MUSINGS ON A MIRACLE – Part 9:

THE CONCLUSION

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”  (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Christmas then is indeed something more.  No, it is Someone more; a little child, who, before our very eyes, and with faith as our only valid response, becomes the Son of God. Thanks be to God for this most special gift -- thanks be to God for Christmas!

What does Christmas mean to me?  These poor words may help you see
Just what I think and how I feel, now let me close with this appeal --
Look at Christmas in a brand new way, rediscover this Holy day,
And when the world seems evil and wild, find courage in a little Child;
When you are sad and feel alone, cheer up, for you are loved and known,
When you’re afraid, your life storm-tossed, you’ve been rescued at tremendous cost;
When you’re merry and life’s just right, you owe it all to that ancient night
When Christmas in our hearts was born and the stars gave way to a brighter morn! 
With these lines my musing’s through -- what does Christmas mean to you?

-- Don G. Smith, Lorne Park Baptist Church, Mississauga, Ontario, December 7, 1985

#4006

MUSINGS ON A MIRACLE – Part 8:

Christmas is THE CHRIST

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.  So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)

Christmas is Christmas in retrospect.  It is what it has become only because of that little, special baby and what He became.  He grew into the greatest gift anyone and everyone has ever received.  He became the light of the world. His life, His death, His resurrected presence provides the sweetest music this side of heaven.  He took our nature upon Himself and is the supreme model of what we all can and should be and the glorious revelation of what God is like.  How marvelous His teaching and insights, how perfect and pure His matchless love, how awesome His sacrifice, how saving is His defeat of death and despair.  And we have the audacity to adopt His name and to profess to walk in His footsteps!  We come to Christmas sensing with every fiber of our beings that this Christ is no trickster, no phoney, no faker.  He is indeed for real! Christmas is no hoax perpetrated by a capricious God.  So we move beyond the shadows of our doubts; we see ourselves, in the light of His life, for what we are, yet what we also may become.

-- Don G. Smith, Lorne Park Baptist Church, Mississauga, Ontario, December 7, 1985

#4005

MUSINGS ON A MIRACLE – Part 7:

Christmas is JOY

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  (Romans 15:13)

In vain we engage ourselves in the ceaseless pursuit of happiness and pleasure.  Success and power, recognition and achievement turn to ashes in our hands and hearts.  The sweet taste of some trivial victory soon turns to bitterness in our mouths.  Treasures on earth turn out to have a hollow ring.  Christmas is timely yet it is timeless.  The real Christmas does not tarnish in the safety deposit boxes of our soles.  Mortar is mortal and even flesh is fleeting.   Only as we open our lives and invest our time and energies in that which has eternal quality, do we find joy.  May we learn to enjoy Christmas.  Joy lights up the most humble shack and can even be found in palaces perhaps.  A hobo or a prince can be surprised by joy. Rejoice!

-- Don G. Smith, Lorne Park Baptist Church, Mississauga, Ontario, December 7, 1985


#4004

MUSINGS ON A MIRACLE – Part 6:

Christmas is MUSIC

"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!"  (Psalm 95:1)

Who can hope to describe Christmas.  Language can be uplifting, words can be wonderful, too.  But Christmas transcends language and accents and dialects.  Only through music can the beauty and marvel of Christmas find suitable expression. In dank prison cells, on lonely treks to promised lands and new possibilities, in slave ships and on picket lines, people have been sustained by the power of song.  In moments of greatest joy or most painful sorrow, it is music which provides inspiration and solace.  Long, long ago men and women heard angels singing within their hearts and life can never, ever be the same again.  For, folk with ears attuned to intimations of glory continue to hear, beneath the babble and the raucous strains of modern life, the symphony of the soul.

-- Don G. Smith, Lorne Park Baptist Church, Mississauga, Ontario, December 7, 1985


#4003

MUSINGS ON A MIRACLE – Part 5:

Christmas is GIFTS

“For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)

Christmas is not for sale -- it can’t be bought!  You won’t find it in the catalogue or on a shelf or even under the counter.  It might be found beneath a tree.  But it will most surely be found in the attitude of the human heart.  This is no ploy serving enlightened self-interest.  This is no trick hidden up the sleeve of God.  It’s an outright gift, and Christmas calls us to give, with no ulterior motives, to give with an interior motive -- that of a thankful, caring heart.  God made Christmas by giving Himself.  Those wise guys may have brought expensive offerings, but first of all and above all they gave themselves, just as lowly shepherds did.  Give yourself to Christmas!  Give yourself for Christmas!  Share it!

-- Don G. Smith, Lorne Park Baptist Church, Mississauga, Ontario, December 7, 1985


#4002

MUSINGS ON A MIRACLE – Part 4:

Christmas is A CHILD

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.”  (Isaiah 11:6)

No king upon a majestic throne!  No supernatural phenomenon!  No mighty fanfare piercing the airwaves!  The gurgling and quiet cooing of an innocent baby!  What a peculiar way for God to meet us at the intersection of the human and the divine.  How unsophisticated of God!  Christmas is a child and a time for children and a time for the child-like qualities which lie there deep beneath the surface of our adult competence and coolness. Today we continue the sad saga of the slaughter of innocents by our deliberate intent or willful neglect.  Unless we become as little children, even as this one unique child, can we really hope to inherit the Kingdom of God?  Of such is this Kingdom, so we are told.  How childish can we be to not see the love of God and the sweet mysteries of life in the face and form, the beautiful trust, of a baby?  “And a little child…..the Prince of Peace….shall lead them.”


-- Don G. Smith, Lorne Park Baptist Church, Mississauga, Ontario, December 7, 1985

#4001

MUSINGS ON A MIRACLE – Part 3:

Christmas is NATURE

“Mary gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped Him snugly in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”  (Luke 2:7)

Christmas does not come marching in like a triumphant army, nor does it arrive as a cosmic spectacular.  It doesn’t descend like some celestial spaceship.  It’s glory at the grass roots of life.  It comes amid sheep and oxen and donkeys.  It comes in the strong scent of straw and a stable.  The only incense swinging in the air is the strong breath of animals munching and pawing the earth.  This most blessed event occurs in a surprisingly natural way.  Can we truly capture the essence of Christmas in our concrete jungles; can we wend our way to Bethlehem on an asphalt trail?  Stand on a quiet hillside, observe the natural mystery of creation all around us and prepare to be surprised by a God who chooses to meet and save us on own turf and in our own shape as human beings.

-- Don G. Smith, Lorne Park Baptist Church, Mississauga, Ontario, December 7, 1985


#4000

MUSINGS ON A MIRACLE – Part 2:

Christmas is LIGHT

“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”  (John 8:12)

It may come from a star.  But somehow Christmas means seeing all of life in a new light.  We live so much of our lives engulfed by the darkness or stumbling among the shadows of our selfishness.  We live in a world beclouded by evil and hostility, by greed and hatred.  Light means liberation!  Light means freedom!  Light means a new, better and brighter day!  As people who walk so often in darkness may we see a great light -- the light and splendor of Christmas.

-- Don G. Smith, Lorne Park Baptist Church, Mississauga, Ontario, December 7, 1985


#3999

MUSINGS ON A MIRACLE: THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS – Part 1

NOTE: I was pleasantly surprised to recently find this “MUSINGS ON A MIRACLE” written 30 years ago by my late father-in-law Don Smith. I have divided it into nine parts to share here.

MUSINGS ON A MIRACLE: THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS

What does Christmas mean to me?  Well, something more than a twinkling tree,
Something more than tinsel and toys, something more than transient joys;
Something more than a hectic rush, something more than commercial crush,
Something more than Santa and sleighs, something more than the latest craze;
Something more than boisterous song, something more than spirits strong,
Something more than a candle’s glow, something more than falling snow;
Something more than jingling bells, something more than organ swells,
Something more than cards and ribbon, something more than feasts and fibbin’.

Oh, it’s fun to celebrate and spend one’s cash at a rapid rate,
To see old friends, hear their latest news, think ahead to a winter cruise,
It’s quite OK to sing and pray, for Christmas is a special day,
But when warm hearts and heartburn too, fade away and the day is through –
What has it meant and what will last when the high of Christmastide is past?
Forget for now the old clichés, let’s think anew about the ways

In which we often blithely blunder and miss the mark of Christmas wonder;

Along with you I’d like to muse about some very special news,

Perhaps rethink our long-held views about the miracle of truths

Which said in rhyme or with good reason are at the heart of the Christmas season;

Surely, friends, to feel so glad, is something more than a passing fad,

Let’s focus in on this blessed event and probe its meaning before we’re spent;

In the midst of feasting, the frost and the fizz, let’s look and see what Christmas is,

As we hear the familiar story, may we discover a greater glory –

For all our ills a certain cure and a happy hope that will endure.

-- Don G. Smith, Lorne Park Baptist Church, Mississauga, Ontario, December 7, 1986

#3998

FORETOLD LONG AGO

“Bethlehem Ephrathah,… out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel.”  (Micah 5:2)

Many details of Jesus’ birth, life, and death were prophesied hundreds of years before they were fulfilled. That this could be accounted for by coincidence is all but impossible. In his book Science Speaks, Peter Stoner applies the modern science of probability to just eight prophesies (one of which is today’s text). He says, “…the chance that any man might have… fulfilled all eight prophesies is one in 10 to the 17^th. That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.” (That’s one hundred quadrillion.) Stoner suggests that “we take 10 to the 17^th silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state 2 feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly… Blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up that one marked silver dollar. What chance would he have of getting the right one?” Stoner concludes, “Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing those eight prophesies and having them all come true in one man,… providing they wrote them in their own wisdom."

Christ’s coming was the exact fulfilment of many prophesies… So this Christmas, let’s thank God for sending His Son into the world to die and rise again… The Savior came into this world just as the prophets foretold long ago.

-- D.J.D. in the Upper Room Daily Devotional

#3997

JESUS DID NOT COME TO STAY IN A MANGER

Children can teach us a lot about subtle communication, particularly when it comes to listening to God. When our daughter, Hannah, was a toddler, we made the mistake of putting our wooden Nativity set under the Christmas tree where she could easily reach it. One day as I was looking under the tree for presents to shake, I noticed that Mary and Joseph, the shepherd, and the wise men were all looking lovingly down at an empty manger. Baby Jesus was missing.

I started looking all over the house for the Messiah -- in cabinets, under furniture, behind doors, in the VCR. (I found animal crackers in there once, so it was a valid place to look.) The King of kings was nowhere to be found.

A little later that evening I was putting some of Hannah’s toys away when I noticed her little yellow Fischer Price school bus in the corner. Looking inside, I noticed that the bus had the usual passengers -- the bald Fischer Price doctor, the construction worker with his little hard hat, a policeman, a mommy pushing a baby carriage, and the bus driver. They were all smiling in their places; but there in the third seat back on the right side was Baby Jesus with a big smile on his face, too. I was struck by the realization that my tiny child had solved the mystery of the Incarnation in her own special way. She seemed to know that Baby Jesus did not come to stay in a manger but belonged on the bus, hanging out with all the other smiling people. Come to think of it, putting that Nativity set under the tree was not a mistake at all. It was simply another opportunity to hear the still, small voice of God through the wonder of a child.

-- Robert Kaylor in Come to the Manger

#3996

ALMOST PERSUADED

“Almost persuaded” now to believe;
“Almost persuaded” Christ to receive;
Seems now some soul to say,
“Go, Spirit, go Thy way,
Some more convenient day
On Thee I’ll call.”

“Almost persuaded,” come, come today;

“Almost persuaded,” turn not away;
Jesus invites you here,
Angels are ling’ring near,
Prayers rise from hearts so dear;
O wand’rer, come!

“Almost persuaded,” harvest is past!

“Almost persuaded,” doom comes at last!
“Almost” cannot avail;
“Almost” is but to fail!
Sad, sad, that bitter wail—
“Almost,” but lost!

-- Philip P. Bliss

#3995

ADVENT LISTENING AND LOOKING

I once saw a quote -- maybe it was on a bumper sticker -- that went something like this: “If you feel distant from God, just ask yourself, ‘Who moved?’” If God seems hidden to us, maybe it is because we have stopped looking for God in the midst of our daily lives. In the Scriptures, heaven is not a far away place “way beyond the blue” as the old song says; but rather it is God’s realm, God’s dwelling, and it is quite near to us. All we need to do is put down the mirror and open a window in the relationship God wants to share with us. Rather than a booming shout from the clouds, God more often is revealed in the “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12 KJV). We can hear if we are focused enough to listen.

Advent reminds us, too, that if we want to see the face of the hidden God, we do not do so by looking up for a heavenly sound or light spectacular. Rather, we find it by looking into the dark recesses of a stable and into the eyes of a humble, helpless child.

-- Robert Kaylor in Come to the Manger

#3994

A NEW FUTURE AND A NEW HOPE

Have you ever stopped to wonder why Jesus was so patient with the Samaritan woman?  Here's my guess: Jesus understood that He wasn't dealing with an evangelistic project; He was dealing with a real person who had real needs.  He knew that before she could begin dealing correctly with her sin issues, she had to become a believer first.  Because He had His expectations set correctly, Jesus was able to treat her with dignity and encouragement instead of judgment and condemnation.  As the second person of the Trinity, Jesus had access to the entire universe of information about this woman that you and I wouldn't have had.  But despite His knowledge of the problem-laden past, He didn't rub her face in it.  Instead, He chose to fan a future flame in her.  "The days ahead don't have to be the same for you," He probably said.

Evidently, it was just the glimmer of hope she needed.  The text says that once the woman received grace, she ran back to the village to tell all of her friends about this man who "knew everything" about her.  In her haste, she left her water pot there at the well -- significant because water was such a precious commodity in those days.  Here she was, a sin-scarred woman who had been freshly converted.  Now, more than anything else -- even ensuring her water supply for the day -- she desired to tell everyone how Jesus gave her a new future and a new hope.  Despite countless details the Bible could have given us about the mental, spiritual, and physical state she was in when she first received grace, all we learn is that she dropped everything and ran off to tell her friends her good news.  Christ's patience paid off, wouldn't you agree?

You and I have been redeemed and restored for a similar purpose -- a purpose that is just as notable as spending eternity with God in heaven.  You and I are expected and encouraged to share our salvation with others so that God's ultimate agenda is served -- that all people would come to know Him as Father.

-- Bill Hybels in Just Walk Across the Room

#3993

MISSING THE POINT

It is Christmas time, and there is no other place on the calendar which can compare with it, no other season which makes its mark on the lives of so many people in so many ways. You can love Christmas, as most of us do, or you can dread it, as some surely do; but you can’t ignore it.

We can, however, miss the center, the point and the issue of the season, which is Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, in our culture, you can very easily miss Him. Warren Lewis overheard a woman on a city bus in England mutter, “O, Lor’! They bring religion into everything.” She pointed to a creche in front of a church. “Look – They’re dragging it even into Christmas now.”  (William Griffin in Clive Staples Lewis, a Dramatic Life) For vast number of secular people, Jesus Christ is just that incidental to the Christmas season; so much so that they think of Him, and the religion which bears His name, as an intrusion on their conglomerate of Santa Claus, parties and shopping.

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in a sermon entitled Matthew: Christ the Man

#3992

FACE TO FACE WITH THE SAVIOR

I am frightened by our ability in America to convince ourselves that we don't need Jesus.  We can amass fortunes, we can get degrees, we can own our house all on our own.  And yet, there's a certain affluence that we can attain when we become poverty-stricken  -- a certain humility that comes with trials, that brings us face to face with the Savior.

-- Max Lucado


#3991

THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”  (Revelation 22:16 NKJV)

O Christ the Bright and Morning Star:  grace the horizon of our world with promise of a new and holier day; that all the peoples of the earth may take fresh courage, and that the terrors of darkness may be put to flight.

-- John Underwood Stephens


#3990

THANKFULNESS TOWARDS GOD

How grateful we should be that our nation's founders recognized the importance of giving thanks. Though not considered a religious holiday by most, this traditional American holiday touches the very heart of the Christian message of thankfulness towards God.

In the original celebration, Pilgrims and Native Americans sat down together in peace and harmony to share the bounty of the earth with each other.  This year, as you take your seat between Grandma and Great-Aunt Helen, thank God for the love and warmth of family.  As you peer over the steaming bowl of mashed potatoes, pause for a moment to remember those who hunger -- both physically and spiritually.  And as you consider your life, take time -- on Thanksgiving Day and every day -- to reflect on the abundant blessings God has bestowed on you.

-- from CCON Connection


#3989

THANKFUL FOR THE “WITHOUTS”

If you’re looking for things to be thankful for (even if you live in a country where Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated this week) try some of these “withouts” the Lord brought to my mind.  I’m sure He will bring even more to yours as you focus on them.

Love Without Limits … “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Forgiveness Without Question … “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Promise Without Equivocation … “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please … what I have said, that will I bring about and what I have planned, that will I do.” (Isaiah 46:10-11)

Blessings Without Number … "You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock… Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out." (Deuteronomy 28:3-6)

Mercy Without Measure … “It is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassion fails not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Faithfulness Without Failing … “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands." (Deuteronomy 7:9)

Redemption Without Retraction …  “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)

Salvation Without Merit … But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)

Grace Without Guilt … Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Hmself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

So in a time when mankind has all but forgotten that the Lord is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, the Author of all our victories, who arranges every opportunity and fashions every blessing, these “withouts” might serve as good reminders to give thanks where thanks is due.

-- Jack Kelley, adapted from an article on gracethrufaith.com

#3988

GIVING TO THE LORD’S WORK

“Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.
Then He will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine.”  (Proverbs 3:9,10 NLT)

The only investments I ever made which paid constantly increasing dividends are those I have given to the Lord's work. Pastors do their congregation a great service by helping those in the church understand God's truth about money, time and giving.

-- J. L. Kraft, Founder of Kraft Foods

#3987

THE HEART OF GIVING

Giving in response to God’s amazing grace is a vital and essential aspect of true and genuine Christian Discipleship. The manner in which one gives, both in attitude and amount, will be a reflection of the condition of the heart.

When Jesus spoke to this issue, He encouraged His disciples to do more than what was required under the Old Testament with what was called the tithe (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). It is clear that our Lord was concerned not only with what we give but how we give. In other words, issues of the heart are at the heart of giving.

-- Daniel L. Akin

#3986

OUR SIXTH SENSE

Faith often looks like it’s out of touch with reality, but that’s because it’s in touch with a reality that is more real than anything you can see or hear or taste or touch or smell with your five senses. Faith is our sixth sense. And if you’re really in touch with God, sometimes it’ll appear as if you are out of touch with reality.

--  Mark Batterson in The Grave Robber

#3985

IN THE EYES OF A HOLY GOD

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  (1 John 1:8 NIV)

A study done a few years ago showed that the first sign of incompetence is our inability to perceive incompetence. We deceive ourselves about our intelligence, for example. I may think I’m pretty smart until I read about a student who did not miss a single question on the SAT, ACT, and PSAT combined. We deceive ourselves about our talent, for people at a karaoke bar sing with far more confidence than reality would allow. We deceive ourselves about our appearance. A grandpa friend of mine boarded an airport tram and noticed an attractive young woman sitting nearby who smiled at him. He thought to himself, I’ve still got it. “Excuse me, sir,” she said. “I can stand. Would you like to take my seat?"

Nowhere does this inability to have an objective, accurate, reality-based view of our performance show itself more than in the spiritual realm. When it comes to moral character, the purity of heart, the duplicity in our actions, how many of us have given serious thought to how our lives would grade out -- in the eyes of a holy, just, righteous, and truth-telling God? That is why the most dangerous force in the world is not sickness or injury or bankruptcy.

It is sin.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want to Be

#3984

IN THE EYES OF A HOLY GOD

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  (1 John 1:8 NIV)

A study done a few years ago showed that the first sign of incompetence is our inability to perceive incompetence. We deceive ourselves about our intelligence, for example. I may think I’m pretty smart until I read about a student who did not miss a single question on the SAT, ACT, and PSAT combined. We deceive ourselves about our talent, for people at a karaoke bar sing with far more confidence than reality would allow. We deceive ourselves about our appearance. A grandpa friend of mine boarded an airport tram and noticed an attractive young woman sitting nearby who smiled at him. He thought to himself, I’ve still got it. “Excuse me, sir,” she said. “I can stand. Would you like to take my seat?"

Nowhere does this inability to have an objective, accurate, reality-based view of our performance show itself more than in the spiritual realm. When it comes to moral character, the purity of heart, the duplicity in our actions, how many of us have given serious thought to how our lives would grade out -- in the eyes of a holy, just, righteous, and truth-telling God? That is why the most dangerous force in the world is not sickness or injury or bankruptcy.

It is sin.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want to Be

#3984

WALKING DOWN THE WRONG ROAD

“Do not quench the Spirit,” Paul says. (1 Thessalonians 5:19)  Any time I have a desire, the Spirit will prompt me to set it before God and ask the question, “Lord, what do You want me to do with this?” Or I can simply ask regarding any course of behavior, “If I walk down this road, where will it lead in the long run -- toward or away from the me I want to be?”

God will never lead us to manage a desire in a sinful way. If I want to walk down the wrong road, I must begin by silencing God’s divine voice within me. I must be careful not to pray about this desire with a submitted spirit. I must make sure I don’t talk about this desire with wise friends who will hold me accountable. I must make sure I don’t look carefully at passages of Scripture on the subject and reflect on them. I must do all these things without recognizing I am doing them. I must keep myself in a state of spiritual and mental vagueness where God is concerned.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want To Be

#3983

EMPTY AND RECEPTIVE

How much easier it is for most of us to give than it is to receive.  When we are in a giving mode, we are generally strong and in charge.  Sometimes we have to be brought to our knees before we are ready to receive.  This is when events and circumstances of life take over and do the emptying for us.  Maybe a bout of extended illness, or the trauma of a divorce, or the heartache of a loved one's death empties us.  When we cannot stand on our own strength, when we do not have the inner resources we normally have, we are being readied to receive.  When we are empty and poor inside, we finally realize that we have to rely on someone else giving us what we need.

Many things are given to us when we are receptive -- gifts such as a deeper understanding about ourselves and about life, a stronger union with God, a much fuller appreciation of friends and loved ones, a new look at things we so easily took for granted, a renewed vision of life that we only dimly glimpsed before.

At first we may not be receptive to what is being offered.  What is being poured into the receptive cup of our hearts may seem to be unneeded by us, or it may initially challenge us, or frighten us.  We may not want to hear the truth about our illusions, or take a giant risk of change, or to make a huge leap of belief in ourselves and others, or to accept a love like God's that is so total and unconditional.

-- Joyce Rupp in The Cup of Our Life

#3982

A PRAYER FOR VETERANS

Almighty God, we give You thanks today for our nation’s veterans. We honor them for their faithful service in defending and preserving our freedom. We are grateful to those who served during times of peace, standing ready, bravely awaiting their call to duty. We are grateful to those who served during times of unrest, enduring conflict and bearing the physical, emotional and spiritual wounds of war. We ask that You bless them, heal their wounds, and give them peace. We thank You, Lord, for all our veterans, the men and women of generations past and present. May we never forget what our country has asked of them and what they have given in return.

-- adapted from a video from Skitguys.com

#3981

THE PEACE OF CHRIST

“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”  (Colossians 3:14-16 NIV)

So here is Jesus’ word for us when someone doesn’t like us, when we get a bad review at work, or when the economy dips south and our 401(k) -- which remains the envy of 95 percent of the human race -- is down 30 percent: “My peace I give you,” Jesus promised. “I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

The peace of Jesus is something much deeper than self-help techniques to manage stress. It is deeper than anxiety reduction to make life more pleasant. It is the settled conviction that goes down to the core of your being -- to your belly where rivers of living water can flow -- that all things are in God’s hands. Therefore all things will be well, and you can live free of worry, burden, and fear.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want To Be

#3980

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

It is easier to be smart than to be good. You don’t need to know more from the Bible; you just need to do what you already know.

We don’t become doers on our own, of course. As we read the Scripture, we ask the Spirit to help us understand what to do in response, and the intersection of what the Scriptures teach and how our lives unfold will give us a never-ceasing stream to actually do what Jesus says. And when we forget, another chance will come along.

I was picking up a prescription one Saturday afternoon before a church service, and because I was in a hurry, I had called the night before to make sure it would be there. But when I got there, the man behind the counter told me it wouldn’t be ready until the next week. Apparently there was a mix-up between the medical people, the insurance people, and the pharmaceutical people.

“But I’ve got to have it,” I replied. I was scheduled to leave the United States the next day.

“Well, it’s not ready,” the clerk said.

“But the automated system told me last night it would be ready today.”

“There is a flaw in the automated system then,” he told me.

All of a sudden I felt unbelievable anger well inside me. A flaw in the system? I wanted to say, There’s a flaw in you! I didn’t say that, because people from my church might have been around. (That is an occupational hazard of being a pastor.) But with every gesture and tone that I could, I expressed contempt and irritation with the man behind the counter. I didn’t simply feel anger, I wanted to feel it. I indulged it. I wanted to make him feel small. I was amazed at my own ugliness.

When I returned to the church, I opened a Bible in my office and read a single phrase -- “love one another” -- and had to call a friend to tell him there was an inner jerk inside me that’s scary.

Then, after I got back from my trip, I went to the pharmacy to tell the man behind the counter I was sorry for being so irritated and how much I appreciated his help. And I was back in the flow.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want To Be

#3979

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

It is easier to be smart than to be good. You don’t need to know more from the Bible; you just need to do what you already know.

We don’t become doers on our own, of course. As we read the Scripture, we ask the Spirit to help us understand what to do in response, and the intersection of what the Scriptures teach and how our lives unfold will give us a never-ceasing stream to actually do what Jesus says. And when we forget, another chance will come along.

I was picking up a prescription one Saturday afternoon before a church service, and because I was in a hurry, I had called the night before to make sure it would be there. But when I got there, the man behind the counter told me it wouldn’t be ready until the next week. Apparently there was a mix-up between the medical people, the insurance people, and the pharmaceutical people.

“But I’ve got to have it,” I replied. I was scheduled to leave the United States the next day.

“Well, it’s not ready,” the clerk said.

“But the automated system told me last night it would be ready today.”

“There is a flaw in the automated system then,” he told me.

All of a sudden I felt unbelievable anger well inside me. A flaw in the system? I wanted to say, There’s a flaw in you! I didn’t say that, because people from my church might have been around. (That is an occupational hazard of being a pastor.) But with every gesture and tone that I could, I expressed contempt and irritation with the man behind the counter. I didn’t simply feel anger, I wanted to feel it. I indulged it. I wanted to make him feel small. I was amazed at my own ugliness.

When I returned to the church, I opened a Bible in my office and read a single phrase -- “love one another” -- and had to call a friend to tell him there was an inner jerk inside me that’s scary.

Then, after I got back from my trip, I went to the pharmacy to tell the man behind the counter I was sorry for being so irritated and how much I appreciated his help. And I was back in the flow.

-- John Ortberg in The Me I Want To Be

#3979

CITIZENS OF GOD’S KINGDOM

“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33a NIV)

For us who call ourselves Christians, our views, positions, and beliefs should all spring from our understanding of the will of God.  Christians seek, above all, to know and do the will of God.  Ultimately, nothing matters more than this.  God has created us, has a plan for us, and we believe we will be held accountable for how we respond to God's will.  We consider ourselves citizens of God's kingdom first, even before our national citizenship, and we strive to live so as to bring God's reign to the whole world.  When we invite Jesus to be Lord in our lives, we invite Him to be our sovereign or ruler.  We agree to live by His commands and teachings.  And we pledge to seek to do His will.

-- Adam Hamilton in Confronting the Controversies


#3978

AN AUDIENCE OF ONE

According to Jesus, what other people think of me matters very little.  What God thinks, matters far more.  Pray in a closed room, Jesus said, where no one but your Father can see you, rather than in a public place where you might get credit for being spiritual.  In other words, live for God and not other people.  I keep clamoring for attention and achievement.  Jesus invites me to let go of that competitive struggle, to trust that God’s opinion of me is the only one that counts, ultimately.

"There are but two principles of moral life in the universe," said the mystic Madam Guyon, "one which makes ourselves, or the most limited private good, the center; the other, which makes God, who may be called the universal good, the center."  I could summarize my entire spiritual pilgrimage as an effort to move the operating center from myself to God.

I ask myself how my life would differ if I truly played to an audience of One, if I continually asked not "What do I want to do?" or "What would bring me approval from others?" but "What would God have me do?"  Certainly my sense of ego and rivalry would fade because I would no longer need to worry about proving myself to other people.  I could concentrate instead on pleasing God, by living in such a way that would attract people to Jesus’ style of life.

-- Philip Yancey in Rumors of Another World

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