TerryLema

“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” [Luke 1:30-33]

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  [Isaiah 9:6]

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”  [Luke 2:11-12]

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.  His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God . . .. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” [Revelation 19:11-16]

His name is Jesus, Jehovah saves.  His name is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  His name is Savior; He is Christ the Lord.

His name is Faithful and True.  This babe who was born in Bethlehem, this man who died on a cross on a hill called Calvary, who ascended into the heavens to sit at the right hand of the throne of God, He is Faithful and True.  He is the KING of Kings and the LORD of Lords.

We celebrate His coming to Bethlehem long ago.  We rejoice in His Promise to return one day to claim the kingdoms of this world as the Kingdom of our God.  Amen, even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

“O Holy Night.” It is one of the most beautiful of the Christmas songs. I especially love the second verse.

“Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘Til He appeared And the soul felt It’s worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new And glorious morn…”

Those words, those beautiful words, remind us that when Christ Jesus came as that Babe in a Manger, it assured us of just how much God loved us and just how much we are worth.  (Remember, we are not worthy of that love, but we are worth what God was willing to pay for us, the precious life’s blood of His Very Son.)

Knowing that, and allowing that to dig deep into our souls, brings a thrilling hope that cannot be destroyed!  No matter how bad this world may get, nothing can destroy that new and glorious morning when God became Immanuel, God with Us.

He is with us in our sorrow and tears. He is with us in our weaknesses, our hungers, and our thirsts. He is with us in our dying and with us in our death!

That truly was a “Night Divine.” And now as we celebrate it, we fall our knees in worship to our Great God who came for His own.  O Holy Night!

Bill & Gloria Gaither - O Holy Night (Live) ft. David Phelps - YouTube

One of my favorite traditional Christ-mas carols is “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.”

It came upon the midnight clear / That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth / To touch their harps of gold! Peace on the earth, good will to men / From heaven’s all gracious King! The world in solemn stillness lay / To hear the angels sing.

Ah, but if we are honest, we must admit there is no peace on this earth.  Daily we see war in nations, battles on social media and in government, discord in families and among friends and neighbors.  We are always at odds with someone.  We long for the “peace on earth, good will to men” that the Christ-mas carols remind us of each year.  Have we mistaken the message of the angels?

No, not mistaken, but perhaps misinterpreted?  The old KJV says, “On earth peace, good will toward men.”  The NIV says, “On earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”   (Luke 2:14)

Neither one promises a world-wide, all-encompassing peace—at least not yet.  The promise of peace sung by the angels, flowing from heaven’s all gracious King, is not a general peacefulness with prosperity and a trouble-free life.

Scripture is clear, our most fundamental need for peace is peace with God.  We have been at war with God since the rebellion in the Garden.  We are hostile to Him and His rule in our lives.  We do everything we can to keep control for ourselves.  There is no peace on earth because there is no peace with God.

But that all changed that night.  Peace was now born into this world.  The true peace had come and will never depart – that true peace lives in the hearts of all those who accept God’s offer.  We now look forward to a time when the King of King comes to reign and all war will be banished forever.  Only then will true peace be world-wide and all-encompassing.  We look forward to that time  …

When peace shall over all the earth / Its ancient splendors fling / And all the world give back the song / Which now the angels sing.

If you have been reading through the Gospel of Luke one chapter a day in December, you have come to the Garden.

Jesus had prepared and warned his disciples about what was coming. Now He leads them to the Garden of Gethsemane and tells them to pray that they do not fall into temptation.

Going on a little farther, He also prays about what was ahead for Him. He prays so fervently that an angel is sent to provide strength. He sweats great drops of blood as He sees the Cross and the Bitter Cup He must drink.

He asks of His Father … “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” [Luke 22:41 HCSB]

“Nevertheless.” What a glorious word. Such a little word. An adverb, plén, it is sometimes translated as “yet” or “however.”

And on that little word hinges the salvation of mankind. Jesus prayed for the cup to be taken away – if the Father was willing to do so. But even if He did not take the bitter cup away, Jesus would do the will of the Father. That’s what nevertheless means.

From that moment on Jesus never wavered, never looked back. He was in complete control, during the betrayal, during the trials, on the cross. He finished the will of the Father, and it will forever be finished!

And because He did, we have an eternity to spend in the glorious presence of our LORD. Amen.

I found my way to Psalm 47 this morning. It is a song of the sons of Korah and in my Bible it is titled, God Our King!

It begins with a shout of triumph. “Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a jubilant cry. For Yahweh, the Most High, is awe-inspiring, a great King over all the earth.” [vss 1-2 HCSB]

In the middle we are commanded to sing praise! “God ascends among shouts of joy, the Lord, among the sound of trumpets. Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our King, sing praise!” [vss 5-6 HCSB]

And at the end we are reminded that God reigns. “God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne…. For the leaders of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.” [vss 8-9b HCSB]

God came that first Christ-mas morning as a Babe in a Manger. We celebrate His birth. But our LORD and Master Christ Jesus is no longer in that manger.

God came to walk among us. He died on a Roman cross to take away our sins. He was buried in a borrowed grave. But our LORD and Master Christ Jesus is no longer in that grave.

He has ascended to the Right Hand of the Father. He reigns over the nations. He is seated on His Holy Throne. It may not look like it, but the leaders of this earth belong to Him. [Acts 2:33a]

So clap your hands. Shout to God with a triumphant voice! Sing Praise! Exalt the LORD our God for He Reigns – FOREVER! Amen.

A few days ago, Pastor Monte posted on Facebook, “A thousand times in history a baby has become a king. But only once has a king become a baby.”

As I read it, I immediately began to sing the chorus from a song I heard years ago written by David Phelps, “One King.” [Released 2006] Here are the lyrics. They speak for themselves.

In the beginning there was the Word / Pure love was spoken to reach every man / They stopped and listened but all that they heard / Was language that they could not understand / No joy, no peace, no hope in sight

So He came with starlight and love in His eyes / No regal welcome for His infant cries / There have been many babies to become a king / But only one King became a baby

He left behind His throne of pure light / Gave up His crown that we might be free / He chose a manger that Bethlehem night / And reaching through time and space He saw me / With no joy, no peace, no hope in sight

So He came with starlight and love in His eyes / No regal welcome for His infant cries / There have been many babies to become a king / But only one King became a baby

He could have chosen to break through the sky / With anthem and angel wing / But He knew we’d understand a baby’s cry / And learn love from a servant King

So He came with starlight and love in His eyes / No regal welcome for His infant cries / There have been so many babies to become a king / Only one King, one King became a baby

(LINK to Song:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb1Uof_gWF0 )

A few years ago I was floundering spiritually. Not in the sense that I was in danger of falling away, but I was physically tired, emotionally drained, and wondering where things were going with the church.

I received an invitation to a pastors’ prayer summit, but when I inquired about going, it was an event that did not welcome women pastors. (Because of some delightful young pastors, that restriction was lifted, and women were able to attend the following year.)

But that year I knew I needed to do something. I decided to do my own prayer summit, found a local hotel, and tucked myself away for four days. I prayed, and I prayed, and I prayed. I read my Bible, studied, tried to quiet my spirit before the LORD and got … nothing. Nothing for three days.

Then on the fourth day, the Holy Spirit took me to Revelation Chapter 3, and as I read, my heart quickened on -the message to the Philadelphia church. [vs 7-13]

Two phrases in that passage ministered to my soul – Verse 8 “you have limited strength,” and verse 9 “Hold on to what you have.”   

It wasn’t a grand message, but it was a quiet reaffirmation. First, I came away knowing that God understood my physical limitations (since this was right after my auto-immune diagnosis). Second, I came away reassured that I was to “hold on” at The Way.

I had no idea what “holding on” would create. But every Sunday when I walk into Christian Faith Center Middleton, I am blessing knowing that sometimes just “holding on” is a foundation stone in God’s plan!

An app on Facebook keeps asking me to play a game … it wants to tell me what 2024 will hold for me. Part of me thinks I would love to know what 2024 holds. Another part of me knows that if I knew what was about to happen I would either worry about it if it was bad or try to make it happen earlier if it was good. Either way would not be good.

Add to that what the past few years have been like and what the political climate has been lately for the 2024 presidential election, and I am sure I do not want to know!

A recent verse of the day reminded me, however, that I do know something about 2024 … and 2025 … and 2026 … and ….

“Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” [Luke 1:30-33 HCSB]

God’s emissary, the Angel Gabriel, proclaimed to Mary something we tend to forget, or perhaps just overlook at times. Not only would Mary bring forth a son who would be great and would be called the Son of the Most High … He also would be given a throne.  AND a Kingdom. AND that Kingdom will have no end.

No matter what 2024 holds for me or for the nation, the kingdoms of this world will bow to the eternal, everlasting, mighty Kingdom of the Lord God Most High. That may be in 2024, or 2025, or …? But it will happen! Amen & Hallelujah!

Luke 17 contains one of my favorite events in the life of Jesus. Verses 11-19 tell the story of the ten lepers who came to Jesus asking to be healed. They stood at a distance and cried out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” [vs13]

Jesus told them to do what was prescribed in the law and go show themselves to the priests. That is what they did and along the way they discovered that they were “cleansed.” Their skin disease (likely leprosy) was gone.

One of them, however, upon finding out that he was cleansed, made a U-turn. He came back to Jesus and fell at His feet, giving glory to God and thanking Him. Only one? Only one – and even more remarkable, this only one was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked where the other nine were who were also cleansed. Then He turned to the only one at His feet and added a remarkable blessing, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well.” [vs19 HCSB]

That word for “well” is sózó. It means to save, rescue, preserve. It means to deliver out of danger and into safety, and in the Scriptures, it is used primarily of God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin.

Only one returned and gave thanks and glory to God. Only one received a further blessing. Not just one healing of the body but also a healing of the soul.

How often have I noted that I am blessed – and I am. God has given me grace, mercy, redemption, love, peace, and a future. Yes, I am blessed.

Being blessed by God is wonderful, but there is an accompanying responsibility that we are also to be a blessing to others. “Others” incorporates both fellow believers and non-believers – even those who are hostile to us.

Peter wrote of this in his first letter. “Now finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic, should love believers, and be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you can inherit a blessing.” [3:8-9 HCSB]

As Christians we are born again into God’s loving family. As His children we are to live in harmony, love, and humility among other Christians. Those are not natural qualities but are born of the grace God has lavished upon us.

But Peter notes, there is more than just loving family. There is also the way we are to respond to hostility and turmoil. Christians are to respond to evil with blessing.  They are not to retaliate or respond in kind to insults.

“On the contrary” Peter says, they are to give a blessing.

That is not easy, but oh, it is so necessary. First, it is a matter of obedience – God calls us to respond in this way. In addition, it appears that “giving a blessing” is crucial to “inherit a blessing.”

Father, thank you for the blessings you heap upon us. Help us to now be a blessing to all! Amen.