December 2 - God in Person

I truly enjoy the comic strip Peanuts. In 1958 Charles Schulz penned one of his famous comics where Charlie Brown is writing a note to Santa Claus in order to inform Santa of all the things he wants on Christmas day but in the note there is a hint of frustration. The note ends with two frames that say,

"It would be so much easier to talk to you in person.

Do you think maybe we could have lunch some time?"

One of my favorite truths of Christmas is that God came to show His love for us in the form of a person. Jesus is God in person. God with a face on. Jesus put a face on the Father and displayed for all to see what the love of God looks like in real life. As Christians, we have the privilege of relating to Jesus as a real person. Friends, how awesome is it that we have the opportunity day in a day out to talk to God in person? We don't have a dead Savior, "No!", rather we have a risen one that desires to daily minister to us and through us! Are you making the most of this opportunity? Take some time daily to enjoy a simple conversation with Jesus.

"The virgin will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"

- which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:22

December 1

I hope that you are preparing your heart for what God will show you during this Christmas season. Often we go through the familiar motions of the season and miss what God is longing to communicate to us. When we get lost in the familiar we miss out on the fresh new mercies of the Lord that new every morning. May this Christmas season be as fresh as the morning frost in the cool early morning. The truth of the Christmas story is never old rather it is a grace that we have the privilege of enjoying each new day!

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

Thankful or Thankless

As you go about your everyday life I wonder are you mostly thankful or thankless? Be honest. Be willing to take a deep look at your normal everyday outlook on the life you live. It seems that many of us have a tendency to be thankless when in all actuality you can easily be thankless.

The Desire for More - Entitlement Syndrome
The truth of the matter is that most of us have an insatiable desire for more. We live in a day when we can get what we want and as much as we want. We feel entitled to something and that should be able to get it when we want it. We want our silly little wants met but God says hold on soldier. We can't seem to understand why God would not give us our every desire or why we must wait for the need to be met. The truth is we don't deserve a thing. We are blessed beyond measure and I am so very thankful for that. The Lord is good and every prefect gift comes down from above. It seems that often our requests can often be far less than what God wants to do accomplish in our lives. Are you open to the expanded version of God's will for your life. What if God did something completely different in your life than you think is possible? Are ready and willing for God to do more? We must be ready because when we have God we have more!

Just Fix It - I Can Fix It
Truth be known most of us feel that we can handle our issues without much assistance. We sense that the various issues we face are really not that big of a deal and can be handled without much of a problem. We do not like to ask for help and so we figure out a way to meet the need or at least to mask the issue in order to feel a little better about the situation. So what about you? Do you try to handle the situations you face in an attempt to sooth the pain for a period of time or do you allow the Lord to bring sustained healing to your situation. It may take longer and often dose, but with the Lord there is more. Remember: When we have the God we have more!

Be Thankful not Thankless!

Deep Still: No Formula

We all want a formula for spiritual growth, but the truth is we have no formula. The Lord longs to work in our lives daily. There is certain disciplines that lend themselves to the work of God, but you can't just use another person's pattern in hopes of having the same outcome. In my life I know that I a consistent dose of prayer(silence) and Bible study. I need to enjoy God more and live out the joy He has placed in me.

We know this much:

We are made for God.

We have the capacity to grow.

God longs to work in our lives.

God wants to know us more than we want to know Him.

Spiritual disciplines provide an avenue for spiritual growth.

Take some time each day to spend with God. You just never know what might happen.

On My Mind - Thursday

What are you praying for?
What has your prayer life revolved around lately? Have you just been going through the motions? Sometimes I find myself saying very similar things in my prayers, and although I know that I need to be persistent in my prayer life, I also know that I need to make sure that my prayers are faithfully fresh. This means that I need to be alert to the spiritual needs in me, my marriage, and even around me. There are always ways that God wants to work and I long for my prayers to the Father to be directed in this way. Just as Jesus said that he could only do what the Father is doing, this is true for each of us. Prayer helps us see and act on what the Lord is doing.

Who are you praying for?
Are there people in your life that you fail to prayer for? One thing I know, prayer makes a difference. God uses prayer to shape our lives and the lives of others. Are you aware of the needs of people around you? Bring them to the Lord and see how God works in those moments of prayer. I believe that the Lord will work and often in ways that you are not even prepared for.

What is the next spiritual step you need to take?
God leads us and directs us daily. God is always shaping our lives. We are not walking through this life alone on our own island. Are you aware that God longs to lead you in ongoing spiritual growth? It seems that many people get saved and stop at that point. God is always moving and the Lord wants us to be moving along with Him. Life with God is not to be stagnant but one of vibrant creative growth. This maybe overwhelming to you, but I believe spiritual growth must be a reality. One step at time... No one gets over a wall in one swoop. One step at a time. Are you alert to God's work in your life? Some days I am and some times I am not. I believe the pattern of my life should be attune to the Lord more and more. So how is God at work in you? It may be a character issue or the way your treat your spouse. Regardless of what the matter is, God longs to deepen your life and will do all He can to direct you to Himself.

Unified Journey

The other week I preached Unity. Psalm 133 is such a beautiful passage that really speaks to the heart of this topic. There is so much that we do separately that working together often gets overlooked. Unity does not uniformity. I can be unified around a certain vision and still not flesh it out the same. I may have a similar vision with another person but actualizing this vision becomes the challenge. It seems from Psalm 133 that there are two great blessings from unity and one is seeing the blessing of God on the work being done and the other is that unity produces growth and life. How is unity a active part of your life? Is there someone that you are struggling with? How have you faced the challenge of making amends in a relationship gone bad? What is one step that you can take to bring about the restoration needed?

A Pilgrim's Promise

Today is Columbus day and it fits with what I shared yesterday. Today is the actual date in which Columbus found this great land we enjoy. October 12, 1492 Columbus landed and began the exploration of our grand land. The Pilgrims were on a Journey and on this journey they experienced every emotion possible as they walked through very challenging moments.
The series I am preaching is on the Psalms of Ascent and they are a group of passages written and sung by the people of God in travel mode. Yes, these Psalms a part of the people's pilgrim heritage. On this journey there was the sense of needed help. Psalm 121 asks this very question, "Where does my help come from?" Our help comes from the Lord. He does not sleep, rather He is very aware of what is going on in our lives. Not only does the Lord watch over us, he is also our keeper. He keeps us and longs to meed the very needs we have.
Take time to read Psalm 121...
We all look for help at some point in our lives. When have you most recently sought help?

Where have you looked for help?

How does it make you feel that the Lord is watching over you at all times?

The Psalm concludes with the thought that the Lord is our keeper. How does this make you feel?
Consider these questions as well as your own as you read through the text. May you sense the Lord's presence as you seek Him daily! This is Lord's promise to those who seek Him!