Jesus’s Christmas List

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Dolly:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" Luke 10:27 NIV

As I sat in the audience at the Grace Harbor School’s Christmas program this week (yes, I said Christmas), I was touched by the tenderness of the older students toward the younger ones. All of the students were kind and helpful, but I particularly noted Sandra, one of the “older girls”. Her expression as she adjusted a microphone down to their level or as she simply gave reassurance to one of her schoolmates through a smile was so sweet.

Be Alert: We do not know the Day or Hour When Jesus Will Return!

"For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." Luke 17:24-36

Have you heard the recent hype about the end of the world taking place tomorrow, May 21, 2011? There are people driving with big banners on the sides of their vans, or walking around with t-shirts that say in big bold letters: “Judgment Day, May 21, 2011”. I even read today that the Center for Disease Control CDC issued a statement yesterday promoting emergency kits and strategies under the umbrella of a future zombie apocalypse (I’m pretty sure they were jokingly taking advantage of the latest news headlines but also addressing emergency preparedness in general….). At first I thought this was all a joke until I watched the news last night and saw a whole section devoted to this movement promoting the end of the world this weekend. Wow. As Christians, what should we think about such things? How are we to respond to such claims that are grabbing national attention and sending people scurrying to find answers? We must not let this sensationalism detract from the reality of the Rapture occurring at some time in the future so how do we respond to our friends, co workers and family members who come to us with questions? We must turn to the BIBLE for the answers, my friends!

Take the Time with God’s People

Luke 1:56 "Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home."

Sometimes Scripture reveals truth and meaning even in the minor details. I have been studying the Bible for a long time, but it never ceases to amaze me the interesting insights you can gain from reading the same passage again and again. Recently I used the encounter of Mary (pregnant with baby Jesus at the time), and Elizabeth (pregnant with John the Baptist at the time), as an illustration of joy. When they met up, Mary's baby leaped in her womb in recognition of Elizabeth's baby. That all makes sense to me, but as I was rereading this passage I realize that immediately after this encounter two very significant things happen. One, Mary sings or recites this beautiful song or poem that in traditional terms is referred to as the Magnificent. I hadn't put it together that these events were related conversationally. Elizabeth says to Mary, "Why am I so favored that the mother of my lord should come to me?" Wow, that she knew that, blows me away. Amazing. Then Mary shares the wonderful words of humility, subservience and revelation. Beautiful words, meaningful encounter and very special moment in History.

What is said next is the verse for our devotional today. Simple words of information, but they reveal a principle that is so important to us today. Mary stays with Elizabeth for about three months and then returns home. I'm sure they were helpful to one another in pregnancy. I gather that they were unusually close, especially after the encounter. I also can figure that they needed to debrief just a little. Think about it. Maybe debrief for about a day or two or week? But three months? Here is my thought today. I can't relate, because I don't do very many things in a three month window. I work a lot on weekly responsibilities, some monthly and also some on long range planning, like envisioning 6 months or more down the pike. Three months is a strange amount of time for me. I know this is 2,000 years ago and there is a different culture and a way different technology or lack thereof. But I am picking up on a principle that is important.

Recently I spoke with a dear friend who told me that a grandbaby was to be born soon. My response was surprise because it just seemed that yesterday we were in long-range planning mode about the pregnancy. Well, time has been passing and 9 months has come and gone, so guess what? I just hadn't thought about it in about three months. A lot can, will and should happen in three months you know. Here is my point today. We think moment to moment pretty well and day to day best. Our weekly planning is pretty good also, as well as month at a time. And, frankly, we do some pretty decent annual planning. Quarterly planning is another subject altogether. I, for one, definitely need to think about getting from weekly survival planning to quarterly planning.

Mary and Elizabeth took a good chunk of time and redeemed it. They took the time necessary to prepare themselves together for one of the most important event in History. Time well spent I'm sure. Time to just be family. Time to think and talk about the impact of the babies they were carrying. I'm sure a lot of it was just being mothers together with something special in common. But I also think we could use some quarterly planning in our lives at Grace Harbor. I will be thinking and praying on these things and hoping you will too. God has a way of revealing to us truth from His Word even in indirect or related ways. I hope you got this application today. If it was only meant for me, it was worth it. Hopefully someone out there sees that we need to think about the intermediate periods of time too, and use them for redemptive purposes. May the Lord guide us in the moments, weeks, months and years and also the quarters too.

In His Service, Pastor Fred

CELEBRATE FREEDOM IN CHRIST

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, John Adams:

On this Fourth of July weekend, it is important to remember that it is only in and through Christ that we have real freedom.

Our founding fathers expressly recognized this in their Declaration that created this country:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident [obvious] that all men [women] are created [not evolved] equal and endowed by their Creator [capital "C" and not random chance] with certain inalienable rights, that among these being life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

In our Lord's very first public pronouncement of His ministry and divine purpose, Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach Good News to the poor.  He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners [i.e., all of us as prisoners of sin and death] and recovery of sight for the blind [i.e., all of us who are blinded to the Truth of God] and to release the oppressed [again, all of us who are crushed by our sins], to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19.

The Bible promises us that we will "...know the Truth [Christ] and the Truth [Jesus] will set us free" and that he who Jesus sets free, "is free indeed" [i.e., really, actually and unconditionally free].

It is no coincidence that two of the most fundamental rights guaranteed to Americans by the founding fathers were (1) the right of "freedom of speech" and (2) the right of the freedom of religion [i.e., to hold and express our faith].

Do not be deceived, the day that we can no longer freely proclaim our faith and belief in Christ and preach openly this "Good News" publicly - is the day this country will cease being free; and will most likely "...perish from the face of the earth" [Lincoln's Gettysburg Address].

So while we celebrate the Fourth of July, remember to praise and thank the One Who is the True freedom giver, the One Who is able to set you "free", regardless of what may be robbing you of your freedom and joy this day.

Have a blessed 4th and pray that God continues to bless (and forgive) our nation. [2 Chronicles 7:14].

John Adams