ADVENTure Day 22 –

We sing “Joy to the World” each year, but what do we really mean.  Some people think that it means that the world should have fun because it is a time of year in which we have parties and give gifts.  Others would say that it is a time to be happy because the baby Messiah was born.

I think it goes way beyond that.  I am happy to be on vacation.  I am filled with thankfulness that the savior was born and gave Himself that I might live.  But joy is that deep seated happiness, peace, contentment, and excitement that comes from the Holy Spirit dwelling in me and empowering me to live life truly alive.  Despite, my tiredness and exhaustion, I am empowered to go through this and every week fully alive and living a life of joy with my family and all those around me. 

Spread the joy of the Lord this week.  If you don’t feel it, pray for it.  Ask for the Holy Spirit to bring you true joy!

Story Telliing

ADVENTure Day 21 –

I love to tell stories, especially to kids.  To me, there is nothing like having kids hang on you every word as they wonder what is going to happen next.  There is, of course, one story that outshines them all.  One who witnessed this story firsthand wrote -

John 21:25 (NLT) – “Jesus also did many other things.  If they were written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.”

His story is still being written.  What will you do today that will continue the plot of that story?  Will you share that story today?

ADVENTure Day 20 –

John 1 says that the Word became flesh, speaking of the Creator that spoke the universe into existence becoming human.  Right now my flesh is very tired after a long day’s drive.  When Jesus was born in a drafty dirty stable, how did that feel?  How must the Creator have felt as a boy walking from Nazareth to Jerusalem?  What did He feel like after speaking to huge crowds with no microphone for hours?  What was His emotional state when one of His close friends betrayed Him?  What pain did He experience with each lash of the whip?  What were His thoughts as He hung dying on the cross?

God experienced all the emotions and pains of a human.  Once He became human, he could relate to our pains and fatigue and emotions.  When you are feeling pain, fatigue, or tough emotions; know that Jesus, the Son of God, experienced all the pains that we have.  Talk to Him about your pain and struggles.  Allow Him to strengthen and heal you as you walk this same earth that He did.  Let His Holy Spirit fill you as He walks this earth today!

ADVENTure Day 19 –

When my daughter was little, we made every effort to get her to Santa to ask for presents, though she usually wasn’t sure what to ask for or how to ask.  I think we can be that way with prayer.  Unless there is a specific urgent need, we tend to just assume God knows what we need and let it go at that.  Jesus’ disciples weren’t sure how to pray either so they asked Him.  He taught them what we know as the Lord’s Prayer.  He then went on to tell them a parable about praying persistently summing it up with –

Luke 11:9 (NLT) – “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.  Keep on seeking, and you will find.  Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.”

There are other Scriptures that tell about what to pray for and how to make your prayers more effective, but I love the fact that Jesus Himself basically says to keep bugging God about what you need and He will answer.

Let’s be persistent with our prayers!  If there is something you have needed, keep asking for it.  God will answer and give what is best for you.  And don’t forget that the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:2-4) includes more than just asking for things.  Take a look at it and put it into practice.

ADVENTure Day 18 –

Christmas is a time of feasting, one of my favorite things about the season!  In the midst of the potential gluttony, it is good to remember the practice of fasting.

Isaiah 58:6-7 (NLT) – “No, this is the kind of fasting I want; free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you.  Let the oppressed go free and, and remove the chains that bind people.  Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless.”

Fasting is one of my least favorite things, so I rarely do it.  If done how described above, I can see how it can have very positive results.  First, the money and food saved during a time of fasting can go to feed and help others.  Second, I believe that it can break spiritual bondages in two ways.  It can help to free you from addictions that hinder your spiritual life when you focus on fasting from them.  It can also break down the barriers to effective prayer that your prayers may be more effective. 

I am no deep theologian so I won’t attempt to expound upon that except to challenge both you and me to give it a try.  The “Rediscovering the Christmas Season” devotional from which I am getting these topics suggests a one day fast before Christmas.  As I will be travelling over the next couple weeks, that is not practical for me, but you may want to try it.  It also suggests trying a 21 day fast to start the new year.  I suggest that you pick something you like and abstain from it for 21 days.  Use that time to cultivate your communication with God (prayer).  As you go through it, set aside the money you would spend on that from which you are abstaining and give it to a charity that helps the needy.  I will do the same and let’s compare notes at the end. 

ADVENTure Day 17 –

Before Filly came along, her mom and I had considered adoption.  It was a difficult and sometimes heartbreaking process.  We did become foster parents and had the privilege of taking care of several children temporarily.  We were told that one young child we fostered would most likely come up for adoption, we got our hopes up.  Then our hopes were dashed when that child’s mom got out of jail and began the process to get her child back.  It broke our hearts to get him back from visitation filthy and hungry.  Still, he was eventually returned full-time to his mom.

There are far more parents wanting to adopt than there are children waiting in this country.  Still, some children have a hard time being placed because of their special needs.  There is however, one Father willing to adopt everyone. 

Galatians 4:4-7 (NLT) – “But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.  God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children.  And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out ‘Abba, Father.’  Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.  And since you are His child God has made you His heir.”

Think about this, God calls you “His very own children.”  We belong to a family!  We are not alone.  We also have all the rights and privileges that bearing that family name gives us.  The next time someone (including yourself) tries to bring you down, saying you’re not worthy, remember that you have been adopted by a Father who is the King of Kings and who went out of His way to adopt you!  He places very great value on you!  Let’s walk in that freedom as we live our lives as adopted children of the King.

ADVENTure  Day 16 –

I still have a few of the pieces of the nativity set that we used when I was growing up.  The pieces are chipped and baby Jesus is missing an arm; but the main problem is that the wise men are there.  You see, when Jesus was born, a new star rose.  The wise men saw this and started preparing then.  By the time they got to Bethlehem, they found Jesus in a house –

Matthew 2:10-11 (NKJV) – “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

The point of this is not to be nitpicky but to point out the importance of the birth to the wise men.  These were men who practiced a different religion.  And, yet, God called them to play an important part in His advent.  They followed the call of God and found the young Messiah in a house in Bethlehem.  They provided the gifts that made it possible for Mary and Joseph to take Jesus out of the reach of Herod who killed all the little boys in Bethlehem.  Their simple devout act of worship made all the difference even to us now.

You too can make a difference!  Is God calling you to do something that will disrupt your life?  If it is truly God’s calling, step out and be faithful in it.  The wise men never saw the difference they made.  You may not either, but rest assured that if you are walking with the confirmed direction of God, your actions will make an eternal difference!

ADVENTure Day 15 –

Christmas is a season of the impossible!  No I am not talking about Santa and flying reindeer.  The season starts with the improbable, the birth of John the Baptist to parents who were way too old to bear children.  Then in culminates with the birth of Jesus to a virgin.  This, of course, is impossible.

I have spent most of the last thirty years attending Pentecostal churches.  While they are not the pew jumping, snake handling, preacher shouting kind of churches that I know are out there, I have seen my share of miracles, starting with the conception and birth of my daughter.  I have seen people healed of cancer, asthma, and chronic pain.  I have also heard reports from missionary friends of the blind seeing, the crippled walking, and lame hands made whole.  God seems to delight in breaking the laws of science.

Here’s my take on that.  If God created the universe to be governed by the laws of science, surely He can suspend those laws as He sees fit.  Now, I do not believe that God is some genie that has to give you anything you ask for.  God is sovereign.  I will spare you the complex theological discussion about why God sometimes allows miracles and sometimes does not.  Just know He can do the impossible.

Is there something impossible that you are up against?  Perhaps you have a dream that seems out of reach.  Take comfort in Jeremiah 32:17 (NKJV) – “Ah, Lord God!  Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm.  There is nothing too hard for You.”  Pray for that impossibility of yours in this season of miracles and don’t be surprised when the Lord brings about the impossible.

ADVENTure Day 14 –

I used to send out Christmas cards.  Like most people now, I send Facebook  greetings and forego the paper cards and letters.  Back when cards were more common, it was an encouragement to receive and display them.  My godparents got tons of them which they displayed all over including the door behind me in the picture.

Have you ever gotten an encouraging letter?  There have been days that I have been discouraged and a letter will come along that says just the right things to lift my spirits.  In Acts 15, the heads of the early church sent a letter to Antioch and in verse 31 (NKJV) it is said, “When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.”

Is there someone you know to whom a letter of encouragement would mean a lot?  Don’t be afraid to send them a Christmas card or a letter or an email to them.  Let them know how much they have meant to you.  Your kind words could mean the world to them!

ADVENTure Day 13 –

I don’t remember the movie, but I remember the line.  In New York City, a confused man asks someone else “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”  The response was, “Practice, practice, practice.” 

I love listening to my daughter practice her violin.  I get to hear her improvements from week to week.  Finally, I go to her concerts where I get to hear the music with all the instruments together.  When they are all following the instructions of the conductor, it makes for some beautiful music.

Psalm 150 tells us to praise the Lord with all sorts of different instruments.  There is a great variety of ways to praise God, but one conductor.  Personally, I don’t have much musical talent, but, as a sound man at church, I get to mix the different sounds from the instruments and balance them. 

Where does your talent lay?  Can you praise the Lord with an instrument, or your voice?  Can you praise the Lord with your words, or your artwork?  Like me, can you use your technical know-how to facilitate praise?  Pay attention to the conductor and follow His lead to do your part in the great concert of praise.

ADVENTure Day 12 –

True love!  When I hear that phrase, my mind goes to the movie “The Princess Bride.”  Wesley would endure anything and everything for his one true love, Buttercup.  The first verses I read today in Revelations 2 warned the church in Ephesus to return to their first love.  Their love had not been as steadfast as Wesley’s.  They needed to recapture that dedication and passion they had at first.

Then comes 1 John 3:1a (NKJV) – Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God!

The moment I became a parent, I began to understand that kind of love.  In that moment, I knew that there was nothing that I would not do to protect my child and there was nothing that she could do to make me love her less.  If I, an imperfect father, can live out that kind of love, how much more can our heavenly Father love on us?!  It is that kind of love that He wants us to reflect back to Him and to those around us.

I have heard it said that love is a verb.  True love is acted out.  Does your love have action to it?  Do you need to find that passion that leads you to be fierce in acting out your love? 

Do you realize how much the Father loves you?  Some of you, I realize, have not had a good example of a father’s love lived out for you.  Let me assure you that His love is relentless!  It is the love of a perfect Father towards His precious children!  Not only would He lay down His life for you, but He did!  I urge you to find that kind of love and reflect it back to those around you.

ADVENTure Day 11 –

Snow!  When I say that word, some squeal with delight and some groan with frustration.  My daughter says that it is the four letter “s” word.  I’ll admit that after dealing with driving in it for a week, I am a little less than positive about it at this moment.  Still, having grown up in California where snow was extremely rare, there is a certain excitement for me every time it snows.

The Bible uses the word “snow” in a special way.  Psalm 51:7 was written by King David when he needed to repent.  It says, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

David spoke of the Lord’s ability to completely take away sin.  With the Lord’s intervention, we can be “pure as the driven snow!”  Since none of us are perfect enough to stand before a perfect God, this is important.  Jesus, when he gave the perfect sacrifice of himself on the cross, made it possible for us to be with God.  The essence of being a Christian is simply to accept that sacrifice and trust God to cleanse us.

One other important thing about snow is that it can be shaped.  Anyone who has ever built a snow man can tell you this.  When we are cleansed, we can be shaped by God to be the amazing creation He intended us to be.  When we are in that place, we can have unspeakable joy!

Have you experienced that cleansing that comes with trusting God?  Ask Him for it!  Are you letting Him shape you into His perfect creation?  Yield to Him!  You will not be sorry!  Experience the joy and wonder of a child’s first snowfall as you experience His perfect cleansing and will!

ADVENTure Day 10 –

When I was thirteen, I began to question whether or not God was real.  I had grown up going to church but I had to decide for myself what I really believed.  With all I was taught in school about evolution and science that was explained without the possibility of God, I wondered if Christianity was just some empty religion or if there was really truth about it.  After all, it taught crazy things like –

Matthew 1:23 – “Behold, the virgin will be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

I wondered how God could really be with us.  Then I went to camp.  Each of the counselors and staff members there were dedicated to Christ and showed such love that I had never seen before.  In essence, they were the love of God “with us.”  That was convincing to me.  Over the years, I have seen much more evidence of God from miracles, to the wonder of science so complex and beautiful that it points to an artistic Creator.  None of these other proofs has been as convincing as people who act like “Jesus with skin on.”  Though His people are imperfect, that uncompromising, never failing love of Christ shown through them is the most obvious proof of God and His loving, forgiving nature that could exist.

Let’s live out that presence of God through our daily lives!  Let your caring for others be the proof that they need that God exists.  The Bible teaches that God now lives in our hearts.  Let’s be living proof of that!

ADVENTure Day 9 –

What’s in a name?  We carefully named our daughter with a name that means “happy born again one.”  Then again, my name basically means, “brave power from the dark river.”  Oh well, at least I’m brave. 

God has been given many names.  The ones we think about in this season come from the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah, a great Christmas classic.  Handel wove several verses of the Bible into that beautiful chorus.  The most prominent to me is –

Isaiah 9:6 (KJV) – For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Have you ever pondered those names?  Take a look at them and spend some time today to consider what they mean to you.  Has he counseled you?  Do you see Him as mighty?  Does He bring you peace?  Ponder that and feel free to comment here what these names of God mean to you!

ADVENTure Day 8 –

I must confess that I am not a man of much compassion.  I spend most of my days working in and around downtown Denver.  Despite the cold winters, one thing that Denver has in abundance is homelessness.  Every day I pass by dozens, if not hundreds, of homeless people and, while my heart goes out to them, I rarely do anything to help them besides occasionally donate to a homeless shelter.

That is not the ideal set forth in Matthew 25:31-46 in which Jesus says (in verse 40, NLT), “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it for the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”

The other day, it was very cold and I was very busy and walking quickly back to my car.  On the way I passed an elderly couple, the man in a wheelchair.  They begged and I kept walking.  A few steps past them I stopped and thought, I can take a minute here.  I went back and asked what they would like to eat and they asked for a hamburger from the 7-11 next door.  I went and bought a couple of burgers and a bottle of water, heated them up, and took them back to the couple.  With just ten minutes of my time and a few bucks I was able to provide a little warmth, food, and care to these desperate people. 

If I, with little compassion, can do that, surely there is someone you can help.  I never recommend handing out cash, though I know some friends who hand out care bags full of food and helpful things the homeless can use.  There are also plenty of homeless shelters to help at.  The “least of these” can also include the elderly, the lonely, orphans, and widows or anyone in need of help.  Let’s put God’s Word into action today and reach out to the least of these!

ADVENTure Day 7 –

There is a house on Pecos St, a couple blocks south of 104^th Ave., that, I love to drive by this time of year.  They don’t have the most Christmas lights, but they have an abundance of homemade dioramas.  In that yard are a couple of dozen little scenes of Christmas joy that someone has spent years making.  In the background is a large, brightly lit Christmas tree.  I don’t know the people at that house but I appreciate the effort they go through to spread some Christmas joy.

In Exodus, chapter 25, God lays out detailed plans on how to decorate the tabernacle.  It must have been something to see.  All the gold, silver, bronze, and fancy embroidery points to a holy and magnificent God.  Our Christmas decorations can be the same, pointing people to the reason for the season, and sharing the fun and joy that come with the celebration of Christ’s birth. 

Do you enjoy decorating for Christmas (like I do)?  Have fun with it and know that it can point to the awesome truth of Christ’s birth.  Are you one who despises decorating?  Do something that will point to the birth of Christ, whether it will be decorating, or participating in an event that shares the message of joy in this season.  As Christians, we carry the incredible message of God coming to our level on that first Christmas.  Let’s not keep that to ourselves!  If you are reading this and are not a Christian, take a look at the amazing story of the Creator of all humbling Himself to come and meet us here on Earth!

ADVENTure Day 6 –

Christmas morning was a very exciting, but often disappointing time for me growing up.  As you can see from this picture of me and my brother forty years ago (sorry bro), we did not wait long enough to get dressed on Christmas morning.  We sat around the living room as someone distributed the gifts.  We would then open them one at a time to see what we got.  I would be disappointed when I would open a box of clothing and delighted if I got a toy I wanted.  It would have been much better if I had been able to see things as Jesus did.

Acts 20:35b “And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

When I look at it from that perspective, I find joy in blessing others.  What I get does not take on as much significance.  My level of joy is more dependent upon the effort I put forth in giving than what I receive. 

I will admit that I am still not good at giving.  It does not come naturally.  I recently took an assessment of my love languages and, you guessed it, giving came out near the bottom.  For me it takes extra effort to give with care but it is always worth it. 

Does giving come naturally to you?  Try giving something to those who can give nothing in return this year.  Find an Angel Tree kid to sponsor or give to a needy family.  Take the focus away from what could be given in return. 

Is giving difficult for you?  Take some extra time this year and look past the gift certificates and see how you can bless someone with your thoughtfulness.  If you think someone has too much stuff, try giving an adventure.

ADVENTure Day 5 –

I have to admit it, I have a thing for Christmas lights.  When I was a kid, we would drive down our city’s “trail of lights” and I would stare out the window in fascination.  Even now, I have been known to take the long way home to seen a particularly well decorated house.  By tomorrow night, the window in the picture above will be filled with a well lit Christmas tree.  Those of you who have been in that house also know that I love lighthouses. 

Why this fascination for lights?  In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.”

Jesus challenged those who believed in Him to let their works be so good that people would notice and praise God for them.  Last night, on the way home, I noticed a bright star in the sky and wondered if that is what the star of Bethlehem looked like.  The Christmas season is the perfect opportunity to shine extra light on the reason for the season.  Like that star, let us be a guide to people, leading them to the Light of the World.

ADVENTure Day 4 –

Most of you know that I fix copiers for a living.  Come Christmas Eve, most of us techs hope to have service calls to go on.  Most do not.  Therefore, we hang out around the shop and do menial tasks like mopping, cleaning windows, and setting up tables and chairs for the annual Christmas Eve party.  I will admit, I do not like doing the menial tasks.

In Mark 9:33-37, Jesus explains how wrong my attitude is.  His disciples have been arguing about which of them is greater.  He explains that the greatest is the least, and servant to all.  Then he does something unique.  He takes a small child into His arms and says, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but the Him who sent Me.” (Mark 9:37 NKJV) 

What does it say about Jesus that there was a small child near Him?  Repeatedly in Scripture, we see Jesus taking the humble path.  On Christmas, we celebrate Him coming from Heaven, where He was seated in power, to take the form of a helpless, defenseless baby.  Should we not take a humble path as well?  Take a look today at what forms that humility might take in your life.  Remember that you are not greater than the greatest servant of all time.

ADVENTure Day 3 –

One day, when I was in Bible College, I was pulled out of class by a lady from the office and told that I had to call home right away.  She refused to let me know what was going on.  I imagined all sorts of bad things as I made my way to the phone.  I had no clue as to what was going on.  That was when I got the news that I was going to be a dad!  For me, that news brought great joy and a bit of fear since we had experienced one miscarriage before.  Now the 14 year-old result of that news is asleep just down the hall.

Have you ever gotten unexpected, amazing news?  Imagine what it was like for the shepherds near Bethlehem.  They were just hanging out at night, keeping an eye on their sheep, when angels appeared.  (Read Luke 2:1-20)  They freaked out.  Wouldn’t you?  When the angels gave them the news, they were filled with wonder and joy.  They did not just sit there and ponder the news.  They went and checked it out.  They got to see the wonder of the baby Messiah in person! 

My challenge for you today is to check it out.  When you find out something new, don’t just file it away in the corners of your brain.  Find out what you can about it.  Don’t wait for angels to announce it to you.  Another word for “angel” is “messenger.”  God can make messengers of all sorts of people.  Whether it be a spiritual truth or some awesome good news that they deliver to you, act on it!  Verify it!  Pursue it!  Share it!  In this season, be sure to join the shepherds in sharing the good news about the birth of Christ!

ADVENTure Day 2

In just under six months, I will assume the responsibilities of a father for three more awesome kids.  Their late father was a very good man and I have some big shoes to fill in that task.  I am fully aware of this and take on the responsibility willingly.

Because of this, I can begin to understand Joseph a little.  (Read Matthew 1)  Even so, his situation was absolutely unique.  Imagine being in his shoes.  The young lady he was to marry becomes pregnant, but not by him.  He is asked to believe that the baby is the son of God.  I wonder which was tougher for him, believing the immaculate conception story or taking on the responsibility of being the earthly father to the son of God.  Imagine having to discipline the Creator of the universe.  He willingly took on that responsibility and, apparently, did a good job.

Is there something that the Lord is calling you to do that seems ridiculous?  Be encouraged.  God equipped Joseph and called him to be the earthly father of Jesus.  He can equip you!  Step out in faith this month, knowing that God will equip you for that impossible task He has challenged you with.

ADVENTure

ADVENTure Day 1 –

Have you ever really anticipated something?  I mean, really, really looked forward to something wonderful.  I look forward to Christmas, vacation, and, especially, wedding day!  This month we will anticipate Christmas with a new look at Advent.  The readings this month are from the “Rediscovering the Christmas Season” reading plan as found in the YouVersion ap and as written by LifeChurch.tv. 

There were two people in the Bible that get only brief mention in Luke 2.  These two really anticipated the coming of the birth of the Christ.  They were Simeon and Anna.  God had told them that the Savior was going to be born in their lifetimes so they went to the temple every day to watch for Him.  (Luke 2:21-40)  Eight days after Jesus was born, His parents brought Him to the temple and Simeon and Anna recognized Him immediately and blessed Him.  That day was a culmination of their lifelong anticipation and brought them great joy.

Are you anticipating anything that will bring great joy?  I wonder if I would have recognized Christ that day.  Would I have missed Him, and, thus, missed out on that joy?  Let’s anticipate great things from God this month and pray for the eyes to see them!

Getting started

This is an attempt at a blog.  I hope to use this space to post daily devotions...