Lead by example

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

We just celebrated the birth of Jesus.  As I reflect on this, sometimes I am lead to think about how he lead by example.  We are not following Christ just because we are told to.  Rather, the Son of God came to earth as a baby, grew up doing some of the same things we have likely done. 

Here he comes to John the Baptist, who knows that he is the Christ that will save him, and Jesus asks John to baptize him!  John is taken back and actually questions him.  Why would I baptize you?  I’m the one that needs to be baptized by you! 

Yet Jesus knows that leading by example is so much more powerful than just telling someone to do something.  Therefore, he has John baptize him. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we leading by example?  We can believe in Christ and tell others that we are Christians, however if the way that we live does not reflect that, then we are living a lie and not leading by the right example. 

Today I want to simply encourage you to take a look at your life.  As we come to the new year and many make resolutions, I encourage you to resolve to share Christ with others by leading by example and living a Godly life.

Happy New Year!  May you be blessed by God’s presence in your life this year.

Our Journey to Adoption, Part V - A Rough Beginning

When we first met James and Sarah at a park (in July 2015), Sarah was barely walking and not really talking. James was bouncing off anything and everything, but let us play with him. We met another time or two at a park. In the meantime, the court had a hearing and proceeded to pursue adoption rather than reunification. They were to schedule a hearing 3 months out to terminate the parents’ rights. However, it never got scheduled.

We continued to schedule meetings with the kids, though. In the Fall (of 2015), we met the kids at the Toledo Zoo and then scheduled their first visit to our house for the weekend before Thanksgiving. The plan was to introduce the kids to our house and then keep the kids over the Thanksgiving weekend overnight. We had a bad snow storm, though, and the foster family turned around after making it only a few miles. We still went ahead with the Thanksgiving overnight the next weekend. I was nervous and it ended up far worse than I had imagined. They screamed and flailed an hour at bedtime. We tried to reassure them that they were going home the next day, we hugged them, we scratched backs, but nothing seemed to calm them. Of course, I can’t imagine what was going on in their little heads and how confused they must have felt. Sarah screamed about 5 different times throughout the night, too. It was horrible! What made it worse is that we didn’t even know how likely it would be for us to adopt the kids.  

We couldn’t argue God’s hand in the details leading up to this point, so we had to continue following His lead even through all the difficulties and unknowns.

As with the blind man Jesus healed, his life didn’t get easier after encountering and following Jesus. He could see, but he then got kicked out of the synagogue!

John 9:24-34   ²⁴ A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” ²⁵ He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” ²⁶ Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” ²⁷ He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” ²⁸ Then they hurled insults at him… ³⁰ The man answered…³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.³² Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” ³⁴ To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

How has following Jesus brought blessings, but also hardship and turmoil? God works through the hardships to develop perseverance and grow our faith, just as He did with the blind man. Where do you and I need to persevere (remembering the blessings), knowing God will be with us and help us?  

Doing More

Blessed are those who are generous,
    because they feed the poor.  Proverbs 22:9

In this time of annual giving, we are often reminded of those who are far less fortunate than ourselves.  Many of you do a great service to them volunteering time, money, and skill to help those in need.  Thomson Reuters does a great service volunteering thousands of hours to the community.  It makes me proud to work for such a place.  However, I had to ask a very startling truth.  What do I give to my church, and do I help the needy in my community with them?  Now I am not saying my church does not volunteer to help them.  However, maybe I am saying that I am not doing enough.  Or maybe if my church is not doing enough, it is because no one like me has made the effort to reach out to the community and help those less fortunate.  It strikes me as one of those moments where Jesus said, “Hypocrite!  First get rid of the log in our own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)  Is there more we should be doing within our church?  Is this not one of their primary functions?

We as followers of Christ are called to help those in need.  In doing this devotion, I actually stumbled across this verse while focusing on the beginning of the Beatitudes for Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount.  This is one of these instances where the Old and New Testament underline each other.  As noted by Jesus, He said, “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” (Matthew 5:3)   Many who play it safe will point out that this refers to the poor ‘in spirit.’  However if you have been without financial means, you understand perfectly what it is like to be in need of God then more than at any other time.  While it can be uncomfortable for us to dedicate our time and resources to those in need, we are given a choice.  We can be safe and comfortable and just take in all that is needed to understand God’s plan for our lives, or we can be bold and courageous knowing God will both be with and teach us as we push to do more helping others.

There is nothing better than to give of ourselves in the service of others.  Whether it is a gift to a charity or organizing a volunteer day at church, we owe it to God to look out for those who are either less fortunate or even worse cannot help themselves.  Jesus says, “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” (Luke 12:48b)  Let us be willing to roll up our sleeves, and give of ourselves in the name of holy and righteous God who valued us so much that He gave His life so that we may live with Him for all eternity.  What more can you do for Christ where you are?  How can you be more involved in helping those in need?  My prayer is that we look at ways this new year to give to those in need because we can do more.  Amen, and Happy New Year!

Tues Devo: Treasured

Hello,

Watching kids at Christmas is certainly entertaining! As my oldest starts to get a little older (6) he is beginning to show a range of reactions with gifts. Instead of just excitement or disappointment, there is more diversity in reaction. You can see what he dislikes, doesn’t care about, what he likes, what he really likes, and the things that spur a more emotional connection – with people, not just the things. The emotional connection was the one that stood out to me the most.

The emotional connection had me thinking about Mary and how 2 times the word “treasured” is used in reference to her and Jesus. The first time is when the shepherds came, and the second is after Jesus stays behind at the temple in the age of 12 – and despite His wisdom and position stays in subjection to His parents.

Luke 2:18-19 “ And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” (NASB)

Luke 2:41-51 “Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (NASB)

These were the only 2 times in the New Testament that the word ‘treasured’ is used (NASB). It was used 4 other times in the Old Testament.  Notice how each is about the relationship of God to man.

Deuteronomy 26:17-19 “You have today declared the Lord to be your God, and that you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and listen to His voice. The Lord has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession, as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments; and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor; and that you shall be a consecrated people to the Lord your God, as He has spoken.”

Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”

Psalm 83:2-3 “For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones.”

Psalm 119:11 “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.”

The word treasured is certainly something that is used with a deep connection. Obviously, it is a word used in the past tense – meaning something has already happened in order to be treasured. The other obvious element here is that the thing which happened must be noticed. Whatever is not seen/experienced cannot be treasured. This word also implies time to look back and reflect – likely over multiple occurrences, not just once.

Where are you with your “treasured”? When was the last time you reflected on your Savior and His love for you? Is it just Christmas, or more often?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Thurs Devo: Go, Tell It on the Mountain!

I’m taking a break from our adoption story this week to wish you all a Merry Christmas!

During the Christmas season, my family had a few traditions that we have started now with our new children! At dinner time each night we light the advent candles, sing a Christmas carol, pick a Christmas card we’ve received and pray for the person that sent it to us. James and Sarah love to participate by praying themselves for the person, trying to sing along to the carol, or blowing out the candles at the end of dinner.

One of the kids’ favorite carols is “Go, Tell It on the Mountain,” probably because it’s upbeat, has a catchy chorus and I added hand motions to it. The message of the carol is great for us all to focus on or sing in our heads throughout the day!   

Chorus:

Go, tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

Verses:

While shepherds kept their watching
Oe’r silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior's birth

Down in a lowly manger

Our humble Christ was born

And God sent us salvation

That blessed Christmas morn

John 10:14-18         ¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Who will you and I share the message of Christmas with this week who isn’t already part of God’s sheep pen? The Savior of the world left His secure home with God to experience all the pain of this world. He then willingly died on the cross and rose from the dead to provide salvation to those who believe!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Alice

A Call To Action

“Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”  Exodus 3:9-12

One of my all time favorite sermons talks about us as Christians going out and being the church of Christ.  I’ve used many of its sayings to motivate me toward action.  It reminds me that I am not to be just a student of the word although I must read to understand its relevancy.  It does not call upon me to be just a consumer of God although I must take in all that He gives me to enrich my own life.  It tells me that I am not to just hang out with church goers although they give me great strength when I do.  It calls me to act.  It calls on me to put my study of the word into living action.  It asks of me to put out into the world what God has instilled in me, and it forces me to engage with those who are not only just like me but also very different from me.  There is a reason they call the Bible ‘The Living Word of God.’  It is because it lives within all of us, and we are called to bring it to life.

We are called to spend as much time living out God’s word as we are understanding it.  Today’s verse is one that I have reference many times because it spells out how we are to respond to God’s prompting.  God is giving Moses marching orders to do God’s will of freeing the Israelites from Egypt.  Moses says the famous words that many of us find ourselves saying when God is asking what seems to be a monumental if not impossible task.  “Who am I?”  Moses is not questioning God’s righteousness.  He is questioning himself.  In Moses’ eyes, he is but a mere man who was exiled from Egypt.  But to God, Moses was a faithful man who He had prepared for this calling.  We all have doubts about who we are to God, or we feel we might not either know or understand God enough to fulfill that which He would ask of us.  However just as God reminded Moses, He is with us wherever He commands us to go.  Our mission is to act on His word.  Studying for understanding is important, and taking in of God’s spirit is essential.  However, action is what God needs from us.

God requires our active living out of His word each and every day.  As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, we can’t just be in the huddle every Sunday and not play in the game Monday through Friday.  Just as Moses was reminded, God is with us each and every step of the way.  All we must do is walk with Him showing His love, compassion, guidance, and wisdom to a world and generation who is in desperate need of all of these.  Jesus Christ is the ‘reason for the season!’  Let’s commit to being shining examples of Him in our deeds.  What is God prompting you for?  How will you put what God has taught you into action?  My prayer is that we live out God’s word for what it is meant to be; a call to action!  Amen.

Tues Devo: Two reactions

Hello,

I was reading some of Luke to my kids this weekend, and I was struck by a difference in response to the presence of Jesus. Let’s take a quick look at the two examples:

John – while he was still “living on the inside” his mother Elizabeth encountered Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus. The presence of Jesus caused an excitement in John. We see the description in Luke 1:39-44 “Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.” (NASB)

I want to contrast that to the response of the presence of Jesus by Herod. Matthew 2:1-12 goes into this account: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, [a]magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.” (NASB)

So what is the comparison here?

Both John and Herod had a reaction to the presence (and existence) of Jesus. John was one of joy and hope – Herod was one of fear. We see later in John’s life that he placed all he had to the promise of Christ, spending his life turning folks to Christ – not trying to gain any position on his own.

But Herod, he had a response of fear. He feared for his current role as king, and let the short term perspective impact his choices.

What is your response to the presence of Jesus? Is it fear or joy? Are you concerned/focused on what you may have to give up, or what can be gained in the long run?

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

When something seems unbelievable

Luke 2:8-15

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 that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

 When 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.”

Imagine with me, if you will, being a shepherd, out keeping watch over your flock.  It’s night, likely very dark as you are not going to have street lights like we probably have in our neighborhoods today.  All of a sudden, an angel appears.  You’re terrified!  No worries, though, the angel tells you not to be afraid.  That makes it all better, right?  Goodness, no!  You’re probably still standing there scared to death! 

Then all of a sudden a great number of angels appear together.  I’m sure that sets you even more at peace, not really!  After being told of the birth of Jesus, which in itself probably seemed unbelievable, the angels are suddenly gone. 

Would you have been one to get excited and say, “Let’s go!”  I can imagine that they were curious to if this was really true yet at the same time, probably still very scared. 

There are times in our lives that the Lord sends us signs that sometimes see unbelievable.  Like Alice talked about yesterday with her journey to adopt her children, sometimes the path seems to be an odd way to get to a destination yet when you look back at it, you can completely see God at work. 

Today I want to encourage you to seek out what God has in store for you and trust him even when things seem unbelievable. 

Our Journey to Adoption, Part IV - Unique and Unexpected

We never dreamed we would be connected to our future children by shopping in a boutique shop downtown Saline, but that’s what happened!

My Mom met a friend for coffee and afterwards her friend wanted to look around in a shop across the street. They struck up a conversation with the store owner who started talking about her daughter (Brook). Brook had recently taken in a special needs baby, but had later been approached by another foster Mom to consider adopting two small children who needed a good home. The parental rights for the two small children were likely to be terminated soon. However, Brook wasn’t able to take them on, too. My Mom then chimed in and said that we were licensed to foster and gave the store owner my number!

My number passed through several hands before getting to the foster Mom, and it somehow got transposed in translation so she wasn’t able to reach me. God had her be persistent, though. She reached out to Brook again and Brook realized she knew my sister. So, she Facebook messaged my sister for our numbers and the foster Mom finally got through to Joe! We told the foster Mom we were very interested in meeting the children and scheduled our first meeting at a park in July of 2015!

Coincidence? I don’t think so. I think God had ordained the meeting a long time ago. What seemed like an unexpected and unusual encounter was part of God’s plan to accomplish His purposes!

In my Bible study this week, we studied Jesus’ unique and unexpected way of healing a blind man. It all happened the way it did so God would get the glory!

John 9:1-7    As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

God does things today for the purpose of displaying His work. He displayed His glory in the unique and expected way we met James and Sarah!

How have you seen God work in unique and unexpected ways? How does that help you and me trust Him for the future?

Alice 

Listen And Learn

A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.  Matthew 15:22-28

When I was a teenager, an early mentor of mine told me to always listen because you never when you might learn something.  It was also a necessity because my mother would have conference calls talking with colleagues from home, and I had to literally sit at times for almost an hour before I could actually speak to her.  I guess that’s where I got my sense of patience as well, and as strange as it seems, those two things would be invaluable attributes that help me to connect to people.  Why?  People want two things no matter if it is with a stranger or their spouse of over fifty years.  They want to be heard, and they want to feel valued.  To take time out to listen to someone serves that purpose because there is no more precious commodity than . . . time.  When we speak about solving problems, we cannot start unless we truly understand the issue.  What is wrong?  Why do you feel that way?  How can I help?  These are questions that we as Christians should be asking all of the time.  However when speaking to Millennials, it often feels like . . . well preaching.  When I have a conversation with my twelve year old daughter, I tend to preach first and ask second, and I need to get better at listening.   When we talk about the church being in a crisis with Millennials, we talk from a place of what we know, which is what our parents and our experiences taught us.  That’s not all bad.  However, we can’t solve this crisis preaching the Gospel first.  We can by sharing it, but we can’t share without first listening.

Jesus teaches us to listen and understand before acting.  The story of Gentile woman with great faith showed Jesus’ ability to turn listening into a teachable moment.  Here was a woman pleading with Jesus to heal her possessed daughter.  I read as the disciples urged Him to send her away, and how Jesus said nothing for a while.  Then, He said, “I was sent ONLY to help God’s lost sheep – the people of Israel.”  One might ask, “Why would Jesus exclude her just because she was not a Jew?”  This is part of the teaching because His audience was not just the Gentile woman.  It was His disciples.  When Jesus seemingly ends the discussion saying, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs,” we are almost left speechless.  This feels like our response to those who have chosen not to believe, right?  Why would we take time away from those who share our belief and spend it on you, the non-believer?  Then her response, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table,” is the most amazing and dare I say ‘perfect’ response.  What could Jesus say?  He did not dismiss her saying, “I’m the Son of God, I do not need to hear this.”  She had acknowledged Jesus as Lord, ‘master,’ and her authority figure.  He listened, and acknowledged her faith.    If we acknowledge Jesus as God, He is all knowing, and thus, He knew the response was coming from the woman.  He wants us to see that all can come to Him no matter where they came from!  It was that teachable moment for the disciples that God is God to all who would acknowledge Him as Lord of their lives, but we cannot acknowledge others without first doing as Jesus did and listen.

Spreading the Good News of Jesus requires us to understand where people are first.  Our mission then becomes to share how God can help them where they are and not condemn them for where they are.  If we are to help those who choose not to believe, our response must be to first listen and hear their pain, frustrations, and concerns of where God fits in their life.  Only then can we truly share the Good News.  Do you know someone who has rejected the Gospel?  Have you taken time out to understand why?  My prayer and challenge is that we are willing to do what we Jesus knew all along; listen and learn.  Amen.

No room

Luke 2:1-7

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register.

 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Have you ever needed to book a hotel room when some major event was taking place near where you were trying to book a room?  Right now I’m actually trying to make some reservations for the weekend that my niece will be getting married in February.  Turns out that besides being the weekend after Valentine’s Day, there is also a big tournament in town so rooms are harder to come by than if we were going the weekend after.  The prices are up and the pickings are slim. 

Now imagine Joseph and the stress he was under as he came into Bethlehem to register for the census.  Here he was, unable to book a room before getting there, going inn to inn, looking for a place to stay.  He has with him his bride-to-be that is about to go into labor. 

Then you have an inn keeper that really wants to help but he has no room.  He clearly saw that not helping was not an option.  So he sets them up with the only place he could find, a stable.  At least there, they would be sheltered from any weather. 

What are you stressing over today?  Nothing is too big for God!  Take it to him today.  Allow him to provide that shelter that you need.

Get In The Game!

Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:16-20

You know, turning fifty is an amazing time in your life.  Many people become afraid of what the future holds as their life may have fallen short of what they expected.  Others find purpose and spend time focusing on the next chapter in their life.  I believe that I would fall more toward the latter having been blessed by what God has done in my life.  If you are like me, you realize that while there is much to be grateful for what He has done, He is not done with us yet.  I realized as much yesterday as I felt Him tugging at my soul.  A friend sent me a link to an article about Millennials, and it was titled, “12 Reasons Millennials Are OVER Church.” (see http://tosavealife.com/faith/12-reasons-millennials-church/) 

As faithful Christians, this is OUR problem.  It does not matter if we are in our early twenties or retired, we are officially in crisis.  How much so?  The stats are telling.  Only 1 of 5 Millennials attend church regularly.  Almost 60% of Millennials raised in church drop out.  More than 1 in 3 Millennials are anti-church.  We are not saying neutral here.  We are saying firmly against it!  It was as if God punched me in the face, and said, “So Kent, what are you going to do?”  While there is much that I have wanted to do over the next part of my life, looking deeply into this article made it clear what my calling would be.  As a pastor once told me, we can’t just be in the huddle every Sunday and not play in the game Monday through Saturday.  As this election should have taught everyone, the time to act is now.

There is a reason God asks of us to make disciples of all men and women.  We are His voice for those who cannot hear any voice.  An entire generation hangs in the balance on what we decide to do.  Yes, God can do anything, and here’s the funny thing.  What does God moving have to do with our obligation to serve Him?  You see, we often look to God to handle things when the reality is, God chose us.  We are both responsible and accountable.  It’s easy to pass this off on others, but the reality is when God asks, we are to respond as humble and obedient servants.

God wants us to be engaged in the battle for souls.  We are not just responsible for ourselves for as Rick Warren so perfectly stated, “It’s not about you.”  We are often caught up into our circumstances, and as such, get distracted from the big picture.  When we are in crisis mode, we need to respond pronto!  Along those lines, we must acknowledge that an entire generation is in crisis, and God calls on us to respond.  Are you going to ignore the warning signs anymore?  How will you get involved?  My prayer is that we do as God called on us to do and get in the game!  Amen!

Our Journey to Adoption, Part III - Moving forward

We finally got our foster license in February 2015. It took 9 months to complete all the paperwork, interviews, background checks and training to become a licensed foster home. I wrote a devotional about it at the time… Anyway, we got a call 3 weeks later for an 8 day old baby girl! We were shocked and excited! My Mom and sister washed all their baby stuff in the 3 days before we were to pick her up. Then, we got another call that it was decided to keep her in the temporary foster home she was already in. We were all very disappointed.

The next few months were quiet. No more phone calls came. We were told it might take a while since we were only open to certain children 18 months and younger. However, never having done it before, we weren’t led to change any of our restrictions.

Last week I talked about multiple “right” choices before us at times and that sometimes God seems to want us to take one step of faith forward with the wisdom He’s given us. He doesn’t always give us step-by-step instructions. So, as we waited for a foster child, a friend recommended another fertility doctor and we made an appointment. We went through repeat tests and some new tests and the doctor did find one possible hurdle to pregnancy. For several months we tried some natural things to counteract. However, we still didn’t get pregnant and didn’t get a call to take in a foster child.

I do like it when God lays things in my lap and I often want to sit back and wait for that in each situation! We were willing to patiently wait for the children God had for us, if children were His will. However, He wanted us to actively participate.

God expects us to move forward in faith with the wisdom He’s already revealed to us. In Jesus’ parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the one that took the talent and did nothing was rebuked harshly.

Matthew 25:26-29 His master replied, “you wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “

“Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” 

As we move forward in faith, God grows our faith (gives us “more” faith). Where are you sitting back waiting for God to work, when He might be waiting for you to take a step forward in faith before He reveals the next step? 

Alice

Tues Devo: Position of trust

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (NASB)

The other day I was goofing around with my son when he took a fall (he is fine…he is boy, they bounce!). He was holding on to me, and asked me not to hold him while he climbed. He made a tactical error in his climb when he let go with both hands. As I scooped him up, the look in his face I will not soon forget. There was a mix of fear, shock and confusion. There wasn’t much pain in his face –the shock and confusion were overwhelming. In his mind, he was with his dad – nothing could happen to him. He was used to holding on and being safe. But when you let go, and ask to not be held, bad things tend to happen!

Looking back at this I thought of the verses in Psalms from a different perspective than before. My son fully placed himself in my trust. There was no checking to see if he agreed with what I was doing or how it was being done – it was a simple equation that being in my presence received his trust. Do I deserve such trust? Perhaps not – but my heavenly Father does. Perhaps how this trust plays out is why Jesus later said to His disciples “Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”” (Matthew 19:13-14, NASB)

Have a blessed day as you put yourself fully in His trust.

Will Hill

Journey to Bethlehem

Luke 2:4-5

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

As I was reading through this account, I started thinking about my last pregnancy.  Around this time, four years ago, I was seven months pregnant with my first born son.  Now not all pregnancies are rough, but mine with my son was horrible and by seven months, I was so huge, I felt like I could hardly move some days. 

Here was Mary, who was clearly very pregnant.  Even with the best of pregnancies, I just cannot imagine what she had to go through, traveling all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  Most doctors today would advise you against such travel in your third trimester. 

Over the next couple of weeks, I want to take simple passages, such as this, and help us to visualize being in the situation.  While not all of you can relate to Mary in her pregnancy, I’m sure you’ve all known women at the end of their pregnancy and just how miserable they get. 

As you get to the very end, they tell you to go walk the mall or something like that.  Mary sure did a lot of walking at the end of her pregnancy!

Now for you guys that have had a pregnant wife or friend and have been around toward the end, I’m sure you can only imagine what Joseph was going through.  He needed to go to register, needed to take Mary with him as she was pledged to be his wife, and here she was probably miserable throughout the trip.  He was probably slowed down because of her pregnancy and probably felt helpless in taking care of her. 

I know that my husband often felt this same way when I couldn’t move very quickly and would complain about something that he really couldn’t fix. 

Today I hope you can simply imagine what that journey would have been like for Mary and Joseph.

Our Journey to Adoption, Part II - Choices

In 2010, Joe went back to school for a master’s in psychology (after financial constrains led to his job loss as a youth pastor). So, I thought maybe God was going to wait to give us children until after Joe finished his masters and got another job. However, we did eventually see a second fertility doctor, who again didn’t find any issues.

Joe graduated in 2012 and got a full-time job at a treatment facility in 2013. No pregnancy ensued, though. We didn’t sense any direction from God regarding adoption, either.

Then, in 2014, we were led to again call the Department of Human Services about attending a foster orientation. They were no longer hosting orientation classes, but contracted with Orchards Children’s Services to conduct in-home orientation classes. So, a lady came out to our home. (We let her in and didn’t lock her out! J) After orientation, we could choose any agency to go through to get our foster license. I didn’t know which agency to pick. Even after prayer, it wasn’t clear. Joe thought we could go with Orchards as they did the orientation, so that’s what we did.

God knew it didn’t matter where we got licensed. He knew the unique circumstances that would connect us with James and Sarah. It only mattered that we got licensed and not who licensed us. I had worried about selecting the “right” licensing agency when God knew it didn’t matter.

Sometimes any of the choices before us are the “right” choice. I often want God to specifically direct me to a certain choice. I don’t want to make a mistake. However, He is Sovereign!! He will accomplish His plans even if I do make a mistake.  

Job 42: 1-2 Then Job replied to the Lord: I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.

Have you ever been stuck in a situation where any choice could be the “right” one? Besides prayer, we should also check our options against God’s Word. Do any of the choices violate any of His commands? If not, we don’t need to keep sitting and waiting but can move forward in faith with any choice.    

James 3:13, 17-18            If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom… But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

Are you in a situation where many options seem good? After much prayer and checking your options against God’s Word, you can move forward in faith with any of the choices. Then, be open to God’s confirmation or redirection as you take one step of faith after another!

Alice  

Focus And Do

So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.  James 1:21-25

My youngest daughter is a master of diversion.  When she is in trouble, she will try to quickly acknowledge what has happened and been done wrongly.  However rather than focus on what was the poor behavior, she tries to quickly change the subject.  She realizes that the place of punishment and consequences is not where things end well for her.  So she moves quickly to things like, “Dad, I did really well in school today,” or, “Mom, do you know what happened in cheer?”  Of course, we direct her back to where the focus should be, but nonetheless, she will keep trying.  Her determination and persistence is a great thing.  However as parents, we have to channel it where she focuses on the right things, and then does the right thing.  In thinking of the big picture as a Christian, that is our challenge as well.  It’s a lot more challenging though because we may tend to focus on the stuff that seems important instead of on Christ.  Today, I want to encourage you to focus and do.

If we trust in God, we will walk closer to Him with each step.  In each action where we read His word and act on it, we move closer to God’s plan for our lives.  Here is the interesting part.  If we are truly focused on God, it is not to say that every step will be in the right direction.  In fact, we may very well fall off course.  My life is filled with errors and missteps where I knew the right pathway but made the wrong step because I might have wanted something more than what God wanted for me or got distracted and hastily made a decision without trusting God.  In the end, these were choices I was neither proud of nor happy with.  Yet, they were key moments of learning where God through either His discipline or revealing to me His plan allowed me to move forward.  In the end, the steps still moved me closer to Him and not further.  There’s a reason the Bible is called ‘The Living Word Of God.’  It is not a vacuum that we read and say, “Ok.  That makes sense.”  It asks us to focus on it, reflect, and then act.  It is how it manifests itself from just being words on the paper to as James wrote the living “word God has planted in your heart.”

We live in a world that is built to ensure that we are disconnected from God.  The thing is that it can be so subtle, we often lose sight of it.  Hebrews 12 states, “(L)et us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”  That is why it is important that we focus on Jesus Christ for if we do, our actions (or walk) will be on God’s right side and our faith found ‘perfect.’  What is stopping you from converting God’s word into action?  How can we be better doers than readers?  My prayer is that we not only pause to adjust but also focus and do.  Amen.