He Is

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures;  he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil;  for you are with me;  your rod and your staff—  they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me  in the presence of my enemies;  you anoint my head with oil;  my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me  all the days of my life, 

You know this one. David talks about who God is and shifts to talking with God. This is in two parts, verses 1-4 , God as our shepherd, and verses 5&6, God as our host. 

As our shepherd, he guides, provides, protects, comforts, cleans us up. He leads us to safety where we can be refreshed and rest. He guides us along our path, the one he has chosen for us. We have no fear, even in dangerous, or dark times. He has us. 

He brings us to his table. He provides for us right smack in our enemies face- favor. We are filled to overflowing, and it must overflow to others. There is so much more to this- go back and mediate in it. But hold on to this “surely goodness and mercy shallow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” More later.

Answer

Rev. 3:20 NRSV

“Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.”

This is in context to the church of Laodicea, which was lukewarm. It did not stand for anything and allowed everything. Although it thought it was righteous, It was spiritually pitiful. Theologians see the churches of Revelation not only as historic but covering different periods of time. We are the church of Laodicea. The letter refers to us as believers as the church is us. And yes, Jesus is knocking. He rebukes and her offers hope for us but we must attune our ears to hear, be attentive to his knock, and be accesible to him. 

He wants us to be reconciled to him, restored by him, through our repentance. We have places in our heart that we need clearing up. Let do this this year. Let’s kick it off right- by answering the door. We have seen what God can and he has so much more. 

One other thing. Hear from Holy Spirit your word or phrase for you for this year. One client’s word is ‘joyful’, another’s is ‘production’. My word,  ‘Each Day- New Mercies.’ Happy New Year! more later.

Go Back Another Way

Matthew 2:7-12 NRSV

“Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.”

God never fails to guide. The Magi were able to find the Christ child even with help from one who wanted to destroy him. There is so much here, but I want us to look at one thing. After they saw Jesus and worshipped him they were warned in a dream not to to return to Herod and go home a different way. 

Yes, they had a dream. It appears all of them -not to return to Herod. We have just celebrated that magnificent day. For some of us we were with family as that is also God’s gift to us.  We fellowshipped, reminisced, thanked God. Some had no one, but we’re not alone. However we celebrated I offer that we too do not return the same way. It follows that when we spend time with God, we can’t go back the same way. We gift him with ourselves and he presents more of himself. There is no way we can return to how we were- just like that. We go back another way. Yes, people are getting excited about the new year but we get excited about each new day, each new opportunity to love, to live, to grow In what he has for us. Blessings. enough for now

That’s a Lot of Love

Luke 2:1-20 NRSV

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. 

Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.  

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven,  and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 

So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

I love the reading of Luke 2. As you read it allow Holy Spirit to open the treasures of what this passage means to you. We have so much- too much to be thankful for.  And it is all because of the gift to us of the Christ Child. All because God loves us so much. That gift is bigger, brighter, better than any other gift. Hold on to the fact that God loves you. He loves you through your ups and downs. He loves you through the pain and the joy. He loves you when you make mistakes, mess up, fall out, run from him- he still loves you. Ponder that in your heart.

Holding on to that will overflow from you unto others. Others need that joy. Merry Christmas! enough for now.

His Peace

Isaiah 9:6&7

“For a child has been born for us,  a son given to us;  authority rests upon his shoulders;  and he is named  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  His authority shall grow continually,  and there shall be endless peace  for the throne of David and his kingdom.”

God has set us up to win victoriously. We are counseled by Holy Spirit who was left to guide us. We are in the arms of a Father like none other. God set it up And it all brings peace because of the Prince of Peace. 

There is something about bringing God in on our decisions, our concerns, our hurts, our struggles. He gives us direction, he comforts, he guides. And that gives us peace. Accept his peace, watch what he is doing. enough for now.

Fragrant Offerings

II Cor. 2:12-17 NRSV

“When I came to Troas to proclaim the good news of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord; but my mind could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said farewell to them and went on to Macedonia.  But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence.”

We are fragrant offerings that spread the love of God wherever we go. You know how we are around things and begin to smell like what we around? Even a baby knows it’s mother’s scent. 

We want to check ourselves to see what scent do we emit- does it repel others from seeing God or does it bring them into his presence? 

And how long does our scent last? Just as colognes don’t last always we must replenish by communing with God. 

And how strong is our scent? Avon’s Skin So Soft sweetly repels mosquitoes. Our scent should be strong to repel anything that comes at us - that is not of God. 

Listen one year my Christmas tree had served its purpose and was lying outside for my bulk pick up day. That was the year that we experienced a blizzard. It was the most snow I have ever seen, and it so completely covered my Christmas tree that I thought that it had already been picked up. 

But about three weeks into January, the snow began to melt, and I saw a few sprigs of my Christmas tree peeking out from the snow. 

As I tugged at it, the fragrance of that evergreen tree filled the space around me, letting me know that it was still an evergreen tree. I got a shovel to dig it out so that the garbage people could see the tree. As I dug around the tree the smell became stronger and stronger. 

“ Holy Spirit showed me, “That we, as children of God, are to be just like that evergreen.” 

When we feel that our usefulness is gone, or we have not been appreciated, or when we have gotten caught under tons of trouble, heartache, and pain, hold on. And when we are pulled out by God’s mighty shovel of love, we will still have that aroma that says we are fragrant offerings, acceptable to God. enough for now.

Stay on Task

Neh. 6:1-9

“Now when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that there was no gap left in it (though up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?” They sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. In it was written, “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem also says it—that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall; and according to this report you wish to become their king. You have also set up prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. So come, therefore, and let us confer together.” Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own mind” —for they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” 

This has been a rough week with the elections but we continue on. We take note from Nehemiah and how they tried to distract him from the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall. Go back and read starting at chapter one. 

There will be distractions to hinder the work of God, still we continue. And there are times that we work with our  weapons strapped on as the Israelites. Our weapons are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down is strongholds. 

Come on you all. Let nothing distract you, not your allies, your enemies, yourself. There is more - what to we do? We stay on task taking a note from Nehemiah, “Oh God Strengthen our hands.” Stay on task. enough for now.