“Nobody worries about Christ as long as He can be kept shut up in churches. He is quite safe inside. But there is always trouble if you try and let Him out.” ~ Geoffrey A. Studdert-Kennedy
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Browsing Tags Jesus
Merry Christmas!
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto 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
“An ordinary night with ordinary sheep and ordinary shepherds. And were it not for a God who loves to hook an “extra” on the front of the ordinary, the night would have gone unnoticed. The sheep would have been forgotten, and the shepherds would have slept the night away. But God dances among the common. And that night He did a waltz.” Max Lucado
Wishing you a Merry Christmas as you celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Greatest Gift ever given!
Follow @learning2hearWhere is Jesus in the Christmas Frenzy?
I have always loved snow. If I had a favorite season, winter could be it because of Christmas and snow. But I like all the seasons and can’t choose one over the other as an overall favorite. Today I’m thinking about winter, snow, and Christmas. Not only the “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” kind of thoughts, although I do hope we have a white Christmas. It won’t make Christmas any better to have snow, it will just make it look prettier outside. Like the picture below, where everything is covered in beautiful white snow. The brown of bare trees and shrubs dressed in a blanket of glistening white transforms the landscape from drab to sparkling.
There are a few bad things about snow, not the least of which is how dangerous it is to drive in or on it, especially if you aren’t used to it. If there’s several inches of snow, it can get blown into drifts that bury the sidewalk, steps, and anything left outside. Also, when it melts it can be a slushy mess that mixes with the road salt and coats your car.
So even though a snowfall makes everything look pretty, and adds a festive touch to Christmas, it has negative effects as well.
The snow-covered Nativity scene below is a good example. A late night snowfall piled up until it completely covered Baby Jesus in this picture:
Before I took this picture I started to brush off the snow from Baby Jesus first. As I considered the scene though, I realized that it has a story of its own just the way it is.
Every year it seems like the Christmas shopping season starts earlier, and the promise of Black Friday sales pushes Thanksgiving aside as shoppers are encouraged to start lining up outside the stores. I’m all for getting bargains, but the frenzy created by some of the sales promotions is making it a dangerous way to try to save a few dollars. And that frenzy officially kicks off the Christmas season.
The time of the year when Christmas cards are sent proclaiming “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men“, and we sing “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie…”, “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright…”, “O hush the noise…” from “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”, and other Christmas hymns and carols about the birth of Christ.
The celebration of that Holy Night when our Savior was born begins with a frenzy of pushing and jostling crowds, as shoppers try to be the first to get to the advertised items.
Even if you stay home on Black Friday, Christmas can easily become a burden with lists of things to buy, things to bake, decorating the tree and the house, cards to send, gifts to wrap, and traditions to maintain. Plus keeping up with all the special parties, events, and programs. All of which are wonderful, and add their own touches to make Christmas special for our family and friends, and hopefully for us, if we aren’t too exhausted to enjoy them!
Like snow for a white Christmas, all the decorations, festive paper, and colorful treats make it look prettier. But it would still be Christmas without all that, or with less of it. Because Christmas is really about Jesus.
So where is Jesus in all the frenzy? Is He buried under a blanket of lists, expectations, and busyness? Has the wonder of Jesus’ birth been smothered by the rush of just getting everything done by December 25th?
This Christmas, hush the noise and hear the angels sing. And remember, Immanuel is God with us. Take time to really see Jesus, and ponder that Holy Night when our Savior was born.
I’m linked up with Jennifer’s blog for God-bumps and God-incidence posts, you can visit her here:
Follow @learning2hearGod’s Love Flows
God’s love is not a slowly dripping faucet or a well we must dig for ourselves. It is a rushing stream that flows from His heart into ours. David McCasland
I wouldn’t try to measure how much water rushed by as I stood beside this stream, but whatever the amount was, God’s love is even more! And His love isn’t affected by the weather, as rainfall or drought will affect a stream. No matter what is going on in our lives, God’s love stays the same.
God reveals Himself to us in many ways, and reminds us of His love and care for us. Jennifer Dukes Lee, on her “Getting Down With Jesus” blog, calls these “God-Bumps or God-Incidences“. My God-Bump today was finding the perfect picture to use with the inspiring quote I read, as detailed below:
I took this picture more than 6 years ago, but I read the quote just yesterday (December 6, 2011). The quote stuck with me since reading it, and I could just imagine the rushing stream used to describe God’s love. Today I was browsing through some old picture folders and came across the one of the stream. Immediately I thought of the quote.
I wasn’t planning on a post with the quote, I had already tweeted it. But after coming across the stream picture it was the ‘bump‘ I needed to connect the two. And I needed a God-Bump of encouragement today. The timing was another God-Bump. God is good, and His timing is perfect!
Click on the button below to go to Jennifer’s Blog:
Hope In Despair
I don’t know how God will do it, but somehow, while you are in your dark and lonely place, God will come to where you are and confirm His faithfulness and His promises to you! God will use your dark, lonely place of despair as a banner to write His love over your life!
Elijah had his ravens; Moses had his burning bush; Jesus had His empty tomb. God has a way of showing us that it will be all right. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us, and He never will. — John Patterson
Those are encouraging words – hope for those waiting for an answer to prayer, a lifeline for those who are intimately acquainted with despair. God always comes through, one way or another, and usually not in the way we expect.
Elijah’s story in 1 Kings chapter 17 about God sending ravens to feed him, and God using a burning bush in Exodus 3 to call Moses into service, are just two examples of the unique, unexpected ways God provides for our needs and comes to us where we are. When Mary Magdalene found the empty tomb in John chapter 20, it was evidence of Jesus fulfilling a promise that He would rise again. Although Jesus knew there would be an empty tomb, the cross was a dark, lonely place of despair as He hung there waiting to die.
Those who watched as He was crucified and died were in their own dark, lonely places of despair. The time between the cross and the empty tomb must have seemed endless to them, especially to Mary, Jesus’ mother. As a mother myself, I cannot imagine the dark despair she endured as her son was beaten, crucified, and hanging on a cross waiting to die, then placed inside a cold, dark tomb.
But that was not the end of the story! God used that dark, lonely place of despair as a banner to write His love over their life, and ours. Jesus went from a cold, dark tomb to sitting at the right hand of God, fulfilling many long-awaited promises. Promises that we can count on, because God is faithful.
“and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Ephesians 1:19-21
No matter how dark, lonely, or despairing our circumstances are, He is always with us, and His promises are always true. God has a way of showing us that it will be alright, and He will confirm His faithfulness to us.
Hebrews 13:5 reminds us of His promise, “He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
When I first stopped to take this picture, I was focusing on the leaves floating in a pool of water beneath a small waterfall that could barely qualify as a waterfall now. The waterfall had become only a steady drip because of weeks without much rainfall, and the pool of water it dripped into seemed to be stagnant. But as I looked closer, I could see the water had a gentle current moving under the layer of leaves, just enough to keep it from stagnating. There was a very tiny stream of water meandering down the slope above the waterfall to drip off the rock shelf, and colorful leaves accumulated in it and in this pool, as if to soak in a last drink of water before dying.
While studying the variety of leaf shapes and colors in the water, I realized that wasn’t the only thing I could see. If I shifted my focus off the leaves and onto the surface of water surrounding them I could see a reflection. It doesn’t show up as well in the picture, but you can see some of the reflection of blue sky and trees that are reflected in the pool of water.
The same picture that has fallen leaves – a sign of changing seasons, dying foliage, and evidence of drought – also has blue sky, green pine trees, and a gentle undercurrent of water – all signs of life and hope. Sometimes all it takes is to shift our focus to see things from a different perspective. And sometimes all it takes is a little hope to give us a better perspective.
We can have hope in our times of despair, because God is faithful. God keeps His promises. And He never leaves us. Never.
Follow @learning2hearSunday Morning Countdown
Elton Trueblood said, “It used to be that Christianity was a revolutionary faith that turned the world upside down. But today Christians sit in Sunday morning church services looking at their watches, wondering what time dinner will be served, or thinking about the kickoff. And we hope that church won’t interfere with the things we would really rather be doing.”
Many Pastors are admonished to keep their sermons short, or to finish them by a certain time on Sunday mornings, and get raked over the coals if they don’t. Hearing what God has to say is not the priority, the time on the clock and afternoon plans are the priority.
Sunday dinner, Sunday sports, and other Sunday activities have pushed God into the background of people’s lives. And if worship services interfere too much with their plans, people just stop going altogether.
Has a “hurry up and get this over with” attitude replaced an attitude of worship?
Has an attitude of obligation toward going to the house of the Lord replaced an attitude of gladness and thanksgiving?
Has Sunday morning worship become Sunday morning countdown, to how long before it’s over?
Is a few hours a week too much to give to the One who created you and cares for you, Who gave His Son for you, and Who died for you?
Is Jesus really Lord of your life when your mind is on anything but Him when you’re in His house to worship Him?
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.” Psalm 122:1
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4
Christianity is still a revolutionary faith, but sadly many Christians consider it more of an interference in their lives than a revolution.
Follow @learning2hearA Divine Investment
Even in those darkest times when all our other friends stand aside from us, God is always with us for good. He does not watch helplessly from the sideline only hoping that our situation will get better on its own.
Our God is actively engaged with us in our struggles because He is for us. He has invested His own Son in our continued well-being.
– Marvin P. Nail
Quote from CQDaily
Follow @learning2hearDaddy’s Tears – Daddy’s Hands
My first vivid memory of seeing my daddy cry was at my momma’s funeral as a 6-year-old. As he held me close on his lap I could see the tears running down his face as freely as they ran down mine. I was struggling to accept that I’d never see my momma again until heaven, which seemed very, very far away, and I already missed her. I knew daddy missed her too, but he kept up a brave front after that day, at least in front of my brother and me.
I saw my daddy shed tears as he preached about Jesus’ death on the cross, or as he gave the invitation after his sermon, weeping from his heavy burden for lost souls. And many times his face was wet with tears when he got up from kneeling to pray, or came out from praying in his room.
When I was in painful labor with my son, my daddy held my hand as long as he could stay in the room with me. I saw the tears fall down his face as he leaned down and said, “I would take the pain for you if I could, honey”.
When my first grandson, his first great-grandchild, was killed in a car accident, my daddy’s tears fell as he looked into the tiny casket of the 9 week old baby. A few years later, my daddy’s tears flowed once again as he buried his own son, when my brother died. Our family has had many losses, and many sad times through the years, countless tears have been shed.
Expressing grief has not been the only time I’ve seen my daddy’s tears, sometimes they were tears of joy. Like the day we had a big surprise celebration to honor him for his 50 years of being a minister. The church was standing room only with people from several states who came to honor him for the impact he’s had on their lives.
My daddy’s tears have taught me that strong men do cry, and that our emotions are God-given. Scripture tells us that Jesus also wept. In fact, the Bible says God puts our tears in a bottle. Somewhere God has a bottle of my daddy’s tears, a testament to the compassionate, caring man he is.
This year will be 57 years my daddy has been in the ministry, and although he’s slowed down considerably, he’s still preaching. The passage from Zephaniah 3:17 was the theme for his 50th year anniversary, and there were many special songs chosen for the occasion. Most were gospel songs, but my sister honored him with the song “Daddy’s Hands”, which was her special tribute to him. The words to the song and the artist credit follow.
“The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)
This is my daddy’s hands:
Daddy’s Hands (Lyrics)
I remember Daddy’s hands, folded silently in prayer.
And reaching out to hold me, when I had a nightmare.
You could read quite a story, in the callouses and lines.
Years of work and worry had left their mark behind.
Daddy’s hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy’s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy’s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I’ve come to understand.
There was always love in Daddy’s hands.
I remember Daddy’s hands, how they held my Mama tight,
And patted my back, for something done right.
There are things that I’ve forgotten, that I loved about the man,
But I’ll always remember the love in Daddy’s hands.
Daddy’s hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy’s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy’s hands, weren’t always gentle
But I’ve come to understand.
There was always love in Daddy’s hands.
I remember Daddy’s hands, working ’til they bled.
Sacrificed unselfishly, just to keep us all fed.
If I could do things over, I’d live my life again.
And never take for granted the love in Daddy’s hands.
Daddy’s hands were soft and kind when I was cryin’.
Daddy’s hands, were hard as steel when I’d done wrong.
Daddy’s hands, weren’t always gentle
But I’ve come to understand.
There was always love …
In Daddy’s hands.
Artist: Holly Dunn
Ten Years From Now, I Hope My Life…
Now, I Hope My Life…will be cancer-free. I hope my chronic pain will be completely gone, or at least not any worse than it is right now. I not only hope this, I am believing that it is possible.
Ten years from now, I will still believe that anything is possible with God, as it is written in Matthew 19:26 and Mark 10:27.
Ten years from now, my greatest hope is that Jesus has come back by then, and I am celebrating a new life with Him, and with my loved ones and friends in Heaven.
(Graphic is from www.timothyreport.com)
Hearing His Voice 