If you’ve been part of a church for any length of time, you’ve likely heard the passage where Peter declares, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” (I Peter 2:9, NKJV). When you follow the plan of salvation, you often feel distinctly different from your former self and the world around you. You should feel different because, in Christ, you are transformed. Many people attend church without experiencing such change. Unfortunately, as we witness in our…
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures,they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11). Our children were grown and Christmas seemed to have lost some of its sparkle. Not wanting to let the season drift into another obligation to fulfill, I began to think and pray about what could bring the sparkle back. With a gentle nudge from the Spirit, my thoughts started down the path of birthdays and whose birthday Christmas was all about. As one thing led to another, I found myself planning an adult birthday party for Jesus. The invitations were made and mailed to the homes of our children. I even mailed one to my husband where he works. “You are invited to attend a birthday party for Jesus at Mom and Dad’s house on Christmas morning at 10:00. There will be a breakfast buffet and birthday cake. Please bring a present from yourself, something you wish to give the Lord that you are sure He would love to have. Write what you are giving on a piece of paper, wrap it…
During this time of year, it may be easy to forget that the bigger purpose behind Bethlehem was Calvary. The purpose of Jesus’ birth was His death. The purpose of the manger was the Cross. It wasn’t as pretty as a department store tree. There were no lights or fancy bows. Its decorations were stains of blood red, a few metallic nails, and garlands of grave cloth. The tree topper was a scrawled sign that read “King of the Jews” behind a wreath of thorns. There were no pretty boxes with expensive gifts and tags overflowing below. The bad list was too long. There were too many names…too many sins. There was no good list. No good enough deeds. No, not one. Except the One on the tree. And that single man – the baby born to die, God Himself In flesh – became the gift to everyone. The most expensive gift given to every single person who ever celebrated the holiday, cheered for Frosty, sang about Rudolph, wrote a Christmas list, relished homemade cookies and cocoa, or decorated their own tree while forgetting about His in the hustle and bustle of the season… Yes, His was the greatest tree, and He was the…
Christmas is upon us. I love dressing my house with all the holiday décor and enjoy all the festivities that accompany this time of year. Along with all things “holidayish” comes the time when we get to bestow well-thought-out gifts on our favorite people. Around the dinner table, our family enjoys deep discussions such as, “If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?” Or, “If you could meet a famous person from the past or present, who would it be?” Christmas-time discussions include topics such as, “If you could gift anything you wanted to someone, what would it…
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7) In 1719, Pastor Isaac Watts, who wrote over eight hundred hymns, penned the words to the hymn “Joy to the World”, including this phrase, “Let every heart prepare Him room.” The holidays are filled with making merry in many exciting ways, but I want to make room for time with God, focusing on Him and what the holidays truly represent. We do not think favorably about the innkeepers who turned Joseph and Mary away after having traveled over ninety miles, with Mary in the last stages of her pregnancy. It seems they were cruel and unaccommodating. But in reality, they did not know they were turning away the King of Glory, the Creator of the Universe, the Savior of Mankind, our Redeemer. We, too, can unintentionally crowd out Jesus. Let’s be careful not to be distracted from the message and meaning of the holidays. How can we make room for Jesus during Christmas? What is Christmas about? “Oh, holy night, the stars are brightly shining It is the night…
OUT OF CONTROL: So, you are driving along life’s highway and decide to let God take control of your life. You move to the passenger seat and give God the wheel. This is a big step! Finally. You are ready to relinquish control. Or so you think. You sit in the passenger seat, but you are like a nervous mother giving her sixteen-year-old son driving lessons. “God, stop! Don’t you see the car coming our way?” The car is about a mile away, but you are sure God will take you into a head-on collision. A few seconds later, God drives by the oncoming car without incident. You breathe a sigh of relief. God passed that test. But look! Here comes a sharp turn! You are not sure God can navigate this one. Surely, He will steer you right into the ditch. On and on it goes. You want to let God have control. But you are unsure if He can handle such a big responsibility without wrecking your life. After all, He’s just God! TAKING THE REINS: When we attempt to control anything or anyone, we say, “God, you are not big enough to handle this. I will take…