Did you know God has called you to a purpose in life? Did you know God is still calling?
It takes a whole lot of effort sometimes to really stop and listen to God. We get so busy with work, school, jobs, kids, family, friends, etc. that being able to get away from the noise is often hard to do. The more often we can stop and being actively listening for God, the more we will able to see what God is doing for us and through us. Today, try to stop and actively listen for God. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”” Isaiah 43:5-7 NIV
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“Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town. He’s knows when you’ve been sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good for be good for goodness sakes.”
As a child, I listened to and sang along with the Jackson 5 when I would hear it on the radio. I loved this song. (Yes, I know I just really dated myself but I’m okay with that.) Now when I sing it, it makes me think about Santa being a bit creepy. My how I view things differently. I may be weirded out by Santa knowing if I’m good or bad and when I am awake or not, but I find comfort in knowing that God knows everything about me. I don’t have to hide anything from Him, unlike all of the girls’ presents this time of year. It’s okay to be me, without being judged. And because God knows me inside and out, I can be open and honest. There is a sense of freedom when you don’t have to hide who you are. We can be ourselves and God loves us. Even when we try to hide, He is there, guiding us into His light. As the days get busier as Christmas gets nearer, I challenge you to take time out, to spend time with the one who knows us better than we know ourselves; to sit and listen as we pray and read His Word. I encourage you to be yourself, to stop running from God and run into His arms. I pray that you will remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. He loves you and He is with you. Psalm 139 For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. 1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. There are days when we just want to cry. When nothing seems to be going our way and our emotions run wild and the pain runs deep. We doubt ourselves and others. The skies seem cloudy and gray. Then there are days when we want to shout for joy and sing and dance. Days when it seems that nothing can bring us down, when the world is full of rainbows and blue skies.
Even though these days are vastly different they have one thing in common. Despite our circumstances and how we feel - We are not alone. God is with us. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Matt 1:23) Jesus came and dwelt among us. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Ephesians, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (1:13-14) We are in Christ and he is in us. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. His love never changes and his promises are not dependent on how we feel in the moment. His love endures through the darkest days and the longest nights. I am thankful that even in my weakest moments, God’s forgiveness and grace remains the same. “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:5) God loves us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. NOTHING. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less, or more for that matter. His love is not based on what we do, his love for us is eternal. God is love. Romans 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Christmas season can be filled with highs and lows. As we live each day, let us remember these promises and share them with others. As my oldest daughter mentioned yesterday, this time of year isn’t easy for many people who have lost loved ones, struggle with depression or can’t spend time with their families for whatever reason. She came home telling us that a student in her class lost his father this past week. We never know who may need to hear the promises of God this Advent. Let His love flow through you as you interact with his most magnificent creation, the people you meet everyday. “Andy’s Coming” is a game that our girls have been playing at school for the past several weeks. It is taken from the movie “Toy Story” and is very similar to the mannequin challenge . When someone yells “Andy’s coming!”, all of the kids fall down or move into a position pretending to be a toy. The girls love it and have a new story to tell us almost every day.
Christ is coming! Isn’t that what Christmas is all about; the coming of the newborn king to Bethlehem? It’s a time to celebrate the long awaited birth of our Savior. The Israelites had been waiting hundreds of years for the coming Messiah. They were expecting someone to come and lead them out from under Roman rule. They were looking for an earthly king and they were given a newborn babe wrapped in swaddling clothes. A child who grew up far different than anyone expected. Instead of coming with a sword he came with a healing touch, the son of a carpenter. His teachings were different than that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. He taught us to love our enemies and pray for them. He touched the untouchables and loved the unlovables. Israel was waiting for a savior to redeem them, to rescue them from their plight. And Jesus came, as an infant born to Mary. As the angel said to Joseph, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” As we wait for Christmas to arrive this year, let us wait in the Lord, let us wait in his promises. But let us not wait idly by doing nothing. Now is the time to read the Word, to put our hope in Him and His promises. It is a time to serve the Lord as we serve others. As Sharon mentioned last week, as we wait for the Lord’s coming this Advent season, let us be disciplined as we grow in our relationship with God. Let our whole being wait for the Lord as we put our hope in Him, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. Psalm 130 A song of ascents. 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; 2 Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. 3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. 5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. 6 I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. 7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. 8 He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. Ever been to a family reunion? One where you actually know everyone? We have a family reunion on my mother’s side every August. It’s something the girls look forward to every year. Why? Because they get to play with all of their third cousins and we enjoy it because it’s fun hanging out with my aunts, uncles and cousins and their children. We spend an entire weekend together. All of the family can’t make it every year, but we enjoy the time we have with those who do.
Growing up all of our family would get together at my grandparents. Everyone from out of town would come and stay at my grandma's, my aunt's or our house. As far as I can remember, no one ever stayed in a hotel. We always made room for everyone, even if it meant all of the cousins sleeping in a row in the middle of the family room. I have so many fun memories of everyone playing cards, games, laughing, eating, etc. Family celebrations of any kind are usually a lot of fun. For some it can be a stressful time, especially if everyone doesn't get along or there is family drama from the past. I love getting together with my family, but to be honest, there are times when it can be a little hard. I get overwhelmed with people around 24/7. There is a lot to do and it can be difficult to spend time with everyone. If I am completely truthful, it is hard for me to keep my mouth shut when I disagree with a family member. I’ve come along way since the “I’m always right” attitude I had during my high school/college era. For the most part, I love getting together with my family and with my in-laws. Don’t know what I would do without them. So why would I share my not so great moments with you? Because family is important. There are only a few snapshots of Jesus with his family and his birth is the first. Joseph could have shamed Mary publicly when he found out she was pregnant, but he didn’t. He was going to divorce her quietly until he had a dream, in which an angel came to him and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” So Joseph took her home to be his wife. (Matthew 1:18-25) There are times when our family members do things we don’t like, maybe they voted for the other person, or maybe they cheer for the other team. God demonstrated his love for us in that he sent his only son to earth, to be born as a baby, into a family, to later be lifted up on the cross and resurrected on the third day that we may become children of God. When we give our lives to Christ, when we are born anew, we become children of God. We become part of a much bigger family. We become brothers and sisters in Christ. I encourage you during this season of advent as you think about the birth of Christ to remember that you are an heir with Christ, you are not alone because Christ is in you and you belong to the family of God. What can you do this season to encourage your family members? What can you do to lift them up? How can you make someone else’s day brighter this Christmas season? Luke 2:1-20 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. 8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. 19 days till Christmas. Now don't worry. I won't be counting down the days till Christmas all week. But for today there is a reason which I’ll explain shortly.
This is the time of year for family get togethers, Christmas parties, white elephant gift exchanges, shopping for presents, making presents, decorating the tree, the house, and for some their cars. You know who you are. It's a time when some people work more, spend more and just ‘do’ more. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. For some of you, knowing that Christmas morning is only 19 days away brought excitement and joy. For others of you, it brought about stress and thoughts of everything you need to do before then. I fall into that second group of people. Being a natural born procrastinator (at least that's what I tell myself to deflect any blame) I often wait to get everything done at the last minute. This leads to feeling rushed to decorate, buy gifts, wrap gifts, send out Christmas cards etc. It's a never ending cycle of stress at a time that should be filled with joy and peace. It took me several years to realize that it's okay to not have the house fully decorated, that buying presents before December is actually a good idea and if I don't get Christmas cards out the world will not end. (I’ve actually contemplated the idea of sending Christmas cards in July because no one would expect it.) It’s more important for me to take time out to laugh with my children, hang out with friends and family and let go of the little things in order to rest in God’s peace. When did celebrating the birth of Jesus become such a frenzy? When did trying to get everything done replace joy and excitement? When did stress become more common than a sense of peace? For the next 19 days I encourage you to take time each day to spend resting in the Lord, take some time to enjoy life and those around you. I encourage you to reflect on the peace of God and the birth of Christ. Spend time reading and studying the Word. Mary, after giving birth to Jesus amidst the craziness of the census and the hustle and bustle of everything going on in Bethlehem, took time to ponder everything that had happened. God sent his Son to earth to bring a new hope and a different kind of peace; a peace that stills one’s heart and gives one hope for the future, a peace that reminds us that we are not alone. God is with us, Emmanuel. Luke 2:1-20 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. The Shepherds and Angels 8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. Right now I am sitting on my couch looking at our Christmas tree and the presents underneath, specifically the presents with my name on them. I am excited to open them up and see what they are. But, alas, I have to wait 20 more days. 20 days of waiting in eager expectation to see what Nathan and the girls bought me for Christmas. I didn’t tell him what I wanted so how does he know?
Now the girls, they tell us what they want for Christmas. This year has been a little harder for them to decide because we haven’t been down the toy aisles recently or watched a lot of commercials for them to ‘see’ what’s out there and decide what they want. I’ve been thinking about this a lot since my oldest daughter and I were talking about just this idea of not knowing what they want because they don’t know what’s out there. Some of the things they want for Christmas they heard about from their friends. Their friends are excited about it and share this excitement with our girls who then share their excitement with us. It’s contagious. So I’ve been thinking about this idea of our excitement being contagious. In 1 Peter 1:3-9 we read about being given new birth into a living hope, into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. That’s some exciting stuff!! We have been born anew in Christ. We have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He lives in us and is changing us. There is joy in knowing that we are children of God. This excitement and joy should be contagious. Do people around us want what we have? Is our love for God and our hope in Him evident to those we live with, those we work with or go to school with? Is His loving shining through us in such a way that those we meet want what we have? Are they experiencing Christ’s love through us? Our joy this Christmas season and throughout the year should be evident to everyone no matter our circumstances in such a way that others want what we have. As you read this passage today, I encourage you to hold fast to the promises and share your love for God and what He has done in your life with others today. 1 Peter 1:3-9 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. The day my baby brother was born was perhaps one of the best in my whole life. Waiting for my baby brother to be born was like the worst thing in the world. At least that’s how 9-year-old Sharon felt at the time. You see, David was a “surprise blessing.” Not to God, just to the rest of the family. I had prayed for a little brother, and not long afterward both my mom and my sister-in-law were expecting. So on that fateful day in early August we made our way to the hospital and the doctor started an IV that would induce labor. I was so unbelievably excited. Well David decided he wasn’t quite ready yet, and after a few hours of trying to make it happen they all gave up trying. By the time we got home I was so mad and sad and disappointed. I remember crying and telling my mother, “Everyone else has a little brother or sister, all my friends. Why can’t I have one!!” Needless to say, my suffering was not long lived, and a week later baby brother arrived strong, healthy and basically wonderful.
I think there are two kinds of suffering, and maybe a third in between. One kind is imaginary, like me mourning the delay of a baby brother’s birth. Another is real. I think what I’m about to say will speak to both, and I hope my funny little store doesn’t overshadow the profound depth of our scripture passage. How can you know if your suffering is NOT for real? A distinguishing mark of the fake sufferer is a self-centered attitude. Busy feeling sorry for myself? Yeah, I’m probably not too perceptive of what others are going through. Check yourself. Did you just make it all about you and your problems? Don’t be like that. It’s not cool (This is the being-not-cool-voice-of-experience talking, so you can trust me). There is for real suffering close by, and it’s not a competition for whose got it worse. If you look around enough there is probably someone in needthat needs divine comfort. At the end of the day I want two things to happen for us: 1) Hear God’s word of comfort. 2) Proclaim God’s word of comfort. My mother, who is arguably the best person ever, didn’t respond to my tears with, “Suck it up kid, I’m the one who has to give birth!” Clearly, that was what I disserved. Nope, my wonderful mother wrapped her arms around me and reassured me that the wait would in fact be over soon enough. The passage below speaks to a beat-up, beat-down, ran over and squished like a bug, people of Israel. This is the ripped from your homeland and marched off to slavery, for real kind of suffering. But the Lord’s salvation is not far. The prophet says to them, ““Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice overfor all her sins.” Two things to remember while you wait for the Lord’s salvation. First, know that God sees and hears you. “O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?” (27) Second, know that God can handle your real and even your perceived-suffering circumstances. “Who else has held the oceans in his hand?” (12). “Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary.” (28) Read the whole chapter, let it soak in deep. Sing with the prophet, and prepare your heart to receive the good news of Christmas. That our savior comes. Isaiah 40 (NLT) “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. 2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.” 3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! 4 Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. 5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!” 6 A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” 9 O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!” 10 Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. The Lord Has No Equal 12 Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? 13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? 14 Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? 15 No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. 16 All the wood in Lebanon’s forests and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God. 17 The nations of the world are worth nothing to him. In his eyes they count for less than nothing-- mere emptiness and froth. 18 To whom can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble him? 19 Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains? 20 Or if people are too poor for that, they might at least choose wood that won’t decay and a skilled craftsman to carve an image that won’t fall down! 21 Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand? Are you deaf to the words of God-- the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? 22 God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. 23 He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing. 24 They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and they wither. The wind carries them off like chaff. 25 “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One. 26 Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. 27 O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? 28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Yesterday you’ll remember we talked about the Lord’s discipline. I’m just throwing out an idea here. What if, instead of waiting for everything to fall apart, we discipline ourselves now. Boom! Mind. blown.
I have never been what anyone would consider “athletic.” But when I was in grade school I did enjoy cross country, mostly because my friends were doing it and I like talking. I was always a strong competitor for last place. Apparently chatting it up with your friends isn’t the kind of training technique that wins races. My brother, Tom, on the other hand, is a great runner. When we were growing up and he was in high school I remember he had these sand bags things that he strapped to his ankles. It seemed silly because clearly you would run slower that way, but as you might guess the weights were a great training technique to strengthen his leg muscles. When race time came he set the leg weights aside and ran like the wind. Two things from this passage in Hebrews that will really rock our world. First, you might have some baggage you need to get rid of. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.” Sometimes it’s a bad habit. Sometimes it’s not a bad thing, but the thing consumes way too much of our time, energy and attention. Like when I was in High School and had an addiction to online chat. It’s not as bad as it sounds, I swear. I spent a whole lot of time messaging people all over the country (back in the day when that was a thing). I realized when I woke up in the morning that was the first thing I thought about and the one thing I wanted to do all day long (again with the talking?). Not a healthy life habit. What in your life is holding you back right now, keeping you from spiritually running strong? Second, we need to pump up our level of spiritual training. I think of spiritual discipline as like strength conditioning for your spiritual will power. You start by making good decisions and little by little you realize in the face of temptation that you got this! Yeah, there are tough times, but you are strong enough to handle them because you know that you are a child of God. How do you know that? Because every day you were reminded through scripture, prayer, Christian fellowship and so on. “And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” (Cue rocky theme… Duh-na-nah… Duh na nah… na-na-na-na nuh nuh nuh… ) “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.” That’s Advent 101. How do you get ready to celebrate the birth of our Messiah? Train hard, run strong and keep moving forward. (And also read the passage below. It’s a good one) Hebrews 12.1-13 [NLT] 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. 5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. 6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” 7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? 10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. A little about me. I was the fourth of five children and the only girl. Although my brothers would probably like to dispute it now, but I was clearly everyone’s favorite. However, my own personal claim to fame is that I am the one with the strongest will. My dad says that, so it must be true. Although I’m not so sure he means it as a compliment, that’s how I always take it.
I was born in Santa Cruz, CA where my parents pastored a church and mission on Elm Street. As mentioned previously, everyone loved me. But there was the nicest lady, her name is Faith, who especially loved me. My middle name is Faith, so I always figured we were kindred spirits. She had two boys around my age, and she liked to bring me fun little presents. One Sunday she brought me the biggest most beautiful rainbow colored lollypop. I took it from Faith and did not say, “Thank you.” So my dad made me give it back. We stood there, and I’m sure it was super uncomfortable for everyone, while my dad says, “Sharon, tell Faith Thank You.” And at first I don’t think I really understood what was happening, and then later it was just the principle of it. I wasn’t going to say it because now it was a test of who could hold out the longest. Three year olds are tough like that. We went through this ritual several more times and I honestly don’t remember if I ever got that lollypop. I do however, always remember to say, “Thank You.” I am truly grateful for parents who endured awkward social situations so that I can be a better person. But I’m most thankful for their insistence on good habits built on a foundation of spiritual encouragement. This advent season I’d like you to take a minute to reflect with gratitude on the Lord’s discipline. I know, you might have to grit your teeth to do it. But most of us have lived through a few challenges in life and come out on the other side better for it. You have to admit that you’ve had moments when you rebelled against God’s direction. You did your own thing. Or maybe like me you stomped your foot and said, “No!” just because. Consequences are often the best thing for us. And if we are willing to submit ourselves to God we will always come through better than before. For the Lord disciplines those he loves. Tomorrow we will talk about how to prepare for Christmas, Advent 101. Hebrews 12.1-13 [NLT] 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. 5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. 6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” 7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? 10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. |
AuthorThe Pastors of Cornerstone Wesleyan Church Archives
July 2017
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