“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

I have a snake in my garage! Yup! We were headed out to a Christmas Party and I was wearing my suit. Seeing movement to the right of my feet, we instantly recognized each other! In that 21.9 nanosecond period of time, we both hesitated. Then as I reached, he slithered! The result? Like I said, I have a rat snake in my garage. My inside mischievous Christmas elf smirks at the possibilities!

I know lots of people freak at snakes… it’s only natural! When God put the curse on the serpent and turned it into a slithering belly crawler, humans were instilled with heebie-jeebies when they meet. It’s all part of the Edenic Curse. But I’ve been around snakes my whole life, so they don’t bother me. But my wife? Haaaaa! THAT is where interesting possibilities lay! She doesn’t want to go in there.

Now don’t give me that “you’re so bad and evil” attitude! It’s RAT snake! This one is a little under 4’, but it doesn’t have a fang or drop of poison in it’s non-slimy body! In fact, we have the advantage, it being in there means WE don’t have RATS! Or won’t for long! Things that irritate are the gnats, mosquitoes and palmetto bugs that show up more often. Bugs bug me! I can PLAY with snakes!

The Bible verse today has always intrigued me. It is obvious sheep and wolves don’t pair well. The CRAZY thing is, ‘Savior Jesus’ isn’t bothered in the least at the thought of sending me, his sheep, out into a world FULL of wolves! The operation method He provides sounds more ridiculous than the commission! “Go be shrewd like snake… innocent like dove!’ Like, “wax on-wax-off!” Funny Jesus!

The words used to define ‘shrewd’ hint at what Jesus expects. ‘Showing a clever awareness, resourcefulness, artful and cunning practices, tricky and penetrating!’ Which should be kind of fun! Except that He also demands ‘innocence’ like a ditsy dove! The verses afterwards warn us that I WILL get the snot beat out of me, but it’s ok! He’ll be WITH me through the beatings and fast exits!

There are snakes in my world. Satan is Biblically referred to as one. Sometimes they openly attack and send me running. Other times they sneak in the backdoor and cause terror just by showing a little skin! But Jesus doesn’t kill snakes, He USES them. Extermination day is coming. But not yet. Which means I am required to trust HIM for the attitude and skills necessary to live with snakes!  Even though I naturally don’t want to!

Are YOU fearful or shrewd? Prepared or oblivious? Are you ready to face the snakes in life using HIS skills and resources? Seeing snakes turned into saints is actually kind of interesting and fun!

We are asking for prayer for healing, strength and a special touch of the Holy Spirit for Keri Allen, Husband John and their kids J.D., Zach and Mallory.  They are battling a big snake and need our support in Christ!  Will you join us in expectation and hope?

Five Looks at Jesus

For every look at yourself, take five looks at Christ.

Those are the words of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, a pastor in Scotland in the first half of the nineteenth century. He was born in Edinburgh in 1813, and what’s striking about his life (and that some still remember him today) is that he lived only twenty-nine years. He died of typhus fever in 1843.

Two years later, his friend and a fellow minister Andrew Bonar published Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray M’Cheyne, which in time came to be published in over a hundred English editions. In Memoir and Remains appears a letter M’Cheyne wrote to a friend:

Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely. Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief! Live much in the smiles of God. Bask in His beams. Feel His all-seeing eye settled on you in love, and [rest] in His almighty arms . . .

Let your soul be filled with a heart-ravishing sense of the sweetness and excellency of Christ and all that is in Him. Let the Holy Spirit fill every chamber of your heart; and so there will be no room for folly, or the world, or Satan, or the flesh. (293)

Ten looks at Christ for every one look at self. I suspect M’Cheyne’s counsel was striking in his day. But now, some 180 years later, what are we to make of it, living in an age so saturated in, so dominated by the ruse of the almighty self?

Ten looks at Christ for every one look at self was a countercultural word in M’Cheyne’s day. And how much more so for us now? And what healing might there be for us in heeding his counsel? How impoverished are we for our subtle and overt fixations on and fascinations with self, dwelling in a generation that both nourishes the love of self in us and conditions us for greater and deeper attention to self than we otherwise might dare venture?

So I want to ask you to come with me on a journey. I invite you in these moments — as much as you’re able — to put self aside, and together let’s take ten looks at Jesus. In this first session, we’ll take five looks at him from eternity past to the cross, and then in the second session, from his resurrection to eternity future. And with each look, we’ll anchor our glance at his glory in at least one key biblical text and also a key theological term that seeks to capture some of the majesty we find in Christ. So, here are five looks at Jesus.

Look #1: He delighted his Father before creation.

Look #2: He became man.

Look #3: He lived to his Father’s glory.

Look #4: He humbled himself.

Look #5: He died for sins not his own.

5  looks at Jesus that teach us just who and what He did! Remember that Jesus chose to come and die for us. His submission was not without joy. His was not obedience without willingness. He did not just endure death for those who believe; he embraced it.

Hebrews 12:2 says, “For the joy that was set before him [he] endured the cross.” And I would not be surprised if Hebrews leaned on Isaiah 53:11 to make such a stunning claim: “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied.”

What sustained Jesus on that dark Friday we now call “Good,” on the single most horrible day in the history of the world? Joy. He saw ahead and was satisfied enough that what joy he tasted even then sustained him through the agony, distress, and anguish.

Unlike the animals who stood in temporarily as substitutes for God’s people in the old covenant, Jesus willed it, with his human will. He embraced it. It pleased him to give his own life as a substitute for sinners — for the joy of the many who would believe and the glory of his Father. What wondrous love we have available to us if we simply choose to look at Him.  Especially during this Christmas season.

Do YOU see Jesus in your circumstances?

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” Luke 3:8

It was far too ridiculous to be of any coincidence. As I turned the corner and approached the fountain, there was a man kneeling on the edge with his hands plunged into the water. It took a moment to process, then as I looked over him, it just came out! “HEY… WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Are you stealing money?” Standing up to about 6’2,” he confirmed that he was! So I just got louder!

Having a look about him that showed he was not only unrepentant, but even deserved to do what he was doing!  He defiantly said “I need a cup of coffee! How much money do YOU have?” That didn’t set well so God entered the discussion and I said, “Man, you KNOW how low you have sunk in your life AND you know what to do! What is the matter with you? WAKE UP! LOOK UP! TURN TO JESUS!”

As I said, it wasn’t a coincidence. The timing that this would happen the moment I walked by, plus the Spirit of God which seemed far too personal and prophetic, had caught me off guard as much as it did him. This guy’s story had been in the making for a VERY long time. And He KNEW it! He didn’t need a cup of coffee, he NEEDED a wake up call! God had me give it to him. I pray that he heard it!

America is a mess. People doing evil are on the rampage with deserving intent, trying to force their wants and desires on an embarrassed nation. My experience has been that ‘The Church,’ either unable to keep up or not knowing what to do, chooses to capitulate or slink backward onto hiding. Truth no longer boldly marches on, it folds! And like ‘fountain man,’ the Church KNOWS!

Of course I could have bought him a cup of coffee, or a sandwich! But having met hundreds like him over my life, I knew that would not have helped. He needed to hear from God, one more time, that it was time he repent and turn his life around. That God was continuing to press him to do so showed me just how much God really loved him! The man was being chased. I knew the feeling!

Jesus’ claim that He IS “The Way, The Truth and The Life” is a statement we all need to address. Yesterday, I wrote John 14:6 at the bottom of my lunch bill and, handing it to the cashier said, “this is the best verse you will EVER read!” Her statement back to me was, “knock yourself out!” Clearly indicating she had NO intention of reading it. But The Word had been preached!

Are YOU boldly standing up and proclaiming the Gospel to those in your world who need to hear it? You could very well be the 1 person they need to hear from today!

“Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.” Psalm 34:3

“It won’t open!” were the words my wife said as she entered the front door-code for the 3^rd time. Looking at the door lock, I immediately knew why! The flashing lights, which are usually green, flashed blue. She didn’t know what that meant, but since household maintenance is my job, I did. The battery that powers the door lock was running low and indicated it needed replacing.

It was a few years back when I purchased the electronic lock. Not having any idea how much easier it would make my life, I’d never go back to a key locking system. Fumbling with, and trying to find the right key in the dark, is a thing of the past. Now I can even input a temporary code to allow people access to the house if needed. For now, ‘blue’ indicated I just needed some power!

Last night was our Church’s annual Christmas Decorating and Pizza party. Little did I realize that the light from my life had been flashing blue. When we all came together, everything just came together. Pairing up in groups, lights and decorations ignited joyful conversations, even drowning out the background Christmas music. Finally, with spirits aglow, we joined for our final act. Prayer!

My door lock flashes one other color besides green and blue. Red means something is wrong! Last night, as we joined for prayer, we first discussed the flashing red lights of our individual lives. A lot of sickness, death and pain was being experienced by many of our members. So they brought them out to share with the Church. Then together, we all took those flashing red lights to Jesus.

Looking back I can spiritually see how the power of Jesus Christ, also known as ‘The Door,’ took our red pains and sorrows from flashing blue to green.  By the time we were done, the Spirit of our church was unquestionably flashing ‘JOY!’ Even though the individual circumstances of our lives hadn’t changed, WE had! Such is the POWER of ‘The Church!’ And it has been this way for over 2000 years!

In all my years, I have never seen Jesus fail! The flashing red lights in life never seem to end, but time again, He has proven to me that His power is ALWAYS reliable, and that we ALL have access to The Father when we KNOW the password of His Son. Which is why I do not understand people’s choices to not do the Hebrews 10:24-25 thing and COME TOGETHER! Green beats red and blue all day long!

What color is YOUR life flashing and how could a trip to His Church help?

“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” Zechariah 13:1

There is a fountain on the side of my house! It is there because Katie likes the sounds it makes as she sits there in the morning for her quiet time. Well… it’s SUPPOSED to make sound! But when the water disappeared, it grew silent. Not SEEING the water flowing and not HEARING the “tinkle tinkle,” meant it was time for me to get to work and FIX the fountain. It’s a regular project!

There are a few things that need to be done in maintaining the fountain. When the pump at the bottom gets clogged with falling leaves and debris, it requires pulling it out and removing anything blocking the water flow. Next, though the fountain runs on water, I have to keep it lubed! The spouts, over which the water flows, get messed up and the water stops flowing, going all over the place. Some Vaseline on the spouts keeps water flowing freely. Weird, I know! But necessary.

The whole project doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to get the fountain flowing again. But those 10 minutes are critical to keep the sound and water continuing for another month or so. I’ll also occasionally throw in some chlorine to prevent mold from building up, which is not a big deal. Both of us prefer the fountain not be covered in black ugly mold! Working, I recalled a hymn!

“There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins! And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains!” This song was written by William Cowper in the 1700’s after a bout with depression! After completing studies and being invited to clerkship at the House of Lords, he suffered a panic attack at his interview and was not admitted. The song flowed from experience.

I can’t help but feel his pain, as everything he had apparently wanted, hoped and worked for just came to a halt. His water stopped flowing and he got clogged! Looking backwards, I can see, and even feel, that the song he wrote was God’s way of reminding William that the work of Christ ‘was,’ ‘is’ and ‘will be’… enough! All he, and I, need to do is rest in the completed work of The Master.

This Christmas reminds me of the coming Day when ALL will be completed and no more maintenance will be required. Until then, I find that the best time of my days are when I spend them looking toward my Savior as He works on and uses the drips, clogs and black spots of my life.

Do YOU know about the fountain and have you seen it in YOUR life?

https://www.godtube.com/popular-hymns/there-is-a-fountain/

“Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” Psalm 24:7 & 9

It is THAT time of year! The time when, after reflection and Thankfulness, we turn our time, effort and attention to the Worship of the one to whom we give thanks. Which means planning, spending money, devoting time and LOTS of WORK! It was this last week, when we went to get all of our Christmas decorations from storage, that Katie said, “maybe this is the last year!” And I gasped!

If you have ever been to our house at Christmas time… you know. My bride is not only an artistic wonder, but she loves Jesus more than anyone I know! She displays that love throughout the Advent season by opening box after box of ornaments that have been packed, repacked and added to for 45 years! Now that the kids have grown, the results don’t get seen as much. Which begs the question!

It takes a lot of work to prepare for Christmas. We aren’t as young as we used to be either! So in light of the few who actually see the results, the question, “why do we do it?” is only natural. In reading this Psalm this morning, I was overjoyed to find the real and true answer to the WHY question. We do it because HE DESERVES it!

I have to admit that this last year has been a rough one. Pain, suffering and sorrow have not hidden themselves as in years past. With so much going on in the world, OUR world has been taxed and overrun. Things that never made sense make even less these days. Answers don’t come as easily either. But THE Answer showed up this morning in ALL of His Glory… and paid me a visit!

I’ve been to Jerusalem, so I can see the ancient gates and doors in my mind. They are both old and rather small. Trying to imagine Jesus Christ preparing to victoriously enter those gates leads to the same question we asked this week. ‘WHY? Why would He BOTHER?’ Maybe the answer lies in the reason He bothered to come in the first place! Shockingly, it’s because HE thinks I’M WORTH it!

The history of The Golden (or Eastern Gate) of Jerusalem is prophetic (see the link below). It is this gate where Jesus Christ will enter the city to reign as King of the Earth. It doesn’t look like much now, but it WILL! In reading Psalm 24 I noted that verses 7 and 9 are the same! And they are a call for ME to raise MY mind, soul and heart to receive the King of Glory who wants IN! Welcome Advent!

So when all is done, it really doesn’t matter if anyone comes to see the results of our decorating for Christmas, because HE is the one we do it for. And HE is the ONLY reason we need! And as the old cliche’s go, we’re ‘keeping Christ in Christmas’ because ‘Jesus is the reason for the season!’

Are YOU preparing to receive the King of Glory into YOUR heart and house this Christmas?

The Story Behind Jerusalem’s Sealed Golden Gate

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

“An “F”… on a test?” And just like that, right in the middle of a Mexican Restaurant, court was in session! The occasion was lunch after church. As a group of us met around chips and salsa, my daughter said that her son, my grandson, had missed school due to illness, then subsequently got an “F” on a test. Embarrassed, the lad defiantly hollered, “Whatdaya expect ME to do about it!?”

Since the service was slow and we had a lot of time, questions popped out from nearly every adult sitting at the table. The object? A school test. The subject? Math. The preparation? Nada! As the hole got deeper, my defendant grandson got more attitude. Which made ME more disappointed. But when the KIND of math turned out to be Algebra, I lowered my head in shame, then reflected.

In Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way,” one of the lines says, “regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention.” In MY life I’ve had more than just a few. Algebra was one of them. I took Algebra 3 times in school. I earned a ‘D’ all three times! To this day I carry a scar over my incomprehension of understanding ANYTHING Algebraic. In remembering MY failure, I took the high road!

There was no doubt in my mind that, had that same test been given to the adults at the table, we all would have received the same grade. So it wasn’t about math. It was about Character! And the question on the table wasn’t what WE thought about it, but rather what HE thought about it! Thus, MY responsibility as Patriarch, was to help HIM see THAT, and to discover what HE should DO about it.

Jesus is my Teacher and… He is TOUGH! There are lessons and pop quizzes EVERY DAY, so keeping up is tough. Admittedly there are more ‘F’s’ than ‘A’s.’ But that does NOT stop ‘The Teacher’ from doing what He does. Nor does it lower His expectations of me. Today’s verse says that God made me to DO good works, and His expectation is I DO THEM WELL… ALWAYS! Defiance only adds scars to the pain.

With Jesus, there is no punishment! He died to free me from all that. But there ARE consequences and expectations that come with the Freedom He procured on my behalf. Because HE cares, He expects ME to care as well. AND to DO something about it when an ‘F’ shows up on my report card. I’ve learned that, positively expecting me to learn from my negatives, is kind of His thing!

So where are YOU failing to meet His standards? What is He suggesting YOU DO about it? Are you doing it? Because Character Counts, He will NOT ‘let it go!!’  Now THAT”s a key to li’F’e!

“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1

At Bible Study last night we proved that the Church doesn’t have all the answers. The Word clearly tells us that all of us are different and, though all are made in the image of GOd, we all have a single purpose.  You are unique in thought, gifts, capabilities and action.  But there is one area where we should NEVER differ or disagree.  And that is the purpose of today! We were created to Glorify God and to be dependant and thankful for His blessings to us.  That is the one area where NONE of us should have a different opinion.

So today, I invite you to stand up to the principalities and powers of darkness in high places and, leveling your finger into satan’s kingdom, let it be known that YOU stand with Jesus Christ and are THANKFUL for being stuffed full with His Love, Grace and Kindness.  

Happy Thanksgiving

“Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:1

“Do you mind if we stop by the store?” Katie asked. In fact, she asked it a couple times yesterday while we were out and about. Which was a logical conclusion, since we are heading toward the HUGE FAMILY celebration of Thanksgiving. There are things to be made. Food to be prepared. Stuff to organize. Going from store to store, the crowds only grew larger, making me think!

Thanksgiving is an American Tradition. Having made some new friends visiting our church from the UK, Paul had said how much he loved the Thanksgiving Holiday. But Thanksgiving isn’t an American invention. The word itself give clue that something gifted has been received and acknowledged. I wondered how many people were preparing, anticipating and seeking The Giver!

When it comes to the celebration of Giving Thanks, I can’t remember EVER walking to the refrigerator on Thanksgiving day and, at the last minute saying, “let’s see what we’ve got here!” Nope! Only the BEST recipes will be made and presented AFTER planned trips to the store. LOTS of hours and labor go into eating a feast that will take about 25 minutes to devour. Which isn’t the point!

If God is your point, the fun of Thanksgiving isn’t food. The point goes even further than family and friends. The most joyous fruit of Thanksgiving is preparing my heart for receiving the Lord of the Universe. And when a BUNCH of us are doing that TOGETHER… There is no greater joy or pleasure in the Universe. It is the living reality of Emmanuel. God WITH US!

I am a Son of God by Faith in His Son Jesus Christ! I have a seat at HIS table and have the honor of being His Heir. So Thanksgiving to me is simply practice… for His Coming and Gathering His family all together… FOREVER! I pray HE is on YOUR mind as together, we prepare for His return.

Are YOU ready?