Third Week of Advent -Joy

Luke 2:14
 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Hebrews 12:2-3 
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

A prayer of Thanksgiving for the Joy of the Cross

Holy Father,

     We thank you for the Joy we experience at Christmas; the joy in giving and receiving, of Christmas present and the most Holy Christmas past.
     In these verses we read about the gift of Jesus to us on the night of His birth and we read about His death and suffering on the Cross. It is through the Cross that we received the undeserved gift of Grace, that we received the Holy Spirit, and through the Cross that You, Lord, receive us. Jesus endured the Cross, at Your will, knowing the joy set before Him. It is through the Cross that Jesus sits at Your right hand. And it is through the cross that we have an example of the Joy set before us, that is our hope in glory. It is through the Cross that You removed every barrier for all those who believe.

We praise you and thank you, in Jesus name.

Amen

Thank God for Snow Days!

Psalm 51:7 NLT

http://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/psalms/51-7.html

7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

We have this ugly scene in the back of our yard. It really doesn’t matter that it’s at the back of the yard because it dominates the view. It’s an ugly telephone pole with ugly wires going in all directions supplying power, cable TV, and phone services to the homes linked to it through the branches of and even uglier tree.

Behind the pole is the tree. It’s an ugly tree that abundantly sheds fluffy cotton seeds in late spring, floating through the air like snow, menacing any outdoor plans we might have. It drops its share of leaves in the fall, too. On one side there is only one big, dead limb that the woodpeckers have been having fun with for years, so much so that it doesn’t produce leaves anymore.  Despite its looks, it still has one redeeming quality. On the other side it produces shade-supplying leaves providing a pleasant relief on sunny summer days. On those days we don’t notice the ugliness quite so much, but it’s still there. It’s not quite the backdrop you would like for outdoor parties, but since we can’t cover it up we’ve learned to live with it for many years now.

Just like the ugliness of sin in our lives (and everybody sins), we might try to cover it up, but we can’t so we learn to live with it. Sometimes, like our tree, we live with it long enough that we don’t notice it as much, but it’s still there. The consequences of sin surface in your relationships, health, finances, or emotions bringing up feelings of unworthiness, pride, guilt, bitterness or shame.

You don’t have to have that ugly view in the back yard of your life. Jesus paid the price for our sins. His sacrificial death on the Cross gave all who believe in Him the undeserved gift of grace. When you accept Jesus into your life, as your Lord and Savior, you are redeemed! He washes you clean -- whither than snow.

A few weeks ago I woke up to see a snow covered yard. That ugly tree had faded into the background and the telephone pole was covered. It had been transformed into a beautiful snow-covered cross. This is just a humble example of what can happen to you. Seek Jesus and you, too, can be transformed.

Thank God for the snow days!

Reference information:

David wrote Psalm 51 psalm after the prophet Nathan came to him, after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

Bibliography Information

Smith, William, Dr. "Entry for 'Snow'". "Smith's Bible Dictionary". . 1901.

Encyclopedias - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Snow

SNOW

(6) Snow is the symbol of purity and cleanness, giving us some of our most beautiful passages of Scripture:

"Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalms 51:7); "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). Carrying the figure farther, snow-water might be expected to have a special value for cleansing: "If I wash myself with snow-water" (Job 9:30). The most common use in Scripture is to denote whiteness in color and implying purity as well: "His raiment was white as snow" (Daniel 7:9; Matthew 28:3; Mark 9:3; Revelation 1:14).

Heartwork Heals Our Hurts

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

As we go through life we are going to be hurt and we are going to hurt others. Life happens and it isn’t always what we expect. Have you ever heard the phase, hurting people hurt others? We love people that hurt us or life circumstances might make us angry causing us to channel that anger toward anyone really, but usually toward those we love. Yes, it’s ugly but that’s just the way life is.

These life hurts are wounds and they leave scars; memories we can’t seem to let go of sometimes, causing the hurt to linger and the anger to fester.

I was watching Beth Moore this week and heard her say that “something happens between the wound and the scar and it’s called healing.” Only with the help of Jesus can we be healed. He sent us the Holy Spirit to help. A friend of mine calls it heartwork and, just like homework, it’s important. The healing comes when we allow the Holy Spirit to do the heartwork in us.

Isaiah 61:1-3

¹The Spirit of the Lord [a]GOD is upon me,

Because the LORD has anointed me

To bring good news to the [b]afflicted;

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to captives

And [c]freedom to prisoners;

² To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

³ To grant those who mourn in Zion,

Giving them a garland instead of ashes,

The oil of gladness instead of mourning,

The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.

So they will be called [d]oaks of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Hurts are like scars, but rather than making them a reminder of the offense or the offender they can be a reminder of His presence, power, love, patience, friendship and interest in us and our well-being. We are not meant to walk around with thoughts of those who mistreated us, nor are we to dwell on our own poor behavior. Yes, we recognize that these things happened but forgiveness is in the Lord’s free gift through His death on the Cross. You’ve already received it and you can’t give it back, neither can you withhold it from others. That only makes the heartwork harder.  

Let the scars be a reminder of Christ and how He walked you through the healing process—the heartwork. During this time your heart will change. He will transform your hurts into something useful for His kingdom; bearing your hurts so you can be free to live the life He has planned for you. There is a closeness to Jesus developed during this heartwork. It transforms your thinking, your heart, and your life turning it toward Him and away from the hurt. The thing that hurt you in the past becomes a reminder of His power and love in the present. A reminder of how He walked you through the heartwork, standing by you every step of the way.  

Psalm 147:3-5

³He heals the brokenhearted

    and binds up their wounds.

⁴ He determines the number of the stars

    and calls them each by name.

⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

    his understanding has no limit.

"Heart" Guest

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation3:20&version=NASB

Our God seeks us. He seeks us in many ways. He will enter into your life, but He won't barge in. You must invite Him. Do that and your life will never be the same.

We might have house guests from time to time, especially during the holidays. Although, we love them and enjoy the visit, often we are happy to see them leave. We want our homes and lives back to normal, doing things our way.

Jesus is more than a house guest; He's a "heart" guest. He is like a best friend who builds you up, corrects you when you're wrong, loves you and cares for you--ALWAYS. He is the guest you'll never want to leave and the only baggage He's carrying is YOURS.

We all have two choices; however, to continue living on your own or to invite Him into your heart. I made my choice to invite Jesus into my life 13 years ago. I made a room in my heart and now He's taken over the whole thing. He is no longer a guest but has become a permanent resident.

Sure, sometimes I may feel alone but I know that I have a trusted friend in Jesus. He's someone I can go to any time about anything. He knows everything about me and He loves me--ALWAYS. He loves you too.

Send Him an invitation. I guarantee you He'll show up. He is already waiting at the door.