I know some of you are
well into December 25th at
this point
When my sons spoke to
their dad yesterday, he was already enjoying Christmas morning
In fact, he was out doing
his morning exercises
I think it is admirable
that he does not break routine even on Christmas
Day
Yet – there was One who
broke routine on the very first Christmas so long ago
Jesus came to break our
routine
His birth separated time –
his actions reflected in His name ‘Emmanuel’
The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us
The beginning of that
section of scripture notes:
‘In the
beginning as the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was
with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him
nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the
light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has
not overcome it’ John 1:1-5
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD HAD COME
Jesus – the light of the
world – had come for us all
AND HE STILL SHINES!
Everything He was, He still is and shall be forever –
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
today and forevermore [Hebrews 13:8]
He is still Wonderful, Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace
What a tremendous blessing!
This morning –
Whether you are just
starting your Christmas morning,
Or whether you are moving
toward the end of your Christmas day;
May the blessings of the
LORD abound in your heart and home, today and always
May the Blessing from the
LORD – Jesus Christ – be the center of your focus
I pray you have a tremendously
blessed day today
Merry Christmas!
‘Let us fix our eyes on
Jesus, the Author and Finisher our faith …’ Hebrews 12:2
It is not the ‘night
before Christmas’ as the famous old poem notes,
But, it is the morning before Christmas –
The little ones are waking
up with anticipation – one more day until Christmas!
The ‘big’ ones are waking
up with trepidation – still a few more gifts to get & planning to do
The season continues to
awaken the feelings of awe & wonder
CHRISTMAS EVE is here!
It truly is a WONDER-FILLED time of year
A time of year where we
can and should focus on the overwhelming LOVE OF GOD
But this takes effort –
especially in a year like 2020
There are so many
distractions & things that try to steal the wonder of this season:
Perhaps you have some
errands to run this morning –
Perhaps Christmas is not
looking quite the way you would have imagined or desired
Perhaps you are feeling a
bit underwhelmed due to challenges and loss
I know it is difficult
This is my first Christmas
without my mom, where I will not get to see her sweet face on Christmas day – the very first time in forty-nine years
But I know, she is having
a glorious time in heaven this Christmas
My circumstances do not define
His nature or character
‘Who
is like You, O LORD …
majestic
in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?’
Exodus
15:11
Know this today –
The Wonderful Counselor is
still very much in the business of working WONDERS
May the God of all peace
guard your hearts and minds this Christmas Eve
I pray you will stay safe
and that joy will abound!
Have a Blessed Day
Wishing You Much Love!
‘Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy – think about such things’
These are two powerful words. Each has an ability to change
the trajectory of not only one’s own life and legacy, but the lives of those
around them as well.
The Word of God tells us that stormy challenges and
circumstances come to all – irrespective of age, gender, race, nationality,
socio-economic status or faith. The battles and the struggles which arise as a
result are inevitable.
HOWEVER –
I believe in every journey – for those truly intense battles
– there arises in the heart of the warrior a determined conviction to: FIGHT AND WIN … OR DIE TRYING
For the believer, it is understood that either scenario results in victory – “[For] If we live, we live for the LORD; and if we die, we die for the
LORD. So whether we live or die, we belongto the LORD.” Romans 14:8
No matter the outcome - the battle must be fought
Now, sometimes the LORD will call you to be still and see
the salvation of the LORD.
But, other times, He will command you just as He did King
David,
“Arise! Pursue! For you shall surely overtake them and recover all!”
I Samuel 30:8
There are times when the battle will require physical action
However, there are times when He will remind us –
“For the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal
but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts
itself against the knowledge of God…” II Corinthians 10:4-5
There will be times when praise and worship are the
strategic battle plan of the day
Old Testament Battle
at Tekoa – where Jehoshaphat sent out the praise team ahead of the army (II
Chronicles 20)
First Century Prison –
Where Paul and Silas sang their way to freedom (Acts 16:25-36)
End Time Revelation –
where we are reminded that what we say, the words of our testimony, work in
concert with the blood of Jesus to cause us to overcome and bring about victory
(Revelation 12:11)
But, the LORD is for peace, isn’t He?
Yes – ultimately
Yet, He Himself said, “Do you suppose
that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all,but rather division” (Luke 12:51)
A
similar account is found in the book of Matthew – and I am particularly fond of
the Message Version of this section of Scripture:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Stand up for Me
against world opinion and I’ll stand up for you before My Father in heaven. If
you turn tail and run, do you think I’ll cover for you?
“Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy. I’ve come to
cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride
and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for
God...”
Matthew 10:32-37
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No
– there should be no mistake on why He came. He declared it Himself
while He was on the earth giving His disciples on how to pray to the Father – “Your
kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”
That is the charge –
to establish His kingdom order in every sector of our hearts individually and
in every sector of society universally
SO KEEP FIGHTING
SOLDIER –
DO NOT GROW WEARY IN WELL DOING;
ON YOUR KNEES – IN PRAYER,
WITH THE SWORD – WHICH
IS THE WORD,
IN THE ATMOSPHERE –
WITH PRAISE AND SHOUTS OF VICTORY!!!
There is a song which I keep hearing lately. In fact, there
have been times I have gone to sleep and awakened in the morning with this song
resounding in my heart. It has been performed by multiple musical artist. However,
I am particularly fond of the rendition done by one musical assembly. The song –
Surrounded
(This is how I fight my battles) by Upper Room. I have provided a link in
the comments section. Take a listen when you have the opportunity …
I have not written here [or
anywhere not related to school] in quite some time. When we last left off –
ironically – I was writing about praise predators, things that will derail our Endless
Praise. And, wouldn’t you know? I got completely derailed by life,
working 55-60 hours per week, continuing my college studies and taking care of
my mom four-days a week. Then illness struck … three times! I do not say that
to garner sympathy but to emphasize that sometimes life just happens. However,
the important thing to keep in mind is to pick right back up where you left off
and … keep moving forward. The endless praise remains … even in the
midst of the trials … even when we feel unworthy and worn out.
He is worthy of praise … His love is
praiseworthy!
Several weeks ago, I heard a
song which captivated me and had me in tears. It was the song Reckless
Love by Bethel. It is a powerful song about the amazing and endless
love that God has for each one of us. And, its lyrics reminded me of His
relentless pursuit of me …
“Before I spoke a word … You were speaking
over meYou have been so, so good to me …Before I took a breath … You breathed Your
life in meYou have been so, so kind to me …Ohhh … the overwhelming, never-ending
reckless love of GodOh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m
found, leaves the ninety-nine.I couldn’t earn it …And, I don’t deserve it …Still You give Yourself awayOh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless
love of God”
Simply amazing lyrics!!!
Yet, that is not what had me
in tears.
As I struggled to make sense
of some of the situations I was experiencing and crying out to God, wondering
where He was in the midst of my situations – I was reminded, through this song,
that my focus was all wrong.
Self-focused and
self-absorbed, I had reached a point where I failed to continue to see His reckless
love as something truly marvelous, something to observe and to stand in awe
and wonder. The song goes on to state:
“There’s no shadow You won’t light upMountain You won’t climb up … coming after
meThere’s no wall You won’t kick downLie You won’t tear down … coming after me”
It is that love … that amazing and unyielding love which He has for all of creation. And, while there are ample situations which
I have brought upon myself, there are some that have occurred as a side effect
of living life – of being human … in a fallen world. And as I wrestled to
understand why the Father would let me endure those situations, I was reminded
that He will allow those who have been reconciled to Him already to endure
whatever it takes to bring that one home to Him. The same way He allowed His
own Son Jesus Christ to endure the unthinkable as He shone His light into the
darkness of all time … ascended the mountain of Calvary, suffered and died on
the cross, kicked down the walls of death, hell and the grave … and came after
me … and you … after that family member … after that neighbor … after that
criminal … after that spouse … after that ex-spouse … after that boss, that
co-worker, that friend, that enemy. And the most amazing part of that truth is
the reality that He did it for each and every one of us without condition. That
amazing song by Bethel continues …
"While I was Your foe, You love fought for
meYou have been so, so good to me …When I felt no worth, You paid it all for
meYou have been so, so kind to me …"
You see, He did not wait
until I was in a place of wholeness – for I could never be whole or complete
without Him.
He did not base His love for
and His pursuit of me upon my goodness – for I could never be good enough.
For all have sinned and fallen short of
the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
No, before I ever made a
decision to follow Him – He gave His all
for me without expectation of anything in return.
Because love, true love, does not make
demands of others that it be reciprocated.
True love only makes demands of itself
that it be communicated and demonstrated.
God demonstrated His love in His giving …
Christ demonstrated His love in His dying
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son (John 3:16)
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)
God, in all His goodness, reminded me –
Through this song and through
so many other ways in these past few months –
This is how He loves me and how He desires me to love
others.
I pray all
is going well for you this Sunday. As usual, it was a great time at church and
now my task is to get some dinner prepared and ready myself for the return to my
university studies. Will it ever be
complete? At times it feels like it is an elusive fantasy. And yet I am
determined to keep chasing it until it is complete. Thankfully, I at least have
a day off from work tomorrow.
This post
was actually started on Tuesday. As I thought about our theme of Endless Praise
for 2017, I started to consider some of the issues which could derail praise –
to start to examine some of the praise predators which exist, aimed at keeping us from
doing the one thing we were created to do, which is praise the LORD.
This section
has been divided into two parts to ensure that sufficient attention is given to
the items which can get in the way of endless praise in 2017. In this first
section, we will look at the praise predator of sin and its effects on endless praise. Next week, will
be a little lighter … I promise … where we will look at Comfort, Contentment and
Commitment. All are still very significant topics, however, still a little
lighter than the praise predator up for discussion this week – the subject of
sin.
In this
modern day, it has actually become somewhat unpopular to discuss the topic of
sin – unless it is piously scrutinizing the shortcomings and behaviors of
others. It is much harder to examine one’s own life … harder still to be transparent
about what is found.
Jesus, in speaking to His disciples
declared, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s
friends.” Just before saying this, it is noted, “My command is this: Love each
other as I have loved you.”
That being
said, I have wrestled significantly with the idea of sharing this post.
When we look at what Jesus did in
loving us, we find:
He endured the cross, scorning its
shame so that we could be free. (Heb. 12:2)
“He was despised
and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one
from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low
esteem. Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered
him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our
transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought
us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have
gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and theLordhas laid on him the iniquity of us
all.” (Is. 53:3-6)
Beyond the physical act of enduring
the cross in laying down His life for us, Jesus laid aside any claims to personal
pride and individual privacy. He was willing to forfeit the favor of men and to endure
scrutiny and ridicule so that we would be able to praise God with everything
have and everything we are. This is the laying down of life that He did for
each one of us. And He encourages us to love one another in like manner. Now,
there may be instances [and have been instances] where a friend has been tasked
with physically laying down their life for another. It is the ultimate display
of love and sacrifice. However, each of is called to lay down our life in love,
to follow Jesus’ example. So what does that look like practically? To me, it
looks like an individual who has enough love for his friends to lay bare his
life, to be transparent – in hopes that it will help one have a more fruitful
walk with fewer pitfalls.
There is no
discussion on sin which could capture all of the areas of struggle which are
encountered. Therefore, I will focus on just one aspect which has current
relevance for me – this being done with the recognition that the ultimate
solution is the same regardless of the specific iniquity.
Working full
time, going to school, managing my household, taking care of my mom and getting
back to writing, my calendar is pretty packed – leaving little time to meet
people. Therefore, I have recently stepped out of my comfort zone and delved into the
online dating scene - about three months ago. I have not been on a date in
fifteen years. And, without going into graphic detail, when you find yourself attracted
to someone, and those feelings reciprocated, it presents an entire realm of
spiritual wrestling that I did not entirely anticipate. The struggle is real!
And what I
have realized is that I had come to a point where I was – not intentionally but
nevertheless, actually – taking pride in my ‘discipline and self-control’ of
being chaste in thoughts and action/inaction all these years. However, the true test of self-control is not in avoiding
the temptation all together. It is wisdom ... but it is not necessarily
self-control. The true test is having the opportunity and seduction right within
your grasp and choosing to be self-controlled and not entertain it. This is a
much greater challenge. This is why …
It is essential to take every
thought captive.
Trust me … I'm speaking from experience ... left
unchecked, you will find yourself thinking things you have no business thinking
and saying things you have no business saying. Then, riddled
with guilt, there is that feeling – much like Adam and Eve experienced in
the beginning – of the need to hide from God … as if it were possible.
We know from
scripture, ‘Each person is tempted when
they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.' James 1:14-15
A random thought ...
Gives birth to a series of thoughts,
Which gives birth to
enticement and desire:
Desire gives birth to sin
Sin gives birth to death
And what does it kill?
It kills our praise, it kills
our fellowship with the LORD.
Do we not know, ‘He inhabits the praises of His people’?
(Ps. 22:3)
Therefore, if we are left unwilling or unable to
praise – because of sin – what does this do to His dwelling place within our
lives?
Yet despite
these struggles and stumbles, this is all the LORD keeps saying to me: “There
is nothing you could think, or feel, or say, or do … that will ever change
My love for you.”
This does not condone sin or give
license to live without regard. What it does, is remind me – and anyone in a
similar situation – that there is no condemnation for them that are in Christ
Jesus (Rom. 8:1). It declares that the power of sin and death was defeated by
Jesus at the cross. Our praise, our worship, our fellowship does not have to be
hindered or interrupted because of our actions – even when those actions are
not in keeping with the Father’s will for our lives.
For me in,
in this season, I must guard myself relationally. I still have not gone on a date and have removed myself from the online dating community. For you, it will be something
else entirely. Yet, no matter the area of struggle, the solution and response
from our LORD is the same and unchanging: ‘There is
nothing that can change My love for you.’
Our best behavior could never earn
the love of God and our worst could never drive it away.
Ever
thankful for this truth – still we must not allow ourselves to be bogged down in
situations and circumstances which will hinder our praise and worship in any
way.
He caused me to stumble upon a song
recently [definitely not coincidentally] which says, in part: ‘Don’t turn your
eyes from Me, for My love won’t be undone. Don’t hide your face from Me, for My
light has surely come … Lift up your voice and sing, know that My love won’t
let you go … I’m closer than you know.’
Here is a
link to that song which so pointedly captures the heart of this message and the
Father’s response to us in times of struggle. I hope you enjoy it …
Hillsong United … Closer Than You
Know
Praying That You Have a
Truly Blessed & Victorious Week!
“Yes, I have loved you with an
everlasting love …” —Jeremiah 31:3
I pray your
new year is off to a great start! Here where I live in Virginia Beach, VA, we
are starting the year with our first snow storm of the year. Yes, Virginia
Beach only received 4-6 inches of snow yesterday. However, those amounts are debilitating
for a city ill-equipped to handle any type of accumulation.
Today, temperatures
are not expected to rise above freezing, further complicating matters with
issues of icy roads. We are officially under a snow-induced house arrest. Roads …
horrendous. Temperature … freezing. Winds ... blowing. Even church was cancelled this morning!
However, my
home church – Bridge Church – had an awesome time of praise and worship and
prayer via Facebook Live! I am so thankful for my senior pastors Archie and
Tangie Callahan. I am even more thankful for the Holy Spirit – whose presence
filled my living room as I tuned in online. It was actually quite overwhelming.
That is the
beautiful thing about praise – it can happen any time, any place, right where
you are, no matter what you are experiencing. That same atmosphere that is
present in physical environment of corporate worship is available – and was
present – in our online gathering this morning. In fact, I think this snow was
a blessing in disguise!
You see – there are times when praise
and worship must be undignified!
There are
those moments when the tears begin flowing almost immediately and
uncontrollably – eyes red, voice shaking, hands trembling and nose running. It’s
not pretty … but it is real and powerful! That is the praise and worship and
prayer which took place this morning.
In II
Samuel, chapter 6, verses 14-22 the tale is told of King David and his undignified,
yet unashamed, praise before the LORD. It accounts how David’s wife, Michal,
criticized him for exposing himself to the scrutiny of others as he danced and
praised the LORD for His goodness.
The Message
Version of the Bible records David’s response to Michal:
“In God’s presence I’ll
dance all I want! … Oh yes, I’ll dance to God’s glory – more recklessly even
than this. And as far as I’m concerned … I’ll gladly look like a fool!”
Haven’t we
all had those moments? There are times when our praise cannot be contained and
we do not care who sees, who hears, or how terrible we look. His is the only
favor we seek. Sometimes, it is represented with a dance, at others times with
a shout, and still other times with a cry …
Yet, whether
you are in the position of having to expose your praise to the criticizing eye
of others – or whether the LORD provides an opportunity for private undignified
praise – as He did for me this morning while being snowed-in … the
point is … to praise Him!
With
everything we’ve got, with every feeling we possess, with every breath in our
lungs … let’s set our minds – this year, every month, every day,
moment-to-moment to praise the One who alone is worthy.
Here is a
song we sang today … I hope you enjoy it
I pray your New Year is off
to a great start and that you are eagerly anticipating all that 2017 has to
offer. With this being the first day of the New Year, it seemed an appropriate
time to chart the course before this 2017 journey begins.
Understand this – no matter
where your individual road carries you throughout the remainder of this New
Year, one thing is certain: Praise will be the fuel to keep you going.
In the book of II
Chronicles, an account is provided of a situation where enemy forces stood
ready to wage war against the Israelites. Yet, a word of encouragement came to
Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah:
“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand
firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you,
Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face
them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” II Chronicles
20:17
What
followed was a detailed account of steps taken by Jehoshaphat and the people,
in response to this declaration:
“Jehoshaphat bowed down with
his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in
worship before the Lord.” II Chronicles 20:18
“Then some Levites from the
Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel,
with a very loud voice.” II
Chronicles 20:19
“After consulting the
people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise
him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the
army, saying:
“Give
thanks to the Lord,
for his love endures forever.”
II
Chronicles 20:21
“As they
began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and
Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” II
Chronicles 20:22
In
response to their praise, the LORD waged war on their behalf and secured their
victory against their enemies. There was no task left for the people of God but
to collect the spoils.
Understand this – Your
victory is closer than you think!
It is right at the tip of your tongue.
So let us make a
determination today, this first day of 2017, that no matter what the coming
days and months hold, we shall praise the One who stands alone as worthy of
praise.
Praying you have a blessed
day and an exciting year full of realized expectations and sudden surprises!
Here is a beautiful song I
stumbled upon this New Year’s Eve.
It is not new … but it is new to me ... and so
fitting for our first communication of 2017.
Hillsong UNITED – Even When
It Hurts (Praise Song)
Be Blessed … and … Happy
New Year!
“Through Jesus, therefore,
Let us continually offer to God a sacrifice
of praise—
So glad His mercies are new EVERY MORNING ... Because yesterday was a nightmare TODAY ... It's a brand new day!
THIS WEEKEND ... Read & study, read & study and then ... read & study some more What better way to start the day than some prayer, some reading, and this great song ...
TobyMac - Me Without You
'The LORD is my
strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps
for joy, and with my song I praise Him.' Psalm 28:7
