Apparently people don’t have to address God as their Father, but if they do address Him as their Father the apostle Peter calls them to live for Him in the greatest reverence one can imagine. Get real and stay real before God -- that’s the issue. God knows our hearts better than we know them, so get real and stay real before God.

Maybe the question, “Who’s Your Father?” is the most important question. On one level I am a son of Samuel James Savage, Jr. On another and greater level I am a son of the Father who according to His great mercy has caused me to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (I Pet. 1:3). How I respond to the one who is my heavenly Father speaks volumes about who I am as a person going about my life during the time of my stay on earth (I Pet. 1:17).

Today the Father embraces me in “His great mercy” (I Pet 1:3) and ever reminds me that my life matters more to Him than anything silver or gold might provide. He has redeemed me “with precious blood…the blood Christ” (I Pet. 1:19) and established the life I live, both and now and in the future, upon the marvelous proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ “from the dead” (I Pet. 1:21).

Called to the deepest level of reverence for the God who would love us like that, all persons who “are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory” (I Pet. 1:21) are called to live “in obedience to the truth” (I Pet. 1:22), an obedience that leads us to “a sincere love of the brethren,” a love that calls us to “fervently love one another from the heart”(I Pet. 1:22).

God is an awesome Father and we celebrate Him best when we love one another. We are never more like our Father than when we “fervently love one another from the heart” (I Pet. 1:22). We reveal to the world how important God is to us in the way we love.

Even though they were in the midst of deep suffering and persecution, the apostle Peter called on the people to bless the name of God. How could he do that? Didn’t he know they were suffering? How could he call them to praise and celebration in the midst of such pain? Isn’t that a bit insensitive?

Peter’s response to questions like these is founded in a story that is greater than any immediate story. He shares with the people that in Christ they have come into a new way of living, a way defined by the phrase, “a living hope” (I Peter 1:3). This living hope is rooted firmly in “the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Pet. 1:3).

An extraordinary thing has happened in human history and this “thing,” this “resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” sets into motion a reality of life so real that even in the midst of suffering and pain, there is a hope that trumps everything, and ignites a spirit of rejoicing even when one is “distressed by various trials” (I Pet. 1:6).

This life of faith in Jesus is dramatic and wonderful; it is like no other life in the world. It is life lived in all the moments given to us, but it is life invaded by the supernatural life of God in Jesus. We have a living hope that holds us steady in the arms of God, and a promise that there is still more to come.

Today we live in and for Jesus, seeking to allow His life to shape and form us into Christ-like persons. On this journey we “are protected by the power of God” (I Pet. 1:5). Nothing, in the words of the apostle Paul, can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:39).

Our lives are covered by grace, and we do not walk alone.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is either utter nonsense or the most profound thing ever to happen in the history of the world. Many people live to call it nonsense. Some people live in the manifest glory of that divine reality. Those of us who have believed in Jesus and responded to the call of this resurrected Christ consider it to be the best decision we ever made.

John Henry Jowett writes that "Everything is transfigured in the Risen Christ. Everything is lit up when 'the Sun of Righteousness arises with healing in His wings.' Life is lit up, and so is death, and so are sorrow and daily labour and human friendships! Everything catches the gleam and is changed. 'We are no longer of the night, but of the day.' 'Walk as children of light.' 'Awake, thou that sleepest, arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee.'”[1]

Have you caught "the gleam?" Has the glory of God in the face of Christ captured your imagination and captivated your living? Have you let the majesty of this One who died that you might live embrace you in the grace and mercy of God? Have you allowed the Living Christ to enter into the ebb and flow of your life and set you free deep down inside your life where nobody lives but you?

Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to us. Based on this we believe everybody ought to know who Jesus is, why He came, and how He saves. He is God's response to the deepest needs of the human heart, and He lives to bring abundant life.

In the film, "The Shawshank Redemption," one of the characters says to another, "Get busy living, or get busy dying." I like that; and, I, for one, have chosen to "get busy living." God is too good to do otherwise.

---

[1] John Henry Jowett, My Daily Meditation, April 10

GOD IS GOOD. This I believe with all my heart. I will go to my grave believing God is good. Human beings are suspect, and one has to be very careful in choosing just whom one will trust, but God is good.

God's lovingkindness is everlasting and the Bible says, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes" (Ps 118:8-9). How do we know this? Because the Bible tells us that it is human beings who rejected the One who was actually God's chief cornerstone," the One who showed us that God is our God (Ps. 118:22, 28).

Knowing that God is good affects those who believe it to the very core of their being. Having tasted the goodness of God, those who call Him their God seek to live in response to that marvelous goodness. How could it be otherwise? Embraced within the loving goodness of God, His grace becomes a way of life for them. It isn't about religion. It isn't about creed. It isn't even about giving oneself to the highest principle possible. It is about being in relationship with the Living God, the Living God who is good.

God is good and He loved the world so much that "He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). On that basis we can trust Him. We can worship Him. We can live for Him. We can say, "The Lord is for me; I will not fear…the Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation" (Ps. 118:6, 14).

All these things caused the psalmist to say, "The Lord is God, and He has given us light…You are My God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, and I extol You" (Ps. 118:27a, 28).

We live in a busy world that seems never to slow down much. It’s really a 24/7 world. Even the freeways (of Southern California at least) are busy at all hours of the day and night. Busyness seems to be a badge of honor to many people. Cell phones interrupt conversations routinely because the thought of turning them off or placing them on silent mode is simply unthinkable. Many people in our age can’t slow down or intentionally disconnect from the outside world. As a result, we live tired, tense, and frustrated, always wondering why we’re tired, tense, and frustrated.

God has a word for us concerning this. It is the wonderful word REST. The ancient prophet wrote of God, “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3). Jesus said, “I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). These thoughts raise a couple of question. Who do we ultimately trust? On whom do we keep our thoughts centered? The answer we give impacts whether or not the peace of God will be free to embrace our lives.

Personally, I am not asking God for a slower life. I like the fast pace; I enjoy the tempo. I find myself more productive when I am under pressure and must create for myself deadlines, deadlines that keep me focused in a world where distraction comes far too easy. What I am asking for is the presence of God to be so real in me that I will never let anything or anyone jettison Him from being front and center in my life. Some things are non negotiable; this is one of them.

In the midst of noise and busyness our minds and hearts can be fixed on God. Let nothing interfere with this. God Almighty Himself is with us, and His presence is a calming embrace. Let Him embrace you.

As followers of Christ we are on a great journey for God, and we have every right to be excited about it. God has called us to Himself, to join with Him in reaching people for Jesus Christ.

We are a part of a world-wide group of people who believe that Jesus is God’s response to the deepest needs in the human heart. We want everybody to know who Jesus is, why He came, how He loves, and what life exhilarating thing He wants to do in them.

What a wonderful time to be alive, to share the love of God with people. People are looking for spiritual answers, and the people of God are ambassadors of Christ, sharing the Good News with a watching, searching, and hurting world.

God never calls His people to a work in which He is unable to empower them. God is able; always, and without exception. A situation may seem impossible but with God all things are possible (Matt. 19:26). God is not limited.

God is all powerful. The prophet, Jeremiah, prayed “Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jer. 32:17). Embraced by the amazing power of God let’s enter the arena, make the attempt and do our best.

Jesus is Lord! He is enough.

When Dr. Phineas Bresee was in process of becoming pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church in Pasadena somebody asked him what he intended to do there. He said he intended, by the grace of God, to make a fire that would reach heaven.

What would our answer be if someone asked us what we intend to do in Pasadena? Personally, I like Dr. Bresee’s answer, and I’m not sure it can be improved on. John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize people with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt. 3:11). In that case, let’s light the fire.

Do we have what it takes to light the fire of God in our town? A good question, but first we ought to ask ourselves whether or not the fire of God is ablaze in our own heart. If it is aflame it is because the Holy Spirit has been set free in us to do the work of God; and when the Holy Spirit is free to do the work of God, watch out because we will find ourselves in the marvelous wonder of divine intervention, guidance, power, revival and, yes, even “the greater works,” Jesus promised His Church would do (John 14:12).

Dr. Bresee’s ministry in Pasadena ended in 1890. Later he would lead an effort to began a new church that would be called, The Church of the Nazarene. Today the work goes on, but I wonder if the fire is still burning. Is it burning with the glorious intensity of the Holy Spirit? Whatever the answer, may God help us to make sure that we are a people who will keep the fire kindled.

Get in touch with God and let Him ignite the fire in fresh new ways. Then let’s do all in our power to be faithful so that the fire will reach heaven.

Have you ever wondered what you might do for God at this particular time in your life? You love Him, you want to serve Him, you want to bring honor to His name. What might you to do put feet to that desire?

Sometimes we think sacrifice is the answer. We’ll sacrifice something just for God, and in that act bring praise and honor to Him. As important as sacrificial living is, however, the Bible sees something more important. I Samuel 15:22 says, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” Isn’t that interesting?

God wants our obedience and faithfulness more than what we might sacrifice for Him. God wants us to live in His love, giving our lives for what His loves means to us. Sometimes its easier to sacrifice something than it is to live in His love.

How can we best live in the love of God? That’s the question. If I love someone I will do the best I can to honor and to esteem that person. It might mean sacrificing something. It might mean encouraging them or supporting them in something. It might mean coming alongside them and helping them to carry a heavy burden of some kind. What ever the act might be the motive behind it is just as important as is the act.

How do we transfer this kind of love to God? How can we honor Him and esteem Him, and be there for Him? The answer is simple. Love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; do what love calls us to do, and be what love calls us to be.

My love-for-God-questions have come to be, “What I can do for my God today?” What can I do just because I am desperately in love with God? How can I reflect that, with all my heart, I want to live for Him and Him alone?

I look at my world and realize how much it needs a Shepherd and how it doesn’t seem to have the foggiest notion about what it means to pursue the ways of God. On top of that, I look at my world and see that in the way things are now, it seem like it is falling apart.

Psalm 4:2 asks the question, “How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?” That’s a probing question isn’t it? “How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?”

I hear that question and realize that we live in a world where some things are worthless and rooted in lies and falsehood, and those things need to be jettisoned from our lives; dropped out of our life experience because they steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10a). Can’t you almost hear God saying, “Let them go. They are no good for you. Drop the dead weight and be free in your soul”?

Psalm 14:2 says, “The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.” There are many people who simply don’t believe in God or who don’t believe God has a claim to their lives. The Bible says there are people who have “turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Ps 14:1-2). It’s a haunting thought, and it may be the reason behind the fact that God is looking down from heaven for people who understand and who seek after Him.

The question seems to come down to whether or not we will love what is worthless and aim at deception or will we seek after God. That’s about what it comes to, isn’t it? I think people need to ask themselves, “Do I want to live a life that is enveloped by the grace and love of God or am I content to go through my days pretending that everything is okay when deep down inside my life I know things aren’t okay.

Jesus invites us to be enveloped by the grace and love of God.

In a startling statement one day Jesus spoke of certain people whom He said, “..while hearing they do not hear” (Matt. 13:13). It’s a paradox to say the least. To hear but not to hear – there’s the rub.

I've been guilty of it, I'm sorry to say. Somebody said something to me and I said, “Uh huh.” Then a few minutes later reality sinks in and I say to myself, “What did I just say ‘Uh huh” too? I heard but I didn’t hear. The truth is that this aspect of human life may be the most important destructive factor in the breakdown of communication between people.

In Matthew 11:15 (in just one of several places) Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Why would He say this? Could it be because having ears doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is really hearing what is being said.

In Matthew 15:10, at a critical point in a teaching He was giving, Jesus said to the Pharisees and Scribes who were the audience, “Hear, and understand.” I think Jesus knew these people were going to hear the words but that they were not really going to hear what the words were saying. They had ears but they had a most difficult time hearing.

I would suggest that many of us, in some way or another, needs to work on our spiritual hearing -- learning to hear until what we are hearing seeps into the very fiber of our souls and becomes a part of our life experience.

God is saying to His people today, “Hear My Word. By that He doesn’t simply mean “check it out. Peruse it. Glance at it.” He means hear it until it becomes a part of our lives. Hear it out (examine it, scrutinize it, study it, analyze it). Hear it through. Hear it until we know it. Hear it until its ours and we can act upon it.

Listening for the voice of God in our world can be a very challenging thing. Natural distractions are everywhere, competing voices are all around us, and slowing down a bit just to listen seems to be a lost art.

As Christians it is profoundly important that we listen for the voice of God. We believe that God has spoken in Jesus and that Jesus is the Word of God to our lives. In John 6:68 Peter said to Jesus, “You have words of eternal life.” Peter speaks for us in that sentence, doesn’t he.

In John 10:27 Jesus, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” It is the voice of Jesus we know and it is His voice we trust. There are a lot of good voices in the world, good for what they have to say, but there is only one Jesus and His voice is the One Voice we most need to hear.

In Isaiah 30:21 there is a wonderful word from God to His people. The people had come through a difficult time of judgment but God says to them that in the future, “Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” May God gives us all ears to hear that word.

I’m not sure that God shouts a lot. He might, and I wouldn’t rule it out, but most likely God will speak in the still small voice that resonates in our hearts. That’s why a listening spirit is so important to us.

There might be a hundred voices calling out for our attention but because our hearts are tuned to that One Voice, all other voices pale in comparison.

We hear His voice and we follow Him.

A lot of people know about God. Therein lies a huge problem.

People from every walk of life have an opinion about God. Just ask them. Everybody is a theologian and quite ready to debate all comers as to the truth about God.

Having opinions about God does not equate to knowing God, however. Knowing about God (or at least one’s idea of God) can have knowledge, street savvy, old wives tales, a little bit of upbringing thrown in, and who knows what else and, suddenly, we have a walking profundity called, “God According To Me."

Knowing God is a far different matter than having thoughts about God. Knowing God leads to worship not debate, celebration not one-up-man-ship. Knowing God evokes prayer not argument, praise not elitism, and hunger for more of God not an attitude of “That’s my opinion; conversation over."

Interestingly the Bible does not call us to know about God. Once we know Him we want to learn as much about Him as we can, but only because His love has captivated our imagination and satisfied the hunger in our souls. Maybe that is why when Jesus teaches us to pray He does not call us to pray, “O Thou high and omnipotent One. Instead, He calls us to pray, “Our Father.

Until we know the Father we do not know what we most need to know about God.

Do you know the Father today?

OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD

The tragic event of January 8 in Tucson, Arizona reminds us that we live in a dangerous world, and that horrific events can unfold before us in the blinking of an eye. Innocent people were injured or killed by an unthinkable act of evil. Hundreds of family members, friends, as well as an entire nation has been shaken again by an act of man’s inhumanity to man.

How shall we as the church of Jesus respond to such pain? My concern is that followers of Jesus everywhere will stand as a symbol of hope in the midst of uncertainty, love in the midst of hate, peace in the midst of accusations and criticisms, forgiveness in the midst of anger, balance in the midst of extremes, and a beacon of truth in the midst of half-truths, rumors, innuendo, and sound-bytes.

Once again we see that our world is, indeed, a dangerous world, a world that needs God and his grace. It is a time for those who know how to pray to come before the Father’s throne and to plead for grace and mercy. Pray for those who grieve, for those who are recovering from physical wounds, and pray for the perpetrator of the tragedy.

As Gandhi suggested, in a different time and place, it is time to be the change we want to see in the world. May God draw near and make us all more sensitive and loving toward each other in a world where anger and hostility and insensitivity so freely find a place to express themselves.

For those who follow Jesus, let us be the Church in this time of finding a way to go on as a people. As the Good Book says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). The fact is Jesus is still Lord, God is still Love, and “the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19) is still in place, and operating at full capacity.

In the midst of bad new there is Good News. Our lives and times are not forgotten or overlooked by God. The words of Mr. Wesley still ring loud and clear concerning Jesus,

He left His Father’s throne above,

so free, so infinite His grace!

Emptied Himself of all but love,

and bled for Adam’s helpless race.”

Having just come through Advent it is fresh on our minds that in Jesus God is with us. We do not face our days alone and even in the midst of horrific tragedies, God is here in grace and mercy and love. Life may not make sense to many people today, and there are questions that have come crashing in on us. Yet, we are not abandoned. God has not turned His back and walked away. Rather, He is up-close-and-personal in everyone who calls Jesus “Savior and Lord.”

Let the church be the church, Ambassadors of Christ, a fragrant aroma in a world gone wrong. Let the church be the church, engaged in the human situation, living grace filled lives, making God look good because He is good, He is present, and He does care. As Eddie Carswell’s and Babbie Mason’s song says,When you don't understand

When you don't see His plan

When you can't trace His hand

Trust His heart.

You can, you know; trust His heart.

God bless you and may the peace of Christ be with you.

ENTANGLED, AND SICK OF IT

Let's just say, for the sake of discussion, that you've got a problem. Give it a name of some kind. Anger. Lust. Pride. Greed. Self-centeredness. Gossip. Slothfulness. Pick a name. Any name. Now, let's say you really wanted to be set free from this troubling "sin which so easily entangles" (Heb. 12:1). How would you go about dealing with this matter in such a way that you could begin to "honestly" say, "I have victory over this malady."

As you ponder these things, let me suggest some scattered thoughts. For instance, in this matter simple will-power doesn't cut it, so don't even go down that road. Positive thinking doesn't make the grade so don't even bring it up. Therapy won't do it. Self-help books won't do it. Jam sessions with those of like weakness won't do it. All these may be, or at least can be, a part of the process but they are not cure-alls for the "sin which so easily entangles"

The Bible says that matters such as these must be brought to the place of death. They must be brought to Jesus Christ and crucified with Him. The Bible says, "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death"(Rom. 6:3)?

The fact is that God did not send a therapist; He sent a lamb--"the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). He sent a sacrificial lamb who revealed to us the incomprehensible love of God by dying for us while we were yet sinners (Rom. 5:8). He sent a lamb who took our sins upon Himself and died that we might be forgiven and made whole.

The answer to unchristlikeness in us is to come to the cross of the lamb and become crucified with Him. The only thing that can deal a death blow to "the sin which so easily entangles" (Heb.12:1) is the nails that secured the lamb of God to the cross.

Is there some thing in your life that needs to die? Come to Jesus praying, "Lord, this is my sin. You died for it. I trust your death. Save me from this thing." As you pray remember, "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4).

Paul asked the foolish Galatians, "After beginning in the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort" (Gal. 3:3)? He knew it could not be done this way so he asked them, "Who has bewitched you" (Gal. 3:1)?

There is only one way to be free in Christ. We've got to die to that which is not of Christ and come alive to that which is of Him. So, do you really want to live? Really? Welcome to the cross of the lamb.

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live,

but Christ lives in me;

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by faith in the Son of God,

who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me."

-- Galatians 2:20

A lot of people these days don’t have much room in their heart for the church. They just don’t like church. Dan Kimball reminds us that they like Jesus okay, but they just can’t stand the church. There are days when I think I understand these folks. Sometimes the church shoots itself in the foot and becomes its own worst enemy. When that happens, it’s not a very good day.

My problem with this, though, is that this kind of thinking puts the individual ahead of Jesus and communicates that Jesus may be building a church somewhere, but the one in my town He certainly isn’t it. With this kind of thinking Jesus, therefore, must bow to our demands about what “the church” should be like. In our intellectual and spiritual brilliance we trump God and insist that church be done our way or we are out the door and off to greener pastures.

Granted, some local congregations may have baggage, a lot of baggage, but this does not release a Believer from loving what Jesus loves and living in light of the fact that God the Father, put all things in subjection under the feet of Jesus and gave Him as Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (See Eph. 1:22-23).

The revival the North American Church so desperately needs will not come while God’s people tell God what to do and how to do it. Instead of writing off fellow believers because they don’t give me what I need, Jesus tells me to plant the cross right down in the middle of my heart and right down in the middle of that congregation that is, in my opinion, missing the mark when it comes to being the church. Then, let the power flow, let Jesus be Lord, let our times be in God’s hand.

Gandhi suggested, in another context, that we should be the change we want to see. Instead of walking away from a perceived problem, maybe we ought to charge right into that problem and give Jesus His opportunity to resurrect that church by the power that raised Him from the dead.

I would go out of my way to be a part of that kind of church

A Note to my wonderful Church family at
Pasadena Bresee Church of the Nazarene

I have been thinking about why the local church matters as a force for God.

It matters, first of all, because it is right down in the stuff of life Jesus wants his church to be planted. In Jesus God left heaven and began to dwell among people. So it is the church enters into the life of the community and believers live their faith right there in the daily stuff of life.

The church matters because it is the only movement in the world teaching the truth that Jesus is the Messiah.

The church matters because there are no Lone Ranger Christians, no isolationists. Christians are in this thing called life together. We are so close to each other that we feel like brothers and sisters in Christ.

The church matters because her life revolves around the life of Jesus, and through Him it models what new life in Christ is like.

Together Christians form a community of faith that lifts up Christ as the hope of the world.

We are a small church in a big city and we are seeking to live here so as to make God look good. How are we doing? Whatever the answer to that question is let’s remember that we are on a mission to show people in our sphere of influence that “God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

We are a small church but we are serving a big God “who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Eph. 3:20).

May we, together,
offer a ministry
that brings a smile
to the face of God.

The call of God captivated Abram, who became the father of the faithful, and he became consumed by one reality. Hebrews 11:10 says, "he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." All of life for Abram was redefined by the magnitude of the call and the promise of God, and his destiny was changed forever.

We Christians say we are people of God. We have placed our faith in Jesus and we are staking our lives on the fact that He is who He says He is. We live on a premise which says, "without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb. 11:6). We built an altar somewhere in our lives and said that for the rest of our lives we would live for God and God alone, and that we would seek to please Him by the exercising of our faith in Him.

At some point in our lives we trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, and we stepped over into a realm of living where God and His ways became profoundly important to us.

At some point in our lives we "obeyed a noble impulse" and took "one step" of faith (John Henry Jowett, My Daily Meditation: January 1 reading), and that step has led to an incredible and wonderful life of relationship with God.

I've walked with Jesus for a while now, and I'm still growing in what it means to live by faith. When I came to be pastor here at Bresee, I began by praying, "God, what are you going to do here?" Through the days and months and years, now, I’ve discovered that God would most likely not answer that prayer. Rather, step-by-step along the way He would show us WHO HE IS. He would place His hands on us and guide us. And, as John Jowett says, "That is enough, just to feel the pressure of the guiding hand."

THAT IS ENOUGH, ISN’T IT, JUST TO FEEL THE PRESSURE OF THE GUIDING HAND. AMEN!

Having celebrated the birth of God into human history, we now have the privilege of living out the meaning of the celebration. This is a celebration like no other. It is daily, what some would call 24/7 celebration, it is personal, and it is of the essence in the community of God.

There are five psalms in the great book, Psalms 146-150, that are called the “hallelujah” psalms. They are praise psalms that reflect the fact that God is at work in the world. He is not off in the distance preoccupied with other, more important, things. God is up-close-and-personal, working in the midst of His creation. Psalm 147 captures this in powerful ways.

We see in this Hallelujah psalm that God “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (vs. 3). “The Lord supports the afflicted” (vs. 6). He is at work in nature and in the human situation (vs. 8-10). His blessings are directed toward those who revere Him and who “wait for His lovingkindness” (vs. 11).

The fingerprints of God are all over this world; they are all over your life. You can’t get away from Him no matter where you go. He is sovereign and He is at work, patiently and persistently sharing His glory with all His creation.

No wonder Psalm 147 beings and ends with the little phrase, “Praise the Lord,” or “Hallelujah!” This makes perfect sense to those of us who have called upon the name of Jesus. He is God’s greatest manifestation. God didn’t just decree things from a distance. He arranged to be born into His creation to impact it all from within. On Christmas we celebrated His birth into history. Now, we will follow His life and see where it all leads.

Wherever it leads we can count on one thing. The influence of His presence will cause us to break forth in Hallelujahs and Praise the Lord.

Isaiah chapter 35 is a remarkable text to turn to for the third Sunday of Advent. I am fascinated with it because it shows us the very wonder that is God. It gives us a picture of His goodness and His grace and how He comes into His creation with life and health, with meaning and fulfillment.

What a terrific word for the times in which we live. It reminds me, in a way, of Ezekiel's vision of the river that flows from the altar out through the blistering desert and into the lifeless waters of the Dead Sea (see Ezekiel 47:1-12). In his vision Ezekiel tells us, "Everything will live where the river goes" (vs. 9). Isaiah, on the other hand, seems to speak about the emotional and psychological results of the presence of God. Everything will live where God's river flows and the way they will live is in joy and gladness.

Oswald Chambers said in the December one devotional from My Utmost For His Highest that “there is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience."

Isn’t that a remarkable thought to think. Jesus must do it all. In Ezekiel’s vision “everything will live where the river goes.” In Isaiah’s thought, dry and barren places become places of life and vitality. In both cases it is God who does the mighty deed. We can’t create them. We can work with them but we can’t create them.

Let’s pray together:

Father, lead us to the place of grace and draw us to yourself. We need you; we do desperately need you. Apart from you we are empty and broken. In you we are made whole. In you the desert and wilderness places come alive with life and meaning and vitality. Draw us to yourself and make us to be the people you have called us to be. Amen.

Down through Israel's history the people were to be vessels of truth, carriers of the Word of God. In them the Word of God would live. Through them the Word of God would come into the lives of others. So, in Isaiah 2:5 the word goes out, "Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord." Another way of saying that is, “let us really be the people of God. Let us really live for God. Let us really, truly, worship God.” In so doing, the people would in essence be prophets of God, tellers of the story, conveyors of the truth, living witnesses of the living God.

In Numbers 11:29 there is a remarkable verse. A couple of men had begun to prophesy in the camp of Israel, and there were some who felt these men were out of order and that only Moses should prophesy. Finally, in verse 28 "Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, said, "Moses, my lord, restrain them." The response of Moses is intriguing. He said, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!"

Fast-forward ahead to the New Testament. In Acts chapter two the people of Jesus are filled with Holy Spirit. The apostle Peter steps up and preaches a great sermon, a part of which explains what is happening. He quotes the Old Testament prophet Joel, "And it shall be in the last days," says God, "That I will pour fourth of My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy" (Acts. 2:17).

In that act, Moses got his wish. The Word of Joel came to pass. The Spirit came upon the sons and daughters. “Would that all the Lords people were prophets.” Today the mantle of the prophet has fallen on the Church of Jesus Christ. His people bring the prophetic voice of God into the affairs of men and, as the church lives scattered through out the world, the message of God is proclaimed.

In my heart of hearts I am praying that the Holy Spirit will enable us to tell the story of God well. Tell it clearly. Tell it unambiguously. Tell it with clarity. More than this, however, may the church live a clear and unambiguous witness before a world that is unaware of just how needy for God it is.

I have a feeling that long before an unbelieving people will embrace a Christian’s thinking they must first see a Christian in action. Before we go on record as being followers of Jesus our lives should already be reflecting His life in us. We ought to be a people who by our very actions and attitudes reflect the fact that God is good. Once we are doing this, then our words can be a great clarifying instrument.

Jesus said to all His followers, “You are the light of the world.” Now, the ball is in our court. We need to go out, in the power of the Holy Spirit and do what a light does ~~~ SHINE. “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them.” Well, He has done just that. Now, let’s go out and make God look good.

It is a humbling and yet exhilarating thought to think that our lives are covered by the God we see revealed in Jesus. At minimum this means we are never without hope, that God's grace is always sufficient. Take from us all that can be taken and there is still God in Jesus. Do to us what you will and there is still God in Jesus. Bless us, curse us, or snub us, Jesus is Lord not the blessings or the curses or the snubbing. Kill us, and the last word isn't death but life, Eternal life in the One who is Lord, even over death.

In Jesus is life and His life is the light of God to us and in us (See John 1:4). To embrace Him is to take His hand, as it were, and to live both now and when life here is over.

Did you know there is no place we can go to hide from God’s grace. Isaac Watts reminds us in a hymn we sing at Christmas time,

No more let sin and sorrow grow…

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found.

So it was that Eliza Hewitt wrote

My faith has found a resting place,
not in device or creed;
I trust the ever-living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
this ends my fear and doubt;
a sinful soul I come to Him,
He’ll never cast me out.

He comes to make His blessings flow ….

This ends my fear and doubt.

Amen.

The dangerous world we live in is filled with forces that can hurt us deeply and seemingly undermine any good work that God might be doing. When we walk with God, however, we can’t simply assume that what appears to be the facts are, indeed, the facts.

At the heart of our faith is this insatiable belief that no matter what comes our way, God is in the midst of our story. And, make no mistake about it, our stories can get rather messy because life is messy. However, into the “Messy-ness” comes the wonder of God. A voice calls out to us and captivates our attention, “Come, behold the works of the Lord” (Ps. 46:8). And, our eyes are opened to realities of grace we never saw before.

In the messy-ness of life we have some promises. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps 46:1). “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God” (Ps. 46:4). “God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved” (Ps. 46: 5). The Lord of hosts is with us” (Psalm 46:7,11).

And, how shall we respond to this wonderful news? “Though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea … WE WILL NOT FEAR” (Ps. 46:2).

The dangerous world has been embraced and confronted by a Sovereign God. The river of God is flowing, bringing the life of God into the midst of all we have in this world. And, another call comes loud and clear, “Cease striving and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).

In Zechariah 4:6 there is the very familiar text that has God telling His people that His work in the world was done not by might nor by power but by His Spirit. This means that we must be filled, shaped and formed by God’s Spirit if we are to be a people through whom God can work.

We must be a people filled with the power of God because “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

None of us can see into the future so it is crucial that we pray our way into the future. Jesus is the Beginning and the End even in the present. He “is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8). What Jesus did then He can do now. Let’s pray that we may be a people in whom He can do whatever He desires to do.

Pastor Jim Cymbala, of Brooklyn Tabernacle, offers a prayer that drives all this home for me. He prays, “Dear Father…Reveal your will and purpose concerning us, and then give us the grace to pursue it with all our hearts.”

Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be open to you” (Matt. 7:7). Let’s pray our way into the future. Keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking. Remember the counsel of John Bunyan, “You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed”

There is a safe place in God that is remarkable and wonderful. David speaks of it in Psalm 31, and he does so in the painful context of certain people who took counsel together against him and were scheming to take away his life.

What do you do when life comes against you this way? Interestingly, David turned to the One person he could trust. He turned to His God. “As for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand.”

The schemers still schemed, the adversaries still plotted, the enemies still sought to persecute him, but David sensed that he was safe in the arms of God. Hidden in the secret place of God’s presence where “shelter” takes on a new meaning, David lived awed by God’s marvelous lovingkindness. The enemies of his soul had their opinions but David had his God.

David’s times were not in the hands of his enemies; his times were in the hand of God. Truth is that we can’t do much about the agendas of those who strive against God and His people but we can draw near to God because He has invited us to do so, and in His presence we see His heart and find ourselves saying things like, “How great is Your goodness,” “Blessed be the Lord,” “You are my God.”

When the enemy would seek your demise, come into the secret place of God’s presence. Call upon your God. Trust Him. He is your God. Do you love Him? Then your times are in His hand. The enemy cannot enter into the secret place of God’s presence, so come and pray and seek God’s face, and call upon His name, and live in that one, true, safe place, the presence of God.

Beloved, in these days I’ve had a lot of time to pray and reflect upon Scripture and I wanted to tell you that time after time the Spirit of the Lord has moved on my life over the past month and has ministered to my questioning and processing soul. There have been some dark moments where I have had to cling to Jesus and there have been some moments when I was too perplexed and tired to cling, only to discover that He was already clinging to me, inviting me to let go and to fall into his embrace.

Today I want to testify to the faithfulness of God. This cancer has shaken me up a bit, but you know what, I’m still here, I’m alive and I have hope. A hundred times over the past month I have borrowed David’s prayer and made it mine, “But as for me, I trust in you, O Lord. I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand” (Psalm 31:14-15).

And, I want to testify to the Father in your behalf telling Him how faithful you have been, how committed to pray, and how driven to stay the course. I want Him to know that you all have touched my life. Your prayers, your cards, your words of encouragement have been a dynamic part of God entering my story and building hope in me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So, with all my heart my word to you today is “Nothing to the left; Nothing to the right; Jesus only.” May God bless you and keep you, and may His grace shine down upon you.

The words in this article come from
the old Prayer Warrior, E. M. Bounds,

in his book, Power Through Prayer.

May they wet an appetite in our spirits

to be men and women of prayer.

People of Prayer

We are constantly on a stretch, if not on a strain, to devise new methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the Church and secure enlargement and efficiency for the gospel. This trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of the person or sink the person in the plan or organization. God's plan is to make much of the person, far more of the person than of anything else. People are God's method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better people.

"There was a man sent from God whose name was John." The dispensation that heralded and prepared the way for Christ was bound up in that person, John. "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." The world's salvation comes out of that cradled Son. When Paul appeals to the personal character of the men who rooted the gospel in the world, he solves the mystery of their success. The glory and efficiency of the gospel is staked on the people who proclaim it.

When God declares that "the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him," he declares the necessity of a person and of His dependence on that person as a channel through which to exert His power upon the world. This vital, urgent truth is one that this age of machinery is apt to forget. The forgetting of it is as baneful on the work of God as would be the striking of the sun from his sphere. Darkness, confusion, and death would ensue.

What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but people whom the Holy Spirit can use -- People of prayer, people mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through people. He does not come on machinery, but on people. He does not anoint plans, but people -- people of prayer.

I have been thinking about the place of prayer in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul declared, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18). In Romans 8:26 Paul indicated that there are times when “we do not know how to pray as we should,” and that in those time “The Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” In Romans 8:34 Paul declares that “Christ Jesus…who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God….also intercedes for us.” And, bless his heart, Augustine says, "Man is a beggar before God.”

It was John Bunyon who said, “You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” In other words, for those of us who believe in Jesus, prayer is the heart of who we are as a people. Getting before the Father and calling upon His name in prayer is a fundamental issue with those who have trusted in Christ for salvation.

To pray is to come alongside Jesus, responding to the fact that God’s will is “Good, acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12;2). In Christ we are able to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:1). We are free to pray like this because we know that always and forever God’s will is good, acceptable and perfect. It can’t be improved on.

I’ve been prayed for a lot recently, and, quite frankly, I have found great peace and comfort in knowing that God’s people are praying for me. Ironically, what I haven’t needed to know is the specifics as to what God’s answers to those prayers might be. I have the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, I am a part of the eternal Church of God, and I know that God’s will is good, acceptable and perfect. Here I stand. I choose to stand at no other place. God has spoken into our world and HE is enough.

May we draw near to God and pour out our hearts before Him in intercessory prayer.

How many times have you said it to yourself or to someone close to you, “I’m at my wits’ end”? You feel like you’ve reached your limit. It’s like the fellow who said to a friend of his, “I’m down to my last nerve and you’re on it.”

Did you know the Bible speaks about being at wits’ end? It’s that moment when there seems to be no answers, no solutions, and no way out. Everywhere you turn it is as if you hit a brick wall.

Psalm 107 speaks about men who go down to the sea in ships and do business on great waters (vs. 23). While at sea a raging storm develops that rips into the ship as if it were a toy. The men on board the ship are fearful, tired, and weary. They try everything they know to do to survive, but the raging storm pays no attention. Then at this point the Bible says in verse 27, “Thy reeled and staggered like a drunken man, and were at their wits’ end.” They’ve run out of options and they know they’ve had it.

However, at this point the men did something that turned out to be the smartest thing they ever did: “They cried to the Lord in their trouble.” And, guess what? “He brought them out of their distresses” (Ps. 107:28).

What shall we do at wits’ end? Crash and burn or rise and conquer? Wits’ end may be a real place but it isn’t Lord and, unless we allow it to, it will not have the last word. Remember, this awful place in which to find oneself becomes a means of grace.

There isn’t a storm big enough to shut down God, so rise and conquer.

In these busy times It is a good practice to find ways to slow down a bit, to refresh one’s soul, and to re-energize one’s life. This call isn’t about self-help or self-realization, or positive thinking. This call is about drawing near to God, so near that it might be called spiritual intimacy or closeness.

Psalm 37:34 is a clear and unambiguous word about this kind of intimacy with God. King David says, ‘Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.” Here we see that God is at work and that at the right time, when the wicked are cut off, God will show us just how present He has been in the life of His people.

Until that “right time” we are called to wait for the Lord and to Keep His way.” This requires faith on our part and a releasing of our life story into the faithfulness of God. In my spirit can I slow down and wait for God? Can I give myself to be so familiar with His way that I can give myself to living in His way?

Can’t you almost hear the the Holy Spirit saying, “Don’t be rushed and prodded, treated like you are just a number, a face in the crowd. I certainly don’t look at you that way. The world will because it seems to be the only way to conduct business in the busyness of life; but, remember God is present in you, setting the tempo of life. Life may demand busyness of you, but never forget that God is in the midst of His people.”

We are invited to rest in the provisions of God. In your spirit “wait,” in your daily life “Keep His way,” In this place you’ll be okay because God is faithful and He will never forsake you.

Life is filled with challenges, isn’t it? One minute things are fine and then next chaos abounds. Even being a Christian doesn’t protect us from the realities of life. In fact, sometimes following Jesus takes us right into storms. Just ask the disciples. One of their stories is told in Matthew 8:23-27.

Jesus got into a boat one day, the disciples followed Him, and the next thing they know is that they are fighting for their lives in the midst of a storm at sea. They followed Jesus right into chaos.

Does your belief system allow for the fact that sometimes when you follow Jesus it will take you right into a storm? Does your belief system allow for obedience to God not always to be smooth sailing? Does your belief system allow for Jesus to be asleep on the boat in the midst of a storm?

I’m not sure we have Jesus all figured out and I am quite sure that His ways are very different from our ways. Take that storm, for instance. The disciples are panicked in the storm while Jesus naps in the same storm.

Storms come, don’t they; big storms, life threatening storms, unexpected storms. Isn’t it exciting to know that our Lord is so powerful that storms don’t disturb Him. Don’t you find some kind of peace in that scenario? Makes you want to sing, “Be still, my soul, the waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.”

In Luke 13:22-30 Jesus shares a parable and talks to the listeners about what the parable means. The teaching event began with someone getting Jesus’ attention and asking Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved”” (vs. 23).

This question probably arose in the person's heart because of the hard sayings Jesus had be giving to the people. In chapter twelve Jesus had spoken of the cost of being a disciple. The commitment required an act of obedience that could potentially lead to division in some relationships. Some people would not understand why a friend or family member would turn to Jesus, and the act of doing so would lead to hostility and conflict on their part.

To follow Jesus was a call to give one’s whole life into the hands of God, not holding back anything, and knowing some people would not understand. So, in the eyes of someone witnessing it all, to follow Jesus was demanding, so demanding that he thought that maybe there would just be a few people who would dare take up their cross and follow Jesus!

Jesus didn’t directly answer his question. Instead he got the person thinking about the kingdom of God. He spoke of the fact that some people would just never get it but that others from all over the world, “east and west and north and south” would come into the kingdom and “recline at the table in the kingdom of God” (vs. 29).

The question the man asked was too narrow. The kingdom is huge, and the invitation is to all. “whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely” (Rev. 17b KJV).

“Whosoever.” What a mighty, wonderful, and awesome God we serve.

WITH GOD’S HELP

Because our faith in God means so very much to us if God is not at the center of our story, by default, we become the center of the story, dependent upon the mortal and finite capacity of our own little worldview. And, truthfully, this way of life leaves a lot to be desired.

In Jesus we are stretched to think outside our worldview, to think the thoughts of God as revealed in His awesome deeds in Jesus.

In Jesus we are brought into the Kingdom of God where the ways and means of God permeate all things.

In Jesus we become “I can” people. Life doesn’t have to do us in. We can face life and live in the power of God.

All these things being said, I am thinking that we ought to begin and end every dream, every work, every event, every process, and every aspiration with a prayer that says, “WITH GOD’S HELP.”

With God’s help I will undertake this thing.

With God’s help I will pursue this dream.

With God’s help I will undertake this work.

With God’s help I shall be faithful to His work in the church.

Remember what the angel said to the virgin Mary as he was explaining to here what was going to happen in her womb? He said to her, “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). And, Mary believed him, and off to the home of Elizabeth she ran to tell her the remarkable story (Luke 1:3945).

The incarnate ministry of God in history began with the promise, “Nothing will be impossible with God.” There might be a lot impossible with us, but with our God nothing is impossible.

So, with God’s help I will do what I must do.

With God’s help I will be what He has called me to be.

With God’s help I will be faithful.

With God’s help I will follow Jesus wherever He leads me.

With God’s help I shall ______________________.