GOD’S LOVE

 

 

God’s Love

1 John 3:1-3

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us,
that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him,
because we shall see him as he is.
And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

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God’s LOVE

Here is the fundamental reality
and at the same time
the elemental mystery—
God’s Love.

How does a human heart and mind begin
to wrestle with so
mighty a sacred
Gospel Truth . . .

. . . and so beautiful a miracle lovelier
still than a rainbow
shimmering in
a waterfall?

Only the Holy Sprit can inspire words
stretching a human
heart or mind
to comprehend . . .

and portray in a portrait or compose a poem
profound capturing
such wonder
from God’s heart;

and only in the Incarnate Loving Son
can there be found
perfect Love
renowned.

I John 4:9-10

“This is how God showed his love among us:
He sent his only Son into the world
that we might live through him.
This is love:
not that we loved God,
but that he loved us
and sent his son
as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

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Brennan Manning had his life saved by a friend who threw himself on a grenade as they fought together in the Korean War. That gift of sacrificial love led Brennan to Christ and, as we read above, to his life-long astonishment at the goodness and love of God. His Christian writings deeply impacted Rich Mullins, whose music also emphasized the greatness of God’sLove so amazing in the face of humanity’s sinfulness.

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I Walk In Wonder Surrounded By His Love

I walk in wonder surrounded by His Love,
He who created this world I live upon
as I look above me and around me
and beneath me and see
such glory as fills my  whole heart and mind
with delight at all the beauty with which
He blesses my sight—and as I listen
to the songs all nature sings
as praise to Him who is my loving Maker,
as praise to Him who is my loving Savior,
as praise to Him the Holy Spirit,
my Counselor and my Sustainer.

 

Romans 5:8

But God shows his love for us
in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.

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John Chrysostom served as the Archbishop of Constantinople  toward the end of the fourth century. He is remembered as one of the greatest preachers, proclaiming the Gospel wherever he went. He spent a long life of Christian service, emphasizing the plain truth of the Bible. No wonder, in the midst of all of his teaching and preaching and serving the poor, he declared clearly, it was on the cross where God spoke most directly, demonstrating His Love for us. The power of His Love should inspire us to lives of godly love. It does not matter where we are or what people we are serving.

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God’s Sacrificial Love

All those years Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob
wandered searching
for God’s Promised Land
they offered animal
sacrifices as
God covered their sin
with atoning blood—
always the perfect one
laying down his life
for hearts besmeared,
shadowed within.

And then when Jesus
obeyed God’s Perfect Will
and accepted the Cross
as atonement for us
He took upon Himself,
His perfect heart, free
of all shame, and free
from any of sin’s stain
bled out for our own;
and He proved there
and then, God’s Love for 
 every precious one of us.

John 3:16-19

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned,
but whoever does not believe is condemned already,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world,
and people loved the darkness rather than the light
because their works were evil.

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Rick Warren has stood firm on the Bible throughout his ministry. Often he has been ridiculed by popular culture for being old-fashioned and out-of-step with modern ways. That has never intimidated him or kept him from proclaiming salvation in Jesus as the central truth of the Bible, and also, the Way to Salvation. In that call he has always emphasized God proving His desire to have us as His children, by giving Jesus, the Son, to pay for our sins. In applying that love, Warren has been questioned within the faith for reaching out to non-Christians—but what else did Jesus do, and command us to do?

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What Else Can I Do?

What else can I do
when the great God
of all Glory
reaches down to me
in His perfect Love
through the life and
the death and His
ressurection
of Jesus declaring
to me, “I want
your love and the
whole of your heart
and all of your mind?”

What else can I do
but surrender
my heart and my
 mind and accept
His Gospel plan
for rescuing me
from my sin and
my penalty
as He pays for
me the price
and from death
sets me free?

Romans 8:38-39

For I am sure that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Hannah Whitall Smith emphasized throughout her lifetime and in her writings a deeply personal and deeply devotional relationship with God.  She expressed her view of such a close walk in faith with Christ in her book, The Christian’s Secret Of A Happy Life. In this book she presents simple truths, God’s Love, our sin, Christ’s death for us, and forgiveness of sin. She certainly celebrates the Love of God for us and the perfection of His expressing that Love no matter how the Enemy may attack us. Praise God! Nothing can separate us from the Love of God.

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When I Gaze Upon God’s Loving Faace

When I gaze upon God’s loving face
I fall upon my knees
and confess how unworthy
I kneel before Him
who is the Holy Creator of the Universe,
the Maker of the sun, the moon and the stars,
the One who formed the mighty oceans
and sculpted the magnificent mountains,
and I am amazed as He looks
upon me with redeeming love
and holds out His hand and bids
me come as His child set free
from all the despicable things I have done,
from all of the ugliness I have imagined,
from all of the blasphemies I have spoken—
and replaces it all with His own perfect Love.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing;
it is the gift of God,
not a result of works,
so that no one may boast.

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C.S. Lewis and his writings have stood strong for seventy-five years as a bold declaration in the midst of modern humanity, that true fulfillment and joy in life comes only through faith in Jesus; and God rules all—as in perfect Love He calls us to Himself. Lewis’ portrayal of the Christ-like Jesus in The Chronicles of Narnia, makes it clear, that we depend on Aslan in Narnia, and God through Jesus in our world, for the gift of salvation from the evil forces of sin and selfishness and ultimate self-destruction. We must be rescued. So God, by His Grace, sends us His gift, Jesus, to set us free.

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His Own

He graciously
and miraculously
call in us in
this world
from the eternal
darkness covering the glory
of His Promise
every morning
in the sun reclaiming
from the night our
souls reborn brand new
in His Love
which dared the gates
of Hell and Sin and Death
resurrecting
His own.

 

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.”

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Though Julian Of Norwich lived most of life in isolation as an anchoress in the late 1300’s, her writing powerfully inspired many because she emphasized so passionately the Love of God, which she considered the essential gladness, the absolute meaning and center of life. Her message brought hope to many in a turbulent time filled with wars and terrible plagues destroying many lives. She pointed many hopeless people, then, to the absolute hope of the Love of God as expressed through Jesus.

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We Have A Suffering Yet Triumphant Savior

Praise be to our Almighty God!
Praise be to His Holy Name!
Praise be to our suffering Savior!
Praise be for His Empty Tomb!
Praise be to the Holy Spirit!
Praise be for His loving Presence!

Praise be to our Almighty God!
Praise be to His Holy Name!
Though He made the stars,
Though in power He named them,
He calls us His own, His precious,
His blessed, His blessed children.

Praise be to our suffering Savior!
Praise be for His empty tomb!
Though the Enemy pursued Him
and though He was beaten,
He rose up victorious
over all sin and all darkness.

Praise be to the Holy Spirit!
Praise be for His loving Presence!
He cleanses, He fills, indwells
us with His heavenly power.
We are never, never alone,
we are blessed in His Presence.

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Living Witnesses To The JOY Jesus Brings

Living Witnesses To The JOY Jesus Brings

There is no doubt about it. Jesus is the foundation and the reason for JOY in my HEART. He walks with me through the ups-and-downs of everyday life. He shares with me His victories, He constantly points me to His witnesses in the Bible. He surrounds me with living witnesses wherever I go and whatever He has me doing. This week I want to share with you some modern day saints who have ministered joy to me throughout my life. The world calls these kind of folk “really happy,” but I know them well enough to know, they have JOY so much deeper and richer than happiness. How blessed I am to have known their JOY in Jesus, for they have been His vessels for leading me to faith in Jesus and also keeping me hungry for more and more of His Good Way in the JOY only He supplies.

A Couple Of Notes Before I Begin: First, I have to point out that Jesus, Himself, is the chief JOY in life. Without Him, I would have no reason, no JOY to write about, no purpose to live.  Second: My wife Becky is His most perfect gift to me from His gracious Hand. She daily teaches me how real and how deep His JOY is.

PaPa Stonecypher
My Grandfather

Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

Most folks called him Dewey, some called him Mr. Stonecypher, but the seven of us blessed to enjoy him as our grandfather always called him PaPa. He definitely worked hard all his life at the local steel plant. When he wasn’t working at the plant, he was gardening and serving as a deacon at Paden Baptist Church, and bringing lots of love and laughter to his grandchildren and lots of other lucky folks.  His faith in Jesus and his gentle teasing and playfulness made knowing him as PaPa a real blessing to the seven of us. The Joy of Jesus in our PaPa was definitely real and contagious. 

Aunt Cordeal
My Aunt

Isaiah 12:3
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

To be honest, in my mother’s great big family, I only saw my Aunt Cordeal occasionally, at big family occasions. Still, when I did see her, she was constantly telling delightfully hilarious stories, and shaking with contagious laughter. Most of her stories featured her and Uncle Hobart’s amusing adventures. Once they went to a neighboring county to get a certain liquid ingredient for her fruitcake. Poor Uncle Hobart had to do the “dirty” work while Aunt Cordeal hid in the car down the road from the disreputable store that sold that particular forbidden drink for soaking the cake. They were long-time members serving at New Hope Baptist Church, and in their later years, at Goodyear Heights Baptist. The JOY of Jesus always shone in her eyes and in her life of service for her Lord among her family, her friends and through her church.

Mrs. Culberson
My Training Union Leader

1 John 3:18
Little children, let us not love in word or talk
but in deed and in truth.

Mrs. Culberson was our leader as older children on Sunday nights in Church. She was always smiling, always entertaining us as she taught, always catching us up in the delight and JOY Jesus brings. I never knew as a child how she spent most of her hours every day caring for her son Neal, who had profound developmental issues. She and her husband lovingly parented him with the care only deeply godly parents could give. I did wonder why she only attended church in the evening, while her husband only attended in the morning. My mother explained to me how their care for Neal required one of them to be present at all times. I will never forget the loving encouragement they gave me when I went to Nigeria as a single missionary. During my first homeside assignment she invited me over for lunch, which was delicious, and we had a great time as she asked me how she could pray about my life as a missionary. She did occasionally take time to check on Neal, and I kept the visit short. Now that the three of them are all together, perfected in Heaven, I just know Mr. And Mrs. Culberson and Neal are even now REJOICING together in Jesus.

Vicki Whaley
My School Friend

Ecclesiastes 3:12

When I think of Vicki, I remember her for her big smile, her hearty laughter, her teasing banter, the beautiful music she made on her flute or piccolo, or with her voice, and her hard work. She was a great, a very true friend, with an unshakable and inspirational testimony. Growing up in church and school together, we enjoyed life among a group of kids, then teens, from hard-working, faith-based families. Her parents were among the couples who led us in Sunday night discipleship. Vicki did her Christian service as a choir member often featured as a vocal soloist and also, playing the flute. Her merry spirit and her sense of peace in Christ made her a dear friend to many. Years later, as she battled cancer, her faith remained confident and strong. I will always remember sitting at the back of our church after successful surgery, and having her come over and express her concern and prayers for me, even as I knew how seriously she was fighting cancer. When I asked her about herself, she smiled confidently and replied, “The Lord and I have this. Everything will be okay.” Her faith remained strong always. Throughout her lifetime, Vicki definitely exemplified JOYFUL faith before me.

Felicia Butler
My Lifelong Friend

Isaiah 12:2

Richard Hearn
My Bible Teacher

Proverbs 15:13

A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.

Rev. Hearn was never my pastor. He was my Bible teacher. He was the father of two of my students. He was a rock of gentle and exemplary ministry in St. Marys. One of my dearest friends, Carolyn Mock, served as his church secretary. She experienced first hand day after day the depth of His faith and his always true Christ-like love for His people, and his always present grin. When he taught the Bible, his calm demeanor and his deep conviction testified to the power of God through Jesus and through the Word to bring JOY to even the most desperate of lives. His teaching arose out of a heart that was always speaking out in the midst of lives which desperately needed what Jesus had in store for those who responded to His offer of salvation and new life. In Rev. Hearn I learned in my two brief years in Ludowici how the genuine witness of a JOYFUL servant of Jesus accomplishes mighty works in the power of our Lord Jesus.

 

Jane Ellen Gaines
My Missionary Mentor

Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

 

Now, fullness of JOY, that is exactly what Jane Ellen Gaines brought to life every single day. I cannot recall anytime with her not bringing me a smile, laughter, and encouragement—always in the Lord. She was always declaring God’s Truth as she rejoiced in His Goodness. She often proclaimed and acted out in faith the power of His Goodness. During my first missionary term, she insisted the two of us meet for prayer each week, which was great; but she also insisted we eat lunch because she felt I needed encouragement for eating more as I battled to hold onto my weight. So, we prayed and ate lunch once a week. She proved to be an excellent model for both; she prayed heartily, with great enthusiasm and conviction; and she did the same with eating. Her lively love for Jesus and people made her irresistible. Students loved her. Teachers loved her. Parents loved her. Everybody loved her. She definitely taught me to trust Jesus with everything and to experience JOY as I followed Him.

Sonny Stewart
My Coach

Psalm 40:8
I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

When I moved to St. Marys on the southeastern coast of Georgia, on the mainland, across from Cumberland Island, I was searching for JOY, and folks who would in Jesus share that with me. I had just been disappointed in being put on hold in my desire to fulfill God’s call on my life for missions service. So, meeting Sonny Stewart the first day of my teaching at St. Marys Elementary School was a Godsend. He was to be the PE teacher for the school, while I was to be the English and reading teacher for the seventh grade. He had served in the Navy, while I had previously taught up the coast a bit, in Ludowici, Georgia. He loved God deeply, and had a “go get them” personality which made for great coaching. We enjoyed the challenge of teaching and reaching our students together. He and his wife Norma both helped to focus me on finding what God had for me to do in St. Marys. Through them and a wonderful group of faithful members of St. Marys Baptist Church, I discovered an exciting calling into a blend of teaching and youth ministry which brought me a tremendous four year time of preparation for my missions service in Nigeria and Niger. Sonny Stewart, from that very first day at school, coached me up, as they say, in knowing and sustaining the pure JOY of serving the Lord.

 

Bro. Mike
My Inspiration

2 Corinthians 12:10
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses,
insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

One of the first people I met at Baptist High School, Jos, Bro. Mike Abraham, has one of the most JOYFUL faces I have ever seen. Bro. Mike and his discipleship brothers, Ademola, Akinwale, Philip, Shola and Victor, had been discipled deeply by Larry Davis, who was moving into work in  Mubi when I arrived; and so, he graciously handed the group over to me. What a rich blessing! They all loved the Lord and also loved learning more and more about serving the Lord. Among them Bro. Mike backed up his broad smiles with a deep set of convictions about living the Christian life in obedience, always acting with faithful dependence on Jesus. The entire group loved singing JOYFULLY and living their lives to back up their testimonies. To this day I recall with awe how God welcomed me to Nigeria with Bro. Mike’s and his discipleship brothers’ enthusiasm for the Lord.

Samson Adedokun
My Abiding JOY

Psalm 37:3

Romans 5:2
Through him we have also obtained access by faith
into this grace in which we stand,
and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Beverly came to Sahel Academy as the Elementary School Principal, and her JOY in the Lord immediately captivated her students, her staff, and the entire Sahel missionary community. Oh, to hear those elementary students singing and laughing through one praise song or the other. Now, those were moments of JOY. She carried that sense of celebration in the midst of God’s goodness wherever she went, among students, staff, parents and all over Niamey.  And I had the privilege of witnessing the same JOY in her prayer life as she prayed about anything and everything with absolute faith in our faithful God, and His answer to our prayers. No wonder she ended up becoming the Director for the school; and no wonder she did such an amazing job of drawing the entire school together as we worked successfully through the complex task of reaccreditation. No wonder she won the heart of her husband, Stuart. They are blessed. And so are we.

Hadiza
My Godly Example

Isaiah 12:3
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Like so many in this list of JOYFUL people, I cannot recall Hadiza’s face without appreciating her smile so big it stretches her face from side-to-side; and her shining eyes which reflect that same confidence in our Lord. Her vision for providing help to Nigerien children facing overwhelming needs inspires my admiration. Hadiza has no quit in her. Her vision came while she worked as a cook in the hostel for missionary students at Sahel Academy in Niamey, Niger. She also took orders from missionary families in the community, and delivered such delicious treats, she stayed more than busy meeting the demand. She felt called to get a bit of additional land so she could open a center to provide care for Nigerien students with extraordinary needs. She labored on until God fulfilled her desire to make this vision a reality. She sacrificed much, and is now able to minister with the JOY in her heart of knowing she has obeyed, the Lord has provided, and many are blessed. 

People Of Joy In The Bible

Twelve People Of Joy In The Bible 

The Bible pictures many beautiful attributes of JOY as God reveals HIs glory through His people. Just a reminder, JOY in the Presence of God becomes a much richer, a fuller reality than the fleeting sense of happiness we often mistake for JOY in this life on earth. God intends for His people to walk close to Him, even as He walks close to them in the Person of Jesus and in the Presence of the Holy Spirit who abides with us once God’s Grace saves us through the faith He gifts us in Jesus.

ENOCH

Genesis 5:21-24

When Enoch had lived 65 years,
he fathered Methuselah.
Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years
 and had other sons and daughters.
Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.
Enoch walked with God, and he was not,
for God took

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JESUS:OUR JOY PART TWO

BECAUSE JESUS IS MY JOY

Because Jesus is my JOY
I daily and eternally
find in Him so much more
than I will ever need.

Jesus is my JOY, the
Son of Abraham and David,
the Mighty Promised One,
Anointed One of God.

Jesus is my JOY, the
One who makes water into wine,
who miraculously
gives sight to the blind.

Jesus is my JOY, the
Master who kneels to serve,
He alone, the Way to God,
the Truth of God, His Life.

Jesus is my JOY, for
He will judge the Living
and the Dead for He
is the Lord of them all.

Jesus is my JOY, for
He has the Name above
every name; He is the
very Image of God.

Jesus is my JOY, for
through His life and death
and rising again He is
the Founder of our Faith.

Jesus is my JOY, for
eternally He reigns
as the mighty King of
Kings and the Lord of Lords.

JESUS: OUR JOY PART TWO

The Old Testament promises it:
Jesus will be our JOY.
The New Testament confirms it:
Jesus is our JOY:

1. We see this in Matthew 1:1. (“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”) The generations of God’s people and their relationship with Him, all point forward to the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, the Promised One.
2. We read this in Mark 1:24. (“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”) Even the demons must testify to the Truth: Jesus is the Messiah. They recognize in HIm God’s glory and His power—and their defeat.
3. We note this in John 2:11. (“This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”) John includes this as one of seven signs that point to the miracle working power so obvious in the life of Jesus. As one who knew Jesus and followed him day—to-day, John recognized Him because He performed purposeful miracles. Each revealed His Loving concern and His unlimited power.
4. We recognize this in Matthew 20:28. (“. . . even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”) Clearly Jesus is assigned the messianic (Promised One of the Old Testament) title, the Son of Man, here. He naturally and constantly reveals His chosen humanity in contrast to His eternal divinity.
5. We read in John 14:6 (Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”) that Jesus is the foundation of all there is know about God and His plan for all people—through Jesus. God presents living proof of His eternal Love and Grace only through Jesus.
6. Then we read this in Acts 10:42 (And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.) Jesus is the judge of all people appointed by God. Because Jesus is God’s blessed appeal to the lost, our decision in response to God, judges our eternal destiny.
7. Through His life, death and resurrection Jesus reveals that He is the Lord of both the living and the dead. Romans 14:9. (For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.) We are reminded that every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. (Philippians 2:9)
8. The Apostle Paul also reminds us in Philippians 2:9 (“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, . . .”) that because of Jesus’ sacrificial humility, His Name is above every other name. It is because of the Incarnation miracle that Jesus bears His unique Name of the Savior of the World.
9. Paul also establishes in Colosssians 1:15 (“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”) how Jesus is the image of God—all of Him revealed in Human likeness. So, when we look at the life of Jesus, we see all that we need to know about God.
10. Then the writer of Hebrews declares in Hebrews 12:2 (“. . . looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”) Jesus is the founder and perfecter, the author and finisher, of our faith. Everything rests on Him and His sacrificial life, death, and resurrection.
11. In triumph, John testifies in Revelation 19:16 (“On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of Lords.”) that Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Clearly Jesus is our all-in-all. He is our JOY, the very best of all that God desires for us to experience in Him.
12. Jesus further assures us in Revelation 22:21-22 (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.) So, we have Jesus’ Promise that He is coming soon. Surely, He is our JOY! Praise God!

Our Joy In Jesus

Our joy in Jesus
is forever, sure and pure.

Our joy in Jesus
is forever, no matter, whatever.

Our joy in Jesus
is always sure, no fear, it’s clear.

Our joy in Jesus,
is much purer, clearer, richer.

Many of these verses were suggested in “Jesus in all of the books of the Bible” jesusplusnothing.com.(December 23, 2025)

 

 

JESUS:OUR JOY, PART ONE

JESUS: OUR JOY, PART ONE

 

God intends for His children to discover throughout our lifetime on earth more and more of His Glory, and so, more and more  of our JOY. In the Bible, from the Beginning until the New Beginning, He invites us into His Holy Presence, essentially through JESUS, promised throughout the  Old Testament, and appearing—living, teaching, healing, dying, rising, ascending, and returning in the New Testament. So, as we look to the Old Testament first for the Promise of Jesus, we find JOY as we consider the assurance, the hope, the seeking, the finding, and dwelling in the Promised Land where the line of David is established, and from which Jesus will be born.

From the very beginning, and throughout history, in the Bible, God’s Story of Redemption, Jesus has been our JOY. Throughout the Old Testament God spoke through first, a particular people; and then to a particular nation, to share His Promise of blessing the whole world with His Presence in the Person of One who would prove to be Jesus. Again and again, God was pointing His People to His gift of the Promised Land. He was also pointing them to the Promise of the Messiah, who would establish God’s Rule over over His people and throughout the world. So, in the Promised Land of peace and plenty, and in the Promised One, God was forever working toward the coming of Jesus as His gift of JOY for all the earth.  He has always been at the center of God’s Plan for ultimate reconciliation with human kind. In the Promise of the the blessing of all human kind through the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God was preparing His nation. 

Genesis 12:1-3

Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house
to the land that I will show you.
 And I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you and make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
 I will bless those who bless you,
and him who dishonors you I will curse,
and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

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Jesus At The Center

Always and forever Jesus is at the very center
or God’s eternal plan to redeem His children
and so to give us the JOY of knowing
the fullness of His Love and Grace
even as we struggle every day with trials and
tribulations following our failure to obey
Him in the garden—and so to lose our
honored place in His Creation—
Jesus comes Incarnate to participate with us
in life’s opportunities and its struggles
blessing us with His smiles, His laughter, His Love,
His care, His Wisdom, His Power and His Life,
for God held nothing back as He daily proved His
eternal and His perfect, His sacrificial plan as
He demonstrated every moment how we
could perfectly trust in and follow Him.

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God Made Himself A Nation

God made Himself a nation out of Israel as a testimony
to the glory of His Presence among His people who
choose to follow and and obey Him as He blesses
and He leads them while He delivers
on every Promise He makes them passing through the Sea
and the desert discovering for them water when
they’re thirsty and manna when they’re hungry
and His Law when they wander—
and at the heart of every promise He was looking forward
to His Incarnation being born among His People
as the baby Jesus born almost unseen in a
manger in the quiet town of Bethlehem.

Genesis 28:11-14

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran.
And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night,
because the sun had set.
Taking one of the stones of the place,
he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.
And he dreamed, and behold,
there was a ladder set up on the earth,
 and the top of it reached to heaven.
And behold, the angels of God were ascending
and descending on it! And behold,
the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord,
the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac.
The land on which you lie I will give to you
 and to your offspring.
Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth,
and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east
and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring
shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

************

As Jacob’s family  and descendants grew in number, God intervened on their behalf, multiplying and blessing them during their time in Egypt until  their numbers and their strength became  a threat to Pharaoh. So, he effectively enslaved them. Then God sent Moses as a deliverer, and through the plagues convinced the king to release the Hebrews, but only after the ultimate and tenth plague, from which the Hebrews were spared, due to their obedience in sacrificing a perfect Lamb—of course—pre-figuring Jesus. 

Exodus 12:11-13

Jesus: The Passover Lamb

Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them,
“Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.
 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood
 that is in the basin, and touch the lintel
and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin.
None of you shall go out
of the door of his house until the morning.
For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians,
and when he sees the blood on the lintel
and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door
and will not allow the destroyer
 to enter your houses to strike you.”

Deuteronomy 18:15-19

Jesus: A Prophet

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet
like me from among you, from your brothers—
it is to him you shall listen—  just as you desired of the Lord your God
at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said
 ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God
or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’
And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right
in what they have spoken.
 I will raise up for them a prophet like you
from among their brothers.
And I will put my words in his mouth,
and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name,
I myself will require it of him.’”

************

 

God speaks through Moses, pointing to Jesus as a prophet. God promises to put His Words in Jesus’ mouth. Jesus will speak all that God commands. All will be held accountable for their response to Jesus and everything He says for God. The pattern throughout the Old Testament is clear: Listen to God. Hear Him carefully. Obey Him. Find blessing and JOY in heeding God’s Word.

Interestingly God chooses a wandering family, builds them into a mighty nation, and then gives them the Promised Land. Over and over again He blesses them in the midst of mighty trials. When there is no water, He provides. When there is no bread, He provides. When there is no meat, He provides. When their disobedience leads to sickness, He provides the means to express their faith in Him, and He heals those who follow His direction. They are blessed over and over again with His Presence, and so His JOY for them—just as Jesus will be His Presence to bring JOY among His people when He lives physically among them. This is true even though Jesus is like a stone the builders have rejected.

Psalms 118:21-22

Jesus: The Stone The Builders Rejected

I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the cornerstone.

As the stone, the priceless cornerstone, Jesus is crushed for us. To bring us blessing or JOY, Jesus is put to grief. His soul offers Himself for our guilt. God’s Will prospers in His hand. The righteous one, Jesus, will make many rejoice in righteousness purchased by Him and His Holy Sacrifice. Jesus has died to purchase our JOY. Jesus has born our iniquities—even as the prophet has written.

Isaiah 53:10-11

Jesus: Crushed For Us

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul
he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.

Jesus comes as the Son of Man who receives dominion over all peoples. He comes before God, the Ancient of Days. He is given dominion and glory and the Kingdom, so that all peoples, nations and languages serve Him. This dominion is eternal and cannot be destroyed. It will never pass away. In God’s Presence Jesus becomes our absolute and eternal JOY. 

Daniel 7:13-14

Jesus: His Dominion Over All Peoples

I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
    there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
    and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
    and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
   that shall not be destroyed.

 

Jesus will bring salvation to all who call on His Name.  Our JOY in Jesus arises from the complete salvation He brings as we proclaim His Name. We are then delivered from separation between us and God, our judgment. He sets us free from the penalty of our sinful rejection of His call to love and honor and worship Him. This is our JOY in Jesus.

Joel 2:32

Jesus: Salvation For Those Who Call On His Name

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those
who escape, as the Lord has said,
and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

Although Bethlehem is a very small town, and for most people an almost completely forgotten one, this town which has been the birthplace of David, Israel’s greatest king; and so, of Jesus, His promised descendant, as set forth and prophesied according to God’s Perfect Will. There shall be great JOY among God’s people when His appointed King is born in little, almost forgotten, Bethlehem.

Micah 5:2

Jesus: Bethlehem Born

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.

************

And so, we see how from the very beginning, and throughout the Old Testament, Scripture after Scripture points us to JESUS as God’s fulfillment of His eternal gospel plan to bring us JOY as as He reveals His glory. We can absolutely trust in JESUS with our whole lives and find in Him JOY for each day we live. Praise the Lord! Amen!

 

(“Jesus in all of the books of the Bible” jesusplusnothing.com  {December 23, 2025} provided suggestions for passages used in this post.)

 

JOY Every Day This Year

JOY .  .  . EVERY DAY THIS YEAR, 2026

I thought I only wanted a bit of happiness,
just as I imagined I deserved,
and so I competed hard with my neighbors
as I assumed I had to fill my own bag
of trinkets I had somehow
taken from them—
happiness made all my life
one competition after another
winning and thrilling for the moment
but suddenly losing again—
and although I never failed to try,
and although I gave my heart and soul,
as soon as I put a bit of happiness
inside my bag, it fell
out the hole in the bottom—
happiness became my life-long trap,
promising so much more
than it could ever deliver.

Then Jesus came calling,
loving and teaching,
explaining how
happiness, even when it
seemed bright and shining
provided only shadows
quickly passing,
failing to satisfy—
He taught me how
the Father in Heaven
calls us to a life of worship,
obedience toward Him
and then service
for others around us
as we discover
His glory and our
joy grow together—
we give our God true worship
and discover joy eternal..

****************

 

What comes to mind when you think of JOY? I remember the old saying: JOY means Jesus first, others second, yourself third. Even though that sounds counterintuitive in this me-first world; I believe it makes a lot of sense. Who comes to mind when you think of JOY? Well, lots of wonderful people I have been blessed to know, but especially my PaPa (my Dad’s Dad). Jesus lived powerfully in his sparkling eyes, his love for people, and in his deep humility.  Now, when I put these three together, I begin to understand what JOY means to me. First, JOY really does overflow in people who prioritize Jesus as the true be-all and end-all of life. And when JOY overflows from those people, others find they are repeatedly blessed. Finally, those who keep Jesus first and others second, discover a day-after-day, sense of goodness and wholeness and rightness, characterizing their lives.

JOY always grows out of our relationship with Jesus, as we look to Him for redemption and deliverance. As JOY grows it transforms our hearts and minds so that loving concern for others rearranges the direction of our lives—from taking selfishly into giving unselfishly. The emptiness of striving becomes the fullness of sharing. Life becomes all about giving to Jesus the worship and praise and service He deserves. Life becomes all about loving and serving others before ourselves. Life becomes JOY  that never goes away. Joy begins an eternity of deeper and deeper fulfillment as we discover the light-and-dark-difference between living unto God and His glory and living for ourselves and the world. God’s glory shines in our lives and blesses us with JOY.

Too many of us in this world waste large portions of our days uselessly seeking happiness, which is a pale reflection of JOY. Happiness lasts mere moments. JOY deepens from day-to day all the way into eternity. Happiness grabs all it can get for itself. JOY gives all it can for others. Happiness focuses its desires on pleasing itself. JOY seeks to glorify God by serving others. JOY was what we were eternally made for. Happiness is a tiny piece of the whole array of gifts God has given to us to share with others. When we find happiness, it is already fleeing. When we find Joy, it is already taking root and growing deep in our heart. Happiness was created by God to lead us into true JOY. Happiness is like the caterpillar while JOY is revealed as the butterfly. Happiness must be transformed by God’s Spirit living in us, focusing more and more on God and less and less on ourselves as it becomes so God-focused it becomes JOY. 

Nehemiah 8:10

Then he said to them, “Go your way.
Eat the fat and drink sweet wine
and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready,
for this day is holy to our Lord.
And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

 

Here we read how the people of israel have returned from their exile in Babylon, just as God had promised them. Now they are enduring the tough days of rebuilding the city walls. They have faced fierce and dangerous opposition. They have been forced to constantly mount armed guards even as they build. Now they pause to read God’s Law. They are reminded that they must obey His Law as they find His deliverance and protection. They are reminded they must rejoice in the perfection of God’s Law. JOY comes through faithful obedience to God’s Law. When we worship and serve Him with our hearts, souls, minds, and with all our strength, He empowers our relationships with others in service, and we find JOY. 

So, JOY is a gift for all people who respond to His Call to redemption through faith in Jesus—responding to Jesus’ Call into a relationship based on Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and our trust and obedience to Him. He becomes our Lord, our Master, and so, our redeemer. We become His transformed servants seeking above all to glorify God, serve others, and in return, experience JOY now and forever. I am reminded of the children’s song:

 

Nativity Psalms

 

 

Nativity Psalms

I have thoroughly enjoyed these weeks leading up to the Celebration of Christmas, 2025, even as I have completed a cycle of seven stories told about God’s intervention in the lives of Isaiah, Mary, Joseph, Zechariah and Elizabeth, the Shepherds, Simeon and Anna, and the Wise Men, on behalf of all the people of the world for all time.  Now, I am left with the question, what do these divine encounters have to say to me? In my heart I have to believe God is not finished with me yet. He still has His redemptive Work He wants to accomplish through me. So,  I intend to revisit each story in the form of a modern-day psalm as I  ask the Holy Spirit to speak God’s challenge for me arising from His encounter with each of these unique people.  I pray He will use these humble words to also speak His truth for you.

God’s Call Upon A Life

The choice of God to put His call upon a life
at once reveals the power of His almighty Love
as His touch at once begins redeeming those
who heed, consider and respond to Him
who owns us all;  for it is He who makes us each
a bit of glory hidden cold behind the stone
until His deep commanding call comes clear
so we who hear must rise up, walk out into the
 the blazing, resurrecting Love who weeps for us
until we rise and answer Him with obedience
we cannot give until we are awakened,
renewed, inspired, and reborn into eternity.

Isaiah

Imagine the juxtaposition
of my looking upon God’s Holiness
in the midst of seraphim
declaring the Almighty’s
righteousness and glory lifted up
uncovering my own uncleanliness
 by my own unwholesome
words staining my filthy lips.

Imagine the Almighty placing
side-by-side upon His Holy Altar
my torn and sin-stained life
beside His Suffering Servant,
the hopeless sinner miraculously
cleansed by Him who had no blemish,
myself deserving justice
yet set free by His own mercy.

Imagine such magnificent grace
providing me such a voice standing
before great priests and kings
declaring the Almighty’s
Truth and His Judgment upon
the mighty who soiled themselves in
the filth of this sinful earth
until bowing down, they worshipped Him.

Mary

I do not recall a day when my heart
did not sing my praise to our Heavenly
Father . . . His Love brought joy to me
as I joined the morning birds raising
their songs, as I went about my chores
visiting the well or the market stalls
or feeding our animals or helping by
watching my sisters and my brothers—
but my heart learned a deeper,
a whole new kind of song when
the angel gave me God’s News, that
Our Savior should be born, of me.
That such a privilege should come
to me, a mere maiden in this small town—
I am learning this miraculous truth:
God’s Love works mysteriously.

Joseph

My heart always stood firm on righteousness—
I mean it always seemed so clear to me as I
looked upon the  lives of our fathers, Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob; our great King David—
and so I truly thought I had found in this young
girl and her angelic, and it seemed, her holy
singing, a joy in our people’s love for our God
of righteousness, for she so rejoiced in this
life He gives for those He chooses, who in turn
choose to follow Him — and so I sought her
and was granted by her father the great honor
of our being betrothed to each other pure and holy
until we should be joined in marriage—
and so I felt blessed and happy—until I heard
the truth which seemed so unrighteous and yet
as it  turned out was so miraculous—Mary was
with child before we married—it seemed she had
been defiled and yet I thought I knew her heart—
in despair I was determined to quietly put her
away, to spare her life— but then God’s angel came
in a vision; I know our God was speaking—
this was His miraculous child, Mary retained
her innocence —I should marry and protect her
purity as she carried in her womb our Savior.

Elizabeth 

Together always, Zechariah
and myself side-by-side,
we felt so blessed; my dear husband
and his calling were always also mine.
It seems, our Mighty God
had set us aside to minister His Word
among His Chosen People,
 and though we did regret it that
 I bore no children,
we over the years moved on from that
with great joy in sharing the priestly task
my own Zechariah had been given;
we saw this as God’s supreme gift—
we rejoiced before Him together.
Imagine my surprise when
Zechariah  returned from the Temple
unable to speak a single word,
when he with grunts and signs
and a simple tablet
told me this shocking news:
An angel had appeared while
he was ministering
in the Holy of Holies:
I was to give birth.
At my age and his,
I was to give birth.
But here it was:
It was true.
Soon I was pregnant.
In my old age.
I rejoiced
in this gift from the Lord.
And when our son was born,
Zechariah named him John
even as the angel had said.
And my blessed husband
was given the gift of speech again.
And of course, He praised the Lord.

Daniel

I was not even a shepherd.
I was a shepherd-in-training.
I served under my grandfather, Abel,
our chief shepherd in Bethlehem,
and my father, Daniel, one of nine
shepherds who were training me.

In fact, I got really bored
and extremely sleepy
most nights, so I got
lots of scolding
from both my
father and my grandfather.

I was actually dozing
when the first angel
appeared that night.
But he shone so bright
I jumped up so quickly
I fell back down.

Then the angel spoke;
“Fear not!”
With that we all sat up.
The angel continued;
“I bring good news
of great joy.”

“Today in Bethlehem,
the City of David,
a Savior is born.
Here is a sign.
You will find
Him in a manger.”

Then He was surrounded
by thousands of angels,
and they thundered,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace
be upon His people.”

As fast as as we could
we ran into Bethlehem
and found the stable—
but the husband guarding
the door asked us
to come back in the morning.

Then we heard her voice,
the mother, almost like
an angel, scolding him,
sweetly inviting us in—
and as we saw Him,
our Messiah, we kneeled.

Joy burst out among us.
We broke out in praise.
We sang and we danced.
We shouted the news.
“Our Messiah has come.
Our Savior is born.”

Simeon

Bless His Holy Name.
Praise Him forever.
He backs up His Word.
His Promise is true.
Now, after all of these years
our Messiah has come,
and here in His Temple,
finally I have seen Him.

His blessed Spirit who
spoke deep in my heart
confirmed in His face
more beautiful than any
I ever saw—those eyes
so large, even then,
even as an infant,
looking so wise.

Oh, how happy I felt.
Such joy filled my heart.
How hope filled my mind.
What peace filled my soul.
With these hands I raise
my praise to His Name,
who deserves my worship
and all of my heart.

And what I know, I know.
Here in my arms is the One.
I hold so close to my heart
my Savior, our Lord.
I bless His Name
over and over again.
I praise Him, for His
Promise is true.

And yet I see a shadow,
somehow history
will show, many will rise
and reject this Holy One.
All will be troubled,
especially this dear mother,
for all God has offered
in Him, many will reject.

A Magi

All our lives
we searched the heavens
for answers
to the questions
in our hearts and minds.

And then we
saw the Star, now we
know as His Star,
and we knew we
must search and find Him.

So, we crossed
deserts and mountains,
always as
His Star led us
towards Israel.

Once we knew
the place we assumed
we would find
the mighty One
in Jerusalem.

But we were
troubled by Herod’s
darkened heart
and his shadowy
declarations.

But then we
knew His Star would lead
us to our
Great King in
Bethlehem.

There we found
Him, worshiped Him and
presented Him
gifts—the King of
Kings for the Earth.

The Wise Men . . . Illustrious Seekers

Week Seven
The Wise Men
Illustrious Seekers
Matthew 2:1-12
The Visit of the Wise Men

Shalom, my friends,
I greet you
in the name of
our great God, Adonai.
My name is Mishael.
In the Holy Scripture,
in the Book of Daniel,
it means,
“Who is what God is?”
I love my name,
for no one is what God is,
for God is One,
and no one is like Him.

(You may know
the mighty young man,
Mishael,
when he was taken
captive along with
his faithful friends
after the fall of
Jerusalem,
was given a vile
Babylonian name,
Meshach.
referring to one
of their false gods.)

I, myself, am one of the Jews
who somehow
never made it home
to Jerusalem
after the exile
in Babylon.

I have a mighty,
an inspiring story
to tell you today.
My story is not about me.
It is about my masters,
for I am a steward
who has served
these years three
of the Magi,
Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar,
all men who sought
after God in their
study of the stars.

These men were so caught up
in their studies of the stars
in the heavens above,
and even of our own
Holy Scriptures,
they lived together
in a grand house
with an observatory
on the roof
and an extensive
library of scrolls
in a large room
on the second story.

Some nights they asked
me to come up on the roof
and to tell the stories
of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Joseph, Moses, David,
and Daniel, along with
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

They were fascinated by the stories
of our people and our God
who cared for individuals
and called them to faith
and obedience in Him
even as He used them
to mold and shape
history around them.

 

One night while I was with them
they saw the star which
inspired us to begin
our long journey to Jerusalem
and then to Bethlehem.

My masters,
Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar
exclaimed one after the other.
as the star appeared.

”God is at work.”

”This is a mighty sign.”

”A King of Kings is born.”

That very night they decided
to put together
a caravan
so they could travel
safely and comfortably—
and, praise be to God,
they included me.

I had never traveled
so far before.
I was the household steward,
not one to accompany
them on their travels,
but one to keep
their household and their
servants in order.

It was not only a long journey,
but it was a hard journey.
Some nights were cold.
Many days were hot.
Sandstorms were too
common for my comfort.
And riding a camel
has never been
my choice—
all that rocking
back and forth.

But eventually
we did make it through
the gates of Jerusalem.
My masters assumed
any king born
in Israel would
be born in the
famous home
of our Holy Temple.

When they saw King Herod,
he seem surprised
by their question:

Matthew 2:1-6

“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?
For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him;
and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
(Micah 5:2)

************

We quickly learned how my people
in Jerusalem feared Herod.
He had a murderous reputation.
When he was worried about news,
everyone in Jerusalem
grew nervous.

He was obviously ignorant
of our scriptures,
so he had to summon
the chief priests and scribes
to ask them where
such a child-to-be-king
would be born.

(I was a bit embarrassed.
myself, because
I did not know
of this particular
prophet, Micah,
and this prophecy.
To be honest
I had not even
heard of Bethlehem,
even though
it was the birthplace
of King David,
our greatest king.)

Luke 2:7-8

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly
and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying,
“Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him,
bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

************

Anyway, Herod got his answer.
Then he called my masters
to him for a private meeting.

He told them about the birthplace,
Bethlehem, and asked them
to go and find this child
so that he might
go and worship him also.

Well, my masters
knew people, and especially kings,
better than that—
they did not take Herod at his word.
And besides, we had all heard
around Jerusalem
about how feared he was.
But they wisely said nothing
about their doubts
to the king.

Matthew 2:9-11

After listening to the king, they went on their way.
And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them
until it came to rest over the place where the child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother,
and they fell down and worshiped him.
Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts,
gold and frankincense and myrrh.

************

As soon as we left Jerusalem
for the short journey to Bethlehem,
no one could miss the star
which not only shone
over the town of Bethlehem,
but obviously
pointed to the exact
place in Bethlehem
where the child-born-to-be-king
was lying.

Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar
hurried into that humble place
and found the Baby and His mother
and her husband.
My masters did not hesitate.
They fell to their knees
and worshipped him.
As scholars
they were able to speak
to them in Aramaic
to express their praise
for this Mighty One
now so small,
but destined by our God
to do mighty things
in for God’s people,
and indeed,
for the people of the world.

My masters had carefully
selected gifts which
spoke of the worship
they offered the King.
The gifts had cost them
each much gold,
but they were
filled with joy
to offer Him
such treasures
as a fitting
tribute to the One
they knew
would be the King of Kings.

Also as Magi,
in their wisdom,
they wanted to express
their own
expectations for the roles
He would play.
So, Melchior
presented Him with gold,
as He would
certainly be King.
Caspar presented
Him with frankincense,
for he would
also be God’s Priest
to bring many
to worship
God in Heaven.
And Balthazar
presented Him
with myrrh,
for he would live
as a man
who would suffer
death for many.

And my masters not only
gave Mary and Joseph
these gifts,
but they shared with them
their doubts
about Herod—
that he was certainly
one to be feared.
They explained how he
had asked them to
come and tell him
where the Holy Baby
could be found.
Then they assured them
they would do no such thing.
They would go another
way, avoiding Herod
and Jerusalem
altogether.

Matthew 2:12

And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed to their own country by another way.

************

And God confirmed their wisdom
in a dream, and with great joy
and excitement
we began the journey home
taking the long way
around Jerusalem,
and every night we sat
under the stars
as we found ourselves
worshipping
the God of Heaven
who had sent to live
among His people
a mighty King
to bless the world.

Adonai, receive the glory.
Adonai, receive the Honor.
Adonai, receive the Praise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simeon and Anna . . . Godly Witnesses

\Week Six
December 12
Simeon and Anna
Godly Witnesses
Luke 2:22-38

Shalom!
Welcome to God’s Holy Temple.
So, whom am I?
How do I fit
into these holy,
these miraculous stories?
My name is Malachi.
I am blessed
by Adonai
to be chosen to serve
as a Levite.

Luke 2:22-25

And when the time came for their purification
according to the Law of Moses,
they brought him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord
(as it is written in the Law of the Lord,
“Every male who first opens the womb
shall be called holy to the Lord”)
and to offer a sacrifice
according to what is said in the Law of the Lord,
“a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem,
whose name was Simeon,
and this man was righteous and devout,
waiting for the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

************

I am doubly blessed
to serve the greatly revered Simeon,
widely admired,
for he was both righteous and devout—
the Holy Spirit obviously
had His hand upon him.
And he made it clear
to all of us around Him—
He was looking toward
the Comforter of Israel,
our blessed Messiah.
You could see Simeon’s holiness
on his face and in his eyes—
I would call it a holy illumination,
the light of conviction.

So, as I said,
“I praise Adonai”
for the blessing
of standing by his side that day
he suddenly
looked up to Heaven
and hurried
toward a humble couple.

Luke 2:26-35

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death
before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
And he came in the Spirit into the temple,
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus,
to do for him according to the custom of the Law,
he took him up in his arms
and blessed God and said,
“Lord, now you are letting your servant
depart in peace,
according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared
in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
 and for glory to your people Israel.”
And his father and his mother marveled
at what was said about him. 

And Simeon blessed them and said
to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child
is appointed for the fall and rising
of many in Israel, and for a sign
that is opposed
(and a sword will pierce
through your own soul also),
so that thoughts from many hearts
may be revealed.”

************

The couple had a baby boy.
They had the look
of humble Galileans,
but Simeon exclaimed
praise as soon as
he looked upon the baby boy.

Simeon had often
explained to me
a special calling
our God had placed
upon his life.
Adonai, praise be to His Holy Name,
had promised Simeon
that he would see the Messiah
during his lifetime.
Simeon actually took the baby boy
into his aged hands,
lifted the little one
to heaven and proclaimed;

“Lord, now Your Promise
has been fulfilled.
I can pass from this life
in happiness.
Here, with my very own eyes
I see Your Messiah,
Blessed be Your Name.
He comes from You
as a great light
even for the Gentiles.
He, this little one,
brings Your glory
among us as
Your People, Israel.”

Obviously this poor couple
seemed surprised,
but as I watched them closely,
I noticed a subtle
smile they shared
which reflected a deep joy
in their eyes.
Then I understood.

They knew who this baby was—
so much more than a Son.
He was born to bless
His people,
and even beyond them,
the people of the world.
Simeon gently handed
the baby boy
back to his mother
as he spoke again,
more seriously,
this time.

“He will lift up many in Israel,
but He will cause many others to fall.
His life will determine destinies.
Many will oppose Him.”

And dear lady,
your very soul will be pierced with sorrow.
The true hearts of all
will be revealed by Him.”

And Simeon turned and walked away.
I hesitated for some moments
before I followed.
I could not help but notice
how deeply Simeon’s prophecy
had affected the couple.
The man looked concerned,
and his wife had to
wipe away a tear.

Luke 2:36-38

And there was a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived with her husband seven years
from when she was a virgin,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She did not depart from the temple,
worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.  
And coming up at that very hour
she began to give thanks to God
and to speak of him to all
who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

And then Anna arrived.
She actually lived at the Temple.
She had lived there
and had praised our God
for  most all of her life
since her husband had died
after just seven years of marriage.
Now she was eighty-four.
She immediately hurried over
to the couple and
their remarkable baby.

“Oh, God of our Fathers.
I praise You and Your Mighty Name.
I thank You for the gift
to the world
of this marvelous child.
Listen to me, oh people of Israel.
Gather around me,
Hear my cry!
Here is our Messiah,
God’s anointed One.

Go from the Temple.
Declare this Good News.
We have seen the Promised One,
born to redeem us all.
Praise be to our Mighty God.”

Then I, Malachi, hurried away
to find, my master, Simeon,
no doubt spreading
this extraordinary good news.
Our Messiah is born.
He has come
to deliver us.
Hear Simeon’s testimony.
Hear Anna’s praise.
Our Redeemer has come.
Praise to the Holy One.
Praise be to our Messiah.
Praise be to His Holy Name!
Our Savior has come!

Shepherds . . . Blessed Visitors

Week Five
The Shepherds
Blessed Visitors

Luke 2:8-20

“Shalom, my friends.

It’s me, Abel.”

“Shalom!”

And me, Samuel,
Abel’s son.”

”Shalom!”

“And me, Daniel,
Samuel’s son
and Abel’s grandson.”

Shalom!”

“Not much to be proud of,
after all,
we’re just shepherds—
right son?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“And grandson?”

“Yep!”

“What did you say, grandson?

“Oh, sorry, Grandpa. Yes, sir!”

“But none of that really matters tonight . . . .
What a story we have to tell!
Angels! Our race into Bethlehem!
Seeing the Savior! A baby!
Daniel, tell them about the angels!”

“Wow! Me? Yes, sir!”

 

Luke 2: 8-12

And in the same region
there were shepherds out in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were filled with great fear. 

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold,
 I bring you good news of great joy that
will be for all the people. 
For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
This will be a sign to you:
You will find a baby
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

It seemed like any other
night spent in the fields.
But we did notice the sheep
seemed skittish.
But they did settle down.
I was actually dozing
when the terrified shepherds’ screaming
woke me up.
Then I saw the angel—
the brightest light I ever saw.
And that voice!
Like thunder!

“Fear not!”
“Good News!”
“Great joy!”
“For all people!”
“In David’S City!”
“Our Messiah!”
“Our Savior!”
“Our Lord!
“Praise His Name!”
“Amen!”

Thank you Grandson!
I can’t forget that angel’s face.
I can’t forget that’s angel’s voice!
I can’t forget His great good News!
“Hallelujah!”

“Now, Son!”

“Yes, Dad!”

“Tell these folks about our race into town.”

“Yes, sir!
But what about those other angels, Dad.”

“Oh, I forgot.
How could I forget?
Too much excitement!
Tell them, my son.”

Luke 2:13-14

And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
 and on earth peace among those
with whom he is pleased!”

“Yes sir!

Most of us were already on the ground,
overcome by the splendor
of the one angel.
Then suddenly there were thousands
of angels just as glorious.
And they were all declaring God’s praises.
They were declaring glory to God.
They were declaring peace
to God’s people.
I can’t describe how we felt.
We were overcome with joy.

Luke 2:14

When the angels
went away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
“Let us go over to Bethlehem
and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has made known to us.”

The angel had told us how to find Him,
this Baby, our Savior born
in Bethlehem.

We all just started running.
I was running faster
than I even knew I could run.
We were racing to find
the Baby born in Bethlehem,
the Baby born to be our Messiah
and our Lord. 

No one was on the road into Bethlehem.
No one was in the streets that late at night.
We were twelve—
nine shepherds
and three shepherds-in-training
like my own  grandson, Daniel.

As you might have guessed,
those three young ‘uns
got there first.
Even they were out of breath.

But they were too overcome
with excitement.
They waited for us at the stable
set up behind an inn
in a cave in one of our hills.

When we were all there,
once we recovered a bit,
once we could catch our breath,
we noticed the husband.
Joseph is his name.”

“Good job, son.
And I have to admit
that as the oldest of us shepherds,
I was the last to arrive,
and the last to finally catch my breath.
But that crazy race was worth it all,
wasn’t it?”

“Amen, Dad.”

“Yep, Grandad, oops, I mean amen!”

“And now, here’s the heart of our story.
I should say, His story.
It’s all about the story of the Baby Jesus.
I tried to explain the angel
and his good news.
I tried to explain the angels
and their glorious
praise for God.

But Joseph asked us to return
in the morning
so Mary, his wife,
and the Holy Baby, Jesus
could rest.

But Mary called out
from inside the stable
and invited us
to come in and see
the Baby.

Joseph gave in
and all twelve us crowded in,
on our knees and silent—
none of us could speak.
Awe-struck,
that’s what we were.
The angels had amazed us.

But the Baby changed us forever.
Even as a baby
He overwhelmed us
with love, joy, and peace.

I finally found my voice
and praised our God
for the Baby, the angels
and all we had seen and heard.

Praise be to God!”

“Hallelujah, Abba, Father!,” declared Abel.

“Amen, Abba, Father, “ echoed Samuel.

“Amen, Abba, Father,” agreed Daniel.

We slipped outside into the night.
Joseph bid us Shalom, Shalom!
And we did the same.

But as soon as we got to the street again,
our joy burst forth,
and we began singing,
and shouting and dancing,
as only shepherds can.

Surprised?
Come join us one night
when we are alone
out with our sheep
in the field
around the fire—
and you will see what shepherds
do to praise our great God.

Our lives have certainly been different,
better, somehow richer
since that night
when angels came
and our Savior,
a baby was born
in our own town, Bethlehem.
Every night with our sheep
we realize how blessed we are,
we, twelve humble shepherds,
blessed to receive the Good News
of the Savior Born
first, before the Priests,
before our own Rabbi,
first in all the world
blessed by His coming.
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

“Right, son?”

“Yes, Father.”

”And grandson?”

”Yep!

”What grandson?”

”Sorry! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!”