Even before He was born

Luke 2:8-20.
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.


Throughout His earthly ministry Jesus was always going to places no one else would go and calling people to Himself that no one else wanted. In the above passage the angels anounce Jesus' birth to shepherds abiding in a field. Scripture tells us God is not a respecter of persons. This is a great example. Shepherds were basically the dregs of the earth in that culture. I've known many years that Jesus called these type people to Himself throughout his earthly ministry. tb wasnt until my Pastor pointed it out that I realized Jesus was doing this even before he was born.

Thank God that no matter what we've done or how bad we think we are, He still wants us.

Mission: Possible....

Jeremiah 32:17 "Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee..."

Mark 10:27 "Looking at them, Jesus said, 'With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.'"

Our God is an awesome God

Deuteronomy 7:21 "Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God."

Deuteronomy 10:17 "For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome..."

Exodus 15:11 "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?"

Nehemiah 1:5 "Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands..."

Daniel 9:4 "I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands..."

Matthew 1:23

23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" which means, "God with us."

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.

Seek first...

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

Good Article

This article showed up in my inbox Tuesday. Thought I would share
thelife.com/explore/goodpeople.html

Isaiah 43:1-3

Isaiah 43:1-3 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you I have summoned you by name; you are min. When yo pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God.”

This verse was posted by a very courageous lady, Brenda Ladun, who is undergoing her second major battle against cancer.

Great blog posts...

I read a couple of very well done blog posts by my pastor from my college days. Check out his excellent website, Early Church History - CH 101 and his posts about "Water Baptism in the Primitive Church" and "Wine in the Ancient World - Part 1". Really good stuff!

The Word of God found while tailgating!

Ephesians 2:10 (New International Version)

10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I Love You, Lord!

Do you have any worship songs that you always come back to on a regular basis? I do. There are songs that just rise up in my heart sometimes. One of those is this song:

Here is the story behind this precious worship song. Read this short story!

I love you Lord and I lift my voice

To worship You O my soul rejoice

Take joy my King in what you hear

Let me be a sweet, sweet sound In your ear

I love you Lord and I give my life

To worship You under pain and strife

Take joy my King in what you see

May I be a sweet sacrifice Unto Thee

God Bless America

An eternal perspective...

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE PUT ON THIS EARTH TO DO.

God's call

Last week marked the anniversaries of the deaths of Princess Di and Mother Teresa. One was celebrated due to her status as a potential Queen of England. The other labored in relative obscurity.

So many people measure their lives by the success and position they hold. Mother Teresa labored form many years seeing very little results from her work. One time she was asked how she could go on seeing so little results. Below is the reply that was attributed to her:

"God has called me to obedience not success."

We would all do well to remember this.

A moment in time

Today, I attended the funeral of one of the older saints in our church. During the service Pastor related a story I wanted to share.

Jake was a WW2 veteran. He accepted Christ at the age of 11. During the war, he was in a foxhole with one of his buddies. During this time God allowed Jake to share the Gospel with this young man. Minutes later that foxhole was hit and that young man stepped into eternity and into the prescence of God. Because of Jake's faithfullness and obedience to share that man met his Maker right with Him.

I want to encourege all Christians to consider Jake's example and be faithful and obedient. I encourage non-Christians to consider the other young man. Any presentation of the Gospel you hear could be your last chance to know God.

Take advantage of this moment in time God has given you.

Another look at Psalm 23

This is precious! Check this video out!

I know the PLANS I have for you!

I know the PLANS I have for you,

declares the Lord,

Plans to PROSPER you and not to HARM you,

plans to to give you HOPE and a FUTURE.

Jeremiah 29:11

Tony Dungy

I read a good article today. Thought I would share.

http://tpe.ag.org/Articles2007/4863_Dungy.cfm

Saw another good quote today. As usual, though I would share.

There are two freedoms: the false where a man is free to do what he likes; and the true where a man is free to do what he ought.-Charles Kingsley

You are so blessed!

Have you ever had a down day? Who hasn't? We all do that. Sometimes the reason we get down is that we look at our circumstances and compare them to the circumstances of other people. That can get us down. Sometimes we compare our circumstances to what we would consider an "ideal" situation.

The problem is that we often pick out our worst circumstances and focus on those. God never promised that everything would go our way. What we do so often though is ignore the truth of how good we actually have it.

If we are going to play the "comparison" game, we should compare ourselves to the rest of the people in the world, past and present. We might also compare ourselves to Christ Himself! Most of us who are able to read this post will have to admit that we fare quite well.

Enjoy this presentation and reflect on just how blessed you are today!

A couple of thoughts...

from the past week...

Jeremiah 29:10-13
"This is what the Lord says 'When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fufill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart....' "

God wants to be found, however, He wants us to be willing to give all we are and have to find Him. Are you willing to seek Him with all your heart today?
******
Also heard Jeff Foxworthy say something on an awards show I thought was pretty good. He was speaking of God being a prominent part of country music. He said that we were not trying to offend anyone but the evidence we have seen of God working in our lives trumps the opinion of those offended.

Once again the greatest proof we can give of His existence is what He has done for us personally. Our personal testimony is one of the greatest tools we have.

They'll Know We Are Christians

Does this bring back any good memories? They don't write many like this any longer.

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

By our love, by our love

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

By our love, by our love

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

Love is patient, love is kind
Never boasts, not full of pride
Always hopes, always trusts
The evidence of Christ in us

I was given an insight today in church that I never really thought about before in these exact terms. I love it when that happens! 3 John 6 says that we should "send them on their way in a manner worthy of God." Pastor Steve Britt of Northbrook Baptist Church in Cullman, Alabama had a very good illustration of this passage. He said, basically, that we should treat everyone as if they were Jesus Himself. That is obviously scriptural. What a challenge, though, huh?

What would you say to Jesus if he was your co-worker, neighbor, person who sat next to you in church, etc.? We should treat everyone with the same level of respect and love we, as Christians, have for the Lord!

Re-Simply Christian

It's not so much that being a Christian is about doing the right things or not doing the wrong things. It is about the pursuit of a person-Jesus Chrtist. It's about getting to know the heart and character of God. What He is really like. If we pursue Him with a vengeance then all the things that are bad for us will naturally fade out of our lives.

One of my favorite definitions of a Christian I heard years ago came from the late Keith Green. A Christian is someone who is bananas for Jesus.

Simply Christian

Thought I would share a quote from the above book by N.T. Wright.
"Christian holiness is not (as people often imagine) a matter of denying something good. It is about growing up and grasping something even better." (pp.236-237)

Jesus, Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

Hebrews 12:1-2

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Here is a really good discussion about this verse.

Anyway

I first heard this song a month or so ago. It's not explicitly Christian but I still think it gives us a lot to think about, particularly the chorus.

AnywayMartina McBride/Brad Warren/Brett Warren (BMI)
You can spend your whole life buildin'Somethin' from nothin'One storm can come and blow it all away Build it anyway
You can chase a dreamThat seems so out of reachAnd you know it might not ever come your wayDream it anyway
(Chorus)God is great, but sometimes life ain't goodWhen I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anywayI do it anyway
This world's gone crazy and it's hard to believeThat tomorrow will be better than todayBelieve it anywayYou can love someone with all your heartFor all the right reasonsAnd in a moment they can choose to walk awayLove 'em anyway
(Repeat Chorus)
You can pour your soul out singin'A song you believe inThat tomorrow they'll forget you ever sangSing it anywayYeah sing it anyway
I sing I dream I love anyway

Where it's at

People love love Christmas and rightly so. It is a time of year when we remember the birth of the saviour Jesus Christ.

However all too often we forget why Jesus was born. Jesus came into the world to show us how to live and then to die for our sins. Friday marked the day that Jesus was crucified, dying for our sins. Today marks the day he won final victory over Satan by rising again. Think how important this is. Without the resurrection, we would be walking around hopeless. The resurrection to me is the ultimate evidence of the truth of who He was and is. The most hardened skeptic cannot explain it away. The bottom line is that they can go back to His tomb and look all they want and they won't find his body. It is the ultimate proof Jesus was who He said He was and did what He said He would do.

Again, Christmas is great but Easter is "where it's at."

My best friend...

I woke up a little while ago thinking about my best friend. My best friend is Jesus. To those of you who do not believe, I may sound like a nut. At best, you may think, "That's good for him, but I do not need a crutch." All I can say is you don't know what you are missing!

I can talk with him about anything, anytime, anywhere. He is always there for me. Though He is perfect in every way, He loves me unconditionally despite all of my flaws. He has literally died for me. Where can you find a more awesome friend than that?

It's great to wake up and know that no matter what happens to me today, He will be right there in the middle of it with me. I hope to have a good day. But if I don't, I will call on Him. Actually I will call on Him anyway. I want to be a good friend to Him.

- - -

John 15:12-15
12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Somebody's Praying Me Through

This song was played during a slideshow of the destruction, pain, and rebuilding caused by Hurricane Katrina and the recent Enterprise tornado. I was visiting Gardendale First Baptist Church.

Somebody's Praying Me Through
Pressing over me like a big blue sky
I know someone has me on their heart tonight
That's why I know it's gonna be alright
'Cause somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through
It may be my Mother, it might be my Dad
Or an old friend I've forgot I had
But whoever it is I'm so glad that
Somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through
Through the tears, through the rain
Through the sorrow, through the pain
It keeps bringing me through
Over and over again
So when you're drowning in a sea of hurt
And it feels like life couldn't get any worse
There's a blessing waiting to push back the curse
'Cause somebody's praying you through
Somebody's praying you through
Someone got down on their knees and prayed for me
Somebody's, somebody's praying you through

Written by Darrell R. Brown and Ty Lacy© 2002 Almo Music Corp/Original Bliss Music (ASCAP) administered by Universal Music Group and Ariose Music (ASCAP) administered by EMI Christian Music Publishing.

A couple of thoughts

We are reading a book called Simply Christian by N.T. Wright in our small group on Sundays after church. I just thought I would share a couple of good quotes from the chapter titled "Jesus and the Coming of God's Kingdom."

"The need which the Christian faith answers is not so much that we are ignorant and need information, but that we are lost and need someone to come find us, stuck in the quicksand waiting to be rescued, dying and in need of new life." (p.92)

"Something about Jesus and the chance there might be more to him than our culture has realized still awakens in millions a sense of new possibilities and prospects." (p.93)

I Believe It, I Believe It!

Today I was taking a walk at break. I was listening to my son's MP3 player. I was listening to one of my all time favorite songs, "Creed" by Rich Mullins. There is something special about listening to that song while enjoying the beauty of the Lord's creation.

At the risk of sounding maudlin, I want that song to be played at my funeral, because it states what my life is all about better than anthing else I know.

Here are the lyrics...

I believe in God the Father almighty
Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ
His only begotten Son, our Lord
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
Born of the virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate
He was crucified and dead and buried

CHORUS:
And I believe what I believe
Is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not
The invention of any man

I believe that He who suffered
Was crucified, buried, and dead
He descended into hell and
On the third day, rose again
He ascended into Heaven where
He sits at God's mighty right hand
I believe that He's returning to
Judge the quick and the dead
Of the sons of men

CHORUS

I believe it, I believe it
I believe it
I believe it, I believe it

I believe in God the Father almighty
Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son,
Our Lord
I believe in the Holy Spirit
One Holy Church, the communion of Saints
The forgiveness of sin
I believe in the resurrection
I believe in a life that never ends

CHORUS

I believe it, I believe
I believe it, I believe
I believe it, I believe it

The Priestly Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you - יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה, וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ

May the Lord shine His face upon you - יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וִיחֻנֶּךָּ

May the Lord lift His countenance upon you, and grant you peace -

The Message

I've been reading Eugene Peterson's Bible paraphrase, The Message, lately and it has some tough passages that have absolutely poleaxed me. Peterson tries to recapture the gritty, visceral feel the original marketplace Greek conveyed to a first century audience. And he rephrases things so that they aren't familiar but they mean the same thing. You can read a passage and not realize it's a verse you know by heart until you are finished getting hit with its meaning. This makes it fresh (and newly convicting) when you're reading something for the hundredth time.

The book of James has been especially stringent yet empowering at the same time. Here's a small sample from James 4:4-10:

"You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.

"So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet."

Why is it wrong to hate?

Matthew 24:10
At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

John 15:23
He who hates me hates my Father as well.

Titus 3:3
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

1 John 2:9
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.

1 John 2:11
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

1 John 3:15
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

1 John 4:20
If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

Never washed away

In the past week, this verse has turned up in both my daily devotional book and in my box of little Daily Bread cards. Perhaps I should listen to it!

"Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it." - Song of Solomon 8:7

Hope

Read this quote from my beliefnet daily devotional. Thought it was neat so I decided to share it.

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: You don't give up. -Anne Lamott

1 John 4:7, 11-12

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God ... Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."

1 John 4:7, 11-12

John 4:19

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the satisfaction for our sins."

John 4:19

1 John 4:18

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear ... "

1 John 4:18

Ephesians 4:32

"And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

I got this email...

Usually a lot of the "chain" emails I get are not that great, especially from a Biblical perspective. I really liked this one so I thought I'd post it here.

Pray this even if you don't feel like it

Dear Lord, I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said, or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness. Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. And it's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will. Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those that will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those that don't believe. But I thank you that I believe. I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. I pray for each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes, that they are out of debt, and all their needs are met. I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees it. If you prayed this prayer, change the number in the subject box before forwarding the message so people can see how many people have done so. God bless! Just repeat this phrase and see how God moves! God I love you and I need you, come into my heart, please.