All Is Well

Today is Sunday, the 25th of December, 2022, in the first week of Christmas. It is the first day of Christmas.

May the peace of the Christ-child be with you always!

Day 23,663

Seven days until 2023.

It is shortly after 11:00 AM when I begin this, this morning. It really doesn’t feel like Sunday, but it is. As predicted, yesterday, I did not make it to the 10:00 service, this morning. We were up around 8:30, and shortly after 9:00, I believe, we sat down to open all of our presents. I will update my other blog with the results of that, later, today. Hopefully. For now, I must get on with the important things for the day. However, one gift that I am most excited about is a new Bible. It is one that I can carry with me to my new church, because the use the NRSV in their worship services.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Teach me good judgment and knowledge, 
for I believe in your commandments.
(Psalms 119:66 ESV)

Because either one without the other doesn’t do a body much good.

Lord our God, you have sent light to shine on earth and have revealed your heavenly power in Jesus Christ, so that in spite of all the darkness and evil we may rejoice because we have a Savior. Reveal your power in our day. Let something be done anew toward the building of your kingdom on earth. Let something draw men’s hearts to you to give them light so that they may thank and praise you for all you have done and are still doing to bring the whole world into your hands. O Lord God, let men be moved by the opening of the heavens. May their hearts awaken and their sadness give way to joy in Jesus Christ the Savior. We are your children who are allowed to wait in expectation for you to set everything right. We can know that even in our troubled times your hand is at work to reveal your will, to make your will plain to all generations on earth, as you promised through Abraham. May your name be glorified, O Lord God. May your name be honored, your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Daily Prayer from Plough.com

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." 
Isaiah 9:6, RSV

Today I am grateful:

1. for Christmas; for the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace
2. for the wonderful morning we have had together, this morning
3. for the expectation, as we celebrate the birth of Christ, of His eventual return
4. that our Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon us
5. that darkness has fallen into the dawn of redeeming grace
6. for this indescribable gift of God!

---

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 

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. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 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!" 

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." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
(Luke 2:1-20 ESV)

Arise, shine, for your light has come, 
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, 
and thick darkness the peoples; 
but the LORD will arise upon you, 
and his glory will be seen upon you. 
And nations shall come to your light, 
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
(Isaiah 60:1-3 ESV)

The sun shall be no more 
your light by day, 
nor for brightness shall the moon 
give you light;
 but the LORD will be your everlasting light, 
and your God will be your glory. 
Your sun shall no more go down, 
nor your moon withdraw itself; 
for the LORD will be your everlasting light, 
and your days of mourning shall be ended. 
Your people shall all be righteous; 
they shall possess the land forever, 
the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, 
that I might be glorified.
 The least one shall become a clan,
 and the smallest one a mighty nation; 
I am the LORD; 
in its time I will hasten it.
(Isaiah 60:19-22 ESV)

---

“And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
(Matthew 1:21 NLT)

Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!
(2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT)

---

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!
(Hebrews 9:14 NRSV)

---

I have no deep words of wisdom, today. I simply encourage all to know this Christ, the Savior of the world, the Light of the world, the glory of the Lord, risen upon us, this day.

The Gospel of Christ is that the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, is hear, now, and available for anyone who desires to walk in it.

This baby that we celebrate today became our salvation. Along with the heavenly host of angels, I proclaim, “fear not!”

All is well.

---

Father, thank You for Your indescribable gift. And thank You for drawing me into Your kingdom, for choosing me to believe, even before the foundations of the earth. Not only did You choose me (and all who would come to believe), You arranged my circumstances so that I would choose You. As I noted, from yesterday’s verse in Psalm 119, You have dealt well with Your servant, O Lord!

Saying “thank You,” seems hardly appropriate. May I live my life in such a way as to draw people into Your kingdom. May I demonstrate to people Your great love for all, as I follow the commands of my Savior to love You and love people. May I show them that there is nothing to fear, and that, indeed, in Your kingdom, all is well. In fact, in Your kingdom, things are far better than we could ever imagine.

All glory to You, through the Son, and by the Spirit.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

---

Grace and peace, friends.

Come and See what God has Done

Good morning! Today is Wednesday, the twenty-second of December, 2021. 12/22/21, a palindrome. It is also the fourth Wednesday of Advent.

Peace of Christ be with you!

Day 23,295

Only three more days until Christmas!

I’m pretty sure that, as of right now, all the Christmas gifts have been delivered, except for one, which is now showing a delivery date of 12/28. Oh, well. Unfortunately, that particular one goes along with three or four of the other gifts. That’s no big deal, though. It will all come together, in due time. And, from past experience with Amazon, it could still change. I know they have, before.

We are talking about plans for Friday and Saturday, at least cooking plans. There’s a lot of cooking to be done, and the bulk of it will happen both Friday morning and Saturday morning. Not on purpose, I wound up with at least forty pounds of ham in the fridge. I ordered two whole hams from Albertson’s, earlier in the week, fully expecting a couple of hams that were approximately twelve pounds each. They delivered two hams that were approximately twenty pounds. Egad! My whole lower shelf in the fridge is filled with ham. And one twenty pound ham would have been plenty for both days. We may give one away. I don’t know.

Today is my last full work day until New Year’s Eve. In fact, my next work day, after today, will be next Tuesday, 12/28. And there is at least one meeting that I will be involved with, today. There is a Circulation staff meeting from 1-2, this afternoon. And then, if it happens, the Adult Services “stand up” meeting is at 2. That manager has been out for a bit, and isn’t scheduled back until 12/30, so that meeting may not happen. My monthly “one-on-one” with her was also scheduled for today, so I’m not expecting that to happen, either.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

And Jesus said to him, 
"'If you can'! 
All things are possible for one who believes." 
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, 
"I believe; help my unbelief!" 
(Mark 9:23-24 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

1. for the belief that God has placed in my heart, even thought it is still tainted with unbelief
2. that God is love and whoever abides in love abides in Him
3. for the security that comes in living as one of His "sheep"
4. for the ability and willingness to lay down my life for my brothers and sisters, just as Christ laid down His life for us
5. for all the things that God has done

Anyone who does not love does not know God,
 because God is love. 
(1 John 4:8 ESV)

So we have come to know 
and to believe the love that God has for us. 
God is love, 
and whoever abides in love abides in God, 
and God abides in him. 
(1 John 4:16 ESV)

By this we know love, 
that he laid down his life for us, 
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 
(1 John 3:16 ESV)

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. 
Abide in my love. 
If you keep my commandments, 
you will abide in my love, 
just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, 
that my joy may be in you, 
and that your joy may be full. 
"This is my commandment, 
that you love one another as I have loved you. 
Greater love has no one than this,
 that someone lay down his life for his friends. 
(John 15:9-13 ESV)

Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe! 
(Psalms 150:4 ESV)

And it was told King David, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. 
And when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 
And David danced before the LORD with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 
So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn. 
(2 Samuel 6:12-15 ESV)

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple. 

I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 
O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. 
Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.
 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 
As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 
By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 
To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: 
"What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 
Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!" 
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever! 
(Psalms 30:1-12 ESV)

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 
"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" 
Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 
(John 7:37-39 ESV)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8 ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is 
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; 
against such things there is no law. 
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 
(Galatians 5:22-25 ESV)

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

ADVENT – DAY TWENTY-FIVE

INVITATION

God, come back! 
Smile your blessing smile: 
That will be our salvation. 
(Psalms 80:3 MSG)

As I pause, this morning, I reflect on love. God’s love for us, made evident in the coming of Jesus. Our love for God, made evident in the way we live, as well as how we lay down our lives for the kingdom of God and for one another.

BIBLE SONG

You, LORD, showed favor to your land; 
you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 
You forgave the iniquity of your people 
and covered all their sins.

 I will listen to what God the LORD says; 
he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— 
but let them not turn to folly. 
Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, 
that his glory may dwell in our land. 

Love and faithfulness meet together; 
righteousness and peace kiss each other. 
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
 and righteousness looks down from heaven. 
The LORD will indeed give what is good, 
and our land will yield its harvest. 
Righteousness goes before him 
and prepares the way for his steps. 
(Psalms 85:1-2, 8-13 NIV)

BIBLE READING

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, 
though you are small among the clans of Judah, 
out of you will come for me 
one who will be ruler over Israel, 
whose origins are from of old, 
from ancient times." 

Therefore Israel will be abandoned 
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, 
and the rest of his brothers return 
to join the Israelites. 

He will stand and shepherd his flock
 in the strength of the LORD, 
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. 
And they will live securely, for then his greatness 
will reach to the ends of the earth. 
(Micah 5:2-4 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I read these passages again, slowly, I reflect on what the Lord might be saying to me through them. I look for words or phrases that catch my eye or move my heart, allowing my spirit to respond to the Lord in prayer and meditation. I enjoy His presence, this morning, preparing myself for the day ahead.

Father, I cannot get away from these passages on love and laying down our lives for one another. Teach me Your ways, Lord, that I might walk in Your path. Show me how to best lay down my life for the sake of my brothers and sisters and others in this world. Teach me how to love the way You have loved. Just as Jesus Christ laid down His life for me, show me how to do the same for others. In our culture, Father, this has become quite a challenge, over the past couple of years.

Time is short, Father, so I must bring this to a close. You are our great Shepherd, Father, and I am thankful for the security that this brings my soul. I find it easier and easier to obey that often-stated command, “Fear not,” as I find myself resting more and more in Your provision and safety. Thought this world is harsh, I find myself resting in the shadow of Your wings and in the cleft of the rock, where You have hidden me. But even as Job said, Lord, even if You see fit to slay me, yet will I trust You.

I will listen to what You say, Lord, and You promise peace to us. Only let us not turn to folly, Father. Let us not turn to folly and chase after the wind and vanities.

"God of place and time,
You chose the little town of Bethlehem to be the birthplace of David and of David's greater Son.
Make us aware of Your active purpose in our towns and neighborhoods,
so that we see them as places of promise in our time.
Amen."

BLESSING

"May the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven,
shine on those living in darkness and guide our feet into the path of peace."
(based on Luke 1:78-79)

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, 
have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O, Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
grant us Your peace.
(Agnus Dei)

Grace and peace, friends.

Christmas Is THE Gift

Today is Tuesday, December 25, 2018. The first day of Christmas.

Day 22,202

Seven days until 2019!

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.”
Jesus Christ
BrainyQuote

The word of the day is Noel. It means, “Christmas.” (Dictionary.com)

I want to begin by wishing everyone who reads this a joyous Noel! May you be able to experience joy today, no matter what your circumstances.

We had a lovely day, yesterday. C did some more painting in the master bathroom, painting the cabinets dark brown. She also cooked eggs, bacon, and biscuits for “lunch.” That happened after we took my Nord 61 key keyboard and met up with the people who bought it. That went very well. You’re never quite sure how those Craig’s List things are going to work out. Here’s the new one.

This morning has been wonderful. Everyone was up around 6:30 AM. Up, not necessarily, you know, awake. But we had some coffee, exchanged our gifts and then the cooking started. I’ve already cooked my Pull-Apart Crescent Christmas Tree.

I got a few good books to read next year. Two devotional books: Faith That Matters, a 365 day devotional “from classic Christian leaders.” The names on the front include Dallas Willard, Henri Nowen, Frederick Buechner, A.W. Tozer, N.T. Wright, James Bryan Smith, Eugene Peterson, and Brennan Manning. Also, Every Step An Arrival, a 90-day devotional by Eugene H. Peterson. Speaking of A.W. Tozer, I got his book, The Root of the Righteous, which was mentioned several times in a recent book I read, Becoming Dallas Willard. And, finally, a copy of Streams of Living Water, essential practices from the six great traditions of Christian faith, by Richard J. Foster. So I’ve got some good reading already lined up for next year.

I also got three new PS4 games. Vampyr, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, and Red Dead Redemption II. There is also a new Red Sox World Series pennant for 2018, and a new set of speakers for my study, to hook up to my computer when I’m recording. There was also much candy for everyone! Good times!

After all the cooking is done, we will pack up the food and presents for Grandma and head to Mineral Wells for the afternoon.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS
All Scriptures are from the ESV unless otherwise noted

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1

Today I am grateful:
1. For Christmas. And it definitely feels like Christmas, this morning. Except for the fact that it’s 62 degrees outside. 😀
2. That our kids are all here this morning. That includes our son-in-law.
3. For the joy that is filling our home today.
4. For the imminent trip to Grandma’s house.
5. For all the food we will share together later.

O ruler of the universe, Lord God,
great deeds are they that you have done,
   surpassing human understanding.
Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth,
   O King of all the ages.

Who can fail to do you homage, Lord,
and sing the praises of your Name?
   for you only are the holy One.
All nations will draw near and fall down before you,
   because your just and holy works have been revealed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
   as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

(The Book of Common Prayer, The Song of the Redeemed, Revelation 15:3-4)

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 
Isaiah 9:2

I have already stated it, but today is Christmas. The day when the world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Not everyone observes the day, but those who do not certainly don’t refuse the day off from work! So it is, most likely, the most universal of “holidays.” And trust me, I am in no way casting judgment on anyone who chooses not to observe “Christmas.”

We also are aware that it is most certainly not the day that Christ was born. I think there is a reason that we don’t know for sure when that happened. You see, we are not told, in Scripture, to commemorate this day. Not once, not ever. In fact, we see no indication in the New Testament that the Christians of that time celebrated the birth of Jesus. There is plenty of evidence that His death and resurrection are remembered, but none to indicate the celebration of His birth. We simply don’t know when it happened.

There are many theories. My favorite is the one that says He was born on Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur is one of those moving “holidays.” It is the Jewish Day of Atonement. Next year, it will begin on October 8 and end on October 9. It always falls somewhere in late September or early October. The interesting (fascinating, in fact) thing is, in years when it falls in late September, if you count backwards nine months, you wind up quite close to December 25! So, it is quite possible that, today, we are inadvertently celebrating the conception of Jesus!

All of that, of course, is pure conjecture, and holds no relevance whatsoever to what Christmas is all about. Except that, how cool would be if Jesus, the salvation of the world, was actually born on the Day of Atonement??? I mean, seriously! I see that as the kind of thing that God would totally do!

Anyway. It’s Christmas Day. The day that corporate America lives for. The day that the retail world stands or falls on. Gifts are given galore. There are, literally, thousands of dollars worth of gifts in our home, this morning. And all were given with love and thoughtfulness, at least at our house.

But here’s the thing. In the grand scheme of things, Christmas is the gift! In fact, I believe we could capitalize “The.” Christmas is THE gift! A little over two thousand years ago, a baby was born to a virgin. Yes, I believe that. Scoff if you will, it won’t change anything. That baby was God incarnate. The Second Person of the Trinity lowered Himself, condescended, “emptied Himself,” as Paul says in Philippians. He poured Himself into the imperfect frailness that is human skin, with all of its shortcomings and PAINS! He experienced the frustrations of growing up and learning to move around in that body. Then, when He was approximately thirty-three years old, when the fullness of time had occurred, He allowed Himself to be nailed to an instrument of public execution. He was ridiculed, humiliated, and tortured. Then, He not only endured physical death, but He also endured the face of His Father being turned away from Him for a brief moment. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me???”

All of this was THE gift to humanity. The PERFECT gift. And it is yours to receive or reject, even today. I don’t often get all evangelical on here. And there is no sense of emotional manipulation here. I’m not going to lead six verses of “Just As I Am,” and say, “Just one more verse, and if no one comes, we will close.” None of that. Simply presenting the facts as I believe them to be. Jesus Christ died for us, in our place, that we might have access to God, and so that we can live in His Kingdom NOW, not just after we die. I would simply ask you to ponder this, if you have not. See if it is worthy of acceptance.

Christmas is THE gift.

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
Psalm 107:19-21

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

Father, I thank You for the gift. Help me to walk worthy of it.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

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!”

Soli Deo Gloria

Arise, Shine

Today is Saturday, December 15, 2018. Second week of Advent.

Day 22,192

TEN DAYS until Christmas!!!

“The whole point of getting things done is knowing what to leave undone.”
Oswald Chambers, Scottish theologian, 1874-1917
BrainyQuote

The word of the day is nidus, “a nest or breeding place; especially : a place or substance in an animal or plant where bacteria or other organisms lodge and multiply.” Also, “a place where something originates, develops, or is located.” (Merriam-Webster)

I got a good bit accomplished yesterday. I did not wrap presents, as I thought I might, because C had mentioned we were running out of tape. I had already gone out to run a couple of errands, and did not want to go out again, so I put that task off. I did get my library card renewed (and, of course, checked out two books that I have no extra time to read), and picked up another thing that I wanted. Oh, and got lunch for S and me.

After lunch, I holed up in the study and worked on music for tomorrow. I got some nice sounds set up in my keyboard to play tomorrow. Then, of course, I played games. I’m currently playing Dragon Age: Inquisition on the PS4.

Today, we have to pick up groceries between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. We’ll have lunch or something around that time, as well. I’ll be getting in a bit more practice at some point, as well. I also need to lay down keyboard tracks for another song for my buddy’s album project. I’m not sure when that’s going to happen, though. That may have to wait until after Christmas.

The annual Yuleslide event is in Grapevine today, but I elected not to attend, this year. I have stuff I need to do today that is more important. Hopefully, it will work out next year. It’s going to be nice weather for it, today.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS
All Scriptures are from the ESV unless otherwise noted

Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 106:1

Today I am grateful:
1. For a beautiful day outside (I won’t be out much in it, but it will still be beautiful)
2. For opportunities to “sleep in.” I actually made it to 8:00 AM!
3. For time to spend with God each morning
4. For a fun sense of humor
5. That I am able, most of the time, to simply enjoy life

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
For behold, darkness covers the land;
deep gloom enshrouds the peoples.
But over you the Lord will rise,
and his glory will appear upon you.
Nations will stream to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawning.
Your gates will always be open;
by day or night they will never be shut.
They will call you, The City of the Lord,
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Violence will no more be heard in your land,
ruin or destruction within your borders.
You will call your walls, Salvation,
and all your portals, Praise.
The sun will no more be your light by day;
by night you will not need the brightness of the moon.
The Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.”
(The Book of Common Prayer, The Third Song of Isaiah, Isaiah 60:1-3, 11a, 14c, 18-19)

The world sure seems like a dark place, these days. And I’m just thinking about my own country. There are places in this world that are much, much darker than we could ever imagine. There are places where children are taken and forced to fight in armies. There are places where cruel dictators rule with no boundaries. There are places where women and children have no rights whatsoever. And there are places where religious freedom is nonexistent.

But there is a light that has shined upon us. It began shining a little more than two thousand years ago. The glory of the Lord dawned upon us with the birth of Jesus Christ. The Lord has risen and His glory has appeared.

What can this Scripture passage have for us today? Of course, we can celebrate that this light has already come and has shined in our hearts, resurrecting our dead spirits. That’s what we are doing during this season of the year. But look at verse 3 of Isaiah 60. “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Are we shining so brightly that nations are attracted to our light?

Admittedly, the passage is probably talking about Jerusalem. But I believe strongly that it can be applied to God’s people today, the Church. We are to shine with the glory of Christ. We should be attracting nations with our light. Naturally, there will always be some who are repelled by the light. These are they who Scripture speaks of, who love darkness more than light, who plan their dastardly deeds for the nighttime when no one can see.

Verse 11 speaks of gates that will never be closed. “Your gates shall be open continually; day and night they shall not be shut, that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations, with their kings led in procession.” Then, in verse 14, “they shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” Yep. Definitely Jerusalem. But wait. Is this the Old Testament Jerusalem, or the “New Jerusalem” of Revelation 21?

“Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” (18-19)

That sounds an awful lot like something “otherworldly.” Something totally new. Even at this very moment, I am overwhelmed with longing for this “New Jerusalem,” whatever shape it may take. I am longing for the cessation of violence, devastation, and destruction. I am longing for the end of sin and shame. I am longing for the Lord to be my everlasting light and my glory.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!!

Father, You have, in a sense, hi-jacked my devotional this morning, and I am perfectly okay with that. I didn’t see it going in this direction at all. I pray for Your light to shine on our nation, on this world, and let that light come through Your Church. I pray that You will take down all who would deceive Your people, and that includes so-called pastors who are preaching politics and power, who are deceiving for financial gain and power. Bring all who would shame Your holy name down. Grant us repentance when we fall short or veer off the path. Show us the truth if we are misunderstanding. Bring Your light to all, and hasten the day when violence, devastation, and destruction are no more.
EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS!!!

Grace and peace, friends.

Noel!

Today is December 25, 2016. Christmas Day! Six more days in 2016, and I think most people will be glad to get this one over with.

Quote of the Day

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” – Jesus Christ

Word of the Day

Jollification – jolly merrymaking; jolly festivity. Also featured in this Queen song:

Today is Pumpkin Pie Day. That’s weird. It seems like that should be on Thanksgiving. I guess pumpkin pies are popular on Christmas, too. Popular Pumpkin Pies. We’re not having pumpkin pie. We’re having pecan pie.

We had a wonderful time with C’s family last night. The food was good, the fellowship was very nice, and we exchanged our gifts with them. C and I got a nice new set of fleece bed sheets. They are SOOO comfortable!!

I supposed I should tell you about our oven disaster, though. It will definitely be one of those “remember when” moments. C put a turkey in the oven at around 10:45 yesterday morning, wrapped in one of those plastic turkey bags. Then she left to go up to the hospital to visit her step-dad. A short while later, I smelled steak-like smells emanating from the kitchen area. I thought nothing of it, probably some steak juice dripped in the bottom of the oven, you know.

By the time I finished my morning devotional/blog, it didn’t smell like smoke any more, it smelled like melting/burning plastic. When I got to the kitchen, I discovered it was filled with smoke! I opened the oven to find a charred, mostly black roasting bag, which was stuck to the turkey. Right about that time, the smoke alarms started going off, which, of course, began to freak out S. I opened windows, along with the back door, and put a fan next to one of the windows. The alarms stopped shortly after.

I called C, and we surmised that the roasting bag may have just been old. I think we have had them for several years. The turkey was free, provided by my work, so at least we didn’t lose any money on that. C said she would get another ham on the way home. I began to go ahead and prep the sopapilla cheesecake. I turned the oven back on to preheat to 350 degrees. While prepping the cheesecake, I then noticed that the heat never went off! It went through the six minute cycle of pre-heating, but the element stayed on. It never went off! I have no idea how hot it was in that oven, but I put the cheesecake in there and turned it off to see what would happen. Within six minutes (the thing is supposed to cook for 30), the dough in the sopapilla cheesecake was brown and almost burned!

So, our oven is definitely broken! It has become “Super Oven,” able to char anything in a few minutes. Well, that presented us with a huge dilemma, because we still had to cook green bean casserole, dressing, and rolls. We decided to contact R, our daughter who lives in Denton, and see if we could take those things up there and cook them in her oven. We prepped those items and I just took the pans up there and cooked them in their apartment. While I was gone, C made the mashed potatoes (the stove top was working, but it had issues, as well) and heated up the gravy.

We decided to just heat the ham in the microwave, since it was already cooked. At one point, C thought our microwave had messed up, too, which made us think we had electrical issues, but we now believe it is okay and just the oven went on the fritz.

We had a delicious dinner, in spite of all of that, and a great time. C is prepping more green beans and dressing, and we will cook them in my mother’s oven when we get to Mineral Wells in a little while.

62 days until the first Spring Training game.
99 days until Opening Day!

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

While I will still read my usual daily devotional materials, today, in lieu of my usual devotional, I am simply going to quote the Scriptures relating to the birth of Christ.

Isa 9:1-7  But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 
You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Mat 1:18-25  Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Luk 2:1-21  In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
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. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 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!” 
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.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 
And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Father, I wish all who read this, along with all of my friends and family, a blessed and joyous Christmas Day. We know, or least most of us know, that Jesus probably was not born on December 25, but that truly doesn’t matter. Today, we celebrate the beginning of the redemption of the human race, the coming of the Christ-child, born to save us from our sins! We praise and thank you for this day, the life that Jesus lived, his death on the cross, his resurrection, and his ascension. Bring us joy and peace today!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Merry Christmas to all!

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Grace, peace, and joy, friends!

Noel, Noel!

Merry Christmas! Today is Wednesday, December 25, 2013.

Besides being Christmas, today is “Pumpkin Pie Day.” Not my favorite, but I’ll have a piece, now and then. I’m not expecting any today, though. If it’s your favorite, I hope you get some today!

Merry Christmas to everyone who stumbles across this blog today.

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We had a wonderful Christmas Eve! The service went very well, and we had a pretty good turnout. As noted before, I got to lead the four songs that we sang, and I just played guitar for them. Someone took a picture of me while I was playing.

Jeff leading Christmas Eve

We headed back home and continued preparations for Christi’s family Christmas Eve gathering. Let me tell you that it could NOT have gone any better! Everyone got along famously, we all had a good time, and stuffed our faces full of delicious food! Then, even though we could barely move, we opened presents! I think everyone was happy. Rachel and Justin arrived at some point, it may have been close to 9pm, but I’m not positive. They got there before anyone else left, and got to see all the family.

Later today, after we open our Christmas morning presents, we will travel to Mineral Wells, where we will celebrate Christmas with my parents. More food, more presents, but mostly love.

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(From Great Stories from History for Every Day)

On this date in 800, Charles the Great (aka Charlemagne) became “the first Holy Roman Emperor to be crowned by the Pope.” This began a revival of the Roman Empire, which had “lapsed in the 5th century.” This revival of the Roman Empire would last for 1000 years until Franz II abdicated in 1806. Charlemagne was 48 when he was crowned, which is rather old “for that time in history.” He was known “for his personal leadership and excellent administration.” His court was famous for attracting intellectuals from around the world, in spite of the fact that Charlemagne, himself, could not write. Being rather religious, he attempted to ban dancing throughout the empire, but his efforts were “widely ignored.” I suspect Kevin Bacon had something to do with it.

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Who has Christmas birthdays? Orlando Gibbons, English composer, 1583, Isaac Newton, physicist, 1642, Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, 1821, Robert Ripley, collector of odd facts, 1890, Humphrey Bogart, actor, 1899, Cab Calloway, band leader, 1907, Anwar Sadat, Egyptian president, 1918, Louis Lane, conductor, 1923, Nellie Fox, baseball player, 1927, Billy Horton, The Silhouettes, 1929, Jimmy Buffett, 1946, Larry Csonka, NFL running back, 1946, Barbara Mandrell, country singer, 1948 (Houston, TX), Sissy Spacek, actress, 1949 (Quitman, TX), Annie Lennox, singer, 1954, Allanah Myles, singer, 1955, Rickey Henderson, king of stolen bases, 1958, Dido, singer, 1971, and Hideki Okajima, pitcher, 1975.

Jimmy Buffett is a singer/songwriter, famous for his tropical, casual lifestyle. Here is a clip of his song, “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” which pretty much sums up his philosophy of life.

By the way, Jesus was almost certainly NOT born on this date.

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TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

(For some reason, the Divine Hours website is blank for today’s readings, so I will insert my own.)

Psalm 25:1-2 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.
Psalm 25:4-7 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
Psalm 25:11-12 For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
Psalm 25:14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

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Today’s reading in A Year With God is “Thanking God.” The scripture reading is Deuteronomy 16:9-15.

“You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
“You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. For seven days you shall keep the feast to the LORD your God at the place that the LORD will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.”

The Lord rescued Israel from Egypt, and now he provides them with crops for their sustenance. Three times each year, they are to celebrate their thankfulness and joy by having these festivals/feasts. Modern Christians seem to have lost this valuable tradition. Not that we should revert back to Old Testament feasts or festivals, I covered that yesterday. But it wouldn’t hurt us to take time throughout our years to stop and thank God for everything he’s done for us. What better way to do that than to throw a huge feast like the people of Israel did?

On this special, celebratory day, I thank God for Jesus Christ, our “Passover Lamb,” who has saved us from our sins. I thank him for our jobs, which provide our sustenance. We don’t grow crops, but we work for paychecks, which allow us to buy groceries to feed our families. Our God provides for us.

Charles Wesley wrote this hymn, “Jesus, Thou Soul of All Our Joys.”

Jesus, thou soul of all our joys,
For whom we now lift up our voice,
And all our strength exert,
Vouchsafe the grace we humbly claim,
Compose into a thankful frame,
And tune thy people’s heart.

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Father, on this day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, I pray that people all over the world will be thankful for that moment in time when you became flesh; when the Spirit of God became incarnate to save a world from sin. Make us remember that we celebrate a real event in history, and event that changed the world. But may we not just remember on December 25 of each year. May we stop at various times in our year to remember the bounty which you have provided for us and our families. Let us not take you and your gifts for granted, but celebrate that which you give us faithfully throughout the year.

I pray for this day. May our Christmas celebration be joyful and thankful. May we be at peace, both with one another, as well as with the world around us. May there truly be peace on earth.

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Noel, noel, noel, noel!
Born is the King of Israel. . .

Merry Christmas!

Grace and peace, friends.