God live among us to bring the highest form of Glory in our lives!

This is my prayer for you in this 2014 Christmas Season:

May the God of Peace give His peace to you. May He speak to YOU!

For God lives among us to watch over the flock, God lives among us to declare good news, and God lives among us to bring the highest glory possible. 

Do you hear him speaking? 

 

This past week a preaching friend of mine, Nick Vipperman made this statement; “Maybe you are holding on to so much in your clutched hands that God cannot give you something new.” I agree and I also ask, “Could it be we are so cluttered with the noise of the world, the busy, Christmas bustle, and noises of the Season that God is not able to be heard?” 

It is not God that has stopped speaking…it is that you and me...we have stopped listening. Do you hear it…he wants to watch over the flock of the humble, he seeks to present a message of good news; he wants to declare his highest glory in your life.

You know I love ya, Don

God Lives Among Us To Bring Us Good News!

Luke 2: 10 proclaims, it is a heavenly message of astonishing good news and joy.
“And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid: for behold I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people;”

The angel, using the dialect which the people of that time and place, spoke, "Do not be afraid," My presence and this revelation contains nothing that should cause you to fear but it is a message of love, hope and faith. The fear of the eternal unseen universe, which lies coiled like a sleeping snake in all hearts, is now being taken away by the incarnation. We can now know what the sovereign God is like, and, far more than that, we can even know Him.

Many people today hear these words about "GREAT JOY" but don't understand them. They relish the season as they decorate their homes, shop in cheerful malls, attend festive parties, and exchange gifts with the ones they love. But after all the excitement subsides, they feel empty and joyless.

Others don't like the season at all. Many have no money for gifts or decorations. Some have no friends with whom to celebrate. Others are so depleted by all the running they have no energy to enjoy the season. The atmosphere of cheer around them actually deepens their feelings of sadness. Maybe this is your year of great grief and sadness. There is someone missing this year. It could be a job, or death, or simply the end of a dream.

The problem is that we wrongly identify the "great joy" of which the angel spoke. It is found not in the superficial fun but in the deeper meaning of the season. No listen, it is not that celebrations, carols, candles, lights, and cookies are bad…they are just not to be the focus. I love them as much as anyone. YET, When Jesus was born, God became a man so that He could save us from our sins and give us the joyful prospect of eternity in heaven. That's the true reason for joy. The shepherds went back to the cold nights and loneliness of their vocation, but they were "glorifying and praising God" (Luke 2:20).

The real meaning of Christmas is “good tidings of great joy which is for all people." Yes the Good News is for all people, not merely for those who heard this proclamation but for all people everywhere. God lives among you and me! We are not alone. We are surrounded by the presence of God and He is speaking if we are willing to listen.

Are you listening? 

You know I love ya, Don

God lives among us to watch over the flock!

In Luke 2, verse 8 the scene changes from the manger to the fields, from the humble Savior to lowly shepherds. “And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night.”

“In the same region,” in the area near Bethlehem of Judea, where the Christ Child was born. "There were some shepherds." Shepherds were among the lowest groups on the social-economic scale. Their occupation made it difficult for them to obey the Rabbical law. So the first public proclamation of the good news was to social outcasts. [It demonstrates that no matter how insignificant you may think you are, God knows you, & you are important to Him. All throughout Scripture God honors and uses people & things that the world often overlooks or ignores (1 Cor. 1:26-28a).]

These shepherds were on the night shift. They were keeping watch over their flock by night. The dark backdrop of night made the brilliance of the angelic appearance all the more vivid.
Since this flock was so near Jerusalem it may have been destine for sacrifice in the Temple. There is beautiful significance in the thought that the Lamb of God born in Bethlehem's stable was the Lamb of God destined to be sacrificed for the sins of the world was announced to shepherds watching flocks destined for sacrifice.

The tranquil night is suddenly changed in verse 9 by a heavenly messenger. “And suddenly an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terribly frightened.” It all happened with dramatic swiftness, one moment the quiet sounds of a still night, the next a strong, holy angel of the Lord stood before them in brilliance making the night brighter than day to their unadjusted eyes. They had not noticed his coming for the angel made no visible approach.

Thus “the glory of the Lord shone around them.” Glory is used many ways in Scripture and it almost defies definition. Here it was a supernatural light, a heavenly brilliance regarded as the manifestation of God's presence and power flashing all around them.

"They were filled with terrible fright" for they could not bear the holy glory. Although they were devout men, they were still sinners and this experience of the holiness of God had burst upon them unexpected. The word indicates great fear or reverential awe. They were awe-struck. The people of Israel were awaiting and expecting the Davidic King yet these shepherds, as does everyone else, expect it to be revealed to someone else, to some other person or some other generation. God lives among us to Watch Over the Flock… God lives among us to reveal his concern over us…God loves us! 
 
What is God revealing to you that you think should be revealed to someone else? 

You know I love ya, Don

Comfort, Replenishment, Safety, and Courage!!!

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,  he refreshes my soul.
 

He guides me along the right path for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Hearing from God and Going to See His Work!

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." - Luke 2:8-15

I want to follow the example of the shepherds. They heard from God's messengers and then they went. Granted what they heard was fantastically presented. The angels in the sky could not be missed. I am impressed in how they did not let the fear cripple their response. Instead, they went to see. They took action.

So many times, God reveals Himself to me and I will take it as mine. The truth is that God reveals Himself to us so that we might share it with others. Ignorance, fear, and lack of faith hinder my abilities to move...to act...to live as a Christ-follower.

Lord, help my unbelief. Open my courage to say and do the right thing. Lord, let me see your messages just as the Shepherd in the fields. Then, grant me the desire and the will to take action. I love you, Lord and thank you for my job, my family, and my home. Amen.

You know I love ya - Don

Afraid at Christmas - Courage

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” - Luke 2:8-11

I wonder if I would be afraid if I was sitting out in the fields and an angel appeared out of no where and told me to not be afraid and then a whole multitude of angels appeared and started chanting and singing....I wonder.

Growing up in the city, I probably would have been afraid just being out in the fields. Anyone that knows me understands I can kill bugs, rats, and snakes....but not Crickets (the Japanese Camel Crickets - not the black ones). We did not have these crickets in CA and thankfully not in Indiana either. Or what about the other wild animals? I probably would have been afraid of these things as a shepherd. I probably would have been afraid of losing a sheep during the night as well. So, I would have been awake making sure all was in check and accounted for. I probably would have been afraid of getting cold...so I would check the fire over and over...there was no plumbing and I am not even going to go there...the reality is I am not a shepherd.

If I had been a shepherd, the wilds of the fields would have not scared me. My point is that, yes the shepherds were labeled as the least of these, but they were filled with courage and grit! It is also significant to mention that Jesus was born to BE the Lamb of God. Jesus is also known as the Shepherd of this Flock, the Church. It is the true character of a shepherd to not be afraid...this must be why they said to themselves..."let us go and see this thing that has been revealed to us." The Lord knows, I would have been too busy running from the crickets to even notice the angels.

As we celebrate Christmas, may there be a little more shepherd in each of us.
You know I love ya-four days until Christmas - Don