Thursday Devotional - The First Noel 12/8/22

 Or, “The First Christmas,” as the word Noel is actually an early modern English synonym of "Christmas." It was believed to originate in the sixteenth century in England, but wasn’t published until 200 years ago!   

The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Refrain

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night! Refrain

This star drew nigh to the northwest
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest
And there it did both Pause and stay
Right o'er the place where Jesus lay. Refrain

Then entered in those Wise men three
Full reverently upon their knee
And offered there in His presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense. Refrain

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind has bought. Refrain

I love how this hymn ties together Jesus’ birth and death. We have reason to offer our gifts and praise, even more so than the Wise men!  

Matthew 2:1-2 and 9-11 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

What gift will you and I give to Jesus this “Noel” season? 

Most Prized Possession

 

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.  James 1:17-18

My youngest daughter is quite a challenge.  Because of those challenges, my heart is a bit burdened today. I worry about her.  I ask God if I have given her the right direction.  She is not a wild child.  But today, she seemed to weigh on me.  When she wanders off the right path and makes a mistake, you ask yourself if you could have done something differently or pointed her in a direction that would have made everything alright.  Was I too harsh?  Will she make the right choices when she grows up?  Will she reach out to her mother and me when she cannot pick up the pieces?  It is difficult to know like God knows.  When I said that to myself, I then realized something.  She is a gift.

Through all that she has put me through, the many years of tireless arguments over the same things and pressing her repeatedly about what she should do, I’m still thankful to have her as my child.  She could have been any number of places.  But God gave her to Loretta and me.  Through all sixteen plus years, she has been a gift to us.  I am humbled and blessed to have that opportunity to be her Dad, and I need to remember how God saw me.  I certainly was not His best child, but He still loved on me, and He patiently waited to mold and grow me.  And when I was distant from Him, He did not leave me out in the wilderness.  He pursued me until I found my way back to His house.  Despite all our daughter puts us through, we always helped her find a way home.  That is what a good shepherd does with prized possessions.

We are all gifts to God.  When I say ‘gifts,’ I am not saying it in the sense we are to feel entitled or privileged.  Instead, it means to be viewed as something valuable.  If we understand who God is, then we know anything that He values is ultimately priceless, and above all things, we are those who He values most.  Another way to look at God’s value of us is to think of Jesus’s Parable of the Lost Sheep.  Listen how Jesus describes it:

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.  When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’  Luke 15:4-6

God does not have favorites or sees anyone either more or less valuable.  He sees all of us as His prized possessions not wanting to lose even one of us.  As such, all that we are and all we are given are from Him.  This is amazing to know and more importantly, invaluable to remember particularly at this time of the year.

Our greatest gift is the life God has given us.  Whether it is a child, spouse, family, and friend, all of it comes from Him, and no matter where you see yourself, take a moment to see yourself as God sees you.  The reason Jesus called it The Greatest Commandment is that we are to not only love God but to love our neighbors as … ourselves.  Thus, if we do it right, we do not see others as lesser nor greater.  We see what God sees: an abundance of gifts.  Let us celebrate this Christmas knowing the best gift was not gift wrapped.  It was wrapped in swaddling clothes.  Whose lives will you acknowledge as a gift to you?  How can you value your life as God values it?  My prayer is today we spend time remembering we are God’s most prized possession.  Amen, and Merry Christmas!

My 'Dr. Phil' Gift

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.  1 Peter 4:10-11

Lately, my life has been inundated with a wave of sadness, tragedy, and heartbreak.  The thing is none of it is directly relating to me.  It is as if somehow God has given me this ‘Dr. Phil’ gift.  Some of you know exactly what that means.  People seemingly come to you because in their mind they have no place else to go.  Being honest, I’m unsure how I got it.  However, I am grateful God gave it to me.  It is a privilege that I do not take lightly because it is like all other gifts God has given me.  They have a purpose that is not for me to question.  They are to be given and used as He sees fit. 

I knew God had gifted it to me one fall evening.  While visiting my mom in the hospital, I had left something in the car.  As I entered the hospital parking garage, a man was sobbing uncontrollably because he lost his child and needed to know why.  I felt his anguish and pain, and could not muster words to say to him because I did not have an answer to his question.  But I did have a shoulder.  I hugged and assured him it would be alright.  While I felt terrible for the gentleman, I could sense I was there at that moment just for that reason.  This is what it is like when you know God is using your gift.

God gifts us with abilities for His will to be done.  My pastors over the years have provided guidance as to what my gifts are.  Through greater awareness, those gifts have grown to where people rely on me for them.  If you have not taken note of what your gifts are, first pray to God for wisdom and discernment.  Ask Him to highlight those times where God showed up not for you but through you.  Then, take time out to ask someone who knows you.  Ask what they rely on you most for.  See if there are recurring trends.  I am not saying seek out and ask, “Kent, do you think I’m an empathetic person?”  Sincerely go up to someone who knows you well, and ask open-ended questions.  What makes me a great friend to you?  What do you come to me for?  Why?  Finally, ask God to give you clarity what on His will for you going forward.  Do as 1 Peter said; give freely.  You’re doing it right when the spirit in you moves positively with each act of generosity.  The goal is not for you to be perfect.  It is to grow in Christ as you continue to give that which He has gifted you for.

God gives us so much.  He gives us unconditional love, and provides us with protection.  He gives us grace and His Only Son to ensure we would have no barriers between Him and us.  When you think of it in that context, it sounds silly to keep that which you are gifted for your own personal gain.  Let us give share our gifts such that as God said in Matthew 25, “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities.” (Matthew 25:21a)  Do you know your spiritual gifts?  How can you go about both learning and utilizing them?  My prayer is we give of our gifts willingly and freely as my ‘Dr. Phil.’  Amen.

Thursday Devotional - Gifts to Give

There’s been lots of talk here at Thomson Reuters about breaking down silos, collaborating with coworkers, and valuing different perspectives. These aren’t new concepts. God thought of it first! He designed all of us to work together rather than individually and to use our unique skills and abilities for the benefit of all!

Romans 12:5-8       so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Believers make up Christ’s one body (the universal Church) with their unique God-given gifts. These gifts aren’t for us to keep to ourselves, save for a rainy day, or use when we feel like it.  God has given each of us unique ways to contribute to the lives of those around us to build up His universal Church.

What gifts has God given to you?

When have you and I not used them for the benefit of other believers?

How will you and I willingly and cheerfully use them for the benefit of fellow believers now and in the future, even when we don’t feel like it?

As verse 5 says, we belong to God and to each other!

Alice

Thurs Devo: Evil Celebrated

Last week we saw how the two witnesses will be successful in God’s eyes for finishing the work God gives them to do. However, the world will hate them for it and the beast will kill them. That would be bad enough, but look what happens next.

Revelation 11:7-10    ⁷ Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. ⁸ Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.¹⁰ The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

Evil is celebrated as righteousness is detested. We see this happen today. God’s ways, His standards, and His people are hated, while all kinds of wickedness is supported, legalized, and celebrated. The Apostle Paul also warned us that this would happen.

Romans 1:28-32         ²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.³² Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.


We shouldn’t be surprised when evil is celebrated. However, we aren’t to join in, condone, or quietly stand-by. How can we ensure we don’t also celebrate evil? We need to “retain the knowledge of God” as verse 28 says. We do that by having a growing personal relationship with our Creator. As we continue to learn and understand His attributes and character by reading and studying His entire Word, we won’t be deceived by the evil around us. As Kent talked about yesterday, we can’t do that by reading the Cliff’s Notes version of the Bible.

Alice

Plain and Simple

When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

“We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded. John 7:45-46

I have grown to know that there are some things in life that are plain and simply true, and I do not need to test it.  For example, I have learned to trust my read on people.  I talk with them, and then observe them in certain situations.  Fairly soon, I have a beat on the type of person they are. There is no explanation that I have for this, and people ask me how I knew.  I don’t understand it, but have learned to accept that God gifted me in such a way.   As such, I have gained some really close friends because it feels like I knew them before we truly got to know each other further.

We know the validity of the word of God because it is proven beyond our natural understanding.  Today’s verses speak of Temple guards who do not arrest Jesus because of what they heard from Him.  Now in reviewing this, one might jump to the conclusion of, “Well what would you expect?  They had heard from Jesus!”  That is the simplistic way of viewing it.  We need to go deeper.  What did Jesus say?  (Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!) How did He say it?  (He shouted to the crowd)  This is nothing new from Jesus, and they knew their task was to arrest Him.  Yet, the Temple guards, with the simple task of ‘enforcing the law of God,’ would not perform their duty to arrest Jesus for violating their laws.  We know Jesus’ authority over all laws, but that’s a topic for another time.  Why?  The Holy Spirit had awaken within telling them what they heard was not from an ordinary man.  They had heard from the Son of God, and knew what He said was true!  If you think back to when you first heard from God, maybe you were a little messed up.  Perhaps your core belief structure shook, and/or your emotional grounding was thrown off.  God gave us His word for guidance, but He instilled the Holy Spirit within us to connect with and follow Him.  Put together, we know His word is true beyond a shadow of any doubt.

It has been proven time and time again that God’s word always has the answer for us.  We may have had a rough time adjusting to its truths, but we can walk with confidence and without fear for God has said, “The Lord is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you.  He will be faithful to you and will not leave you alone.  Do not be afraid or troubled.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)  That is a truth that you cannot just accept in your head.  You must fully embrace it in your heart, and then, the Spirit of God will flow from you for as Jesus said, “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!  For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (John 7:38)  What is God’s word challenging you to change today?  Where can His word be a source of strength and encouragement in your life?  My prayer is that with our heads and hearts we embrace God’s word as true; plain and simple.  Amen.

Protection, Blessings, and Love

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever.Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love.  Psalm 5:11-12

The other day, my family found that our first house had a major fire.  We were incredibly saddened to learn of it, and we prayed that everyone who currently lived in the house was safe.  Then as I thought more about it, I realized that I would never see my old home again.  The memories that our family built there would be all that remained.  But on the other side of it, I realized God had blessed us allowing our family to move to our new home and change our lives.  Even if we were still in that house, I believe we would have been alright, but I did not want to be unappreciative of the fact that God has loved, blessed, and protected our family.  We are so humbled that He has done so.

All of us as Christians are so incredibly blessed as children of God. We could complain about many things going on in our lives.  We might feel our boss is being tough on us or our children do not want to talk to us anymore.  Some of you might have the struggle of dealing with the loss of a loved one, and others wish they could lose the loved one they have (smile).  Many face difficult decisions about what job to choose.  Even some are struggling to decide whether or not to stay in an abusive relationship with a spouse.  No matter where you are in your life, know there is a God who is with you each and every step of the way.  He loves you, and blesses you infinitely.  He is always there looking out and protecting you from harm.  In placing our trust in Him, there are barriers moved that we would never see, and He sets in motion plans for us days, weeks, and months in advance so that each move we make is in line with His perfect plan for our lives.

When we give praise to our God, we have nothing to fear!  God said through the prophet Isaiah, “I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.” (Isaiah 42:16)  God is always looking out for us.  Our goal is to rely on Him, give of ourselves to Him, and give thanks to Him for He is indeed worthy of our praises.  What should you be thankful of today?  What small issue can you give to Him in exchange for praising Him for the position He has given you?  My prayer is that we praise God for His protection, blessings, and love.  Amen!

Thurs Devo: Gift Management

 In addition to our local churches, there are also so many wonderful Christian organizations furthering the cause of Christ in the world. We have so many different ways we can give to God’s work. The Israelites in Moses’ day didn’t have near as many choices or opportunities. Most of their financial gifts were to one place – the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle).

Numbers 18:21 and 24       ²¹ “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting. ²⁴ …I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord. That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’”

Just like our tithe at church goes toward the living expenses of our church leadership, the tithe of the Israelites went toward the expenses of the priests and Levites who did all the work at the tabernacle.

Sometimes I wonder if my gift is being used most effectively. However, it struck me that God didn’t tell the Israelites not to give their tithe if the Levites weren’t doing their job efficiently. He gave no caveat. The Israelites were to give to the Levites and the Levites were to give a tenth of that back to God. No exceptions!

Numbers 18:25-29   ²⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁶ “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering. ²⁷ Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress. ²⁸ In this way you also will present an offering to the Lord from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest. ²⁹ You must present as the Lord’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’  

Giving is an act of worship and obedience to God. The gift belongs to the Lord. If we try to micro-manage how our gifts are used, then we probably aren’t giving from our heart in true worship of God. God will hold the recipients accountable for the use of our gifts.

How will you and I prepare to give cheerfully, in sincere worship and obedience to God? After prayerfully considering where and how God would have us give, we can leave the rest in His hands!    

Alice