Feliz Nochebuena (Happy Christmas Eve)!

Hey, Y'all,

Well, once again it's Christmas Eve ("Nochebuena" for those of you who speak the language of heaven :-) --- and yeah, I must be getting old, 'cause I'm starting to sound like the "old folk" who say it seems like just a couple of months ago it was last Christmas :-) . Today's RST is at once simple and profound--I was reminded of this again in church yesterday. It's found in Matthew 1:21-23:

...And she will have a son,
and you are to name Him Jesus,
for He will save His people from their sins.

All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message
through his prophet (Isaiah):

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call Him 'Immanuel,'
which means ‘God with us.’”

Just a couple of quick thoughts...first, how cool is it that the angel, at the Father's behest, delivers this message to Joseph, that the baby's name was to be Jesus because He will save His people from their sins. That's us--not some annoyance that He feels obligated to deal with because He's God and He said He would: He has always loved us fiercely and wanted nothing but our best, and He has always called us "His people"--a seamless thought running throughout history (check out Zechariah 2:7-9: "He has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye..." and Psalm 100: "It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture."

And the second thought is really just a continuation of the first: "they will call Him Immanuel...God with us." How mind-boggling is that?!? God with us. Not far off somewhere grousing about what a pain this planet and these people have been and how He has to come set things right. Nope. Immanuel: God with us. Always. So Feliz Nochebuena...a very "good night" it was indeed, for all of us.

You've been prayed for today...

How Silently The Wondrous Gift Was Given

Hey, Y'all,

Hope the Christmas craziness hasn't overwhelmed you completely--I've seen some of that this week and it's not pretty! Here's a little antidote (not sure but I think it's also based on a recent PurposeDrivenLife.com post)...

A couple of millennia ago, in the little town of Bethlehem, the most important birth in all of human history took place. It was a sparsely attended affair--some bleating farm animals and a handful of shepherds who wouldn't have known to be there had not the sky lit up with a multitude of heavenly hosts only minutes before, praising God and inviting the shepherds to the stable (what an invitation, huh?!?). But with the exception of that outburst, however, no one else knew. Oh yes, there were some astrologers from the East who figured out what was going on by studying the stars and some ancient manuscripts, but they didn't make it to town until at least a year or two later when the baby Jesus was a child.

Have you ever wondered--why such an uneventful welcome for such an auspicious event?

It's God's way. He's always been quiet about His work on earth. Like the carol says, "How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift was given; So God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of His heaven." He's even pretty quiet about the way He works in our lives. Interesting, huh? Silently, He came into the world; silently, He comes into our hearts. No fanfare. No marching bands. God has never been into self-promotion. He simply lets His work speak for itself.

And that, by he way, would be you and me. Believers are the result of Christ's coming. It is all about "good news and glad tidings for all people." A Savior has been born and He has been born for us. Or as the angel announced it: "The Savior -- yes, the Messiah, the Lord -- has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!" (Luke 2:11)

There was no room for the Son of God when He came the first time, but let's keep an eye out for Him this Christmas--and remember, He's not likely to be loud and clamoring for or attention--so let's make sure there's room for Him in our hearts this Christmas!

You've been prayed for today...

Wise Men

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is based on a thought by PurposeDrivenLife.com's John Fischer...

I normally don’t like bumper stickers, especially with Christian slogans, because they so often seem to trivialize the message; but one exception stands out. It usually shows up around Christmastime, and it is the simple but profound assertion:
"WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM."

It's amazing to think that those who seek God are given the benefit of the doubt, that if they seek Him, they will find Him. This is more than just wishful thinking, it's actually a promise in Scripture: “He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6), and Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." How cool is that? So here again, if you're feeling a little brave today, pray this prayer with me: 'Father, teach me, help me learn what this 'seeking you' is all about--especially the part about "earnestly" and "with all my heart." I need you in my life--in fact, I need you in charge of my life. Amen.'

You've been prayed for today...

3rd Step Prayer

Hey, Y'all,

Passing on a prayer sent to me by a friend--and yes, as some of you have probably surmised, it's found in the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous)--a very cool thought...


3rd Step Prayer

God, I offer myself to thee,
to build with me and do with me as thou wilt.

Relieve me of the bondage of self,
that I may better do thy will.

Take away my difficulties,
that victory over them may bear witness
to those I would help
of thy power, thy love, and thy way of life.

May I do thy will always.

Amen, and amen.


You've been prayed for today...

Reply to "Odd Spiritual Equation"

Hey, Y'all,

Just heard from a good friend who's been away for a while--serving aboard a Navy ship (welcome back!) and his reply to the last one is today's RST...

"Interesting. Too often I find myself comfortable, as I am right now. I find myself depending on my own strength, maybe because it's just too difficult to trust in His (right now). Lately I've been feeling like following Him is too difficult in my current situation, and I've conformed to the elements around me. It hasn't made me a different person altogether, but it's rehashed some of my old habits. For example, I went about 6 months without cussing. That was, to me, my biggest challenge at the time. I realize now that it was only part of the entirety of my sin, a part of sin that I could teach myself to control while turning a blind eye to all the other sin I committed. I see now that sin is a structural part of being human, and while Jesus died so that we may be saved, we are still sinners. Our strength, I believe, is in finding forgiveness in relationship with Him and knowing that 'while we were yet sinners...Christ died for us.' I still struggle, I condemn myself for the sins that I commit even knowing that I once had control. I look to Christ for forgiveness, and every day I find it. How does He keep you on your toes?"

Thanks, brother...a lot of what we read last RST (and this one) hits home...

Comfort equals confusion. Calamity equals clarity.

Being comfortable can cloud the picture of what God is doing. A comfortable place often makes me lazy spiritually. I find myself praying less, seeking God less, and often finding it hard to recognize the voice of God in my life.

In this culture of relative affluence, we keep trying to seek more comfort when that may be the worst thing for us...Our "joy" over temporal things competes with our true joy in Christ.

Not that I wish calamity on you or me, but I think we need to learn to welcome it as an opportunity to grow (read James 1:2-4 and Romans 8:28 again). So, if you're feeling a little brave today (again), pray this little prayer with me (again):

"Lord, if we find calamity upon us, make our faith strong, and if we feel too comfortable, awaken us to distrust the source of our comfort if it is anything other than you."

You've been prayed for today...