He is Emmanuel!

You and I enjoy this time of year because we get reacquainted. We get to see folks who have been physically absent in our lives most of the year. We travel to grandma’s house to sit around a dinner table with cousins we haven’t seen in a while. We go on vacation to see friends in distant states. We slow down to see that in fact, we are married and what a joy to take some time with the one we love so much!

This time of year, we celebrate the coming of Jesus. God with skin on. The God who moved into our neighborhood and lived among us. In Matthew 1, the angel tells us that Jesus’ name is Emmanuel which literally means in Hebrew, “God with Us”. The angel announces the prophecy made 740 years before Jesus’ birth by Isaiah. See, God is relational and He wants a relationship with you but what does it mean that God is with us, not only this season but all year long?

We can be assured that God IS with us. Gabriel announced to Mary in Luke 1, “Greeting! The Lord is with you.” God is ever-present in our lives. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 1 that is is right along side us in life. Paul uses the Greek phrase, “Para kalaeo” which means to pull along side. No matter what is going on in your life, God is with you right now.

But God also WAS with you. Sometimes God can best be seen in the review mirror. I mean, we can look backwards in our life and realize God has been there through the thick and thin. The story of Joseph (with the coat of many colors) in the last half of the book of Genesis is a great story to illustrate this. He was a man who put God first in everything yet had a difficult life. His brothers hated him so they sold him into slavery. Once there in Egypt, he is falsely accused of sexual misconduct and thrown into prison. But in Genesis 39, it says, “But the Lord was with Joseph in prison…” By the end of the story, Joseph is second in command of the entire country. See, the Lord was WITH Joseph through the tough years to get him to the best life he could hope for. God has been with you too.

Finally, God WILL BE with you. We know the story of Jesus life and resurrection but young Mary did not. What if she could say at 12 years of age, I know God will be with me when I tell Joseph about my pregnancy, I know God will be with me with there is no room at the inn, I know God will be with me when we run to Egypt to save my baby’s life, I know God will be with me when I see my son walking down main street with a cross on his bloodied back, I know God will be with me when I kneel at the cross and he takes his last breath, I know God will be with me when we wait in silence the three days after his death but then find an empty tomb!!

You see, God is with you, he has been with you, and he will be with you. He’ll never leave or forsake you. The question is, “Are you with God?” You can only have the perfect peace and real love in your life if you say “yes” to the baby in the manger. It’s the season to believe and take the greatest gift you’ll ever receive in Jesus! Blessings on your journey.

A New Day with Jesus.

The Christmas hymn, “O Holy Night” was written in 1847 by Placide Cappeau and Adolphe Adams. A priest in Southern France commissioned the song just in time for the Christmas mass in Roquemaurre. However, Placide was an atheist and Adolphe was a devout Jew who didn’t believe in the nativity story. It just goes to show you, God can use even those really unwilling to share the story Jesus. Even so, the hymn made it to America and was translated into English. It has become a staple Christmas song for two centuries.

The night Jesus was born must have been chaotic and dark. Born in a stable, in the dark, surrounded by animals and their smells with strangers from the field showing up to see what was up…seems very disorienting. Luke 2 tells the story of Jesus’ birth and we discover several things in the story.

We find a new day with Jesus brings exactly what we need in life. It may not be what we wanted but it will always be exactly what we need. We need Jesus in our every day struggle with temptation and addiction. We need Jesus as we work through the rough spots in our marriage. We need Jesus as we pray for our children to come home. We need Jesus as we work through our loneliness. We find a one day with Jesus changes everything.

We also find a new day with Christ brings hope to keep going. Jeremiah tells us in Lamentations 3:25, “[God] is good to those who hope and depend on him…” We can live without food for 40 days; live without water for 3 days; live without shelter during a storm for 3 hours; live without breathing in air in our lungs for 3 minutes. But we cannot live without hope.

People put their hope in some crazy things. People put hope in their bank accounts or retirement. People put their hope in their children, through whom they live vicariously. People put hope in relationships. People put hope in their college degrees and titles on a door nameplate. But all of that will eventually fail you. Paul tells us in Hebrews 10:23 to put our hope in Jesus, who will never fail and who never lies. He can be trusted.

We finally find a new day in Christ brings the help you are seeking. It’s amazing what one day with Jesus makes. Jesus makes all the difference in the world! During Jesus’ ministry, just ask Lazarus, the man born blind or the paralytic who was down for 38 years. All of them knew how one day with Jesus makes all the difference in the world!

Because of Jesus, you have hope in the middle of your night. Jesus is exactly what you need. Your night is almost over. There’s a thrill of hope and a weary world rejoices…for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! The Light of the world has been born and we celebrate this season. It’s time you have hope. It’s time you reach for Jesus! Blessings on your journey.

Be Influential.

My wife and I enjoy watching the TV show, “Dancing with the Stars”. In the current season, they have several “influencers” on the show from Jojo Siwa to Oliva Jade, Amanda Kloots to Suni Lee. All of them have a massive following. Their comments and interests are influencing people all over the world to make choices and not always good choices.

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to be light and salt. Jesus uses those metaphors in Matthew 5:13-16 to tell us we are called to make a difference in the world. The truth is, we never know how one conversation, one word of encouragement, or one expression of love could change someone’s life. You are influencer.

While social media influencers use a platform to use their sway, followers of Jesus recognize that people always come before a platform. Here’s what’s cool about that idea. Each and every one of us have a sphere of influence. Each of us have a friend group, a family, a work place, a neighborhood. Each of those groups of people are subject to your influence.

There’s a great story about Jesus in John 4. The most unlikely influencer is this Samaritan woman Jesus meets at a well outside her village. She’s there mid-day, which is not normal for gathering water. We find out she’s been divorced 5 times and is shacking up with her boyfriend. Her town wants nothing to do with her. But once she realizes who Jesus is, she goes back to the town that doesn’t want anything to do with her and calls them to “come and see” Jesus.

They all come out to meet Jesus and the story tells us many of them believed in Jesus. Now this is so encouraging because it reminds me I don’t have to have it all together to point people to Jesus. We can be broken, messed up and an outcast but be an influencer for Jesus. You don’t need a theological degree or be an awesome prayer warrior…you just have to know Jesus!

You don’t need a platform with 1000s of followers. You just have to care about the person standing in front of you. Who does God use? Not Instagram stars or YouTube gurus or superstar athletes. He just uses normal, everyday, ordinary people like me and you.

You never know how one conversation, one encouraging word or one expression of love can change a person’s life. Go be light. Season those around you with salt. Blessings on the journey.

Obvious Devotion.

We are all devoted to something. Simply pull back the curtain of our life and it will be obvious. Some of us are fans of our favorite sports team. You can tell because we have season tickets, wear the colors everyday and fly the flag on our house. Some of us are devoted to our kids and we let them dictate to us adults how things are going to go in the home. Some of us are devoted to our careers and our marriages, parenting and spiritual life suffer for it.

But Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6) to invest in things that will last forever. Don’t waste time investing in things that will eventually fall apart. Jesus essentially says that we were created to pour, not store.

There is a story of a guy who was a great farmer who had a scarcity mindset. He was good at his job although he didn’t give any credit to God nor did he think about others. He simply thought about himself. He had a mindset of scarcity so he wasn’t willing to share or have a relationship with others and include them in the blessing God had given him. Luke 12 is where Jesus tells that story. Jesus reminds us in that story we are created to pour, not store.

Jesus tells another story in Luke 7 about a woman who had an abundant mindset. She was willing to give and share and include. So Jesus is invited to this dinner party at a religious leader’s house and once seated at the dinner table, a prostitute comes in and kneels behind Jesus and at his feet. The text says her tears fell on his feet and she wiped her tears with her hair. She had also brought an expensive bottle of perfume which she broke and poured over his feet. She had a mindset of abundance. She realized we were created to pour not store.

Then Jesus is preaching to this large crowd in another story found in Luke 9. We call it the feeding of the 5000. The people are getting tired and hungry and the only thing to eat is a little boy’s lunch which consist of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Once Jesus has the sack lunch, he divides it up so that everyone, all 5000+, has enough to eat! They even have 12 baskets of leftovers. It’s a reminder we serve a God who always provides more than enough. And there is a principle we can learn here which should flow into every part of our life: what you keep is all you have but what you give, God will multiply.

We are created to pour and not store. So, during this Thanksgiving season, be someone with a generous heart. Generosity is not an act, it’s a posture of the heart. God’s promised to take care of us. You can’t out give God. He even challenges us to test him in this very idea in Malachi 3:10.

I know, like me, you’re thinking if I start being a person who pours out, who gives, who shares, I might have to rearrange my life…like putting God first. YEP! If I decide to give like Jesus did, well that would take some crazy faith in God. YEP! God’s promised to give us more if we live this way. So this season, discover how you can change your life to one that shows your fully devoted to how God has blessed you. Blessings on your journey.

You are Not Replaceable!

I had moments growing up when my parents stepped in for support. They helped me edit and finish that paper for English class, let me cry on their shoulder after that first breakup and reminded me I’m a good worker after the first job I didn’t get. What they were doing was reminding me that I’m part of the family, I’m enough, I’m important…I am not replaceable.

Jesus reminds us of how important we are to our Heavenly Father. Jesus tells a story in Matthew 18 about this shepherd who loves his sheep. The shepherd keeps the lions and wolves away. He leads them to water and green grass. He cares for them. But one morning after counting, he notices one is missing. So, he leaves the 99 in the pen and goes to find the missing sheep. He puts the sheep on his shoulders and brings him back home. That’s how much God loves you. He’s willing to go find you, care for you, love on you.

As a follower of Jesus, we are part of a larger believing group called the Church. And Paul likens each of us to a part of our physical body. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul reminds us that we each are important in the church. No one is more important than anyone else. When we come together as the church, we become the hands of Jesus as we serve those around us. We become the feet of Jesus as we take the Gospel to places that need to hear it. We become the mouth of Jesus as we speak peace into this world. And we become the heart of Jesus we to choose to love and show compassion to those around us.

Paul reminds us, though, to live fully into the Kingdom, each of us must do our part. Every part of the body matters, even if you think you are not important. I can do a little on my own but partnered with you and the Holy Spirit, all things are possible.

Now, there are moments when your arm or leg go to sleep. It feels tingly and “dead”. You have to work it to get it going again. Unfortunately, some of us in the church are asleep. We’ve decided to sit on the sideline and not be involved in actively being a part of the church. We think we don’t have much to offer and someone has told us we can’t so we believe them. But God has already told you if you are found in Christ, you are an adopted son or daughter. You’re part of the family. You belong.

So know, your presence is important in the body. The church needs your talents, giftedness and presence. Together, with the Holy Spirit, all things are possible. Nothing is impossible with God. Blessings on the journey.

We are on Mission.

I spent several years abroad on the mission field. I was a kid but actively involved in enrolling people in Bible correspondence courses at the ripe old age of 7 while I was living in Cameroon, West Africa. I was also living on some islands called Vanuatu in the South Pacific when they gained their independence from Britain and France in 1980. I’ve lived in the culture of many countries on short-term mission trips to places like Croatia and Jamaica. Every single opportunity has been a blessing and a rich back story for my faith walk. But you don’t have to be living on foreign soil to be on mission.

Acts 1 describes Jesus final moments on earth before he ascends into heaven. Jesus literally tells us that we will be his witnesses throughout the earth in a city, in an area, in a larger geographical area and to the ends of the earth. So what can be learn about being on mission today in our culture and right where you live?

First, be present. We can dream and plan for tomorrow and we should but you have today right in front of you and God is going to be there, opening doors for you to witness to those around you. I firmly believe God gives us multiple opportunities every day to share Jesus with those around us. It’s then our job to look for those moments when you can BE Jesus.

Secondly, be prayerful. Acts 1:14 tells us the believers where constantly united in prayer. Pray that God will open your eyes to the needs of those around you. Pray that you’ll discover your talent and giftedness so that you can start serving in the Kingdom. Pray that God will send appointments to you to interact with on his behalf. Pray that you’ll be the best parent and spouse possible in this dark, negative world. Pray for the community of faith of which you are a part, that it might grow and be a light on the hill in your community.

Be perceptive. God is putting people in your life every day to interact with. The crossing guard your kids use to go to school. Your kid’s teachers. The cashier at the grocery store. Your next door neighbor who just had surgery. Your coworker who is having trouble in her marriage. In 2008, a song came out called “Give Me your Eyes” by Brandon Heath. Every word of it rings truth.

We want to the eyes of Jesus to see the world how he does. We want his ears to be ready to hear those in need. We need to have his hands and his feet to serve those in need. We want the mouth of Jesus to speak words of compassion and peace to those around us. We want the heart of Jesus for a world in pain and darkness.

As disciples of Jesus, our mission is never over. We are always looking for the opportunities to go into world and proclaim who Jesus is so the world can know they have a God who loves them. Blessings on your journey.

Beating Depression.

Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in Israel’s history. He saw God work by providing water and food when he was hiding out. He saw a little boy resurrected. He saw fire from heaven which melted his altar. Elijah saw prayer answered in the moment when rain came after a three year drought.

But even when you see power, position, and praise in your life, it’s possible to slip into a disappointed and a depressed lifestyle. When you read the story of Elijah (1 Kings 17-19), you see God’s power clearly in his life, just as he did. But in 1 Kings 19, Elijah makes some mistakes that lead him into a depressed state. We can learn from his mistakes and intentionally move into a healthy state of mind.

There are four things that lead to a depressed life and the first is that you can wear yourself out. We live today with no margin in our life. We hit the ground running in the morning and don’t stop until we drop into bed late at night. Each of us have our own burdens to bear along with our friends and family who want us to walk with them through their own difficulties. We try to balance our lives and do everything possible to not be left out or behind.

Secondly, we can shut people out. Many of us keep our closest family and friends at arms length, saying things like, “You’ll never understand what I am experiencing”, “I can’t tell you what I’m going through.”

We also tend to focus on the negative. Like Elijah, many of us dwell in self-pity. And we know self-pity exaggerates reality. We say things like, “I’m never going to get better”, “I will always have this addiction”, “I’ll always be stuck in this lifestyle.” Which leads us in the direction of the final idea…

We can forget all that God has done for us. God had provided Elijah with water and food. With God’s power, he had raised the dead. Elijah had seen fire from heaven convict an entire nation. But in chapter 19, Elijah thinks God is not going to help him anymore and he finds himself running away.

So, what is God’s prescription for our depression?

When you read 1 Kings 19:5-16, we see everything as God wants us to see. The first thing God calls us to is to eat and rest. For some of us, the most spiritual thing we can do right now is rest. Jewish culture was built around the 10 Commandments and one of those was to keep the Sabbath. Americans do not practice rest. We run all day long, seven days a week. God calls us to build in rest into our weekly calendar. God calls us to rest in order to be at our healthiest.

Secondly, God replaces our lies with his truth. Elijah says that he’s the only one who is left for God and that is not true. 7000 Israelites had never bowed down to an idol. Elijah is taking on responsibility that was not his to take. For many of us, we hear the lies our enemy tells us everyday and speak them to ourselves as if they were truth.

But Scripture tells us that all things are possible with God! That if we have the faith of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. Paul reminds us to take every thought captive for Christ.

God had showed himself to Elijah through fire and miracles but suddenly God appears in a still, small voice. Sometimes when we are at our lowest, God speaks the softest. Many of us are hurting today. We experience relational hurt; the loss of a life companion; the shortness of a bank account; the hurtful words of a co-worker. And in those moments, God is saying quietly, “I’ll never leave you”, “I am right here”, “You are enough.”

Finally, God gives Elijah something to do. You see, we are people who need a purpose. God tells Elijah to go back and do what prophets do. God is calling you into purpose as well. Each of us has a gift or talent and we are called to use it in Kingdom work. Whether it’s patience or mentorship or kindness or love, use it to the glory of God.

We beat depression by resting, replacing our lies with God’s truth, listening to God’s voice even when it’s quiet and discovering what God has called us to do. Alone, we are powerless. But with God we can do anything. Blessings on the journey.

No Atheist in Foxholes.

There is an age-old saying, “There are no atheist in foxholes.” I believe that every one of us has prayed before whether we are believers are not. We’ve all been in a tight spot and asked God to get us out of it. The odds have been against us and we’ve hoped a higher power would come to our rescue.

In 1 Kings 18, the prophet Elijah has just prayed for fire from heaven and God answered his prayer. After Israel saw that fire, they confessionally believed again that God was indeed the only God. There had not been rain in three and a half years in Israel. This happened because God needed to get the attention of Israel. But now, Elijah prays that rain would come to replenish the earth and fortify the people. As we look at the prayer of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:42-45, we see some elements that become important in our prayer life.

We see that Elijah’s prayer is a humble prayer. After he dispenses with the false prophets, he and his servant climb Mt. Carmel again. Once at the top, Elijah gets on his knees and puts his head between his knees. It’s a sign of respect and humility, outwardly recognizing God is greater than he is. It’s the attitude of John the Baptist in John 3:30 where John says, “Jesus must become greater and greater and I must become less and less.” James tells us in James 4 that God honors those who have humility.

Elijah’s prayer is specific. So many times we prayer generic prayers but I believe God wants us to be vulnerable and open with him. Elijah essentially says, “God, we’ve been without rain for over three years. We need rain now.” James tells us in James 4 that we don’t have because we don’t ask God. So be specific in your prayer life.

Elijah’s prayer is persistent. He has his servant go seven times to the mountain top to look to see if any clouds have formed yet. Trips 1-6 reveal nothing happens. It’s a reminder Elijah doesn’t let the outward circumstances deter him from praying for what he knows is needed. Jesus tells a story of the persistent widow in Luke 18. She wants justice but every time she goes to the judge, he declines to help her. Finally she just keeps coming and the judge says, “I’m going to give the widow justice now or she’ll just keep coming to me.” Jesus explains the parable by saying the judge is God and we are the widow.

So, what have you stopped praying for? Have you stopped praying the marriage will be healed or the adult child will come back to Jesus or the depression will go away or a better revenue vein will be found? Keep praying for the things you believe you need in life so that God will be glorified.

Finally, Elijah’s prayer is expectant. He expects God to give rain. Jesus says in Mark 11:24, “If you believe it and ask for it, it will happen.” And sure enough in Elijah’s story, God sends a storm of rain. So in our prayer life, pray with a spirit of expectancy. Expect the marriage to be healed; expect your kids to follow Jesus; expect your career path to be clear; expect the Holy Spirit to remove doubt, fear and worry; expect to be healed.

You and I as followers of Jesus, believe all things are possible. Pray with that spirit. Your Heavenly Father is for you and wants to reveal himself to you. Pray with that confidence. Blessings on your journey.

The Two Paths.

Have you ever broken someone’s heart by choosing someone else over them? Maybe you took a friend’s viewpoint over your brother’s or decided to go out with the guys instead of your girl or listened to a coworker instead of your parents. If you are like me, there have been many times someone I loved got hurt because I chose poorly.

God says over and over in Scripture that his followers are to choose him first above everything else. In Exodus 20, where you find the Ten Commandments, the very first one is “No thing or other god is to come before me.” Jesus restates that in Mark 12:30-31 where he says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength…no other thing is more important than that.

Sadly, you and I put things in front of God every day. They are things we put our faith in but they all fall short. What we discover is that false gods promise what only the true God provides. We look for happiness, joy, peace of mind, and reassurance from things like money, possessions, sex, relationships, degrees and accomplishments but all of things fall short of what they promise.

Elijah has some words for us in 1 Kings 18 when he says, “Stop wavering between two opinions.” He then goes on to say “sell out” to the thing you truly believe in…if it’s money, then go all in…if it’s anger and entitlement, bet the house…if is that addiction you don’t want to shake, cash in but if you believe God will provide all things, then choose him! Stop going back and forth and follow the one person who has your back in so many ways. Follow the one true God who truly loves you and wants what’s best for you.

There is this epic showdown between Elijah and 450 false prophets in 1 Kings 18. At the end of the story, the false god, Baal, doesn’t answer his prophets at all while the true God sends fire down from heaven to liquidate Elijah’s sacrifice. It’s in that moment all of Israel proclaims that YHWH is the one true God. You might be saying, “Well yeah. If I been there and seen that, I would have most definitely believed.” But we had something even better.

2000 years ago, Jesus, not fire, came down from heaven and we know that story to be true. It changed everything for us. We now know true love and we have joy and peace and hope in our life for a beautiful tomorrow.

So the call is that you and I would say yes to Jesus and allow the false gods sitting on the throne of our hearts to melt away. It’s time to quit wavering…it’s time to choose Jesus. You and I want a better life and Jesus is the only one who can offer that to us. Blessings on your journey.

Total Dependence.

In 1989, I went to Air Force basic training. Once I got off the bus, the molding, shaping, and refining began. I arrived as one person but the DIs shaped me into someone new by the end of my time there. I’ve been forever grateful for the eight years I spent in the Air Force, wearing the uniform, active during Desert Storm and protecting my country.

In 1 Kings 17, we are introduced to one of the greatest prophets in Israel’s history…a guy named Elijah. His name means “My God is Jehovah”. He becomes God’s sounding piece for a king named Ahab and a queen named Jezebel. When Elijah comes on the scene, Israel had experienced 19 consecutive evil kings who took Israel away from God. That’s about 200 years of poor decision-making.

Elijah pronounces a drought on Israel to get their attention and right after, God moves Elijah into the wilderness to do some work on him. God tells him to go to the Kerith Ravine where God provides a source of water and ravines to bring him food. “Kerith” means “cut off” or “cut down”. I’m inclined to believe Elijah may have had a pride issue so God cuts him off from everyone else in order to cut him down or humble him. So Elijah goes through a season of isolated pain and solitude but God will use these moments to shape him into the Kingdom man God wants him to be.

With no one to help him (except the birds), Elijah has to become totally dependent on God for all things. See, God didn’t give him a week’s supply of food or even a 2-day supply but just enough for the day. You and I can learn from this story that God will give us what we need, not necessarily what we want.

And then God requires unconditional obedience to His plan. So, to move Elijah, God eventually dries up his water source. I can only image Elijah asking, “What’s the purpose of all this? Have I don’t something wrong? Did I do something I wasn’t supposed to do?” But I think for Elijah and us, God sometimes allows the “brook” to dry up in order to give us courage to leave and go where he wants us to live into his story. So many of us put our trust in money, job, friends, or surroundings but many times God allows these things to dry up to move us forward in His story.

And then God moves Elijah to a village called Zaraphath where Elijah interacts with a widow. He asks her to cook him a meal but she says she only has enough flour for her son and her. Elijah is persistent and then tells her that if she does this for him, her flour and oil jar will never run dry, which is exactly what happens.

God changes Elijah. He molds him and shapes him into the Kingdom person God is looking for. In 1 Kings 17:1, we know Elijah only by WHERE he’s from (Tishbe). By the end of chapter 17, the widow calls him Elijah, man of God.

So know that if you find yourself in the wilderness and things aren’t going as you planned, God is doing something in you so that He can later do something through you. Blessings on the journey.