Christmas Harvest

 "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." 2 Corinthians 9:6

    Bathed in the warmth of worship, as the stained glass windows reflected the Christmas eve candles, voices softly sang "Silent Night." As our prayerful hymn drew to a close, the pastor bade us to raise our candles high, recalling how each flame had drawn its beginning from the Christ Candle. After we extinguished them, wisps of smoke gently pushed us out into the darkness to be the lights of the world our Savior called us to be.

    On our drive home, my husband and I wended through neighborhoods to see the lights and decorations. The spiritual high I was on came down like a popped balloon as I listlessly looked at the holiday panorama; a dinosaur munching on an elf, a pajama-clad sloth, a flamingo wrapped in a scarf. The final straw for me was seeing a gingerbread man entering an outhouse. I was hard-pressed to spot a nativity or any other reminder of the Reason for the season.

    The hollow emptiness of it all threatened to steal my joy until God spoke to me through His word the next day, using the above verse. Could it be that the secular decorations, sprouting across lawns like weeds, were a direct result of seedless planting? Perhaps there was no bountiful harvest because the farmers had not cast any seeds!

    "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." (Romans 10:17) It's possible that those who dwell in these decorated homes heard the gospel but rejected it, but maybe there are some who have not been told that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, who was sent into the world to save the world. 

    Wouldn't it be glorious if everyone's yards displayed the good news of the incarnation, a testament to the boundless joy of the homeowner?  If that's something we'd like to see, we've got our work cut out for us before next Christmas. So, strap on your seed bag and start casting them in the power of the Holy Spirit.

"I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." John 4:35

Follow the Signs

 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

    Have you ever paused to imagine a city without signs? Without route numbers or street signs to guide the way, how would the mail carrier sort out that mess? No stop signs to halt traffic would cause many a collision. Some may initially embrace the freedom of no speed limit signs, until chaos ensued. We need these signs to successfully find our way.

    Along the road of history, God provided signs guiding us to the Messiah. 

    The prophet Micah foretold where Jesus would be born, in Bethlehem Ephrathah (Micah 5:2), and through Daniel, we learn the timing in which this would take place (Daniel 9:25). The verse above is an unmistakable sign as told by the prophet Isaiah: The virgin birth. (How many of those have happened?)    

    Hundreds of years later, the heavenly host of angels provided a sign to the shepherds of Bethlehem: "Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:11, 12)

    Have you ever wondered why Jesus had no crib for a bed? Our omnipotent God could have coerced any inn keeper to carve out a vacancy, yet the Lord chose the manger so the shepherds would have a definite sign. How many other infants in that crowded city would they find asleep on the hay? 

    For anyone who feels lost, God has given us specific directions to show us the way. Yield to his flesh-and-blood grace, wrapped in swaddling cloths. Stop and give abundant praise to God, who so loved the world that he gave us his Son. Whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have eternal life! Avoid the road hazards. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father expect through me." (John 14:6) I can just imagine a large arrow pointing the way.

All we have to do is follow the signs.

"Now while He (Jesus) was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs He was performing and believed in His name." John 2:23 

Jesus Loves the Little Children

 "Then people brought little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" Matthew 19: 13, 14

    After dinner last night, I was reading the "Letters to Santa" in the newspaper. The letters were submitted by second and third graders from local schools, printed exactly as the children had written them. Here are a few I loved:

Dear Santa, My name is Dale. I am in 2 grade. I have been Good this year because I have been woshing the dishes. I wish for my dad to come home.

Dear Santa, I am Rosie from Ohio. I want a BarBie dream house. And I want to know were my glasses are.

Dear Santa, My name is Kol and I am 8 years old. My Christmas wish is to make all the poor, rich. I would like enough food for everyone. Please and thank you.

Deer Santa, I what Chrismas to be the best time of the year and i thick it is gana be amazing.

    Out of the mouths of these babes came a mixed bag of wants and desires. Was I surprised to see many of them ask for an IPhone? Of course, there were various toys requested, and one kid was bold enough to ask for $10,000! 

    I may cause some gasps from the crowd today when I say, I don't really like this business of Santa. I remember when I was a child (probably about seven or eight years old), one of my sisters told me that Santa was make-believe. I was very angry about that, having felt deceived by everyone. Why would my parents, who taught me about the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem, also feel the need to give me gifts from Santa? Was Jesus not enough? 

    Ponder the verses above. Would you rather your children sit on the red lap of a fabled man, or would you rather they come to the divine embrace of Jesus, who prays for them? Close your eyes and picture the beaming faces of children waiting in line to see Jesus at the mall. Jesus, who gives eternal life, unconditional love, grace, mercy, peace and joy - things that last. 

    Let the magic of the incarnation amaze you today! The King of kings, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, laid aside his glory and poured Himself into the vessel of a dependent, vulnerable baby. Oh, come let us adore Him, full of grace and truth, who gave His life for us, whom death could not hold, who rose from the grave and went to prepare a place for us, so that we may come be with Him where He is, forever.

    Christmas is the best time of the year and I think it is going to be amazing!

"For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

The Silent Testimony of Cookie

 "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young." Isaiah 40:11

    Silence can be golden. 

    The hope of God is often communicated without saying a word. Sunny daffodils nod their heads amid snowy breezes. Naked limbs, once clothed in glorious skirts of orange leaves, patiently wait for dress as the winter wanes on. The mothers-to-be glow in rhapsody, biding their time as skin knits with bone deep within their womb. All of creation seems to wait with one ear cocked toward the portal, waiting for the fullness of time - the redemption of our bodies. "But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (Romans 8:25)

    One of the best and bravest of love stories I have ever heard, I now share with you. A dear Christian sister of mine is mother and caregiver to her firstborn, a daughter named Ephilia, tenderly known as Cookie. This has been her calling since Cookie's birth forty years ago revealed special needs. Upon her arrival, the journey began for this little family across the sea from me, in India. Three healthy sons followed, filling their family tree, but the silence of Cookie remained as her parents sought the best for her. 

    My friend revealed to me the prayer she had been praying as Cookie's fortieth birthday approached. Knowing from the scriptures that the number forty often signified an end to a time of testing, her prayer was for Cookie to be healed of her defects, and be able to teach Sunday School at their church. She had strong faith in the character and covenant of God's love, and it was in this power that she prayed.

    When Cookie's birthday came, however, her physical limitations remained. Though she is not teaching a class, her testimony speaks loudly and across the miles as her mom sent this on social media: "Today, I want to thank God for the gift of Cookie to our family and especially to me...Cookie is truly the binding force of our family, keeping us all united with each other with a strong family bond. She brought me closer to God...Her unconditional love made me love all those around me selflessly. Cookie taught me to accept life as it comes and still have a smile on my face."

    Cookie is a teacher who has much to say to those who will listen. One day, the waiting will be over; all that's been lost will be made whole as our guardian angel leads us through that portal. Until then, with one ear tuned toward the door and one eye on the heavens, share your testimony with others in whatever way you are able. The waiting is almost over.

"They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world." Psalm 19: 3, 4  

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word and does not do what it says is like someone who looks at himself in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do." James 1: 22-25

    Every morning, my routine remains about the same: a quick face wash, apply moisturizer and light makeup and brush the teeth. On the weekends, more intense grooming make be required for which I have a magnified mirror on a flexible arm. One day, upon examination, I was aghast to find something which clearly did not belong. How many people had zeroed in on this long chin hair before I had seen it? Quickly, I employed measures to rid myself of what was unbecoming of me.

    When I read my Bible before work, due to time constraints, it is like a quick glance in the mirror. But when the weekend affords opportunities for deeper reflection, I often find things that do not belong in my life with Christ. 

    Just this week at work, there were two students in need. The first one was upset over the illness of his mother. Seeing him in tears, I treasured the opportunity to talk with him one-on-one, offering to pray for his mom. 

    The second boy's needs did not pull on my heartstrings. His ways were clearly contrary and disrespectful, perhaps due to problems at home, I cannot be sure. But my reaction to him, which I verbalized, was less than Christian and, when my co-worker gently pointed that out to me, I was immediately convicted. 

    Like Peter by the burn barrel, when the denied Christ gazed directly at him, I wanted to weep bitter tears over the way I let my Jesus down. I pray that He who searches my heart will zero in on anything unbecoming of me and my walk with Him, and employ measures to rid me of it. May I reflect Jesus.

"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless." James 1:26