He Dwelt Among Men

Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

The old axiom that you really do not know someone else until you walk a mile in their shoes is so very, very true. We can pass judgement on someone (but should not in any case) because of how they act or appear at a given time. Yet we do not know what has transpired, or is transpiring in their lives to lead them to the condition we observe. But the Son of God, fresh from being baptised is led up into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit (an equal part of the triune God as Jesus himself) to be tempted by the devil. What ensues is in essence something no other deity can claim. Jesus walk among men, with all the frailities of man. he was by hunger, thirst, testing God the Father to show His love for His Son, and power over all the kingdoms of the earth. On this scale our temptations seem little at best. And yet Jesus showed His resolve, and faith in the Father. He possessed a strength we can aspire to, yet not achieve without His help through the Holy Spirit. Jesus experienced all the feelings in His time on earth that you and I feel in our own lives. Love &anger, hunger & plenty, companionship & abandonment. And through it all he maintained His faith. I cannot say that has always been the case in my live. How about you? And that is why we (you and I) need to always lean on Jesus. He is the source of our redemption. He is our redeemer and He lives with us each and every day of our lives. There is no one I trust more than someone who has walked a mile in my shoes. And brothers and sisteres in the risen Savior, Jesus has been there and done that and bought the T-shirt. To Him be all the glory in all that we do.

PRAYER: Lord our lives can seem complicated at times. We place ourselves into situations that severely challenge our lives, our resolve, and even our faith. You walked in our shoes. You know what we go through in our lives. Help Dear Lord to stand firm in times of testing. Help us to clearly hear Your voice above all the other voices distracting us from You. Guide us precious Shepherd. We ask this in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One God now and forever.  Amen.

Jesus Came Forth To Be Born Of A Virgin

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel."
Have you ever encounterd a situation where you could not totally believe what you had been told? One of those situation where it just seemed too good to be true? Usually we find out that is was too good to be true. That is where faith in God sets us apart in how we percieve the gift of grace. It may seem too good to be true to some, but to believers it is TRUE!

The world is full of corruption and doubt. I cannot say it any more plainly, that is just how our world is. We can pick up a newspaper on most any day and read of a scandal, or scam. We read of the tragedy of broken marriage vows in the world of celebrity and are reminded of just how fragile and normal those we hold in esteem really are.  But in this world, we frequently encounter our own duality of faith. We believe, and yet we have some doubt. I small crumb of doubt. In the biblical vernaculat the yeast spore of doubt can ruin our complete faith. When we let our doubt run its' course we keep looking for some validation that our faith is warranted or justified.  It is like a small child who frequently looks back to be sure that their parent(s) as still there within sight. We keep looking for God to prove He is there and cares about us. Knowing this, our Father in Heaven fulfilled the words of the prophet with the birth of Jesus. Long before his birth the Psalms were there to remind believers that God was true to His word.  From Psalm 119:160 we are reminded "The sum of Your word is truth and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. This is the promise given, and fulfilled. What was prophesied came to be. A done deal. And we, the ingrafted branches are the benefactors of this gift of grace brought forth in the birth, life, and sacrifice of Christ. The words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:14 say it best 'and the grace of our Lord overflowed for with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord God, Heavenly Father we are blessed beyond our comprehesion. Our humble thanks are at best inadequate compared with the value of Your gift of grace. Humble we approach You in prayer and offer our thanksgiving. We ask that You receive our prayer as a fragrant offering given with our whole hearts. We ask this in the name of our Savior Jesus. Amen.

One Day When Sin Was As Black As Could Be

1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Having kids is an enlightening experience. Their minds seems to work in a manner that is delightful, and frustrating all at once. They go from accepting no as all that is needed to deter undesired behavior to something that defies all logic. Often times telling them to do something is the only way to trigger the response of never doing that which you told them to do. Arrgghhh!

In the next verse of the song Glorious Day, by Casting Crowns, we look at “One day when sin was a black as could be.”  When I give this some thought it always drives me back to the original sin which took place in the Garden of Eden.  Everything was open to Adam and Eve, but the fruit of the forbidden tree. And that is what they ate. The serpent had certainly been a persuasive salesman. And with his success, there was the ultimate failure for all mankind. Our embedded weakness was brought forth in all its’ glory. Were are prone to sin. The blessing of free will is also the curse of being able to chose what is wrong.  What I find interesting from the line in the song above is that sin was always as black as could be. It was, and always will be, against the good and pleasing will of God. It goes contrary to the commandments given to us by God our Father. And yet, we do it anyway.  The Apostle Paul struggled with this. The weakness of the flesh is how he put it. But what do you suppose was going on at the time in history when Christ was born that would lead one to believe it was perfect timing and God saw the need for a Savior? And what differentiated that moment in history versus any other moment before or since?  These are questions left for God to answer when we have the chance to ask Him face to face. We rely on God’s perfect timing in our lives at all times to give us what we need exactly when we need it. Rain, sunshine, feast, famine, triumph, and tragedy arrive at the right time for God to achieve his will and purpose in our lives. We embrace Baptism, Holy Communion, Confession and Absolution, and daily prayer in our lives because we know we are sinful and need forgiveness. We can try harder to not sin, and ultimately we will fail on our own. We truly need a Savior. Without Jesus we are lost in our sin. Without Jesus we are condemned to an eternity in hell. And in Paul’s words “Thank God for Jesus Christ.” Sin may be black as could be. And we are forgiven by a loving God - our Father in Heaven. The light of Christ has pierced by blackness of sin. Death no longer has a sting for those living in Christ. And for that, we can be eternally grateful.

PRAYER: Almighty and everlasting God, we poor sinners are eternally grateful for the sacrifice of Your precious Son Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, we are lost forever. His sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection give us the hope we desperately need. No longer does death have sway. The sting of death and sin is lost on the cross. For that Dear Lord we can never say thank you enough. Please accept our humble prayer and heartfelt worship O God as our thanks. This we ask in the strong name of Jesus, who with the Father and the Spirit are one God now and forever. Amen