Chosen

“If God is pleased with me, why I am I so terrified?”

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I’m sharing a piece I wrote years ago that still feels just as meaningful today.

Have you ever been chosen to do something that seemed impossible? You know that you have been living your life to please God in every way. Yet, this circumstance seems unplanned and difficult, even if it is something good.  How did you feel? Perhaps, you felt uncertain or even “terrified”?

“The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God.” 

-Luke 1:28-35 NIV

The song, Be Born In Me by Francesca Battistelli, expresses some the emotions Mary may have felt, when she found out she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Can you even imagine how she felt? Luke 1: 29 says, “she was greatly troubled.” Initially, she must have felt terrified to see an angel appear and speak to her. The angel told her things, that seemed impossible. She must have also felt frightened. She must have thought about the severe punishment of those days for a woman who conceived a child without being married. Here she was: a girl engaged to be married. And, now all of these plans might change. But, at the same time she must have felt beyond honored and incredibly blessed to be chosen to be the mother the Son of God. At the same time, imagine the great responsibility she must have felt.  In Luke 1:46-50 NIV, “… Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,for the Mighty One has done great things for me holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. “ – Luke 1:46-50 NIV

She must have wondered why God would choose her of all of the other women in the world. In a similar way, we wonder why God would choose to love us. We don’t deserve  His great love. Yet, God sent a King, His only Son, Jesus Christ to earth to pay the ransom for our sins, so that we could spend eternity with Him in heaven. And, all that God ask of us are willing hearts. Will you let the love of Jesus Christ be born in you?

Think about the lyrics to the song, Be Born In Me by Francesca Battistelli:

  “Everything inside me cries for order
Everything inside me wants to hide
Is this shadow an angel or a warrior?
If God is pleased with me, why am I so terrified?
Someone tell me I am only dreaming
Somehow help me see with Heaven’s eyes
And before my head agrees, my heart is on it’s knees
Holy is He. Blessed am I…

All this time we’ve waited for the promise
All this time You’ve waited for my arms
Did You wrap yourself inside the unexpected
So we might know that Love would go that far?…

I am not brave
I’ll never be
The only thing my heart can offer is a vacancy
I’m just a girl
Nothing more
But I am willing, I am Yours

Be born in me, be born in me
I’ll hold you in the beginning, You will hold me in the end
Every moment in the middle, make my heart your Bethlehem
Be born in me”

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us (while we were still sinners) so much that you were willing to humble Yourself by coming down from your throne in heaven to be born in a stable and to make the ultimate sacrifice for us. Please give us willing hearts. Make our hearts Your Bethlehem. May your love be born in us. Amen.

Breaking the Bottle

As we journey through the holy week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, I’d like take a moment to reflect on one of the events leading up to His ultimate sacrifice and its significance.

Recently, I heard a beautiful song by Steffany Gretzinger and Tiffany Hudson named “Break The Bottle.”  

*”I’m going to break the bottle

I’m going to pour it all out

I don’t waste what’s spent on You

Even if they call me crazy

You’re the One who saved me

I’ll never waste what’s spent on You…

Pour me out like water

Pour me out like oil

There is not another

So worthy of it all”*

The moment I heard the lyrics, I was reminded of Mary (the sister of Lazarus and Martha) and her beautiful, extravagant act of worship—just a couple of days before the Last Supper and three days before the world would witness the most selfless act of love.

“Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

— John 12:3 GNT

Mary’s act wasn’t just about perfume. It was about value, devotion, sacrifice, and worship. In that moment, she symbolized what Jesus would soon do for all of humanity—be broken and poured out. And just as her gift filled the house with fragrance, Christ’s sacrifice would fill the world with the fragrance of redeeming love.

“Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him.”

— Ephesians 5:2 TLB

It’s a powerful image: Christ’s love being like a sweet perfume to God. And now, Jesus calls us to follow His example. We are called to live lives so full of worship, surrender, and love that we, too, become a fragrant offering. May our lives reflect this sweet fragrance. May our acts of love, compassion, and surrender—no matter how costly—be poured out for His glory.

“But thanks be to God! For in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ’s victory procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance.”

— 2 Corinthians 2:14 GNT

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your beautiful sacrifice of love. Please give us Your Spirit of worship that overflows into our lives in a way so that we are broken and spilled out for Your glory, as a beautiful fragrance of love. Amen.

A Prayer of Hope for 2021

2020 has been a sad, difficult, stressful, and overwhelming year. COVID-19 has brought great loss and hardships to so many. Even though 2020 has been a dark year, we have not been alone. God has been with us all along and He is our hope going into 2021.

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 “As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.” 

– Psalm 71:14 

Tonight, we are praying for God’s blessing over 2021.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for being with us throughout 2020. Thank You for Your never-ending love and faithfulness. Please be with us as we enter 2021. You are our hope, and we trust in You. For those who have lost loved ones in 2020, we ask You, Jesus, for Your comfort. For those who have COVID-19, we ask that Your healing hand be upon them. We ask that You heal our land of COVID-19 and that the pandemic end. For those who are struggling through financial hardships, we ask for Your providence. For those who are facing loneliness, we ask that you surround them with Your love and presence. For those who are tired and weary, we ask that You give them strength. For those that don’t know You as their Savior, we ask for salvation. Please bless this New Year with Your infinite love, joy, and peace. In Your holy and powerful name, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

 “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

God bless you!

Immanuel: God is with us

Fir trees are laced with lights, tinsel, and ornaments. Lamp posts are garbed with garland and holly. Gift wrapped packages are everywhere. The music playing in stores yells “it’s the most wonderful time of year.”   

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You look around. You don’t feel very merry. The Christmas lights aren’t all that bright and the warmth of holidays just isn’t there. Maybe you are going through a difficult and dark time in your life. I don’t know what you are facing. If you are experiencing great loss, grief, pain, illness, brokenheartedness, sorrow, disappointment, depression, anxiety, stress, emptiness, fear, confusion, brokenness, family problems, work problems, deadlines, or financial hardships; then it’s okay to feel not okay. 

It’s okay if you don’t welcome the Christmas festivities. Trees, presents, and holiday foods are nice; but they are not the reason Jesus came. As the prophet, Isaiah, prophesied in the book of Isaiah, Christ came to be to “bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”

 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,” 

– Isaiah 61:1 NIV 

 Christ came so we wouldn’t have to face the pains of this world alone.  

“All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”  

– Isaiah 7:14 NLT 

The same Savior, that came over two thousand years ago, is still with us; comforting our broken hearts, freeing us from bondage, and being a light to us in our darkest moments. In Matthew 28, Jesus promises to be with us always. “ … And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:20 NLT 

“Emmanuel
He is still with us
We’re not alone
Here within His love
Emmanuel
He is still with us…

 Mercy is falling, falling
Lift up your hands receive it now
Here in the presence of the Lord…

Be still and know He’s in control
Here in the presence of the Lord…

Pour out your heart before Him
Open your arms He’ll hold you now
Here in the presence of the Lord..

Emmanuel
He is still with us
We’re not alone
Here within His love”

-Lyrics to Here in the Presence by Elevation Worship

  

Dear Lord Jesus, our Savior and King, we thank You for coming to earth to not only save us, but also to be with us no matter what hardships or pains we are experiencing. When our faith is dwindling and our hope seems lost, please remind us that You are still with us. You are our strong refuge and our light in the darkness. You are our comfort in depths of our pain and our anchor in the storm. Your are our warmth on the coldest of nights. You are our healer and our protector. You are our loving Father and our Prince of Peace. Please make us more aware of Your beautiful presence. Please embrace us with Your infinite love and surround us with Your all surpassing peace this Christmas and always. Amen.  

 

* Emmanuel is the Romanized version of the word “Immanuel.”

Luz en Tinieblas

“Milagroso

 abres camino

 Cumples promesas

Luz en tinieblas

Mi Dios así eres tu…”

Este es un extracto de la letra de la canción, “Way Maker,” escrito por Osinachi Okoro. Me encanta esta canción. Nos recuerda de la fidelidad de Dios.

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 “Por la fe, Sara misma recibió fuerzas para concebir, aunque era estéril, y dio a luz, aun cuando por su edad se le había pasado el tiempo, porque creyó que era fiel quien le había hecho la promesa. Por eso también, de un solo hombre, que ya estaba casi muerto, llegó a tener una multitud de descendientes, tan numerosos como las estrellas del cielo y tan incontables como la arena que está a la orilla del mar.”

-Hebreos 11: 11-12 RVC

En Génesis 12, Dios hizo una promesa a Abraham y a Sara por medio de Abraham. “Pero Jehová había dicho a Abram: Vete de tu tierra y de tu parentela, y de la casa de tu padre, a la tierra que te mostraré. Y haré de ti una nación grande, y te bendeciré, y engrandeceré tu nombre, y serás bendición.”-Génesis 12: 1-2 RVR 1960 Años después, Dios confirmó Su promesa a Sara. Cuando esto sucedió, Sarah se rió con dudas. Génesis 18: 13-14 RVR 1960 dice: “Entonces Jehová dijo a Abraham: ¿Por qué se ha reído Sara diciendo: ¿Será cierto que he de dar a luz siendo ya vieja? ¿Hay para Dios alguna cosa difícil? Al tiempo señalado volveré a ti, y según el tiempo de la vida, Sara tendrá un hijo.” Aunque Sarah se rió con dudas, Dios aún cumplió Su promesa a ella y a Abraham. Como Sara, a veces luchamos con la duda.

Dios sigue siendo fiel!

No importa lo que pensemos o sintamos,

Dios sigue siendo fiel!

¡No importa cuáles sean las circunstancias,

 Dios sigue siendo fiel!

“Mantengamos firme, sin fluctuar, la profesión de nuestra esperanza, porque fiel es el que prometió.”

– Hebreos 10:23 RVR 1960

Si Dios fue fiel en su mayor promesa: hacer un camino para que recibamos la salvación a través de su Hijo, Jesucristo, podemos estar seguros de que cumplirá el resto de sus promesas.

Querido Señor Jesucristo, gracias por cumplir siempre Tus promesas. En medio de nuestras dudas, por favor ayúdanos a tener fe en ti y en tu fidelidad. Amén.

 

Publicado en 15 de noviembre de 2019

Posted in English on November 15, 2019

Click on the date to read this post in English.

Promise Keeper

“Way maker
Miracle worker
Promise keeper
Light in the darkness
My God
That is who you are…”

This is an excerpt of the lyrics from the song, “Way Maker,” by Osinachi Okoro. I love this song. It reminds us of God’s faithfulness.

I for blog sarah MG-0047.JPG“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.”
‭‭-Hebrews‬ ‭11:11-12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In Genesis 12, God made a promise to Abraham and to Sarah through Abraham.
“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” -Genesis‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Years later, God confirmed His promise to Sarah. When this happened, Sarah laughed in doubt. Genesis‬ ‭18:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬ says, “Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”” Even though Sarah laughed in doubt, God still kept His promise to her and Abraham. Like Sarah, sometimes we struggle with doubt.

God is still faithful!

No matter what we think or feel,

God is still faithful!

No matter what the circumstances are,

 God is still faithful!

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who

 promised is faithful.”

‭- Hebrews‬ ‭10:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If God was faithful in His greatest promise: to make a way for us to receive Salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, then we can be confident that He will keep the rest of His promises.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for always keeping Your promises. In the midst of our doubts, please help us to have faith in You and Your faithfulness. Amen.

¿Fe en la Niebla?

¿Alguna vez ha temido confiar en Dios o tener fe en Él? ¿Tienes fe en su promesa de salvación y vida eterna con Él en el cielo? ¿Crees verdaderamente que Dios mantiene todas sus promesas escritas en la Biblia? ¿Tienes fe en que Dios nunca te dejará o te abandonará? ¿O es difícil tener fe? ¿Te has sentido decepcionado en la vida? ¿Te sientes solo y sin esperanza? ¿Crees que las promesas de la Biblia no son para ti? ¿Te resulta difícil tener fe en tu vida diaria?

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“para que en Cristo Jesús la bendición de Abraham alcanzase a los gentiles, a fin de que por la fe recibiésemos la promesa del Espíritu.”

-Gálatas 3:14 RVR 1960

Tal como Dios le prometió a Abraham que él y los descendientes serían herederos de la tierra prometida (y la esperanza en el Salvador que vendría), Dios nos ha prometido que seremos herederos del reino de los cielos. Gálatas 3: 7-14 NVI dice: “Sabed, por tanto, que los que son de fe, éstos son hijos de Abraham. Y la Escritura, previendo que Dios había de justificar por la fe a los gentiles, dio de antemano la buena nueva a Abraham, diciendo: En ti serán benditas todas las naciones. De modo que los de la fe son bendecidos con el creyente Abraham. Porque todos los que dependen de las obras de la ley están bajo maldición, pues escrito está: Maldito todo aquel que no permaneciere en todas las cosas escritas en el libro de la ley, para hacerlas. Y que por la ley ninguno se justifica para con Dios, es evidente, porque: El justo por la fe vivirá; y la ley no es de fe, sino que dice: El que hiciere estas cosas vivirá por ellas. Cristo nos redimió de la maldición de la ley, hecho por nosotros maldición (porque está escrito: Maldito todo el que es colgado en un madero, para que en Cristo Jesús la bendición de Abraham alcanzase a los gentiles, a fin de que por la fe recibiésemos la promesa del Espíritu.”–Galatians 3: 7-14 RVR 1960 Dios envió a Jesucristo, su único y perfecto Hijo para pagar la pena que debíamos pagar conforme a la ley. Es por la gracia y el amor de Dios que recibimos la promesa de Salvación y tantas otras promesas.

“Y esta es la promesa que él nos hizo, la vida eterna.”

–1 Juan 2:25 RVR 1960

“porque todas las promesas de Dios son en él Sí, y en él Amén, por medio de nosotros, para la gloria de Dios.Y el que nos confirma con vosotros en Cristo, y el que nos ungió, es Dios, el cual también nos ha sellado, y nos ha dado las arras del Espíritu en nuestros corazones.”-2 Corintios 1: 20-22 RVR 1960 Jesucristo envió al Consolador, al Espíritu Santo como una garantía de nuestra salvación y la promesa de vida eterna con Él en el cielo. Romanos 8: 16-18 RVR 1960 dice:  “El Espíritu mismo da testimonio a nuestro espíritu, de que somos hijos de Dios. Y si hijos, también herederos; herederos de Dios y coherederos con Cristo, si es que padecemos juntamente con él, para que juntamente con él seamos glorificados.Pues tengo por cierto que las aflicciones del tiempo presente no son comparables con la gloria venidera que en nosotros ha de manifestarse.” Abraham no sabía a dónde lo estaba guiando Dios, pero tenía fe en Dios y lo obedecía. “Por la fe Abraham, siendo llamado, obedeció para salir al lugar que había de recibir como herencia; y salió sin saber a dónde iba.”-Hebrews 11: 8 RVR 1960 No importa cuán difíciles sean las cosas, podemos tener fe en Dios y en sus planes para nosotros. “Y Jehová va delante de ti; él estará contigo, no te dejará, ni te desamparará; no temas ni te intimides.” – Deuteronomio 31: 8 RVR 1960

Querido Señor Jesucristo, gracias por todas Tus promesas. Por favor ayúdanos a tener fe como Abraham. Amén.

Publicado en Ingles el 1 de marzo de 2018

Published in English on March 1, 2018

Click on the date to read this post in English.

¿Cómo Murió la Muerte?

“El fundamento del Cristiano es la paz eterna; es lo que ningún  tiempo, ningún cambio puede destruir. Permanecerá cuando el cuerpo muera; permanecerá cuando las montañas se vayan y las cerros se quitarán, y cuando los cielos se enrollarán como un pergamino. La fuente de su consuelo nunca disminuirá, y la corriente nunca se secará. Su consuelo y alegría es un manantial vivo en el alma, una fuente de agua que brota de la vida eterna.” -Jonathan Edwards

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 “… Sorbida es la muerte en victoria. ¿Dónde está, oh muerte, tu aguijón? ¿Dónde, oh sepulcro, tu victoria?”

– 1 Corintios 15: 54-55 RVR 1960 

¿Alguna vez has pensado en la muerte? Que es la muerte ¿Y por qué se teme? La Biblia nos dice que la muerte es un enemigo, que nos separa eternamente de Dios. [Lea 1 Corintios 15:26 y 2 Tesalonicenses 1: 9] La muerte vino al mundo después de que se cometió el primer pecado.

“Por tanto, como el pecado entró en el mundo por un hombre, y por el pecado la muerte, así la muerte pasó a todos los hombres, por cuanto todos pecaron.” -Romanos 5:12 RVR 1960

La muerte fue el castigo por el pecado. Pero, Dios amó tanto a la humanidad, que creó un camino para que los humanos se reconciliaran con El.

  • “Porque la paga del pecado es muerte, mas la dádiva de Dios es vida eterna en Cristo Jesús Señor nuestro.” -Romanos 6:23 RVR 1960
  • “para que así como el pecado reinó para muerte, así también la gracia reine por la justicia para vida eterna mediante Jesucristo, Señor nuestro.”-Romanos 5:21 RVR 1960
  • “Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.” -Juan 3:16 RVR 1960
  • “Jesús le dijo: Yo soy el camino, y la verdad, y la vida; nadie viene al Padre, sino por mí.”-Juan 14: 6 RVR 1960
  • “De cierto, de cierto os digo: El que oye mi palabra, y cree al que me envió, tiene vida eterna; y no vendrá a condenación, mas ha pasado de muerte a vida.”-Juan 5: 24 RVR 1960

Pero, no podríamos tener victoria sobre la muerte sin la muerte y resurrección de Cristo. “Porque si no hay resurrección de muertos, tampoco Cristo resucitó. Y si Cristo no resucitó, vana es entonces nuestra predicación, vana es también vuestra fe. Y somos hallados falsos testigos de Dios; porque hemos testificado de Dios que él resucitó a Cristo, al cual no resucitó, si en verdad los muertos no resucitan. Porque si los muertos no resucitan, tampoco Cristo resucitó; y si Cristo no resucitó, vuestra fe es vana; aún estáis en vuestros pecados. Entonces también los que durmieron en Cristo perecieron. Si en esta vida solamente esperamos en Cristo, somos los más dignos de conmiseración de todos los hombres. Mas ahora Cristo ha resucitado de los muertos; primicias de los que durmieron es hecho. Porque por cuanto la muerte entró por un hombre, también por un hombre la resurrección de los muertos. Porque así como en Adán todos mueren, también en Cristo todos serán vivificados.” -1 Corintios 15: 13-22 RVR 1960 Solo por el sacrificio de un Salvador (sin pecado y) inmortal, estamos vestidos de justicia e inmortalidad. Es solo por la resurrección de Cristo, que tenemos la victoria sobre la muerte. 1 Corintios 15: 50-57 RVR 1960 dice: “Pero esto digo, hermanos: que la carne y la sangre no pueden heredar el reino de Dios, ni la corrupción hereda la incorrupción. He aquí, os digo un misterio: No todos dormiremos; pero todos seremos transformados, en un momento, en un abrir y cerrar de ojos, a la final trompeta; porque se tocará la trompeta, y los muertos serán resucitados incorruptibles, y nosotros seremos transformados. Porque es necesario que esto corruptible se vista de incorrupción, y esto mortal se vista de inmortalidad. Y cuando esto corruptible se haya vestido de incorrupción, y esto mortal se haya vestido de inmortalidad, entonces se cumplirá la palabra que está escrita: Sorbida es la muerte en victoria. ¿Dónde está, oh muerte, tu aguijón? ¿Dónde, oh sepulcro, tu victoria? ya que el aguijón de la muerte es el pecado, y el poder del pecado, la ley.  Mas gracias sean dadas a Dios, que nos da la victoria por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.”

Querido Señor Jesucristo, gracias por hacer el sumo sacrificio en la cruz y resucitar de la muerte para que podamos tener victoria en Ti sobre el pecado y la muerte. Amén.

 

Referencia: Kurtbubna.com | http://kurtbubna.com/wpcontent/uploads/2015/03/Cross-Empty-Tomb.jpg

Publicado en Ingles el  16 de abril de 2017

Old Version Published in English on  April 16, 2017

Click on the date to read this post in English.

 

Will You Step onto the Bridge?

Imagine standing at the edge a riverbank. The sound of the whitewater rapids crashing fills the air. You really can’t see what lies on the other side of the river. The fog is dense preventing you from seeing more than two feet ahead of you. This tumultuous river is the only thing separating you from the other side. You need to get to the other side. This river seems to be the only thing that is separating you from the answer to what you’ve been hoping and praying for.

Bridge fogYou have been praying for sometime when you see it. A narrow makeshift bridge swaying a couple feet above the rushing rapids comes into view. You have two choices. Either you will remain at the edge of the riverbank or you step onto the bridge. What will you do?

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”   

-Martin Luther King Jr.

Deep down, you know your prayers have led you here. A million thoughts race through your mind. How could this be a rational decision? The bridge looks old and flimsy. Who knows if it doesn’t have holes and the ropes you hold onto with your hands aren’t broken? You know very well you could slip through a hole at any moment or lose your balance and fall into the raging waters below. What will you do?  Will you wait for the mist to clear or will muster the courage to take a step of faith onto that bridge?

This seems to be where God brought you. You trusted Him to bring you this far. Will you trust Him to take you to the next destination? What will you do? Will you remain crippled by the fear of the unknown or will you step out in faith?

Psalm 16:8 NIV says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Sometimes we are going to face scary situations. Sometimes we will feel like God is leading us to step onto a debilitated makeshift bridge, but we don’t have to be afraid to take that step because we know that He will hold us up with His “righteous right hand.” Proverbs 3:5-7 NKJV says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” If we trust completely in God and surrender our lives to Him, we can be confident that He will direct us into the path He wants us to take.

“In a real sense faith is total surrender to God .”

— Martin Luther King Jr.   

We don’t always understand why God is leading us where He is leading us, but we can rest assured knowing that He is with us and He knows what He is doing. We can’t see through the mist, but He can. Maybe God brought you to the fog, so you would grow in faith by walking through the fog? Maybe God brought you to the dilapidated bridge, so you wouldn’t rely on the strength of the bridge, but instead on His strength.

  “… for we walk by faith, not by sight.” 

 -2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV

Where has God led you? Has He led you to a place where you can’t see what lies ahead? Has He led you to an old dilapidated bridge? What will you do? The choice is up to you. Will you wait for the fog to clear or will you step out in faith?

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for always being with us. Thank You for Your guidance. Please help us to know when you want us to take the next step. And, when You want us to take action, please give us the strength to take the first step in faith. Amen.

Reflections on the Advent and Looking towards 2019

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HOPE:

Before the birth of Christ Jesus, hope was found in the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, that would come to save the world. Today we find our hope in that same Savior, Jesus Christ.

“ And in another place Isaiah said, “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him.” I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

 – Romans 15: 12-13 NLT

LOVE:
Love came down from heaven and dwelt among us. Jesus Christ, our King and Savior, gave up His throne to come to earth to bridge the gap between us and God by His death on the cross and resurrection.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 ESV  
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 NIV

JOY:

The magi, also known as the wise men, were seeking the promised Messiah. They traveled many miles from the east in search of a Savior. When they found the Jesus, they were filled with joy and worshipped Him. Today, we find our joy in that same Savior.

“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”

– Matthew 2:10-11 NIV

Side Note: To read more about the Magi and their pursuit of the Messiah, read “Searching.”

PEACE:

We find true peace in knowing Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6 NIV

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27 NIV

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IMMANUEL: God is with us.

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

-Isaiah 7:14 NLT

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”

 – Matthew 1:23

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2019: As we look towards 2019, may we remember the great sacrifice of love Jesus Christ made for us through His birth, life, death, and resurrection. May we strive to know Jesus Christ, our Savior, more with each day that comes.

“I want to know Him. I want to have the same power in my life that raised Jesus from the dead. I want to understand and have a share in His sufferings and be like Christ in His death. Then I may be raised up from among the dead. I do not say that I have received this or have already become perfect. But I keep going on to make that life my own as Christ Jesus made me His own. No, Christian brothers, I do not have that life yet. But I do one thing. I forget everything that is behind me and look forward to that which is ahead of me. My eyes are on the crown. I want to win the race and get the crown of God’s call from heaven through Christ Jesus.” 

-Philippians 3:10-14 NLV

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for loving us so much that you were coming to earth and pay the ultimate price to save us. Thank You for all of the blessings You have bestowed upon us in 2018. As we start 2019, please help us to leave our past mistakes and failures behind us. Instead, please help us to keep our eyes set on the goal before us. Please help us to seek to know You more and become more like You every day. Thank You for the hope that we have in You. Please fill our new year with Your infinite love, joy, and peace. Amen.