your blessing, to die for them. Holy Spirit open their eyes! Open their ears! Let them hear the Good News of John 3:16! Now, this Christmas…please. Amen

Dec. 5....out of my sight

Matthew 25:41 “Out of my sight you condemned, into that everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (NAB) Heavenly Father,

“Out of my sight…everlasting fire”. It sends chills down our spines to think about it and we try as often as possible to block the idea of hell and deny its existence. I always have trouble squaring the idea of hell with a God who loved me enough to send his Son to die for me! If I loved someone that much, I could never send someone to hell…I would keep giving them chance after chance to change and “come”. I would knock them over the head if necessary! When men are placed in prison we try to redeem them, restore them, turn them from crime to a new life. Hell is a prison of no escape. Hell is capital punishment…final. Hell is eternal damnation…”out of your sight”. If you could change Simon to Peter and Saul to Paul and Jacob to Israel, why can’t you change those I love and tear down their walls of disbelief and apathy? I always find hope in John 12:32…”But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” Draw my children to you! Draw all those I love and worry about! Don’t leave them “out of your sight”! Draw them into the sheepfold! Give them a Damascus moment of revelation, a vision of You, a dream of hope, a recognition of who they sin against. Blind them with your glory that they might see! Open their eyes, open their ears, open their minds, open their hearts. Give me more trust, deeper faith in your plan. I pray for all the “prodigal” children who are squandering their Father’s riches in a far country, not yet aware of their Father’s love for them. I pray this day that many will turn and begin the trip home to be your servant not knowing yet that You never stopped loving them and wanting them as sons and daughters. Run to meet them…let them feel your love. Jesus save my children. Father God wait for them with love and your presence. Holy Spirit move and speak where I can’t. Thank you. amen.

Dec. 4....sheep and goats?

Matthew 25:34 “Come, you have my Father’s blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.” (NAB) Heavenly Father,

The sheep and the goats, the final judgment. I find confusion in this parable. Who are the sheep? Who are the goats? Don’t most of us fall in both categories? Sometimes we do right, sometimes we fail to do right? The verse for today is Christ’s speech to the sheep, the ones who have done right. They gave the hungry food and drink, they clothed the naked, invited the stranger in, tended the sick, visited the imprisoned. I always find the sheep’s response interesting….”when did we see you and do these things”? They have humility…a lack of realization of having served Christ in this way. They don’t even know they did right! Most of us are very aware of our “good deeds”. We do them consciously and even methodically….like recycling, it becomes a habit. Are we blessed for doing them, or does our awareness rob them of the blessing? And then there are all of our “goat” moments…when we failed to love Christ with our service. (sigh) So who receives this blessing? Who goes in which fold…sheep or goat? There is great reward here to be had…”Come, you have my Father’s blessing!” Your kingdom has been prepared for us “from the creation of the world!” It’s waiting. We are invited by Christ to come. Jesus is “my Father’s blessing”. We have him to make us righteous where we are not. Our failure, our weakness makes him stronger. His will can override ours and turn us into righteous sheep…his sheep. We can “come” for the Father’s blessing and inherit the kingdom if we are in the Good Shepherd’s sheepfold. Only through him. Thank you, Lord for your Son, our Lord and Savior and Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Amen

Dec. 3.....born to you

Isaiah 38:20 “The Lord is our Savior, we shall sing to stringed instruments. In the house of the Lord, all the days of our lives.” (NAB)

Luke 2:10 “this day in David’s city a Savior has been born to you.”

Heavenly Father,

“The Lord is our Savior”…Jesus’ name means “the Lord saves”. Because of Jesus, because “the Lord is our Savior”, we shall sing forever in the house of the Lord. The angels are always singing praise and we will join them in joyous song! “All the days of our lives”…forever! Our days are no longer numbered, thanks to our Savior. Our days, our lives, are eternal. We move from his life to the next with barely a second’s pause. This is the season to focus on this joyous message. The angel repeats it in Bethlehem when Jesus is born. The shepherds are told that “this day in David’s city a Savior is born to you.” The time has come, the prophesies are fulfilled. When we receive presents they have a tag which reads, ”from:….to:….”. The angel filled in the “to” blank. This gift is “to” us! This gift is “to” the entire world who wish to receive it. No one is left out. No one forgotten. Jesus and his saving grace is “to you”. Directed towards us, provided for us, given “this day”…now and always. Once we take the gift and open it, Jesus is our Savior and the songs begin. “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!” The “from” line on this gift was filled in also…John 3:16…”For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…”. From God, with love. From God, to us. Merry Christmas! Jesus’ gift is his blood shed for us; his life freely given to save us. The Lord is our Savior! Hallelujah. Amen.

Dec. 2....in your love

Isaiah 38:17 “You have preserved my life from the pit of destruction when you cast behind your back all my sins.” (NAB)

Vs. 16-17 “You have restored me to health and let me live….. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction: you have put all my sins behind your back.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

King Hezekiah is praising you for sparing his life and restoring his health. Sometimes we think the end is near and our troubles are too great and it is our time to die…even though we cling to hope and pray to You. Hezekiah has come to see that his troubles have led him closer to you. He had to feel the pit of destruction looming close, to feel helpless and to feel finished in order to see your restoration, your saving hand. Applying this to our journey in December toward the birth of Christ, makes me think again of the Israelites….waiting, watching, hoping for the Messiah, for a message, for salvation. Like Hezekiah, when the recognition comes that we have been saved, restored, allowed to live, we praise You! Verse 17 starts: “In your love”…all is done in your love. All hope comes in your love. All salvation comes in your love. Grace is the expression of your love. Jesus Christ is your love “spoken” as the Word for the restoration of all mankind. He came to “restore our health”. He came to “cast behind your back all my sins”. I love that image! Like cleaning house…gather all the trash, throw it out of sight, put it behind us where it is gone and forgotten. We don’t look at what is behind us. We look forward. Our sins are in the past,….forgiven by your love. We are preserved, restored, saved, given new life. We need to live like this is a fact. Stop going out to the trash and looking through it! If you aren’t looking at it, why are we??? You cast it away…we need to leave it there. Verse 19 says: “The living, the living…they praise You!” Hallelujah! Praise the LORD! Worthy is the Lamb! We live in You, forever more! Amen

December 1.....longing

DECEMBER THEME: FROM LIFE TO LIFE Dec. 1, 2007 Psalm 42:2 “Athirst is my soul for God the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?” (NAB) “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

I find it fitting to begin December with a psalm of longing, searching, even a bit of discouragement. Isn’t that where Israel was that “first December”? They hadn’t heard from your prophets for 400 years. They had promises and prophesies to cling to and a hope that soon….very soon….the Messiah might come and save them. But it had been a long time and hope sometimes languished. Why didn’t he come? Where was their God, the Living God, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?! Yahweh who created them! Jehovah who chose them! I AM who led them out of captivity! Their souls were thirsty. Their longing was “like a deer pants for water”. Their very life needed this water to live. The scene is set for the arrival of the Christ Child! Simeon who will later see the baby Jesus in the temple, said: “Let now thy servant depart in peace, for I have seen thy salvation! A light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel!” This is the answer to the verse we read today. The psalmist longs to end life and go to see his maker, to go ”home” at last, to the presence of the Living God! Simeon longed for that, too, but had been promised that he would live to see the Christ. What joy he must have felt when Mary and Joseph walked into the temple that day! Now I can go home in peace! He saw the salvation, come down from his God, the Living God, the one he longed for! Hallelujah! God with us! Immanuel! Time to go home! Thank You! amen