Shepherds…

When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told. When eight days had passed, Jesus’ parents circumcised him and gave him the name Jesus. This was the name given to him by the angel before he was conceived. (Luke 2:15-21, CEB)

Shepherds were not thought of as honest people because they would allow their flocks to graze on other people’s land. But these are the first witnesses beyond Mary (an unwed mother) and Joseph to the birth of Jesus.

God chooses to work through all people, regardless of how we see them or think of them.

God says everyone is worthy and gets to see the king. Who are we to say differently?

Know God

Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “Because you are testifying about yourself, your testimony isn’t valid.” Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, since I know where I came from and where I’m going. You don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. You judge according to human standards, but I judge no one. Even if I do judge, my judgment is truthful, because I’m not alone. My judgments come from me and from the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the witness of two people is true. I am one witness concerning myself, and the Father who sent me is the other.” They asked him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You don’t know me and you don’t know my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” (John 8:12-19, CEB)

If you know Jesus, you know the Father. If you do not know Jesus, you do not know the Father.

Jesus is a faithful witness for himself because he is not only Jesus, but Father and Spirit, so He is two (+) witnesses in one.

So do you know God?

Show the world by being a light and sharing God’s love.

temporary

So we aren’t depressed. But even if our bodies are breaking down on the outside, the person that we are on the inside is being renewed every day. Our temporary minor problems are producing an eternal stockpile of glory for us that is beyond all comparison. We don’t focus on the things that can be seen but on the things that can’t be seen. The things that can be seen don’t last, but the things that can’t be seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, CEB)

Life has a way of making things difficult. Problems arise that seem daunting and insurmountable. We get caught in our own failures and lack of progress. We focus on our lack of progress and get caught in the depths of despair.

I know it is so easy for me to see all the things I have done wrong, but we are all human, and we all fall short. We need to allow others to help us remember that these things in this life are temporary. We are building towards something much greater than any of us can imagine.

We are storing up treasures in our heavenly homes. I see this when I open my Why I do this box. I have a box of letters and mementos given to me when things went well here, so when I am caught in the depths of difficulty, I can be reminded that my life is not all doom and gloom. God has a plan, and we are building the coming kingdom.

Life here is temporary; do not let it trick you.

Do you see?

As Jesus came to the city and observed it, he wept over it. He said, “If only you knew on this of all days the things that lead to peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes. The time will come when your enemies will build fortifications around you, encircle you, and attack you from all sides. They will crush you completely, you and the people within you. They won’t leave one stone on top of another within you, because you didn’t recognize the time of your gracious visit from God.” (Luke 19:41-44, CEB)

“because you didn’t recognize the time of your gracious visit from God.”

When have we missed God visiting us?

When we look for God the way we want Them to come and expect everything to happen the way we hope it will, we miss God in our midst.

What are we missing because we want God to fit in our box and do what we want, rather than opening our eyes and seeing God for what They are doing.

Do not get lost in your vision. Allow God to give you Theirs.

Holy Innocents

When the magi had departed, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod will soon search for the child in order to kill him.” Joseph got up and, during the night, took the child and his mother to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod died. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I have called my son out of Egypt. When Herod knew the magi had fooled him, he grew very angry. He sent soldiers to kill all the children in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding territory who were two years old and younger, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. This fulfilled the word spoken through Jeremiah the prophet:
A voice was heard in Ramah,
    weeping and much grieving.
        Rachel weeping for her children,
            and she did not want to be comforted,
                because they were no more.
After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. “Get up,” the angel said, “and take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus ruled over Judea in place of his father Herod, Joseph was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he went to the area of Galilee. He settled in a city called Nazareth so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He will be called a Nazarene. (Matthew 2:13-23, CEB)

This is a day that commemorates power and using it to keep it.

Herod knew the new king was being born because the Magi went to the palace because where else would one expect to find a king? And when Herod heard what the Magi said, he was frightened because he was going to lose his power. So he told the Magi to let him know where the child was when they found him, so he could worship him also. Actually, Herod wanted to kill Jesus so he would not take Herod’s power. This is what happens when people are out for their own gains and not using their power for the betterment of the world.

Power is given to be a help to those around us, not for personal gain.

According to this passage, boys 2 years old and younger were killed because Herod was frightened that he was going to lose his power.

What would you do to keep power?

Love like Jesus, and the world will be a better place.

keep the commandments

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God. Whoever loves someone who is a parent loves the child born to the parent. This is how we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep God’s commandments. This is the love of God: we keep God’s commandments. God’s commandments are not difficult, because everyone who is born from God defeats the world. And this is the victory that has defeated the world: our faith. Who defeats the world? Isn’t it the one who believes that Jesus is God’s Son? This is the one who came by water and blood: Jesus Christ. Not by water only but by water and blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. The three are testifying— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and the three are united in agreement. If we receive human testimony, God’s testimony is greater, because this is what God testified: he has testified about his Son. The one who believes in God’s Son has the testimony within; the one who doesn’t believe God has made God a liar, because that one has not believed the testimony that God gave about his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave eternal life to us, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have God’s Son does not have life. (1 John 5:1-12, CEB)

What are the commandments we are to keep?

The 10 commandments?

Jesus said the two greatest commandments are love God and love neighbor. Love is the commandment. And it is not hard because we are born of that love.

So love.

Changes

As they battered him with stones, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, accept my life!” Falling to his knees, he shouted, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” Then he died. Saul was in full agreement with Stephen’s murder. At that time, the church in Jerusalem began to be subjected to vicious harassment. Everyone except the apostles was scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. Some pious men buried Stephen and deeply grieved over him. Saul began to wreak havoc against the church. Entering one house after another, he would drag off both men and women and throw them into prison. Those who had been scattered moved on, preaching the good news along the way. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and began to preach Christ to them. The crowds were united by what they heard Philip say and the signs they saw him perform, and they gave him their undivided attention. With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many people, and many who were paralyzed or crippled were healed. There was great rejoicing in that city. (Acts 7:59–8:8, CEB)

Saul was in full agreement with Stephen’s murder…

Saul. The one we know as Paul. The one who wrote letters in the New Testament. The one who started churches and had planned on going to Spain. The one who spread the good news of Jesus across the known world.

He was at the stoning of Stephen and was a major persecutor of the followers of the Way.

But Jesus changed all that.

The baby born to us. Changed the world. Not overnight. It is still changing.

God changed you. God will change them.

Know you are changed by Jesus to share love.

Share God’s love in all you do.

Merry Christmas

In the beginning was the Word
    and the Word was with God
    and the Word was God.
The Word was with God in the beginning.
Everything came into being through the Word,
    and without the Word
    nothing came into being.
What came into being
    through the Word was life,
    and the life was the light for all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.
A man named John was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him everyone would believe in the light. He himself wasn’t the light, but his mission was to testify concerning the light.
The true light that shines on all people
    was coming into the world.
The light was in the world,
    and the world came into being through the light,
        but the world didn’t recognize the light.
The light came to his own people,
    and his own people didn’t welcome him.
But those who did welcome him,
        those who believed in his name,
    he authorized to become God’s children,
        born not from blood
        nor from human desire or passion,
        but born from God.
The Word became flesh
    and made his home among us.
We have seen his glory,
    glory like that of a father’s only son,
        full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14, CEB)

Jesus is the word of God.

John tells us the Word became flesh and tented or dwelt among us.

Jesus, God, came to us.

To live with us.

To love us.

To show us how to love.

Know God loves you. On this Holy day that we celebrate the birth of Love here on Earth.

Share that love in all you do.

Merry Christmas.

Shepherds…

In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told. (Luke 2:1-20, CEB)

The unlikely witness of shepherds.

Shepherds are like used car salespeople today. Most people do not trust them because the job has a reputation for being underhanded or shady. That is not fair to the people who have those jobs, but in Jesus’ day, a shepherd was not considered a reliable witness in court.

But the first witnesses to the birth of God are shepherds.

Shepherds who watch their flocks, as Jesus will.

Shepherds who lay down their lives for their flocks, as Jesus will.

Shepherds who are what kings are referred to, which Jesus is.

Shepherds are the most appropriate first witnesses to the newborn king of the kingdom of God, because He is our shepherd.

Humblely born in a feeding trough, when his own family could not make room for him in their home.

He came to show us what love is and how to live that out in the world.

As we celebrate His birth, be a beacon of hope and love in a world that needs that now more than ever.

faith

Understand that in the same way that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, those who believe are the children of Abraham. But when it saw ahead of time that God would make the Gentiles righteous on the basis of faith, scripture preached the gospel in advance to Abraham: All the Gentiles will be blessed in you. Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham who believed. All those who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone is cursed who does not keep on doing all the things that have been written in the Law scroll. But since no one is made righteous by the Law as far as God is concerned, it is clear that the righteous one will live on the basis of faith. The Law isn’t based on faith; rather, the one doing these things will live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us—because it is written, Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed. He redeemed us so that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, and that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:6-14, CEB)

No one is made right by works of the law, so the righteous one will live by faith.

By faith in God.

By faith in the promises.

By faith to love as we are told to do.

When we have faith in the promises, God and all we have heard, we are children of Abraham and heirs to all the promises.

When we have faith, it becomes our righteousness.

Have faith.

Trust in God.

Believe the promises.