Held in Jesus' Arms

by Diana Durrill 

"And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.  But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.'  And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them."  - Mark 10:13-16 

The highlighted verse makes me think of my sister, Teresa Lynn.  I have never met Teresa because she was stillborn a year-and-a-half before I my birth day.  This verse is engraved on her tombstone and whenever I come across it I think of her.  What is she like?  Is she shy?  Outgoing?  Friendly?  Kind?Stubborn?  Who does she resemble -- the James side or the Berry side?  Dark haired or light?  Tall or short?  The one thing I know about Teresa is that she is with Jesus.  He welcomed her into His arms before her earthly father was able to hold her. 

This verse is clearly not referencing death.  It is referring to children who come to Christ at a young age because of their ability to simply believe, to simply trust.  Adults tend to complicate things.  We over-think.  We dissect and analyze and manipulate the simple gospel in order to make it fit our human understanding.  Surely there is something I can or should do to merit salvation.  I can be good.  I can pray regularly.  I can feed the homeless, give to the poor, serve the church.  

Jesus gave the object lesson of these children in order that we might learn from them -- so that we might learn that the gospel is simple enough for a child to understand and take hold of.  It is a simple, childlike trust and faith in Jesus Christ, His finished work on the cross and resurrection from the dead that leads us into everlasting life.  

And just as quickly and easily as Teresa was welcomed into the Lord Jesus' arms that cold day in February, 1971, so will we be ushered in to the kingdom of God when we simply trust that He is who He says He is.  We can know that we are held safe and secure in the arms of Jesus and that He will never let us go.

I am thankful that I have never had to experience the pain my mother experienced that day.  And I am thankful - oh, so thankful - that all five of my children have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ while they were yet children.  

Have you placed your faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ? 

Jesus Wept

by Paul Ice

When I saw that the reading was John 11, the first thing that came to my mind, was the death of Lazarus, Jesus weeping, and verse 35 is the shortest verse in the Bible.

I have heard many teachings on the account of Jesus weeping in this passage, and most of them revolve around Lazarus or his family, and that seemed to make sense; but I also thought it was interesting that he already knew he was coming to raise Lazarus, and he know all the joy and worship it would bring to him.   And many other times he told them to remain calm, do not worry. Verse 45 speaks that “many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him.”

So maybe there was some other things coming into play here.  John Piper has written an article to consider some of these options.  If you have time, consider these possibilities.

Compassion for the Suffering

One reason is simply the deep compassion that Jesus felt for those who were suffering. It is true that Jesus let Lazarus die. He delayed coming, and he did not speak healing from a distance like he did for the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:13). His reasons were good and merciful and glorious. But this did not mean Jesus took the suffering it caused lightly. “For he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men” (Lamentations 3:33). Even though Jesus always chooses what will ultimately bring his Father the most glory (John 11:4)—and sometimes, as in Lazarus’ case, it requires affliction and grief—he does not take delight in the affliction and grief itself. No, Jesus is sympathetic (Hebrews 4:15). And as “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), in Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus we get a glimpse of how the Father feels over the affliction and grief his children experience.

Calamity of Sin

Another reason Jesus wept was over the calamity of sin. As God the Son who had come into the world to destroy the devil’s works (1 John 3:8), Jesus was about to deliver death its deathblow (1 Corinthians 15:26). But sin grieves God deeply and so do the wages of sin: death (Romans 6:23). And ever since the fall of Adam and Eve he had endured sin’s horrific destruction. Death had consumed almost1 every human being he had created. It had taken Lazarus, and it would take him again before it was all over. Tears of anger and longing were mixed with Jesus’ tears of grief.

Cost of Redemption

A third reason for weeping was the cost that he was about to pay to purchase not only Lazarus’ short-term resurrection, but his everlasting life. The cross was just days away and no one really knew the inner distress (Luke 12:50) Jesus was experiencing. Lazarus’ resurrection would look and be experienced by Lazarus and everyone else as a gift of grace. But, oh, it was not free. Jesus was going to die a horrific death to purchase it. And the most horrific part was not crucifixion, as unimaginable as that alone would have been. He was dreading his Father’s wrath. Jesus, who had never known sin, was about to become Lazarus’ sin, and the sin of all who had or would believe in him, so that in him they would all become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). He was looking to the joy that was set before him (Hebrews 12:2). But the reality of what lay between was weighing heavily.

Cause of His Own Death

A fourth possible reason for Jesus’ tears was that he knew that raising Lazarus would actually cause the religious leaders to finally take action to put him to death (John 11:45-53). In this account, most of us probably marvel at Jesus’ incredible trust that his Father would answer him. We have such little faith. If Jesus had any struggle that day, it would not have been whether his Father would answer, but what would result when his Father answered. Calling Lazarus out of the tomb would have taken a different kind of resolve for Jesus than we might have imagined. Giving Lazarus life was sealing Jesus’ own death.

Just these few reasons for Jesus’ weeping at Lazarus’ tomb give us a glimpse into how God views our suffering and death. His reasons for not sparing us these things are righteous and glorious. But in them he is full of compassion (Psalm 103:13). He hates the calamity sin brings, and he himself has suffered more than we will ever know in order to pay the full cost of our eternal redemption.

“Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5). And when that morning comes, “death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (Revelation 21:4).

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

by Rebekah Johnson

And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." - Luke 15:2Oh 

Jesus, Friend of sinners,Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers.Let our hearts be led by mercy;Help us reach with open hearts and open doors.Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours.

- Mark Hall, Matthew West 

Luke 12-13 People, Not Things

by Jill Ice

²² And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁶ If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 

²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. ³⁰ For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

³² “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luke 12:22-34

This passage spoken by Jesus is precious in many ways. It reminds us of what is truly important and gives the perfect antidote to the constant consumerism of our day. What is important? Food? Clothing? He says he will provide these things. We don’t need to worry about these things.

Instead, we should be seeking His kingdom. And what exactly are we seeking for when we seek His kingdom?

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 22:37-40

We seek His kingdom when we love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind, and when we love others as we love ourselves. It’s about relationships, not things. Stop the worry; God will provide. Concentrate on loving God and loving people.

Lesson from Ninevah

By Mike Durrill

[32] The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. - Luk 11:32 ESV

What can a nation like Nineveh - full of unspeakable wickedness teach us today?

• God is still slow to anger.
• God is still merciful.
• God's thoughts are still not our thoughts.
• God's ways are still not our ways.
• Repentance still stays the wrath of God.
• Forgiveness can be had still for ALL sinners.

The depths of the grace and mercy of God cannot be measured. The people of Nineveh were hated by the Israelites. Israel had been brutally accosted by them on numerous occasions. Yet, when confronted with a pathetic preacher of the truth they repented of their evil.

Jesus, the greatest preacher who ever lived, is confronting the religious elite of Israel with truth. He is relentless in his pursuit of heart religion that obeys out of love, as opposed to heady intellectual assent promoting obedience out of duty. He performs miracles authenticating the fact of Hs deity. He raises people from the dead, causes blind men to see, and casts out demons from wretched men. Yet, Israel refuses to repent. Refuses to believe. Refuses to see.

Ironically, Nineveh is an example to Israel - also an example to us. Repent of pride. Repent of arrogance. Repent of sin.

Repent and receive the great grace and mercy of God.

Courage

by Diana Durrill 

"The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, 'Is this your son, who you say was born blind?  How then does he now see?'  His parents answered, 'We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.  But how he sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes.  Ask him; he is of age.  He will speak for himself.'  (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)"  John 9:18-22

The problem this man's parents were facing was a serious issue.  If they acknowledged belief in Jesus Christ, they were to be put out of the synagogue.  What is significant about that is that most likely, every aspect of their lives revolved around the Jewish community and the synagogue.  What would they do if they were "put out" of the synagogue?  Where would they go?  How would they eat?  Who would fellowship with them?

My first tendency is to feel sorry for these parents who are clearly lacking courage to stand for and with their son who has chosen to believe in Jesus Christ (John 9:38).  Their fear of man is so great that they choose to pass the burden of the question off to their son.  They say (and I paraphrase), "Ask him -- he is old enough to stand trial alone."  But, as I pause to think about their predicament and contrast it to my world today, I have to step back humbly with compassion and understanding.

This is not just an issue in New Testament culture.  It is a real-life, current cross-cultural issue today, as well.  Believers all over the world are fearful of declaring Jesus Christ for fear of what man will say or do to them, especially if it means denying their religious heritage.

All of us are fully aware of people groups around the world who are persecuted for their faith.  We
pray for missionaries and believers alike who are tried and tested for their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  How often, though, do we stop to consider our own fear of man which influences our lives and decisions today?  When we make a decision for the Lord that perhaps our friends, family or neighbors don't understand we often face a form of persecution.  When we choose to worship in a different style or format than we did as a child, we can face criticism and judgment from family members or from our church community.  Many times, this fear of man (What will people say?  What will people think?) immobilizes us and we neglect to take steps in the direction God is leading because we are more fearful than we are obedient or courageous.  I know I am guilty.  But sadly, I am guilty of being the accuser as well.  When someone chooses a path that I disagree with for "spiritual reasons," I am ashamed to say have often passed judgment or criticized their decision.  Oh, I'm not talking about the big issues and the essentials of the faith.  I refer more to the little things that we should "agree to disagree" on.

Are we guilty of criticizing and judging others for not worshiping God the way we would (in all areas of life)?  Are we guilty of not making a move in our walks with God out of fear of man and man's opinions?  I think the answer to both of these questions is YES.  We would do well to follow the example of the blind man in his courageous belief as he took a clear stand, going against the religious leaders, his own family, and the crowd.  We would also do well to learn from his parents' fears.  May we be bold when God asks us to lead courageously, and gracious and humble when others lead the way even if it looks different than what we're used to.

Matt 18 - Humility

by Paul Ice

         
  At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

(Matthew 18:1 ESV)

Jesus answer:

            And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

(Matthew 18:2-4 ESV)

God’s eyes are on the humble (Isaiah 66:2). His grace drenches the humble (James 4:6). He makes his home with the lowly (Isaiah 57:15). He takes time to guide and teach the humble (Psalm 25:9). He exalts those who are humble (Luke 14:11). He gives salvation to the humble (Psalm 149:4).  He smiles when we don’t think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (Romans 12:3), and tells us to throw away our pride and associate with people of low position” (Romans 12:16).

God loves humility.

Many more verses about humility could be referenced because it opposes what God detest – pride.  But I love how later in Matthew 18 we see how humility makes it possible to forgive like crazy, seven times seventy. (Matthew 18:22) Why, because the humble person knows the depth of God’s forgiveness to him.

            But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

(James 4:6 ESV)

Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9:28-62

by Adam Johnson


And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."    Matthew 17:4-5


Peter is the one disciple who usually speaks before he thinks. He is putting equal emphasis on the Lord's stature, and the stature of two OT saints. The Father quickly puts an end to this line of thinking for Peter by telling all present that Jesus is the only Son. Peter also thinks that because they just witnessed the Transfiguration with Jesus that they should make a tent of meeting for each. He quickly thought that by taking action that he could gain favor with all three figures.

We often think that by taking action we can excuse thoughtlessness, lack of prayer, or preparation. Peter wanted to be recognized by these great men, and praised for his actions. We today do not have the Father speaking to us out of a cloud, "And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place..." (2 Pet 1:19). Peter said this verse in his epistle mentioning this very moment of his life. No doubt it left a great impression on him, and looking back he realized it was the written word over any moment or emotion he felt throughout his life. It is not for us to simply take action or be zealous for good works, but have the spiritual grounding to have right motives, thoughts, and actions. This grounding only comes through immersion into the very Words of God. We must recognize the power of how God works in our lives through the Word. 

Matthew 15 The World Right Side Up

by Jill Ice

Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Matthew 15:29-31

“The miracles of Jesus are signs of the right order of things. Jesus was not so much turning things upside down as turning them right side up or, at least, giving his followers glimpses of the right side up. The miracles of healing, deliverance, provision, and resurrection all reveal that God, through Jesus, is making all things new, that he is restoring what once was unbroken.”

-from The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler

The Defining Moment

by Diana Durrill 

Today's Reading:  John 6

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?"  - John 6:61-62

We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:69 

The disciples are caught in an incredibly uncomfortable position.  They have just commented amongst themselves that what Jesus was teaching was a hard thing to hear.  And truly, it was!  

This is a defining moment for the disciples.  They can either turn and leave as all the others do, or they can put all they have into this man and who he claims to be.

Peter, with every last bit of courage he can muster, makes this life-changing statement that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God."

His life will never be the same.

Each who chooses to follow Jesus closely, stating that He is the Holy One of God, will come to a defining moment moment, a crossroad where we will choose to either follow the crowd or follow Jesus.

Simple Words of Blessing

Submitted by Diana Durrill

Todays Reading:  Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9:1-17

The following is an excerpt from Joy in the Journey: Through the Year by Michael Card

"How may loaves do you have ?" he asked.  When they found out, they said, "Five -- and two fish."  Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.  Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.  Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people.  He also divided the two fish among them all.  - Mark 6:38-41 

Jesus asks, "What do you have?"  The small amount of food the disciples can scrape together is absurdly inadequate in the face of the multitude.  Yet Jesus is always ready to use our inadequacies.  That is what makes it a miracle!

The rabbinic blessing or barocha for the meal was "Blessed art thou, eternal God our Father, who causes bread to come forth from the ground." After the barocha comes the straightforward command out pass out the food.  Mark does not record the response of the crowd, whether they recognized a miracle had occurred or not.  Could it not be that, even as at Cana, only the servants (in this case, the disciples) knew a miracle had occurred?

APPLY:  Where do you feel absurdly inadequate?  Ask Jesus to give his blessing, and go ahead with what you need to do.

Matt 8, Mark 4,5

by Paul Ice

Reading about Jesus is so much fun.  It must have been so amazing to see all the people he healed.  And then to see him cast out demons made such uproar.  When he spoke the people were amazed at his wisdom.  He spoke of the Kingdom with such intimate knowledge. 

Then we get to Mark 5 and we read the story of Jesus and the disciples at sea.  They were afraid of the great storm and woke up Jesus.

            And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

(Mark 4:39-41 ESV)

This is a fascinating account.  They had been with Jesus for many of the miracles, and after all that he had done, it didn’t all quite make sense.  And then he just speaks and the forces of nature obey Him?

“And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” vs. 41

Who is this Jesus?

John writes.

            He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

(John 1:2-3 ESV)

That helps connect the dots.  If he spoke them all into existence, it makes sense that they obey him also.

There was much more they would see to substantiate His claims.

Luke 11

"...Lord, teach us to pray..." - Luke 11:1

The word "prayer"  really means "a wish directed towards," that is, towards God. All that true prayer seeks is God Himself, for with Him we get all we need. Prayer is simply "the turning of the soul to God." David describes it as the lifting up of the living soul to the living God. "Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul" (Psalm 25:1).What a beautiful description of prayer that is! When we desire the Lord Jesus to behold our souls, we also desire that the beauty of holiness may be upon us. 

When we lift up our souls to God in prayer, it gives God an opportunity to do what He will in us and with us. It is putting ourselves at God's disposal. God is always on our side. When man prays, it is God's opportunity. The poet says: 

Prayer is the soul's sincerest desire,

Uttered or unexpressed,

The motion of a hidden fire

That trembles in the breast. 

"Prayer," says an old Jewish mystic, "is the moment when heaven and earth kiss each other."
Prayer, then, is certainly not persuading God to do what we want God to do. It is not bending the will of a reluctant God to do our will. It does not change His purpose, although it may release His power.

- The Kneeling Christian

Matthew 11 Rest

by Jill Ice

 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

REPOSE

From Valley of Vision

Heavenly Father,

My faith is in thee,

My expectation is from thee,

My love goes out toward thee,

I believe thee,

            accept thy Word,

            acquiesce in thy will,

            rely on thy promises,

            trust thy providence.

I bless thee that the court of conscience proves me to be thine.

I do not need signs and wonders to believe,

            for thy Word is sure truth.

I have cast my anchor in the port of peace,

            knowing that present and future are in nail-pierced hands.

Thou art so good, wise, just holy,

            that no mistake is possible to thee.

Thou art fountain and source of all law;

            what thou commandest is mine to obey.

I yield to thy sovereignty all that I am and have;

            do thou with me as thou wilt.

Thou hast given me silence in my heart

            in place of murmurings and complaints.

Keep my wishes from growing into willings,

            my willings from becoming fault-finding with my providences,

                        and have mercy on me.

If I sin and am rebellious, help me to repent;

            then take away my mourning and give me music;

            remove my sackcloth and adorn me with beauty;

            take away my sighs and fill my mouth with songs;

                        and when I am restored and rest in thee,

                        give me summer weather in my heart.

My Alabaster Box - Luke 7

by Diana Durrill

Read Matthew 8:1-13 and Luke 7  

"Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little. And he said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'" - Luke 7:47,48

The Pharisee wasn't less of a sinner than this woman.  He just wasn't as aware of his sin.  His sin looked different, felt different, and resulted in different consequences than hers.  The point Jesus is making is that, unlike the Pharisee, the woman with the alabaster box was fully aware of her need of a Savior and she saw Jesus as just that - her personal Lord and Savior.  Her faith in who He was and her repentance of her sin is what brought her into relationship with Jesus Christ.

My prayer that we all will find the forgiveness of our own 

sin to be worthy of sacrificial praise, living our lives out of 

gratitude and love for the One who can and has forgiven us.

This song, Alabaster Box sung by CeCe Winans, is one that we heard at Women of Faith.  Enjoy!

Wait, that's not how it works?

by Paul Ice 

           But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’”

(John 5:11 ESV)

And this is just the beginning of the confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees.  This passage show us 2 of the conflicts that the Pharisees would have with Jesus. 

1. Breaking their religious traditions.
2. Equating himself with God.

But when we think about the man that was healed, I love his response to the Pharisees questioning to why he was carrying his bed on the Sabbath.  My translation. . . “Um, I’ve been and invalid for 38 years, and you want to know what? A guy just spoke and healed me and I did what he said.” 

Who would you listen to?

1. The men who make up religious rules and say you have this condition because you or someone in your family sinned, or . . .
2. The person who spoke and took away you infirmity.

And to sum it all up, instead of being in awe of Jesus, we read:

            And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

(John 5:16 ESV)

We love our traditions don’t we.  I often think we are not that different than the culture Jesus came into.  Don’t mess with our religious activity.  Jesus is allowed to work, but only if it fits into the structure we set up.  God surely won’t work in other ways right? Hmmm…

Mark 2

by Adam Johnson


And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17

This verse relates perfectly to the parable on the prodigal son. The fact is, Jesus' mission was to show the light to those who know they are in darkness not the ones who bask in the "light" of their own self-righteousness. Jesus gave a perfect illustration in talking about someone who is sick needing a doctor - if someone thinks they are well they do not seek a doctor's care. 

Jesus' point is the same to us today. If we think we are fine with our lives, and have no pressing need of Him then one thinks that Jesus' life is a nice story. Light always shines brightest where the darkness is greatest. Moral people are generally the hardest to reach with the Gospel. However, the Gospel does not end at salvation - it should and will affect every aspect of the Christian's life. When we lose our urgency at seeking after Christ in our lives then we have believed erroneously we have arrived. Jesus' ministry continually is to those who know they need Him. Our goal as believers is to be like Him.

John 1 Grace in Heaping Quantities

by Jill Ice

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

John 1:16

Grace upon grace. Blessings upon blessings. Unmerited, unearned - that’s what grace is.

Grace upon grace in daily provisions – shelter, food, clothing, health.

Grace upon grace in the resources given to us – time, money, experience, skills.

Grace upon grace in spiritual blessings of being a child of God – salvation, faith, forgiveness, assurance.

God is full of grace and blessings which He bestows upon us every day in heaping quantities.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17

Preparing the Way

by Diana Durrill 

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." - Luke 3:4-6

This is one of my favorite New Testament passages.  I love the image it brings to mind.

Picture with me a king being transported by carriage.  His men travel before him to prepare the way through the villages, forests, across rivers, etc.  They are not only on the lookout for danger and busy clearing the path of debris, but they also proclaim the coming of the king.  The village people would watch with anticipation and expectation.  I am reminded of Lady Guinevere in the movie First Knight as she and her maidens are traveling through the forest.  They are surrounded by soldiers who are there to protect her, the soon-to-be bride of King Arthur.  The wicked Malagant has set up an ambush on the road in an attempt to kidnap Guinevere, but Lancelot is nearby and he saves the day!

Actually, we find these verses in the Old Testament, too. (See Isaiah 40:3-5.)  Isaiah prophesies the coming Messiah and urges Israel to repent of their sins in preparation for His coming.

In the New Testament (today's passages), John the Baptist has the task of reminding Israel that there is a coming Messiah and they need to be on the lookout.  They need to be watching and waiting for His arrival.  He prepares the way for Him by urging the repentance of sins and announcing His coming.

We are no different from Israel in our need to prepare for the Lord's second coming.  We have much to repent of, much to be watching and waiting for, and many to lead to the Truth.  We should all be about the business of preparing the way for the Lord!  How do we do that today?  We can sum it up in four words:

Worship.    Grow.    Serve.    Proclaim.

Do not be afraid

by Paul Ice            

And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah . . .

(Luke 1:12-13 ESV)

            But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary . . .

(Luke 1:29-30 ESV)

            And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea,

(Luke 1:63-65 ESV)

All three of these accounts are in Luke 1.  When you read these accounts it is very interesting that their first response was fear.  Have you ever considered why they were stuck with fear?  There are obvious things that come to mind, but I wonder what an encounter with the Angel of the Lord is like.  I wonder what their preconceived notions were concerning a message from God.

Well, whatever all the factors were, they are not alone.  The scripture is filled with people that were struck with fear when God or an angel spoke to them.  And, many of them were encouraged with a response, “Do not be afraid.”  Over 300 times in the Bible we see a phrase similar to, “Do not be afraid.”

John tells us what all the excitement is about (“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” John 1:9 ESV). 

Oh, and there will be more people filled with wonder and fear coming in the next couple of readings.  Probably the most famous:

“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.”