How Much?

I have very little patience with salesmen. When I go into a place that sells a product, it is because I already have an interest in buying, or I wouldn’t be there in the first place. Before I leave the house, I decide what I am going after and where I am going to get it. All that is left is for me to see the item and decide if I am still interested. The only piece of information I need at that time is the price. Any other questions I have will be asked after I decide if I am willing to pay the price that is being quoted.

Luke 14
²⁷And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me.²⁸"But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills? ²⁹Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh at you! ³⁰They would say, `There's the person who started that building and ran out of money before it was finished!'

At every turn, Jesus was met with great crowds of people. Some were interested only in the spectacle of the man who was attracting so much attention. Others were there to see if they could catch this self-professed Son of God in a situation that would merit getting rid of Him. Still others were truly seeking to get to know this one who taught love and peace, and offered a life that went on forever. Jesus knew that His words had to minister to the hearts of all those that heard Him speak, and saw His work.

In this passage, Jesus offers a word of caution to those who were following Him on His walk to Jerusalem. There is a lot more to being a disciple than just following Jesus around, listening to His teaching and witnessing His miracles. Before you sign on to discipleship, make sure you understand the requirements. The difference between a disciple and a believer is that disciples put their beliefs into action. Not only do they hear and believe the talk – they walk the walk.

Jesus tells the crowd that a person who claims to be a disciple and is not willing to live up to the principles that He teaches will become a detriment to the spreading of the Good News. Satan uses those people as negative examples of Christians. Like the person who starts a project and is unable to complete it because they failed to make sure they had the necessary resources, the “Sunday Christian" becomes an impediment to the furtherance of the Kingdom.

The Bible says, “Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Salvation is a free gift – unconditional and undeserved. Discipleship has its cost. Jesus said that, if we are to be a disciple, we must not only accept the work that Jesus did for us on the cross, we must take up our own cross every day. We are on this world for a purpose. Jesus’ purpose was to provide the one and only path to salvation for a world lost in sin. It took the cross of Calvary for Him to complete that purpose. The Holy Spirit will guide us to our purpose, but we must be willing to embrace it wholeheartedly if we are to be disciples.

Being a true disciple is more than just walking the same road, it involves bearing the same load.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Attaboy

We humans are creatures that crave attention. Even if we are able to go about our three score and ten on this earth in total humility, we can’t help but be uplifted when someone pats us on the back and says, “Good job!” Hopefully we are able to turn the compliment into praise to the Father who gives us the strength to do everything we do, but we still get a warm fuzzy when our work is recognized. Sometimes that recognition comes in the form of a smile on the face of someone whose opinion we value, but however it is communicated, we all need an “attaboy” occasionally.

Luke 10 (NIV)

²¹At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

To properly understand this passage, we need to go back to the beginning of the chapter. Jesus has selected seventy-two additional disciples to participate in the spreading of the Gospel. These people had obviously been around Jesus and His apostles for some time, learning about the Good News themselves. Evidently there were more than seventy-two who were being discipled because Jesus had to pick the ones He wanted for this assignment. This is a perfect example of the “x factor” at work. Those who were closely following Jesus were growing in numbers not by addition but by multiplication. The original twelve were now more than seventy-two.

These newly appointed evangelists were given the charge to go into the towns where Jesus was going and share the Good News. Now Jesus did not send these disciples out without letting them know what to expect. Remember, the Pharisees and other religious leaders had already made up their minds that Jesus had to go. He wanted to make sure the ones who were sent out understood the perils they would be facing. Jesus was very blunt with His warning, “Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” (Luke 10:3) This was not going to be a walk in the park, and He wanted them to know what to expect.

After the traveling evangelists returned, they reported back to Jesus. Joyfully they said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” (Luke 10:17) Jesus replied that He had seen Satan fall from Heaven like lightning. He saw the results of their labors, but He warned them not to get so wrapped up in the outward signs of His power manifested in them that they forget the source of that power. Notice what He said, “do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in Heaven.” (Luke 10:20)

If you do not believe that God is aware of what we do on this earth, read this passage. Luke tells us that, “Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit …” Think about that! Jesus was happy about what these disciples had done. How many times do we read in the Scripture that Jesus was “full of joy?” What was it that created this joy in our Savior? He was happy because of what these disciples had accomplished in His name. They had learned the joy of taking their rightful place of dominion over the forces of evil. They had experienced victory over the devil. That was the source of their joy and that of Jesus. Notice then what Jesus did. He gave the glory to His Father. What a beautiful example for us to follow.

There is an old Celtic proverb that says, “Never give a sword to a man who doesn’t know how to dance.” It simply means that one must be able to tap into that inner joy that comes from knowing that we are fighting for The King and those who are His children. If we don’t have that joy, we cannot wield the sword in His name. This is the truth for which Jesus praised His Father. Those who are “wise in their own eyes” cannot understand it, but a child who has experienced the love of Jesus knows exactly what it means.

Do you want to bring joy to Jesus? ”Go ye therefore” armed with the Sword of the Spirit and filled with the joy of the dance of fellowship with the Father. That is His joy!

 We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Before and After

The first definition of the word "time" in Webster's Dictionary is the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues, or a nonspatial continuum that is measured in terms of events which succeed one another from past through present to future. In other words, our concept of time is relative. We measure time as the interval between tangible events – typically the beginning and the end – or before and after.

Genesis 1 (NIV)
¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

These ten words are among the most debated in the world of science and religion. The major stumbling block boils down to the words, "In the beginning." Our minds have been filled with the concept of relativity – the fact that measurement of time and space must relate to something. Everything must happen after something else. Our finite minds tell us that, if God created the heavens and the earth at a specific point in time, something must have preceded this act. We take the these words and analyze them without taking into account the next word in the phrase – God.

God! Without understanding the infinite nature of the Creator, we cannot understand the finite nature of His creation. Time is a concept that God gave man to come to grips with the fact that there is a beginning and an end to everything in this universe. In one of Bill Cosby's comedy routines, he describes a very frustrating encounter with his son. At the end of his patience, Cosby tells the boy, "I brought you into this world and I can take you out." Just like life as we know it started at conception and ends when God calls us home - time started "in the beginning" and will end when we no longer need it to separate events in our lives.

I cannot explain the concept of infinity. Even though my life's work has been in various fields of science, my brain does not compute the meaning of infinite – and it doesn't bother me. Over the years, one thing has become clear to me – there are things that I will not and do not need to be able to explain. These things are God's. I have come to the conclusion that it is easier for me to wrap my brain around the concept of a Creator God having chosen to speak this universe into existence than it is to accept the concept of the accidental evolution of a glob of primordial ooze.

Try as we might, we will never separate ourselves from our "point in time" mentality. Creation is not a point in time – it is the beginning of time itself. God is infinite. He does not need time – we do. We must accept by faith this concept of creation. Why? Because it is the first step in accepting the fact of "recreation" – being born again. God did not create the heavens and the earth on a whim. He has a plan and mankind is a part of that plan. In fact, if you read the account of the creation in Genesis, you will find that it took only twenty-five verses – five days – to craft the universe and all the animals and plants. The rest of the account is dedicated to the real reason God made the earth. In verse twenty-six of Genesis 1, man comes on the scene. The rest of the Bible is God's testament to His love for all mankind.

Genesis means origins. In His infinite love, God created the heavens and the earth. In His infinite mercy, He created a way for us to have a relationship with Him. The ten words in this verse start a love story that every man, woman, and child will have to deal with. We can analyze it and try to squeeze the message into our little boxes of time and space – or we can exercise our measure of faith and follow Him instead of trying to explain Him.

The choice is ours.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Dependability

We all have people who are or have been in our lives that affect the way we live. I am one of those who were blessed with a dad that taught me more than life skills – he instilled in me life lessons. One of the things that I learned from him is that most, if not all, opinions of a person are based on actions, not words. Over the years, I have observed that he always does more than what he says he will do. When he accepts a task or a responsibility, my father always goes the extra mile. At the end of the day, he has always finished the job he agreed to do, but there are other things that he has quietly taken care of at the same time. That’s how he defines dependability.

Hebrews 13 (NLT) ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ⁹So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your spiritual strength comes from God's special favor, not from ceremonial rules about food, which don't help those who follow them.

This passage is one that we hear quoted often. It is a comfort to Christians to know that, whatever happens in the world around us, Jesus never changes. We know that even if we do not follow Him, as we should, Jesus never changes. Mountaintop or valley, sickness or health – Jesus never changes. That is a foundation block of the church. However, there is more to this passage than comfort. Looked at in the context of the preceding chapters, there is also a warning.

Two chapters back in Hebrews, we find the Hall of Fame of Faith. Listed in this chapter are examples of the exploits and trials of those who chose to follow God through faith. Some of the stories present extraordinary events that came about because someone was willing to trust in the fact that God was in control of the situation in spite of all the physical evidence to the contrary. Others are less spectacular, but just as much a picture of a walk of faith. There are two things that all of the heroes of faith have in common. Hebrews 11:39 states: “All of these people we have mentioned received God's approval because of their faith.” It goes on to say: “yet none of them received all that God had promised.” They had faith in God even though they never saw the completion of His promise.

Jesus never changes. Our approval in the eyes of God comes from our faith in the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. God declared the heroes of faith righteous because of their faith, not their works. We have the joy of salvation because of our faith in the Son. However, when we start to try to take care of things on our own and stray from the walk of faith, we must be ready to accept the consequences. In Hebrews 12:6, the writer quotes from Proverbs saying: “For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children.” Because we are justified by our faith, we must be corrected when we allow our faith to waver.

The way to the Father has not changed one iota since before time began. Jesus Christ is The Way, The Truth, and The Life – and He always has been. The Old Testament heroes based their faith on the promise of the coming Messiah. We base our faith on the completed work of that same Messiah and all who are justified by faith look forward to the return of the Messiah.

Jesus never changes.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Memories

When we were kids, we used to play a game called Gossip. Someone would whisper a story to the first person in line that would pass the story on to the next person, and so on down the line until the last person had heard it. When the last person recounted their version of the tale to the group, it rarely bore much resemblance to the one that had started in the beginning.

Hebrews 10 (NIV)
 ³²Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. ³³Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. ³⁴You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

 ³⁵So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. ³⁶You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

The writer of Hebrews is exhorting his readers to hang on to the memories of their first encounter with the saving power of Jesus. He wants them to keep the joy and the desire to share this Good News that comes with salvation. “Remember how you remained faithful.” When one first allows the Savior into their hearts, there is nothing more important than nurturing that relationship. There is a sense of urgency about their walk with the Lord. These are things that we should strive to keep in our minds as we go about our day-to-day lives.

However, like the players in a game of Gossip, we tend to remember parts of what we experience. The writer reminds his audience that there were bad times – times of suffering and ridicule. Even in those situations, the new believer tries to stay the course and trust in the power of Jesus to get them through. Not only do they endure these trials, they try to help others who might be going through the same problems. Regardless of the situation, these new believers remained faithful.

Notice that the passage starts out with: “Don't ever forget those early days when you first learned about Christ.” The inference here is that the readers have changed since they first met Jesus. They no longer have that fire that comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As was the case with the church at Ephesus in Revelation, these people did not love God or others as they first had. They had lost their first love. The relationship was still there, but the fellowship was not.

Churches all over the world are suffering from the effects of Christians who have lost the joy of their salvation and Satan is celebrating a victory. Lukewarm believers are the best advertisement the Devil could ask for. Not only does he celebrate this situation, he cultivates it. When we allow ourselves to fall back into a state of mere existence as a Christian, the devil does everything in his power to keep us from realizing our situation. As long as he can point to us as examples of what Christ does to people, he is happy.

God’s message to the church is to return to the joy and the excitement that comes from knowing what your future holds. Share the Good News and minister to the body so that people will see that we are different. We have problems just like everyone else, but we don’t let them get us down because we know where our future lies. As the hymn says – “Let Others See Jesus in You.”

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Trailblazers

Sometimes I think that mankind in general has lost sight of what it took to bring us to where we are today. There have been pioneers in all cultures and all disciplines that have accepted the ridicule that comes from advancing new theories and suffered the deprivation that results from investing your entire existence in a dream. These trailblazers were willing to walk the unmarked path to make it easier for those who followed. Granted, we have a long way to go in some areas, but history tells us that we have made great strides, benefiting from the willingness of others to remain true to their convictions.

Hebrews 13 (NLT)
¹²So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. ¹³Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong.

Exhaustion is a state of physical or mental tiredness that results in collapse. When we say that we are exhausted, we mean that we have decided not to do any more until we stop and rest. Medically speaking, that is not exhaustion. True exhaustion is when your body has reached the point of shutdown. I remember watching the Olympic Games some years ago as a marathon runner entered the stadium after hours of running. The brain was no longer in control of the runner’s muscles. He was weaving from side to side on the track, unable to focus on the finish line. You could tell that there was nothing left in reserve. Contrary to the rules, officials guided this runner to the finish line where he collapsed. Every ounce of physical and emotional strength had been consumed – he had truly exhausted his supply of energy.

The writer of Hebrews recognized that the Christian life could have the same effect on a believer’s body. Every aspect of our being – body, mind, and spirit – can be used up in service to God. We can reach the point where we can think of nothing else but going home to be with our Savior. In fact, when we truly walk in the footsteps of Jesus - that will be the outcome. We will be consumed in the process of our mission and our ministry. However, this passage reminds us that God alone makes the call as to when that point is reached.

Scripture tells us that, when we think we are all spent, we are finally in the position of really making a difference. We are forced out of ourselves and into the position of total dependence on the Father. When we hold on even when there is no strength in our hands, we realize that our hands are being held in the hands of God. When we pull ourselves up on shaky legs, we feel the Father’s hands lifting us to our feet. When we take that step of faith on the path that God has laid out, we see Jesus showing us where we are headed.

The result of this type of obedience and faith is an example for those who follow us on our journey through this hostile land. Our willingness to stand in the face of adversity strengthens the resolve of others. Our hand, however tired, stretched out to help a brother provides energy to their walk. If we are following Jesus on our journey, they will be able to see Him also. We are marking the trail so that others can avoid the pitfalls we have encountered.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Outburst

All dramatic presentations have a unique characteristic that defines the type of drama being performed. The mystery will have a group of people that appear to be suspects, but in the dramatic closing, the real culprit is unmasked. The comedy will generally have one character that cannot seem to get anything right, but ends up being the hero of the play. The musical is undoubtedly the most recognizable of the dramatic forms. The characters seem to burst forth in song at the drop of a hat, and, most of the time, they bring the hat.

Hebrews 10 (NIV)
²³Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The writer of Hebrews gives us the “Manual of Interpersonal Relationships for Christians” in three short verses. It is a three-step process –

Think about each other

Spend time with each other

Encourage each other

The objective of this process is to keep the coals of love and service alive. It is interesting to note that we are encouraged to think about each other before we spend time with each other. In other words, we need to be intentional in the consideration of our ministry to each other.

The New Living Testament translates verse 24 like this:

²⁴Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.

Like the songs in the musicals, our acts of love and good deeds should just burst out of a heart that has been encouraged by a brother or sister in Christ. That encouragement comes from someone who has thought about us and fellowshipped with us in order to provide the boost we needed. It is a victorious circle that just keeps getting bigger as we follow the manual.

Try out the process. It seemed to work quite well for Jesus. Time after time, He considered those who were His inner circle of followers and built them up for the work they had in front of them. Think about a fellow Christian and allow God to guide you to the area of encouragement they need. If you do, He will provide the opportunity for you to “stir” and "spur." We may buck a little when the spur is used, but the end result is a closer walk with God. When that happens, step back and watch the outburst of love and good deeds that follows. It won’t be long before the circle comes back around to you.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Intercession

The dictionary defines intercession as the act of pleading on somebody’s behalf or trying to resolve conflict. To be a good intercessor one must understand both sides of the issue. The best intercessors are the ones who have lived in the world of both parties involved in the conflict. That is when the best results are obtained.

Hebrews 4
 ¹⁴Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The writer of the book of Hebrews presents Jesus Christ in his role as High Priest. Like a lawyer building his case in court, he lays down layer upon layer of evidence to support his case. In the first chapter of this book we find the scriptural evidence of the relationship between God and His Son. The Bible tells us that Jesus was created above the angels. Even His name is greater than their names. As we proceed through the book, we are warned not to stray from the truth of Jesus Christ because the day is coming when He will reign over all the earth. Even though He was made a little lower than the angels for a time, Christ is still the Son of God to whom has been promised all creation. Jesus is even greater than the patriarch Moses, who walked with God, but was unable to enter the Promised Land because he allowed his anger to get in the way of his service.

In this chapter, the writer is describing the rest promised to those who are faithful to their calling as Christ-followers. He tells us that the promise of a place of rest is one that will never go away. However, we should be constantly vigilant to insure that there are none who will be excluded because they did not know about the promise, or chose to ignore it like the Israelites did in the Old Testament. This passage starts off with the explanation of Jesus’ position as High Priest. Because of the judgment spoken of in the previous verses, we must have someone to carry our petitions to the Father, and Jesus is the only one qualified for the job. He is the only member of the Trinity that has experienced the trials and tribulations of being a man.

Think about the significance of these verses. Not only did Jesus become a man and live a sinless life on His way to the horrible death on the cross; He also rose to return to the Father and intercede in our behalf. No one else could be better qualified to speak for us. He understands the trials and temptations we experience because He experienced them too. But He also understands the holiness of God the Father because He is also completely holy. Given our ability to stand in the presence of Almighty God with Jesus Christ as our intercessor, why is it so hard for us to seek His guidance? What is it that makes us hesitate to turn over every aspect of our lives to Him?

The Bible tells us to come boldly before the throne because we are the sons and daughters of the Living God. Our fear and hesitance does not come from God but from the Devil who cannot abide the fellowship that we have with the Father through the work of the Son. He is constantly trying to dilute our power by dredging up our past sins and causing us to doubt our worthiness. Accept the fact that we will never be worthy, but that does not stop God from loving us and wanting to fellowship with us. All we have to do is be faithful to confess our sins and He will put them under the blood, never to be remembered again.

We are children of the King of Kings! Act like it!

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Strength in Unity

I was watching a television show the other night about the advances that are taking place in personal protection devices. They showed weapons and chemical sprays and all the things have been around for some time, but the thing that caught my eye was the body armor. They started way beck in ancient times and worked their way up to today. The thing I found fascinating is that each generation eventually worked their way into a design that involved layers. We have all seen the new bullet proof vests that the police and armed forces use. Most of it is made up of relatively thin layers of different materials, none of which would give you much protection by itself. However, when you put them all together you end up with at device that will stop a bullet fired a pretty close range.

Romans 15⁴For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

 ⁵May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, ⁶so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 ⁷Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

I like the book of Romans. Paul leaves absolutely no doubt about where his faith is set and how people needed to come to his Lord and Savior. It seems that Paul was just as passionate about his Jesus as he was about his position in the Jewish hierarchy. This difference is that Paul was willing to suffer incredible persecution for Jesus Christ. As he nears the end of this letter, Paul begins to speak more of the horizontal relationship between believers. He has spent a lot of time making sure they understand how to become a Christ-follower and now he is encouraging them to learn how to live like a Christ-follower.

Notice how Paul starts this passage. He tells them that everything they had earned from God's Word in the past had application in their lives in the present. God had been preparing them for this period of history since he called out Abraham. All of the lessons in the law and the hardships endured as the nation was being birthed added their endurance and their appreciation of the Scriptures. This was the only hope they had for many generations.

Paul continues in verse 5 with an admonition that is at least as relevant today as it was then. He ties it in quite well with the use of "endurance and encouragement" again, but this is no literary device. He is telling the Roman believers that they are missing a layer in their body armor. They fear God. They read the Scripture. They have even acknowledged Jesus as their Lord and Savior. So what is missing? Paul says that the missing layer is unity. In order for their body armor to be able to give them adequate protection, they must seek and cultivate a oneness with their fellow believers.

Why did Paul find it necessary to speak about unity? Because Christians have a problem in that area. We can have our best Jesus face on and talk about a brother behind his back – in the guise of a prayer request. We can come and sit in our pew (God forbid if a newbie sits in our spot) as we sing the songs and amen the preacher. Then, on our way home we are complaining about the sound or the preacher or the sermon instead of continuing our worship.

Paul puts it this way. We must have one heart – the heart of Jesus Christ. We must have one voice – the voice of the Holy Spirit continually carrying our prayers and praise to the throne of God – and helping us understand what Scripture says about how we should live. How do we obtain and maintain unity in the body? "Accept one another just as Jesus Christ accepted us." If we are busy building relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ, there will be no time for division. We will be too busy multiplying the body by lifting up Jesus wherever we go.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Extreme

I must admit, I enjoy watching the shows about thrill seekers.  You know the ones I am talking about.  They rappel down into volcanoes to take pictures of the lava.  Or maybe they seek out tornados to see if they can get right in the middle of them and survive.  They ride bulls, BASE jump off of bridges and tall buildings, and all sorts of other dangerous things.  One thing I have noticed is that just about all of them have scars and broken bones as a reminder of the peril that goes with their addiction to adrenalin.  There is a price to pay for this type of pastime.

 Daniel 3 (NIV)

 ²⁶ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" 

      So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, ²⁷ and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

What is the fascination with the story of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah?  We know them better as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  I think we are drawn to this account because of the element of danger.  In today’s vernacular, this would have been an extreme event.  People would have filled the area around the furnace for miles just to get a glimpse of what was going on.  Here were three Hebrew boys who had totally stood up to the most powerful man in the area – the king of Babylon – Nebuchadnezzar.  He had erected a statue for everyone to bow down to on command and these men had politely said, “No.  We bow to only one God.”  As could be predicted, old Neb got totally ticked off and decided to have a little fire with our boys as the logs.

We all know the story.  The king ordered the flames to be superheated and the men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire were killed by the heat escaping from the furnace.  The king was watching these events closely and he jumped off his throne when he saw four men walking, unbound, in the furnace.  He couldn’t believe his eyes.  He asked his advisors, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them in the furnace?  Now I see four men, walking around unharmed.”  Naturally this piqued his interest so the king called our boys out of the fire.  This is where most accounts of this event end.

The Bible goes on to tell us a little more about the Hebrew captives and the fiery furnace.  First of all, notice that Nebuchadnezzar has already figured out that there is something different about these three men and their God.  He says, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!”  Remember that the reason he had thrown them in the fire was because they would not worship the gods of Babylon or bow down to the statue he had made.  But now, he was recognizing that their God was indeed THE God.

When these three men of God walked out of the fire, there was a crowd of royal groupies hanging around.  They had been sitting back and enjoying the spectacle – waiting to see something bad happen.  They got the surprise of their life.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego not only walked out of the flames, they looked like they had just been for a stroll around the royal grounds.  They had no burns on them – not even a hair was singed.  Their clothes were intact and the real surprise was that they didn’t even smell like smoke.  They were not even touched by their walk through the furnace.

What is the difference between these three men and the base jumpers, bull riders, and other extreme “sports” enthusiasts?  Our guys weren’t out for a thrill; they were following God’s leadership in their lives.  They were thrown into the flames because they refused to disobey God.  Consequently they walked out unscathed.  How could that happen?  It was the fourth man in the fire.  Nebuchadnezzar said he looked like the son of a god.  This fourth person in the furnace walked God’s men through the flame.  

God takes care of His people.  There is nothing that can harm us if we are walking side by side with Jesus Christ.  It doesn’t mean that we won’t have troubles, but we can be assured that we will walk out on the other side with our robes intact and not even the smell of this world left on our garments.  Now that is exciting – that is extreme

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Civil Disobedience

Civil disobedience is an active refusal to obey certain laws of a government or occupying force without resorting to physical violence.  In other words, it is an active refusal in a passive manner.  We saw examples of this principle in Mahatma Gandhi and the some of the leaders of the Polish Solidarity movement.  For most Americans, the term became real when we witnessed the civil rights movement in the 1960’s.  What started as peaceful demonstrations against unjust laws became a nationwide riot when people on both sides forgot the principles of the movement.

 Daniel 6 (NIV)

 ¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Daniel and three of his countrymen had been taken as slaves when the Babylonians captured Judah.  As part of a grand experiment, they were chosen to take part in a training program to prepare them to become advisors to King Nebuchadnezzar.  In time, they proved to be among the most trusted of all the kings’ wise men and magicians.  It wasn’t easy being a public person in a pagan land if you were a follower of God.  Daniels three friends found this out when they refused to bow to a statue of the king.  He tied them up and threw them in a superheated furnace.  When God allowed them to exit the furnace unscathed, the king acknowledged the one true God.  Two kings later, Darius the Mede took over the country.

When King Darius took over, he organized the kingdom into provinces ruled by princes.  Daniel was chosen to administer the provinces along with two other men.  Since Daniel was basically as slave, there was considerable jealousy directed at him.  So much so that some of the officials of the king’s court were out to get him.  The only thing they could think of that they could use against him was his religion.  They talked the king into ordering a 30 day “Worship the king” festival.  During that time, no one could worship anyone or anything but King Darius.  This sounds like déjà vu all over again.

In this passage, Daniel, on hearing of the decree, went about his normal routine.  He went into his prayer room and prayed to his God, just as he had always done.  He didn’t go out on the street and draw a crowd to see what he was doing.  He didn’t pick up a banner and carry it to the palace.  In obedience to the commands of God, he prayed.  We know the rest of the story.  The satraps returned to the King and told him what had happened.  The king got mad at himself for ever making such a ridiculous decree, but he felt he had to enforce it.  After telling Daniel, “May the God that you worship continually take care of you,”  the king had him thrown into a pit full of lions.  We know that Daniel spent the night with a bunch of lions and walked out unscathed.

Was the act of Daniel, as well as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, civil disobedience?  It has all the earmarks.  These men even appear to have read Mahatma Gandhi’s “Rules for Civil Resistance.”  In spite of the similarities, I don’t think the actions of these men had anything to do with disobeying civil authority.  They were acting out of obedience to their spiritual authority – the God of the Universe.  The fact that this put them at odds with a pagan king was a consequence – not a conscious act.  The actions of these men of God and the actions of all those who followed them were not meant to incite unrest or change governments.

We must act out of spiritual obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  That is always personal.  As long as we remain true to The Word, God will take care of the consequences.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Leftovers

It seems like any time you start a project, there is never enough people to get the job done. Either you have too many bosses and not enough workers, or too many well meaning workers and not enough trained craftsman to give instruction. Either way, the old 80/20 rule seems to come into play. Twenty percent of the people end up doing eighty percent of the work.

Zechariah 8 (NLT)
⁶"This is what the LORD Almighty says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small and discouraged remnant of God's people. But do you think this is impossible for me, the LORD Almighty?”

I wonder if sometimes we lose sight of the fact that everything we are allowed to accomplish in the service of our Lord is a gift from Him. Do we get so wrapped up in our ministry that we fail to remember that God doesn’t really need us to do His work? He has been performing miracles beyond our comprehension since before time began – without our help. The very fact that we are allowed to participate in His divine plan is evidence of His mercy and love for us.

If God has chosen to use us, then what right do we have to question either the task He assigns or the team He arranges? He has already laid out the plan to accomplish His will, and, however it is done, He will get the glory. Anyone who fails to get on board is not jeopardizing the completion of the job, they are choosing to miss out on the blessings that come from being a part of the Kingdom’s work.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!!!!!!!!

Follow The Leader

I had a professor in college who liked to teach life lessons as well as impart knowledge. By using real life applications for the facts that he presented, he kept a class of freshmen interested for an entire semester. When it came time for our final exam, he told us it would be a two-part test. The first part was a written exercise that we were to complete before class. The second was a 100 essay question exam to be taken in four hours. The first statement on the exam was an instruction to read through the entire list of questions, and then begin. As you have probably guessed, the last statement was an instruction to place our name and the time of day at the top of the page and sit until he asked for our papers. Those who followed instructions finished in less than five minutes.

Isaiah 40
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
       and increases the power of the weak.

 ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
       and young men stumble and fall;

 ³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint.

At the end of his song of praise for the comfort God wants to give His people, Isaiah offers a word of hope to a weary nation. After years of war and unrest, God’s people are in a period of relative calm, but Isaiah knows how the Israelites are. He knows they tend to drift away from God when times get better. He also knows that the Babylonian captivity is coming in the not so distant future. As a result, he gives them this song of praise for God’s goodness and protection.

After his prayer for comfort and his discourse on the qualifications of Almighty God to take care of His people in all circumstances, Isaiah throws in a word of caution. The times ahead are going to be trying times. Even the invincibility of youth will not keep them from the effects of the battle. The only source of strength available to God’s people comes from God Himself. If they don’t depend on this source of energy, they will give up and the battle will be lost.

Then comes the good news! God has already provided the supply necessary for the victory. The trick to tapping in to this supply is making sure that God is out front, and He can’t lead if we are continually running ahead to see what is around the next bend. The expert marksman carefully prepares his equipment, looks down the firing range for his target, methodically places the crosshairs on the bulls-eye, and then gently squeezes the trigger. Ready – Aim – Fire. As Christians, our tendency seems to be that we hear about the target practice and start shooting. Fire – not ready or aim – and wonder why the target has no holes in it.

God tells us that if we wait on Him, not only will we find the strength we need for the task ahead, but He will also provide the victory. If we walk in His footsteps, the ground is already prepared.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Proverbs 26
¹² Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
       There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Time

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time in Europe. One of the things I remember most was the sense of going back in time. As I toured the usual spots, I looked at the dates on buildings and artifacts, and realized that I was walking on the same ground that the kings and knights of the history books walked. The feet of those entering the building had worn some of the marble steps in Westminster Abbey down. All but two of the monarchs since William the Conqueror in 1066 had been crowned in this building. I realized that my sense of time was very restricted.

Revelation 1 (NLT)
⁸"I am the Alpha and the Omega--the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One."

The book of Revelation contains some of the most vivid word pictures in all of literature. The scenes of worship and judgment described by John are almost like looking at a movie of what is to come. If we are not careful, we can get caught up in the imagery and miss the message. After each of the letters to the churches, we are told that “anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” There is a lesson for each of us to learn in from Revelations.

We are a temporal society. Everything we do is related to time. We probably hear and ask the question – “How long will it take?” – more than any other. It seems that we are driven by the need to know how old, how young, or how long about everything in our lives. This orientation in our thinking makes it hard to grasp the concept of forever. We think it takes an eternity to get through the drive in lane at the bank.

God tells us in this passage that He is not constrained by the passage of time. There is no atomic clock to which He must synchronize His every activity. His perspective contains no reference to duration. When we begin to try to understand the character of God, we must factor in the absence of the passage of time.

While God may not work to schedules, as we know them, He does have a plan for every one of His children – and for the church universal. He has worked out all of the details necessary for this plan to come to fruition. What we must realize is that this plan will take place as He has laid it out, not as we have determined is in our best interest. God allows us to be a part of His plan, but He does not need us to tell Him when something should be done.

“In the beginning” does not refer to God - it refers to His creation. God has no beginning and no end.

Neither does His love for us.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Little Bird

We used to try to surprise my mom and dad by dropping in on them unexpectedly. We don’t do that any more because we have realized that my mother has the uncanny ability to sense when we are coming. She is always waiting up for us when we get there, even when we didn’t decide to make the trip until the last minute. When I was little, she always knew when I did something wrong – before I even got home. She always said it was a “little bird” that told her. She can also tell when there is something wrong with me. I can’t count the times when she has called to check on me. I have learned over the years that the “little bird” has followed me everywhere I have gone and still reports faithfully to my mother.
Romans 8 (NLT)
²⁶And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. ²⁷And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. ²⁸And we know that God causes everything to work together^[k] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ²⁹For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. ³⁰And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory.

This passage should be a source of hope and strength for all who claim the name of Jesus Christ. The last two verses provide the context for the rest of what Paul tells us. God not only accepts us into His family, He accepts us with the full knowledge of who we are and what we are. Paul says, “God knew His people in advance, and He chose them to become like His Son.” We have been selected to be the brothers and sisters of our Lord and Savior. Not only that, we will share in His glory in Heaven. What an incredible promise! God chose us to be His children, even though He already knew that we were sinners.

Knowing that we have this kind of relationship with our God, we have the freedom to boldly approach Him and talk to Him about what is going on in our lives. But there is more to it than this. Paul tells us in this passage that we can lift our hands to our Father when we can’t even find the words to say. As brothers and sisters of Jesus, we have within us the third person of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit. He knows what we need to say and will express these things to the Father for us in a language we can’t even understand. Paul calls it “groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” But that is not the best part.

Scripture tells us that “the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.” Think about that! When we don’t even know what to pray or how to pray, God knows what we need because the Spirit within us talks to Him in His language. Then, “God causes everything to work together for the good” of those who love Him and have been adopted into His family. We know that we had nothing to do with what happens. We were so tongue tied that we couldn’t even figure out what to say, but God knew and worked things out. Now, the Bible doesn’t say that He took away our burdens or our problems; it says He caused them to work for our own good.

Christians, we have a God who wants what is best for us. However, we must communicate with Him – even when we can’t figure out what we need to say or how we need to say it. Sometimes the silence of a broken heart will say more than words could ever express. Our “little bird” is the Holy Spirit and He will carry our requests and praises to our Heavenly Father even when we don’t know how to express them. Daddy will understand.
We serve an awesome God!!!!!

A Round Tuit

At a trade show some years ago, I was given a small box containing a round, wooden disk, about the size of a half dollar.  On it was written, in bold letters – TUIT.  Also on the box was a piece of paper on which was written, “You can no longer say you just didn’t get around to it.”  Somebody, who was either an entrepreneur with a sense of humor or very frustrated at dealing with all the excuses they heard for people not doing what they said, had produced a nice marketing gimmick. 

 James 1

²² And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself. ²³ For if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. ²⁴ You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. ²⁵ But if you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law—the law that sets you free—and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

 James has just finished a lesson on interpersonal relationships.  He wrote that those who claim the name of Jesus should be good listeners, controlling the urge to speak.  He also cautioned against allowing one’s natural tendency toward anger to control their life because actions born out of anger instead of love will never “make things right in God’s sight.”  If James had been preaching these words from a pulpit, I am sure that you would have heard a chorus of hearty amens.

 In this passage, we see that James was not content with a superficial response to the divinely inspired words he was passing on.  If we did not know the source of these verses, we might tend to think that they were words from a sermon heard last week.  The message is just as applicable today as it was when James penned this letter.  In fact, if we don’t take this message to heart, God will have to find people who will, and they will get the blessing He promises.

 How many times have we heard a message from God through our Bible study, a message delivered by one called to spread the Gospel, or even a song that pointed out something we needed to be doing?  How many times have we truly acted on what we heard or read?  Too often, we nod our heads or maybe even give the pastor an attaboy, and go on about our business as usual.  James is telling us that hearing and not acting on God’s Word to our hearts is foolishness.  He says it would be like looking in the mirror and seeing that your hair was a mess and your clothes were all wrinkled, then going out in public without cleaning up, convincing yourself that you look just fine.

 There is only one way for us to be what God intends for us to be.  James tells us that we must “keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law.”  In other words - read His Book.  Learn what God expects of you in His Kingdom’s work.  Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you through Scripture and Bible-based teaching.  Then, and most importantly, do something about it.  Apply what you hear and read to the way you live your life.

Do you want a blessing from God?  Then do what He is telling you to do!   

 
We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Wisdom

The primary definition of the word wisdom is, “understanding – the knowledge and experience needed to make sensible decisions and judgments or the good sense shown by the decisions and judgments made.” 

James 3 (NLT)  

   ¹³If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! ¹⁴But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. ¹⁵For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. ¹⁶For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.

    ¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. ¹⁸And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.

James is definitely a man of action.  In the first chapter of his letter, he tells us that the message that God has planted in our hearts is not just information to be stored away, it is something to be obeyed and acted on.  (James 1:21-22)  He goes on to tell us that we should quit looking at faith as a noun (person, place, or thing), and begin thinking of it as a verb (something we do).  (James 2:17)  In this passage, he begins to look at wisdom.  Most of us look at wisdom as an accumulation of knowledge, but that doesn’t cover the entire meaning of the word.  The definition taken from a dictionary makes it clear that the word carries a connotation of action.  It speaks of the judgments and decisions made as the test of wisdom, thereby implying that understanding without action is just an accumulation of knowledge.

In this passage, James describes two types of wisdom – that which comes from God and that which is not of God.  The wisdom imparted by God creates positive action.  The good deeds that result from the understanding of God’s ways accompanied by humility are the proof of wisdom.  He goes on to say that there is a wisdom that comes from the Devil.  While there is knowledge and experience that evidence themselves in sensible decisions, the decisions are made for personal gain, at the expense of others.  Notice that James says that the wisdom motivated by the enemy creates jealousy and selfish ambitions that result in disorder.

Just as we can identify faith by the actions it produces, we can also identify wisdom by the impact is has.  James tells us that true wisdom comes from heaven.  There are no ulterior motives involved in the decisions made by one with this type of wisdom.  The advice of one with true wisdom is impartial and sincere, always looking out for the well-being of others.  The wisdom that comes from God is always accompanied with humility. 

Why is this important to me today?  We are to actively seek wisdom.  The first two chapters of Proverbs are dedicated to the subject of wisdom.  Obviously, true wisdom comes from God.  However, Scripture tells us that we can learn from other sources.  We all know that we are to honor our parents, but Proverbs 1:8-9 tells us that we are also to learn from them.  While the beginning of our quest for knowledge comes from our respect for God, the things we learn from our parents are essential in our quest for wisdom.  As is the case with much of our accumulated knowledge, we also learn from those who have gone before us.  Proverbs 2:20 tells us, “Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of righteousness.”

Christianity is not a spectator sport.  When God plants the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the fun is just beginning.  Jesus didn’t tell us to sit and wait, he told us to go and do.  Our salvation, our faith, and any wisdom God plants in us will manifest itself in our actions.  Don’t just sit there, fight the good fight and finish the race.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Stuff

It has been said that the only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.  I think the same could probably be said of women and girls.  We seem to think that the only way to prove our worth in today’s society is to be worth a lot of money.  While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with money itself, it does seem to become an end rather than a means to some people.  I have heard people say that this is just human nature, but I am not sure.  Think back to your childhood, or if that is a bit too much of a stretch, think about when your children were very young.  Remember watching them sit and play for yours with a feather or a piece of tape?  It wasn’t the quantity or the cost of the toy; it was the imagination that was stimulated by whatever was at hand.

Ezekiel 44

²⁸"As to property, the priests will not have any, for I alone am their inheritance.

Ezekiel had just seen the valley of the dry bones that God had used to illustrate how he was going to breathe new life into His people.  He had seen the coming reunion of Judah and Israel into one nation – under God.  He knew that the enemies of the people would soon be destroyed and that the time was coming when God would bring His people back to the Promised Land.  After all these things had been revealed to Ezekiel, God began to show him in a vision what the new Temple area would look like.  After describing in great detail all the dimensions and all the equipment that would be in this temple, He let Ezekiel see the glory of the Lord once more occupy the Holy of Holies.  He then told Ezekiel to describe this Temple to the people and tell them that the most elemental law of this new Temple would be holiness.

After the Temple was fully described, God told Ezekiel how he would choose those who would serve in His house.  Only those who had remained true to the Mosaic laws concerning the office of the priest would be allowed to serve in the new Temple.  Those who had allowed themselves to be corrupted by the influence of foreign gods would not be allowed to come into His presence, regardless of their family heritage.  Those serving in the new Temple would be as holy as the temple itself.

In this passage, as God is preparing to tell Ezekiel how the land would be distributed among the returning people, He made a statement about the earthly possessions of His priests.  God told Ezekiel that His priests would have no property – none of the symbols of wealth that people look at.  Nothing that could be accumulated as an inheritance to be left to their children.  “I alone am their inheritance,” God said.  He was all that the priests would have and all that they would leave when He called them home.

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 2:9 -
”But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”  All of those who follow Jesus Christ are priests.  As such, our inheritance is not anything that can be accumulated on this earth; it is God, our Heavenly Father.  No matter what stuff we gather to ourselves, it is not really ours.  It came from the Father and it is to be used to bring glory and honor to Him and Him alone.

If we allow ourselves to get wrapped up in the stuff of this world, we are practicing the very thing that sent God’s people into captivity in the Old Testament.  We are worshiping a false god.  God wants what is good for His people (Jeremiah 29:11).  However, if we are not careful, the very things that He gives us that are good can become our god.  We must look at everything we have as an investment that God has made in our ministry – and spend it accordingly.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!

Want Tos

One of the things we have lost over the years is much of the language of our ancestors.  I wish I would have had a tape recorder to sit in the middle of the room when my Grandma and Great Grandma were talking to my aunts and uncles.  The words would not be politically correct today, but they spoke to a young boy in ways that the greatest evangelists of today could not speak.  My grandma, who was an eloquent speaker, used words that not only defined the situation, they depicted it.  You could see what she was saying. 

 

Philippians 2 (NIV)

¹²Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

When I read this passage, I can almost hear my grandmother talking.  “You kids are growing up and there will come a time when you’ve got to make a decision on you your own.  I know you are good kids.  You have made me proud the way you have done what was needed here at home.  Now, you have to keep on doing those things you know are right when you aren’t home.  You all have the seed Jesus planted in you, so let it grow.  That’s God’s way and He won’t leave you alone when the time comes to make these decisions.  In fact, God has planted a new ‘want to’ in you.  You are going to want to live for Him, but the Devil is going to try and pull you away.  But God not only gave you this ‘want to’, he gave you a ‘how to.’  You will be able to fight off the Devil because God gives you the strength.”

Many of you probably didn’t know that ‘want to’ could be a noun.  In my grandma’s book, it not only could be – it was.  A ‘want to’ is that thing inside of you that drives you to do what you do.  Some people think of it as a conscience, others as that ‘still small voice’.  Paul says that it is the working of God in the lives of His people.  We have in us a will that is usually contradictory to where God is leading because we are born with a sinful nature.  When we invite Jesus into our lives as our Lord and Savior, we receive a new nature.  That doesn’t mean that our old nature goes away.  We will battle it until Jesus comes.  Until then, we will be making choices between the old and the new nature.  Therein lies the warfare in the Christian life.

My Grandma would say that we have to change our ‘want tos.’  Those things desired to do before we knew Jesus become less important than the things God is leading us to do.  Those places we couldn’t wait to go into lose their appeal.  The images that we poured into our minds are replaced by the picture of Jesus and His life, death, and resurrection.  The life of a Christ-follower requires a change of mind as well as a change of heart.

Lest one get the idea that this is a “poof” and it is don’t type thing, look at what Paul says – “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”  Getting your ‘want to’ changed is a process – not an event.  The good thing is that God is there, working in us, to show us how to act within His will.  He desires us to have the strength to do those things that please Him, so He places that power in each of us.  So He not only changes our ‘want to’, but he also gives us the ‘how to.’  

Paul closes out this part of his letter by giving us some guidelines for recognizing our new ‘want tos.”  He says that we will do things without complaining or arguing.  Our lives will take on the newness and innocence of a new-born baby.  This will result in our becoming shining stars in a universe that is dying in darkness. (Philippians 2:14:15 paraphrased)  Paul was pretty good at writing pictures also.  I bet he and Grandma are swapping stories right now.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!