Christmas thoughts
Quote - There has been only one Christmas - the rest are anniversaries.
~ W.J. Cameron
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What do you think of when you think of Christmas???
Reindeer, Christmas carols, decorated trees, gifts, turkey, family, snowmen or maybe a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes...
One word that usually does not come to mind is fear.
Fear is usually not gripping us in terror, panic attacks, as it paralyze and overwhelms us. Often fear is much more subtle so we call it concern, worry, just being cautious or by some other name but it is nonetheless a form of fear and can keep us from God’s best. Throughout the Christmas story people were faced with fear. Herod insecurity caused him to fear losing his authority and position. His fear & insecurity lead him to hatch a deceptive and evil plan.
Zacharias, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds faced fear too but they responded differently.
They choose to FEAR NOT and they were among the very few whom at His birth recognized the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes as Emmanuel – God with us, the Prince of Peace.
Like that first Christmas God still speaks to us in the quiet and in the uncertain circumstances of life saying ‘Fear Not’.
He still brings peace that passes understanding to our lives and hearts.
He was, is and will always be the PRINCE of PEACE.
Shalom.
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Prince of Peace – we think of peace as quiet, tranquility, contentment, or maybe as peace from war but when I went back to the Hebrew word used here I found it meant so much more than that.
It means safe i.e. well, happy, friendly
also welfare...e i.e. health, prosperity, peace.
He is the Prince of Safety, Wellness, Contentment, Friendship, Health, Prosperity & Peace.
These things involve our whole being - spirit, soul, body, mind, finances, and relationships.
He came not just to be a story we remember at Christmas or our Savior we recall at Easter but to affect and influence our lives for good on a daily bases - 365 days a year -
to be our All in All, all the days of our lives.
May this CHRISTmas we known Him not just as the babe born in a manger but as our Wonderful, Counsellor, as our Mighty God, as our Everlasting Father and as our Prince of Peace in a fresh and meaningful way.
Wishing you and your family a very
M e r r y C H I S T m a s and a B l e s s e d N e w Y e a r !
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Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Truth & Consequences
Truth & Consequences (Blessings)
As I spent time reading God’s word the words ‘wait on the Lord’ jumped off the page.
God was speaking, ‘wait on me”. There were some things where there was a clear application, where I was to wait on God, to trust Him to led and bring things to pass. Waiting was about trusting Him, His timing and way.
As I continued to wait and spend time in the Word these and similar words keep coming up ‘wait on the Lord’.
Over several days I began to get the ideal God was saying something beyond a specific situation. There was something deeper. I wondered what He had to say. None of the verses were new to me. In fact Is. 40:31 I had read dozens of times and probably have sung a thousand times. I had experienced the truth of renewed strength more times than I can remember. I know this verse well from first hand experience but I was obliviously missing something because God kept bring verses to saying ‘wait on the Lord’. God had my attention, I was intrigued. I wanted to know what I was missing. What I had not seen before. I was listening. A few days later I started to see something I had seen before but had not. It may not be new to any one else but now I was seeing something for the first time. Something so basic how was it possible that I never got it before. It was they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew God calls us to wait on Him. There are lots of scripture that talks about this. I’ve experienced numerous time God renewing my strength but now for the first time I was seeing if I needed renewed strength the answer was not more sleep, a day off or at the beech. It was not more exercise and fresh air. It was not asking God for endurance to get through the day. It was not reading the word or praying more. It was not studying the Word or mediating on its promises. It was not serving, loving or delighting myself more in Him. It is by waiting on Him.
If this was true then how many times was I praying when I need to worship?
How many times was I studying the word when I need to meditate on the Word?
How many times was I waiting on God when I need to be out there doing the work of God? Praying when I need success?
How many times did I hit my head on the wall when the break through was not coming that I needed and decided to try vitamins or exercise or give up on the dream or attend a conference or read a book to get the missing link the latest trick to success, health or what every it is I need at the moment while all along God had given me the answer but I was knocking on the wrong door. Maybe, just maybe when God said in Joshua 1:8 and Psalms 1: 2 & 3 to meditate on the word day and night and we would make our way prosperous and have good success that he actually meant the way to success and prosperity was by meditating on His Word continually and not by attending business seminars, get in on the ground level of the latest and hottest business ideal, by networking with the right people, by praising and thanking Him for success even though we are flat broke and have no ideals on how to turn things around.
Is it possible that the clue to living a quiet and peaceable life has little to do with what country I was born in, or being able to afford to live on a remote island where no one can bother me, by living in an earthquake free zone? Is it possible that having the right job, wife, religion, income or getting every one saved is not the answer? Is it possible meditating on the Word is not the key but praying for our leaders, our co-workers, our friends, our family and our enemies is the answer as outlined in 1 Timothy 2: 1 – 2.
Is it possible that I’ve known the truth but failed to recognize how and where to properly apply it? Yes, there is a place and time to get away and enjoy the warm, sunny beech. Yes, it is important on who you marry, work for and associate with. There is a place for seminars, reading books and personal growth. Diet and exercise are important. There is a place to study the word, to mediate thereon, to give praise, to pray, to wait... but if the door I need to go needs to be unlocked then it is important to use the right key or that door will remain locked. Maybe sometime down the road I will accidentally use the right key and walk though but had I known the right key from the start I could have entered through the door much sooner. If when I was in school I had a math test and wrote all the correct answers down from my history test it would not help a lot. Maybe one of the dates happen to be the right answer to one of the math questions and so I think I’m doing well and on the right track but in the end I’m going to be frustrated with the mark even though I had all the right answers and did the right things because I’ve applied it to the wrong test. But unlike school God has given us all the answers. If I apply them to the wrong situation guess who missed up.
Oh how glad I am God is patient, kind, longsuffering. So next time I need strength according to Gods word there are two possible answers I’ve found wait and Him and praising Him.
So while Is. 40: 31 is not new it became new to me because I seen when the promise is reversed it is the specific answer I need in that situation.
If I wanted tomatoes I would not check my raspberry patch or if I wanted peaches I would not plant an apple tree. Likewise what I sow spiritually will decide the harvest I get. Now I see prayer, study, meditating, waiting, speaking, praise, worship, tithe, offerings… are not just different ways to worship and get to know God. It’s not a case of picking and choosing which ones I like or feel like doing today. They are specific answers for my life. They are not optional. They are a requirement for abundant life. Not out of duty or to use those as a quick fix like a magical wand. No they need to come from a heart postured before God ready to hear, receive, worship out of love – relationship. They all need to be a continual part of my life but there are times that I need to be very deliberate in the seed I sow where I need to spend extra, concentrated, deliberate time in one or more of these areas.
As I spent time reading God’s word the words ‘wait on the Lord’ jumped off the page.
God was speaking, ‘wait on me”. There were some things where there was a clear application, where I was to wait on God, to trust Him to led and bring things to pass. Waiting was about trusting Him, His timing and way.
As I continued to wait and spend time in the Word these and similar words keep coming up ‘wait on the Lord’.
Over several days I began to get the ideal God was saying something beyond a specific situation. There was something deeper. I wondered what He had to say. None of the verses were new to me. In fact Is. 40:31 I had read dozens of times and probably have sung a thousand times. I had experienced the truth of renewed strength more times than I can remember. I know this verse well from first hand experience but I was obliviously missing something because God kept bring verses to saying ‘wait on the Lord’. God had my attention, I was intrigued. I wanted to know what I was missing. What I had not seen before. I was listening. A few days later I started to see something I had seen before but had not. It may not be new to any one else but now I was seeing something for the first time. Something so basic how was it possible that I never got it before. It was they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew God calls us to wait on Him. There are lots of scripture that talks about this. I’ve experienced numerous time God renewing my strength but now for the first time I was seeing if I needed renewed strength the answer was not more sleep, a day off or at the beech. It was not more exercise and fresh air. It was not asking God for endurance to get through the day. It was not reading the word or praying more. It was not studying the Word or mediating on its promises. It was not serving, loving or delighting myself more in Him. It is by waiting on Him.
If this was true then how many times was I praying when I need to worship?
How many times was I studying the word when I need to meditate on the Word?
How many times was I waiting on God when I need to be out there doing the work of God? Praying when I need success?
How many times did I hit my head on the wall when the break through was not coming that I needed and decided to try vitamins or exercise or give up on the dream or attend a conference or read a book to get the missing link the latest trick to success, health or what every it is I need at the moment while all along God had given me the answer but I was knocking on the wrong door. Maybe, just maybe when God said in Joshua 1:8 and Psalms 1: 2 & 3 to meditate on the word day and night and we would make our way prosperous and have good success that he actually meant the way to success and prosperity was by meditating on His Word continually and not by attending business seminars, get in on the ground level of the latest and hottest business ideal, by networking with the right people, by praising and thanking Him for success even though we are flat broke and have no ideals on how to turn things around.
Is it possible that the clue to living a quiet and peaceable life has little to do with what country I was born in, or being able to afford to live on a remote island where no one can bother me, by living in an earthquake free zone? Is it possible that having the right job, wife, religion, income or getting every one saved is not the answer? Is it possible meditating on the Word is not the key but praying for our leaders, our co-workers, our friends, our family and our enemies is the answer as outlined in 1 Timothy 2: 1 – 2.
Is it possible that I’ve known the truth but failed to recognize how and where to properly apply it? Yes, there is a place and time to get away and enjoy the warm, sunny beech. Yes, it is important on who you marry, work for and associate with. There is a place for seminars, reading books and personal growth. Diet and exercise are important. There is a place to study the word, to mediate thereon, to give praise, to pray, to wait... but if the door I need to go needs to be unlocked then it is important to use the right key or that door will remain locked. Maybe sometime down the road I will accidentally use the right key and walk though but had I known the right key from the start I could have entered through the door much sooner. If when I was in school I had a math test and wrote all the correct answers down from my history test it would not help a lot. Maybe one of the dates happen to be the right answer to one of the math questions and so I think I’m doing well and on the right track but in the end I’m going to be frustrated with the mark even though I had all the right answers and did the right things because I’ve applied it to the wrong test. But unlike school God has given us all the answers. If I apply them to the wrong situation guess who missed up.
Oh how glad I am God is patient, kind, longsuffering. So next time I need strength according to Gods word there are two possible answers I’ve found wait and Him and praising Him.
So while Is. 40: 31 is not new it became new to me because I seen when the promise is reversed it is the specific answer I need in that situation.
If I wanted tomatoes I would not check my raspberry patch or if I wanted peaches I would not plant an apple tree. Likewise what I sow spiritually will decide the harvest I get. Now I see prayer, study, meditating, waiting, speaking, praise, worship, tithe, offerings… are not just different ways to worship and get to know God. It’s not a case of picking and choosing which ones I like or feel like doing today. They are specific answers for my life. They are not optional. They are a requirement for abundant life. Not out of duty or to use those as a quick fix like a magical wand. No they need to come from a heart postured before God ready to hear, receive, worship out of love – relationship. They all need to be a continual part of my life but there are times that I need to be very deliberate in the seed I sow where I need to spend extra, concentrated, deliberate time in one or more of these areas.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy New Year
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace.
B l e s s i n g s b e y o n d m e a s u r e in 2010!
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee peace.
B l e s s i n g s b e y o n d m e a s u r e in 2010!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
My Christmas card to you
M e r r y C H I S T m a s!
At Christmas we think of carols, of turkey and all that good Christmas baking, of special family times and celebrations, and of course gifts. We can not forget the gifts but what about the rest of the year. Do we remember that every day comes bearing gifts. Oh, they may not look like Christmas gifts or be wrapped like them. Sometimes they may even be disguised but every day in different ways we are given gifts let’s untie the ribbons and enjoy the blessings that come our way each and very day of the year regardless of how the gift may be wrapped.
The story is told that in December 1903 the Wright brothers were finally, successful in getting their “flying machine” off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed their sister Katherine, “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.” Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” He totally missed the big news – man had flown!
Today, many people make the same mistake when they hear the word Christmas. Family gatherings, turkey with all the trimmings, decorations, and gifts come to mind. As wonderful as all that is, if that is all Christmas means to us, we are then missing its true significance.
Jesus came ~ born and placed into a manger.
He lived a humble life as a servant even though He was a King.
He chose not an earthly kingdom but a cross.
He gave not just a little but everything for you and me.
Will I in return give my all to Him?
In 2010 I pray each one of us may we live, and move, and have our being in Him. That we will go from glory to glory. That in Him we will be one. That in everything we will give thanks and that we will pray for all men, making intercession for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life.
To you and your family M e r r y C H I S T m a s
and B l e s s i n g s b e y o n d m e a s u r e in 2010.
At Christmas we think of carols, of turkey and all that good Christmas baking, of special family times and celebrations, and of course gifts. We can not forget the gifts but what about the rest of the year. Do we remember that every day comes bearing gifts. Oh, they may not look like Christmas gifts or be wrapped like them. Sometimes they may even be disguised but every day in different ways we are given gifts let’s untie the ribbons and enjoy the blessings that come our way each and very day of the year regardless of how the gift may be wrapped.
The story is told that in December 1903 the Wright brothers were finally, successful in getting their “flying machine” off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed their sister Katherine, “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.” Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” He totally missed the big news – man had flown!
Today, many people make the same mistake when they hear the word Christmas. Family gatherings, turkey with all the trimmings, decorations, and gifts come to mind. As wonderful as all that is, if that is all Christmas means to us, we are then missing its true significance.
Jesus came ~ born and placed into a manger.
He lived a humble life as a servant even though He was a King.
He chose not an earthly kingdom but a cross.
He gave not just a little but everything for you and me.
Will I in return give my all to Him?
In 2010 I pray each one of us may we live, and move, and have our being in Him. That we will go from glory to glory. That in Him we will be one. That in everything we will give thanks and that we will pray for all men, making intercession for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life.
To you and your family M e r r y C H I S T m a s
and B l e s s i n g s b e y o n d m e a s u r e in 2010.
Points to Ponder
Jesus has a bad day ~ sequel
‘Jesus has a bad day’(see Points to ponder in Oct.)came out of my time in the Word in a very busy season this fall when I was squeezing 27 hours into a day 24 hour day. At least I was trying to. This passage let me know Jesus not only understood but He also experienced what I was going through and as I continued to press into Him He would make a way... He did. Good is good!
‘Jesus has a bad day’(see Points to ponder in Oct.)came out of my time in the Word in a very busy season this fall when I was squeezing 27 hours into a day 24 hour day. At least I was trying to. This passage let me know Jesus not only understood but He also experienced what I was going through and as I continued to press into Him He would make a way... He did. Good is good!
Almost two months later the parallel passage from Mark 6 was speaking to me but from a different view point. Verses 51b – 52 are what sparked my notes below but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Has it ever sounded cool to be a disciple? If I could have walked and talked with Him, be in the inner circle, to see all the miracles and to have access to Him 24 / 7. Life would be so good. I would have it made. Right? Yes! But it was not always so fun and cool having an inside connection to God.
Here are some my thoughts as sparked by Mark 6 and how I might have felt if I was a disciple that day. The most important part is however the lesson learned.
Jesus ~ did he not know everything? He sure seemed to when it came to others he knew what the religious leaders thought and often confronted them about it before they even said or did anything.
He seemed to perceive the needs of others before anything was said.
So, did Jesus not know He was sending us into a deadly storm?
Here we are sacrificing everything for Him, going without meals and sleep. Leaving us hungry and tried. Sometimes we not only feel tried and hungry because we missed another meal and had another long day but now we can not even get personal time with Him ~ quiet time away with Him to refresh, rest, pause, enjoy life. The demands, expectation of the crowds on Jesus is really starting to take a toll on us – physically, emotionally and mentally.
So when Jesus said let’s get away we really did not mind getting the boat ready and sailing it to the other side because we finally going to get a day off, time to rest, time alone with Jesus – not serving, not helping with crowd control, not people pushing and mulling so close around us we can hardly breathe all day, every day. You know everybody gets so excited about the miracles and all but really it’s nothing special. It’s just who Jesus is. It’s an everyday occurrence. Relax people – give us some space for just once. Jesus will still be here tomorrow. He’s not going anywhere.
Okay it’s not cool that John the Baptist just got beheaded but I’m sure glad that it’s providing a chance to get away from it all. A little work to get there but it will be worth it all.
But wouldn’t you know, people ran ahead of us. A few of them ran so fast they even beat us there. Our day off, day away is not going as planned, as hoped. Jesus, it seems, can not just say no. It looks like another day of ministry, crowds, expectations, demands, questions, serving.
Oh, we know it’s mostly directed at Jesus but we are His disciples. It affects us, the crowds, the demands, even the expectations and accusations when we don’t act the way people think we should, Others try to use us to get closer to Him. They really don’t care about us – they are just using us to get to him. We are getting tired of it - we just need a day off, okay maybe a week or more but we be glad even for just one day but even that was now ruined.
Besides our day off being ruined, now Jesus sent us into a storm ~ what is this all about? He must have known it was coming. He seems to know everything else. We might even be ticked right now with Jesus, life and everything if we were not fearing for our very lives.
Today is one of those days we’ll be glad when it’s all over.
You know you really have to have thick skin to be a disciple. Some days we just don’t care any more. The fun, the excitement, the thrill is gone, vanished. It just seems so hard, tiring, self scarifying. One day is the same as the next miracle after miracle, crowd after crowd – its all so common place. Why do the crowds get so excited? Oh we love the glory, the fame, the status that comes with being associated with Jesus. People envy us. They want to be one of us. If they only knew what it really was like they would think twice about it. Oh don’t get me wrong it is pretty cool most days but it does get pretty
routine after awhile. It’s nice to have personal time with Him although at times it’s almost impossible
~ I mean with the crowds, the other 70 disciples and then sometimes we are so hungry and tired all we want to do is eat and sleep. Nonetheless, most of the time it’s still pretty cool but today was one of those days we really wanted a day to chill with Jesus, to be left alone.
So when Jesus came walking on the water (no one had done that before) we thought He was a ghost... we were filled with terror. When we found out it was Jesus we were so relieved. Then He calmed the storm that was threatening to take our very lives. We were soooo amazed ~ beyond what words can express. He personally demonstrated His care for us ~ it amazed us ~ filling us with wonder.
It was then we understood that our hearts had been hardened we did not even consider the miracle of the loaves and fishes. It was meaningless to us. We had lost understanding, perspective. We had become hard, callus, dull, uncaring, selfish, and more concerned about us than others. Our thick skin was not protecting us from the outward pressures but hindered us from receiving from Jesus. From receiving times of refreshing even in the midst of hectic schedules, demands, expectations – whither real or self imposed they hinder us from times of refreshing, from our hopes, dreams and desires.
When Jesus calmed the storm we understood that Jesus really cares about us to and that His time in the Word and prayer is what keeps Him so level headed, able to always give, serve and deal with life without blowing up like we do, becoming hard, callus, uncaring and lacking the power of understanding. Oh how we need to be more like Him.
Lessons learned – stay fresh or loose perspective.
When I become, hard, callus, uncaring, tried, dull I lose the power of understanding, to hear and to perceive what God is saying and doing.
Staying fresh with God keeps the heart soft and pliable in the busy, craziness of life, the demands and responsibilities that can become overwhelming at times along with cares and expectations that just want to make us get away from it all.
Even the common place of God moving in our lives can be taken for granted and thus dull us from what He really is saying and doing.
The danger is to run from what’s at hand and in the process also to shut God out. Not intentionally but it happens easily when we try to shut everything out we shut out God too – our Source of refreshing, wisdom, strength, understanding and all we need.
Thus I am reminded to daily delight myself in the Lord. Ps.1:2, 37: 4
To abide in Him. John 15: 4
Jesus is my perfect example of staying fresh.
His secret, staying plugged into the Word and prayer – communication with the Father.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Fun day with my nephew
Dec. 4th my nephew, Andrew and myself went shopping for a Christmas tree. After we found one we loaded it into the car, brought it home, set it up and decorated it as seen above.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
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