The Star Quarterback

Philippians 2: 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

Have you ever known a star quarterback? I guess I have been blessed. I have known two. They are my younger brothers John and Greg. Each, in their own time, was the star quarterback at Tawas Area High School. They achieved this elite status long after I had graduated and joined the Navy. It was wonderful to see them achieve  greatness. Humility was not their strong suit. But now that they are grown up, I have to say I am more proud of my brothers now than at any other time in their lives. I am glad they survived being “stars”.  Because there was a time when the rest of their siblings were convinced we were going to have to “take them out.”

If we look into the life of Jesus Christ we are offered the opportunity to witness profound humility. When it comes right down to it Jesus is synonymous with humility. Can you think of one example where he exercised his privilege?  Think carefully now. Here is God who humbled Himself and took on human form which is a huge let down and lived among a bunch of sinners. He chose not to hang with the upper crust of society. He chose to live with common people. He ministered to the sick, the injured, and the demon-possessed. His people were not as we would find living in the penthouse apartments of New York. They were more along the lines of the street people of New York. Jesus, from the very beginning with his birth in a manger was humble. He was humble to death on the cross so that you, me, and all mankind would be reconciled to God the Father. Now, think about a star quarterback or other star athlete in today’s society. Humility is not an attribute that commonly is given when speaking about star athletes. And unfortunately we have a large part of our population that worships star athletes when they should really be worshipping the true star of Bethlehem. Jesus is deserving of our worship. His love for all of mankind transcended all possible bounds of pride and self-preservation. He died on the cross for you and I. He died for all to be forgiven. He poured out his blood like the sacrificial lamb he was so that a bunch of miserable sinners would be made right in the eyes of His Father. He lived a perfect sinless life. How many star athletes can lay claim to that same type of life. None would be the correct answer. And all to frequently we see splashed across the headlines the stories of how these stars have fallen from grace by some act of self absorption. Jesus is a polar opposite to that type of person. So when you go looking for a star in your life to follow, think of the true star of Bethlehem.  And as for my brothers? I am immensely proud of their decisions to follow the only star that matters, Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: Almighty and everlasting God, You set the stars in the heavens. You let their lights shine into the night sky for all to marvel at. Help us to remember that there is only one star in our lives to worship, Jesus Christ. All other stars are temporary and prone to failure. We ask this in the name of the true star of Bethlehem, Jesus Christ. Amen 

You're A Bunch Of Stars

Matthew 2: 1-2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

In my high school days I had a band instructor who was a real task master. He expected excellence, and strived to instill that same desire in all of his students. He had a saying he used when our efforts did not meet his expectations. “You’re a bunch of stars.” It was not a compliment. But it was meant as a subtle message that though we were capable of being very good, we had fallen short of his expectations. Much like a falling star that leaves the heavens and plummets to earth.

Has anyone ever called you a wise man, or a wise woman? What if I were to tell you that you are just like the wise men seeking the birthplace of Christ?  Would you believe me?  Well then, let me make my case for you elevation to this exalted status.

Here you and I (we) stand today over two thousand years following the birth of Jesus. We have the benefit of history, verbal and written, to help us in our search for the Jesus. We can make the physical pilgrimage to the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus is thought to have been born. We just need to hop a series of flights, book hotel rooms, secure a rental car and we can be there amongst thousands of others who do that very same thing during the Christmas season. It is as if going there will give a person a more physical connection to Christ the Eternal. Or, we can do the other journey to seek the birthplace of Christ. We can embark on the journey we call the season of Advent at our church. We can gather with a group of fellow believers, read and worship together, pray, meditate, and experience Jesus in our hearts and minds. If you labor under the misconception that you must make a physical pilgrimage to find Christ let me set you straight. Jesus is right here, right now, and always. He is not just waiting to be discovered in a place in some faraway land. He is all around us. He is with us always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20.) He is found in His Word, in our prayer, in our worship, and in fellow believers. He is right there all around us.  If you have the means and capabilities to make the physical journey to the birthplace of Christ you are certainly welcome to do so. But do not be surprised if you find that Jesus is no more present there than right back at your own home. After all, why would He make Himself so inaccessible to so many by just being in one place? Having to go someplace to experience Christ just does not seem very grace-like to me. How about you?

PRAYER: Lord You are found all around us. In the majesty of your creation all the way down to the most humble of beings. Help us to see You in all that we see. Help us to show Your light in all that we do. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the true star of Bethlehem.

The Plans I Have For You

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 My son Andy sent a letter to me late this past week. It was an interesting, and somewhat introspective letter. I have been giving my reply to the letter much thought and prayer. I stumbled upon one of those little sign posts that God sets out to give directions. It was a license plate on a car, in front of me at a stop light, with the following JER2911. Funny how these things show up at just the right time.

"I have plans for you" are comforting words when we think about all the turmoil and tragedy in our world. Every time we read a newspaper, or open a news website we are confronted with just how bad things are in some parts of the world. Similarly we can see how good things are in other parts of the world. Granted, southeast Idaho is not a hot bed for crime or pestilence. But on occasion it seems as if the outside world comes crashing through our gates. The point I am trying to make is that regardless of what your situation in life is at this moment in time, God has a plan. It is a plan for welfare and not for evil. It is a plan to give you a future and to give you hope. Hope can be so very important at many times in our lives. It is there as a constant, we just seem to forget that it is out there at times. God really has a plan, but my question to you is, what are doing to fulfill that plan?  Speaking from my own experiences, I have done my level best to thwart the best laid plans of my Father in Heaven. And through it all, He has been right there. I suspect He has been there watching, laughing, and at times crying. Yet there have been times when His plan has been sharply defined and I cannot help but fall into line with His wishes. It is at these times that I experience a profound feeling of unity with the Lord. It is a sensation that I guess would be like holding a tuning fork in your hand and it resonates through out your whole body at just the right frequency. It is a feeling like none other I have found in any other experience in my life. These times happen when I am most attuned to the Lord through prayer and study. They happen when things are going well in my life, and when things are going quite badly. The common element is that I am listening to what God has to say in His Word and by prayer. It is an imperative to stay in tune otherwise you and I are likely to miss something of importance. As Jeremiah 29:11 says, God knows the plans He has for you. We should do all we can to grasp what His will is for our lives.

PRAYER:  Lord God, Your love for all mankind is beyond description and boundaries. Your love flows like a mighty river. Help us dear Lord to see Your will for us in our lives. Guide our hearts and thoughts to align with Yours O God. Let your plans be fulfilled in all that we do to Your glory now and forever. We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit reign as One God now and forever. Amen

The Mystery Of His Will

Ephesians 1:9 - 10 He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment - to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

I visited an outdoors sporting goods store yesterday. There were racks and rack of things to wear that are camouflaged in color. All these clothes are designed to obscure the wearer from the view of the critters the seek while hunting. I am glad I do not have that concern while fishing in my boat.

I have been giving a lot of thought about why things are the way they are in regards to the will of God.  My faith, from the Holy Spirit, inspires me to seek out His will. And at times it can be deeply frustrating. It is not as easy as if were displayed on a billboard posted along a street. The will of God is one which does require concentration, prayer and the study of His Word. At times, I have become convinced that I will never be able to discern what His will is in certain situations. At times, all I have been able to discern is that I do not need to know the why of a situation, just that it is what it is and God is in control of the situation. This condition can be frustrating, and comforting all-at-once. It is in circumstances like this that I realize no amount of prayer, study or thought will open my eyes to His will. Because it just is not important that I know. The lesson to be taken away from the experience is knowing why is not important. Rather, trusting God and His will is of utmost importance. I do not have to understand all things, that is why God is God, and I am not. To try to understand all things can be distracting and can cause a loss of focus on what is really important. When we accept that God is in charge, He has a plan, and we are saved in His plan our lives can become more focused on what really is important. I find great comfort in the Ephesians 1:9-10 "which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment - to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." That pretty much lays it out. All of His Will is to be known in the fulfillment of time. His time and not mine. Again, that is because He is God, and I am not. When you and I fully accept that concept, our lives can take on a whole new meaning, and the peace of God can flow into our lives. There are many things in our lives that we wish we could understand why they are the way they are. Friends, when we get too wrapped up in the past, we lose the opportunity to look forward with anticipation to the day when Christ will bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth. We can lose the opportunity to see His will in bringing that day to fruition for the many who do not have Jesus Christ as their Savior. And that brothers and sisters in the Risen Savior is what is really important, bringing all to a relationship with Jesus Christ. That is what the will of God is for each and everyone of us. His will be done!

PRAYER: Almighty and Everlasting God, You have given us faith to believe. We have ears to hear, yet often we are deaf to Your will. We have eyes to see, yet often we are blind to Your will. And we have minds to comprehend, yet often we chose to believe something else besides Your will. Help us Dear Lord to hear, see and comprehend Your will in our lives. Guide us as a shepherd guides a flock of sheep. May Your will be done in our lives on this day and every day. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who on the cross submitted to Your will and gave us the righteousness we cannot achieve by our own efforts. Amen.

A Very Present Help

Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

My day job is emergency management. That means I am supposed to know how to handle, manage, a pretty diverse range of crisis at a nuclear reactor. And I am supposed to know enough about the “how to” in order to train others on how to master the crisis that present themselves. I pray a lot for the right words and the right actions for myself and for those I am responding with and teaching.

At some point in our lives we will face problems that are difficult to understand or bear. These problems, or as Psalm 46 calls them – troubles, can be deeply troubling. The troubles can appear suddenly in our midst, or they can be long simmering. The troubles can be seemingly insignificant in nature to others, yet be huge in our own eyes. The magnitude of a crisis may be somewhat relative and/or subjective. Regardless of the magnitude (perceived or real) of the trouble, there is a common factor in resolution. God is that common factor in all of our troubles. There are many things in our lives that can be troubling. But all have that one common factor – God. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. I will offer one aspect of dealing with troubles in this devotional that can be of great help. It is called practice.  When do you pray about troubles?  Do you save your prayers about troubles for only the really big ones and try to handle the mundane stuff yourself? If that is the case you are really robbing yourself of a great opportunity to stay connected to our Father in heaven in a conversational tone. Think about this. Do you talk to your friends or your spouse about just the big things going on in your life, or do you talk about the big and the little things? Chances are you talk about the full range of things. It is part of having a relationship with others that is important. We talk about a lot of “stuff” going on in our lives. And they talk to us about a lot of “stuff” going on in their lives. It is an ongoing conversation we maintain in order to stay connected. That is the kind of relationship God wants to have with you and I. We need to talk about all the “stuff” in our lives. We need to stay practiced and develop and maintain the skill of staying connected. For when we are struggling to discern the will of God it can be that he is speaking, we just do not recognize his voice. Staying connected in prayer is one very important aspect of your life in Christ. Do not wait for events on the scale of the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling to start praying. Bring all things to the Lord in prayer.

PRAYER: Lord and Giver of Life, all to often we feel as if we should not bother You with the little things in our lives. This can be because we think ourselves capable of handling the little things and only relying on You for the big stuff. How foolish that must seem in Your eyes O God. Help us Father to remember that You have given us the faith we need to reach out to You for all parts of our lives no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. Help us to remember that You desire a relationship with us that is full and complete, not based solely on the crisis of the day. This we ask in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ who with the Father and the Holy Spirit are one, now and forever. Amen