Glory To God In The Highest Heaven

 

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:8-14

A Time For Counting

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.   Luke 2:1-7

Greetings, You Are Highly Favored!

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,  and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Luke 1:26-33

What’s On My IPOD

Mist

Mist around Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, OR

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." James 4:13-15

James writes that we are a mist that appears on this earth for a little while, I can’t say I think of my life in this way, Focused on the day to day things I often take my mind off of Jesus.

Solomon accomplishment much in his lifetime. He expanded his nation, built the temple and became very wealthy, and yet towards the end of his life he writes:

Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
       and what I had toiled to achieve,
       everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
       nothing was gained under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 2:11

Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Matthew 6;19-20

May the Lord help me to maintain my focus on him.

What’s On My IPOD"?

I realized I’d not posted a “What’s On My IPOD?” entry in a while.  Superhero by Hillsong Kids is a song we’ve done at camp the last two years running – Gotta say, it’s fun to sing.

Prison Break

The pages of the web site  Voice of Martyrs are filled with men and women who are imprisoned for their faith.  I am sure that this is of no surprise to you the reader. For generations, Christians have been imprisoned and martyred for their faith.  Acts 12 tells us how King Herod had James brother of John killed and when he realized that this pleased the Jews, he imprisoned several other Christians, including Peter.  The church’s response was prayer.

 

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12:5 

And the result of prayer was:

Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the brothers about this," he said, and then he left for another place. Acts 12:17

Prayer works today as well. A few months back, one of our church members traveled to his home country where Christians are imprisoned for their faith.   He had been working underground with the local church and  was on his way back to us when his Christian activities were revealed and he was thrown into prison.  As Christians throughout the ages have done, we prayed for his release and God provided him release from prison.

Prisons are sometimes not made of physical bars but of our own emotional problems, addictions and fears.  These type of prison bars are equally confining to those made of steel.  They can keep us from fulfilling our destiny in Christ. 

I don’t think that the parallels between these two types of prisons stop there. I think that just as prayer can grant us freedom from physical prisons, so can prayer release us from the emotional and spiritual prisons.

Lord help us to break free from anything that might stand in our way of serving you and fulfilling our destiny in you.

Remembering and Wondering Why

Anne Frank Memorial Boise, Idaho

This week marks a week of remembrance for those who were victims of the holocaust.  Ceremonies have been happening around the world to commemorate one of the blackest periods in the world’s history, lest we forget how low man can sink in the treatment of his fellow man. We watched a Masterpiece Theater presentation of Anne Frank’s diary.  And once the show ended, one couldn’t help but wonder how and why something like this could ever have happened, and yet it did. 

Many grasping for an explanation of horrors such as this try to lay the blame at God’s feet.  Whether it’s an illness, loss of a family member, earthquake, or some other tragedy, I have often heard someone remark, “How could a just and loving God allow this to happen?”

I think it’s easy to forget that God’s original plan was one of peace, harmony, and perfection.  The Garden of Eden, where he first placed man was a place of love, provision, without any guile, strife or sin. 

Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. ⁹ And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.   Genesis 2:8-9

God had a friendship and a relationship with the man and woman he had created.  It was man that ruined this perfect setting, the relationship with God, and it was he who brought all the things we abhor into our world.  God had provided so much and yet kept one thing from the man Adam and his wife Eve.  God asked Adam and Eve to not eat of the Tree of Knowledge and like most humans this became the one thing they appeared to have obsessed about and eventually they finally ate some of the forbidden fruit. Aren’t we all attracted to the things we can’t have?

So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. Genesis 3:23

The story could have very well ended there. Man receives his just reward for disobeying God and as a result is separated from God forever.  But it doesn’t end there, because God is a God of love.  He wants us to be reconciled with him so that we can once again have a relationship with him just like the one he had with Adam and Eve prior to their disobedience. The path of reconciliation is through his Son Jesus.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:9-11

I don’t want to appear too critical of Adam and Eve. I see myself in almost everything they have done.  Often times we have a nice label for it such as “Human Nature”.  We brush things off by saying, “Oh well, that’s just Human Nature.”  It’s because of this Human Nature that I am so thankful that God has provided us with his Son, the great reconciler.  Knowing that there’s nothing I could do to level the score for the things I’ve done wrong, I gladly accept Christ as my savior, reconciler and true path to the presence of God our heavenly Father.  Access to this path is not exclusive but open to anyone who wants to be reconciled with God.  You can take that first step towards God by committing yourself  to Christ and the salvation he offers.

What’s On The Menu?

I heard recently that politicians have a view that they are always running for re-election.  I don’t know if it’s due to the network and cable news programs tracking they every move and word, but it seems that the days are gone where candidates spent their time governing and worked on their campaigns the year before the election. 

I find that I can get really caught up in the constant political events that are splashed across our television screens.  Sometimes I find myself panicking about the outcome of this election or that election & taking my eyes off of the one who not only orchestrates the nations of this world, but the universe as well.  

Chapter 5 of Daniel records a miraculous event where God announces to Belshazzar that God is removing him from power.  Daniel begins this announcement with a reminder to Belshazzar that God was the one who had put his father in the high place of King. 

  "O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor.  Because of the high position he gave him, all the peoples and nations and men of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.  But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.  He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes.  Daniel 5:18 –21

Although I sometimes can get caught up in the world-wide politics of the day, Daniel’s words are a firm reminder that our Heavenly Father puts those, who govern over nations, in their places of authority and can remove them as he sees fit.  Our trust should be in the Lord regardless of how earthly circumstances seem to play out on the world stage.

Life’s Fiery Trials

In Idaho, wildfires can threaten our beautiful forests.Teams of Forestry personnel risk their lives every year to protect our forests from ruination. Interestingly enough, they’ve learned throughout the years that a certain amount of fire is required in the forest to maintain them.  If the undergrowth gets to mature, it becomes additional fuel so that when lightening does strike, it makes the fire more severe.

The Forest Service does prescribed burns to eliminate the undergrowth during the wet season which allows for a fire without causing a large amount of destruction.

Another reason for the prescribed burns are that some pine trees (fired climax pines) require the fire to open the cones and release the seeds into the ground.  Without the heat, new pine trees cannot be seeded and grow.

Our Lord has told us that with faith the size if a mustard seed, we would be able to move mountains.  Matthew 17:20-21 NIV

But how does our faith grow? Paul wrote to the Thessalonians their faith is growing  and that he was pleased that they persevered and had faith in all of their persecutions.

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 2 Thessalonians 1:2-4 NIV

As I see friends and family experience financial problems, health issues, emotional pain & loss, I find myself asking, “Why Lord?”  Could it be that like the seeds of the pine cone, through our trials seeds of faith are released into our hearts to grow and help us persevere in our race for the Lord?

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Breath of Heaven

May the Breath of Heaven breathe new life into our troubled world this Christmas Season.

When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll...

It has been 20 years last September since we lost my brother in a helicopter accident.  He was out on maneuvers, training  for a war yet to come, that would later be named Desert Storm, when his helicopter had mechanical problems and crashed.  At times it's seems like a long time ago, and at other times it seems like yesterday.  Growing up in the church, I'd probably sang, "It Is Well With My Soul" a multitude of times.  But after my brother's death, it took on a new meaning for me and has provided great comfort.  I wonder if Horatio Spafford could have known what an impact his words would have on future generations.  Through his many tragedies would come a hymn that would comfort generations to come, 

"When Sorrows like Sea Billows roll....."

Mr. Spafford's life was certainly one that was filled with hurt and loss.  A lawyer in Chicago, Mr. Spafford and his wife had a son and four daughters.  In 1871, Mr. Spafford lost his young son and later in that year, a fire wiped out many of his real estate investments, causing him to lose everything.   In 1873, he and his family decided to take a trip to Europe.  His wife and daughters headed out first with him to follow on another ship later on in the week.  The first ship carrying his wife and daughters was struck by another ship and only his wife survived.  As he made the journey to Europe to be with his wife,he came close to the spot where his daughters were lost, and he began jotting down the words that would become the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul".

King David too had a lot of hurt and sorrow in his life. In Psalms he writes:

My soul is weary with sorrow; 
strengthen me according to your word.

Psalm 119:28 

If you too are experiencing hurt and loss, my hope is that you can find strength in God's word and a peace like a river.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a blessed and happy Thanksgiving.

Petitioning, Penitence, Praising, & Prayer

Prayer can be such a mystery, at least for me. I learned at an early age that prayer was important.  My mom would come in each night and listen to our prayers, both my brother's and mine,at first with them being very much rote, you know the one, that starts, "Now I lay me down to sleep....", but later went on to include, "God bless grandma & grandpa, mom & dad.." which taught us to prayer for others.   I've wondered sometimes how it's all pieced together.  Just as jewel has many facets that brings light and beauty to the stone, there are many facets of the light & beauty of prayer.  Examples of these many facets are written about throughout the Bible. 

Hannah who was distraught prayed for relief from the emotional pain of not being able to conceive a child petitioned God for a son 1 Samuel 1:9-11  and King Hezekiah prayed for health and an extension of life and God granted him his request.  Isaiah 38 1-36 

Ezra and the people of Israel demonstrated their penitence when they realized that they had gone against God's will when they had married into and adopted the culture and religious practice of the people around them.  Ezra 10:1.

David offers adoration and worship through is prayers of praise.   1 Chronicles 29:10-20 

Jesus petition God continually regarding every aspect of his ministry. We read how Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16

During one of these times he asked God for guidance regarding choosing his disciples.  Luke 6:12-16

One of the ways to record our prayer jewels is a prayer journal.  I'd first heard of prayer journals during a lecture of at BSF.  Our discussion leader had recommended our journaling our prayers.  Journaling can weave a tapestry of God's working in our lives.   I've seen where a prayer for a friend deciding whether or not to take a new job can lead to his offering a job to someone else who needs one.   Other threads of the tapestry can be records of healing, safe travels, guidance, and other topics that are as wide and varied as our collective lives.  It's exciting to read through past entries and see how God has worked in our lives. 

Regardless of how we communicate with God, we know that our prayers to do not go unheard and we can have faith in him.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

Beach Cathedral

               

 

Some times the best cathedrals, in which to pray are not formed by man, but instead are formed by God himself through his creation.  The sandy beach floor forms the nave for the worshippers while the wave act as the choir seated in the chancel, booming out the power and greatness of God.  The last rays of the sun paint the stain glass windows of the sky reflecting the wonder and glory of the God who placed them there, and great rocks growing out of the ocean floor as the apse and spire.

Psalm 148

¹ Praise the LORD. 
       Praise the LORD from the heavens,
       praise him in the heights above.

 ² Praise him, all his angels,
       praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

 ³ Praise him, sun and moon,
       praise him, all you shining stars.

 ⁴ Praise him, you highest heavens
       and you waters above the skies.

 ⁵ Let them praise the name of the LORD,
       for he commanded and they were created.

 ⁶ He set them in place for ever and ever;
       he gave a decree that will never pass away.

 ⁷ Praise the LORD from the earth,
       you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

 ⁸ lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
       stormy winds that do his bidding,

 ⁹ you mountains and all hills,
       fruit trees and all cedars,

 ¹⁰ wild animals and all cattle,
       small creatures and flying birds,

 ¹¹ kings of the earth and all nations,
       you princes and all rulers on earth,

 ¹² young men and maidens,
       old men and children.

 ¹³ Let them praise the name of the LORD,
       for his name alone is exalted;
       his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

 ¹⁴ He has raised up for his people a horn,  
       the praise of all his saints,
       of Israel, the people close to his heart.
       Praise the LORD.

Hello God? Have We Been Disconnected?

I been talking with with someone who has a friend that believes that God is not listening to him because because he believes that God has not answered his prayers. Certainly we've all had that same thought even if it's for the briefest of moments.    I think it's important to note that when we feel that way, we're in good company. King David writes:

 

 Hear my prayer, O LORD;
       let my cry for help come to you.

 Do not hide your face from me
       when I am in distress.
       Turn your ear to me;
       when I call, answer me quickly. Psalm 102:1-2

When Paul was teaching in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch be speaks of David in this way:

After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' Acts 13:22

You can sense David's yearning for God's help in his situation and like us, wondering if he will have his answer to prayer.  And yet, God saw David as a man after his own heart.  For any of us who might be facing a trial, and wondering what the answer could be or when the answer might come, I think we can take encouragement in the story of David, a man after God's own heart.  God is always there, looking after us, and we can have peace in him.  

The Lessons The Garden Gives

With summertime comes a lot of work in the garden.  As I've been puttering around the garden, different Bible verses have come to mind.  Since agriculture  was a major part of daily life during the time Christ conducted his ministry, it probably comes at no surprise to anyone that many of Christ's teaching illustrations were based on the raising of crops.  The issues of that day were similar to the ones we face today.  They too were concerned about making ends meet and it would not be a stretch of the imagination that they faced an uncertain economy with the Romans as occupation of the region.

Today as in Christ's time, we are facing an uncertain and failing economy, which  has touched many families including mine.  A close family member has lost his job.  I must admit that I have been somewhat worried about how he and his little family will fare.  Christ tells us:

mine.  A close family member has lost his job.  I must admit that I have been somewhat worried about how he and his little family will fare.  Christ tells us:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Matthew 6:25-32 .  I must learn to take comfort in his words and put them into practice. Christ would not make a promise, on which he could not deliver.

I'm trying my hand at raising vegetables.  I've not had much success in the past, but I am trying to do it right this time around by putting in raised beds.  No sooner did I get the seeds into the furrows, than birds began lining up on the fence right above my bed.   I was concerned they may not wait for the plants and would instead dig up the seeds. The birds did leave them in the ground, but seemed to be waiting for the smallest sign that the seeds have taken root and will begin to produce. I was really concerned that all of the work I'd put in was going to be wasted. This real life example was a perfect picture of what Christ spoke of in the passage of Luke 8:1-15.   In this passage, Christ likens the seeds to the word of God that is preached throughout the world.  In his story the birds of the air snatch up the seeds just as the Devil, in real life sometimes snatches the word of God from the listener and does not allow him/her to fully understand it and accept it.  Christ goes on to tell about seed that falls onto the rocks, where the listener hears the word and is overjoyed about it, but it never takes root and they drift away when tested.  The seed that fell amongst the thorns started to grow but was choked out by the weeds of worry, riches, & pleasures; more of letting the things of life distract them from fully committing to Christ.  The seed that falls on good soil is representative of the word of God falling on receptive ears, those people who make a commitment to Christ and whose life exhibits the completion of the work God has given him/her.

The loss of jobs, family members, political strife, & the other uncertainties of life can be overwhelming, but Christ can be there to support you if you will let him.  Anyone can be the "good soil" of Luke 8:15, the ones who have a noble and good heart, who hear the word and retain it, and perseveringly produces a crop.  The first step is believing in Christ.

Happy Fourth Of July

 

What's On My IPOD

It's time once again to travel to the mountains to participate in the Royal Family Kids' Camp.  This camp is held for abused and neglected children that live in our area.  Most of if not all of these children are in the Foster Care program and are not able to be with their parents for a variety of reasons.  The song, "There Are No Orphans of God" is one of the songs we will be singing for our Communion Service.  the music video is below:

 

As I listen to this song, I realize there are many who very alone who don't wear the label of Foster Child or orphan, and yet feel that singleness and lack of hope of not having anyone that they can feel close to.  For those who may feel this way, know that you have this hope.

There are no strangers, there are no outcast, there are no orphans of God. So many fallen, but hallelujah, there are no orphans of God.

¹⁵ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.^[a] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”^{[b] 16} For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. Romans 8:15-16  New Living Translation

For those who would like to follow the happenings of Royal Family Kids' Camp, you can read our blog, which will have daily entries.

Experiencing A Loss

I lost my dad a couple of weeks ago.  As is often the case with these types of losses, it was a complete surprise.  I don't think anyone is totally prepared when they lose a family member or friend, but sometimes there's a few warning signs, such as an illness or a word from the doctor. In this case, my dad had just been to the doctor and he'd been told his health was good.  I think I am still in shock but can write a bit about it now.  The memorial services are over and now begins the time of sorting through the things that my dad thought were important to keep.

Our Lord understands what it was to lose someone dear.  It is recorded in John 11 that Jesus' close friend Lazarus had passed away.  Although Jesus knew that God the Father was going to raise Lazarus from the dead ..."This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."  v. 4, he still was moved by how Lazarus' death was affecting Mary and Martha who he dearly loved, "Jesus wept". v.33-35

It is reassuringly  to know that Jesus understands our emotions and has a desire to comfort us when we are grieving.   He offers those who are grieving this blessing:

Blessed are those who mourn,
      for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

We can be thankful for a Lord who is moved to love us and comfort us in a time of need.