Saturday, December 10, 2005
Have you ever imagined the Christmas story from the angels’ perspective?
While we can only surmise what the angels thought, it’s hard to ignore that they were active participants in the whole thing – from the announcement made to Mary to their proclamation to the shepherds in the fields.
Reading something repeatedly, regardless of its importance, can sometimes become routine.
If you’d like to discover a truly supernatural vision of God’s gift to His beloved children, I’d like to recommend a book by a highly respected Christian author.
“An Angel’s Story,” previously published as “Cosmic Christmas,” by Max Lucado, offers a more spectral version of how Mary came to be the mother of Jesus. While we are all familiar with the shepherds, the angels, the nativity filled with animals, and one tiny babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, have you ever wondered just how God might have accomplished it all.
In his book, Lucado offers up supernatural sights and sounds of majestic warrior angels, heavenly singing, sulfur-spewing demons, and a meeting between Satan and God. If you think of a quiet, star-lit night as the focus of our celebrations, you just might want to imagine how it all happened.
In the original publication, the author includes an afterward about how he came to write the book. He’s creatively woven his imaginings with the truth we find in the Bible, and the hope that readers will see truth.
It’s a small book with a powerful vision that can encourage us. While it can be read in one evening, I would encourage you to take your time. The majesty and glory of God’s plan unfolds in an overwhelming realization of just how much our Creator loves us. It will captivate your heart and spirit.
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God: Glory to God in the highest … Luke 2:9, 13-14
Christmas Blessings, Francine
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Friday, December 09, 2005
Some of us struggle most of our lives with faith. We want to believe. Yet, we try in our own power and strength to have the faith of Job. Well, maybe Job’s life isn’t something we would willingly pursue.
Job was a man who had everything and then lost it all. His neighbors gave him all kinds of advice yet they thought his losses were the result of sin in his life. His wife suggested he curse God.
Someone once told me to never pray for patience and used Job’s life as an example of what could happen. And so, for years I didn’t. It wasn’t until I was experiencing great disappointment and heartache that I realized something. I needed the patience of Job to help. How silly of me to not pray for something I desperately needed.
It’s the same with faith. The truth is, faith is a gift (Ephesians 2:8). We scramble around in our circumstances looking for faith. That’s the problem. We can’t get faith on our own. It’s a gift from God. And sometimes, we refuse to receive it even when God has already given it to us.
If we honestly look at our lives, we’ll begin to see that we have faith in so many things – like faith in our country, in the laws, and in people. We even have faith in things we don’t understand. We have faith that our cars will start when we turn the key. We even have faith in strangers. Think about that the next time you drive on a crowded interstate or board a plane. We have faith that the drivers around us will drive responsibly. We have faith that the pilot can fly that airplane and get us safely to our destination. I think our general understanding, knowledge and experience provides the basis by which we live our lives in the physical realm.
It’s the same in the spiritual realm. The more understanding and knowledge we have of God, the more we trust Him. Yet there are times when nothing makes sense and it feels as if we’ve lost everything. This may be the place where we find a most precious truth. Our lives may resemble Job’s, but if we have God, He is more than enough.
Maybe this Christmas, we’ll open the gift of faith and step into realm of spiritual understanding.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see, Hebrews 11:1, NIVChristmas Blessings, Francine
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Thursday, December 08, 2005
Do you think Mary and Joseph were desperately seeking shelter on that first Christmas?
After all, Mary knew she would deliver soon – very soon. And Joseph – well, thinking about what little we know about him, it appears he was older than most new husbands and expectant fathers. What must’ve been going through his mind?
I wonder how the couple felt as they sought a place to stay and were turned away. Was Mary having labor pains? How difficult was it for her to walk or stay astride a donkey? Did Joseph wonder how he might have to deliver a child? Let’s face it, back then fathers didn’t participate in helping their wives give birth. Jewish custom required them to be absent.
As the night grew colder and darker, did their desperation mushroom into hopelessness?
I don’t think so. Even three years ago, I wouldn’t have answered so firmly. But God is teaching me much in my own journey of obedience to seek His will above my desires. And therein lays the reason I can respond so strongly.
Both Mary and Joseph were obediently following God. In spite of the awesome knowledge the angels had relayed to each of them, they truly had to deal with something much more down to earth.
Consider what their family and friends must have thought – apart from the heavenly host’s messages and guidance. Mary was pregnant and unmarried. There was no formal betrothal and no wedding celebration. By rights, meaning Jewish law, Joseph could have had her stoned to death.
Ignoring these things, the two obediently submitted to God's will. Instead of furtively setting up house and preparing a place for the baby, they took off into the desert to travel to a small town with throngs of strangers. No reservations for a nice room at the inn. No recommendations for a mid-wife. Nothing but God.
I believe that rather than desperation, Mary and Joseph experienced a quiet sense of peace and anticipation because of their obedience.
Are you desperately seeking Christmas this year? Desperation can set us up for despair and confusion. You can choose to begin a most wondrous journey with the assurances Mary and Joseph found that Christmas night beneath a blazing star – and accept the gift of the One born in a manger.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16, NASChristmas Blessings, Francine
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Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Christmas can be a lonely time.
Many of us place our faith, hope, and trust in things that will eventually fade away. Some of us already have felt painful disappointment and heartache, and we’ve given up.
Discouragement and depression are unfortunate companions during the holiday season. Regardless of how hard we try to cling to the Truth of all God’s promises, they seem to slip through our fingers. No amount of holiday spirit improves our frame of mind. Often, "Merry Christmas" evokes nothing but an unexplainable sorrow.
One of the greatest examples in the Bible of anguish and joy is David – the shepherd boy who became a king. I identify with him because his mistakes were BIG ones. The other reason is the legacy he left us recorded in many of the Psalms.
Psalm 34 is one of my favorites because it shows some of God’s promises and blessings that are often hard to see in the darkness of our despair. God will deliver us from fear and anxiety, guard us, show us goodness, and meet our needs. According to the Life Application notes, “God pays attention to those who call on him. Whether God offers escape from trouble or help in times of trouble, we can be certain that He always hears and acts on behalf of those who love Him.”
Unfortunately, even if we understand, either we don’t believe it to be true or we don’t ask. Instead, we are so weighed down by our circumstances, it’s almost impossible to see anything other than our loneliness, our heartache, our fear, or our grief.
God knows the suffering of His children, but He can only help when we have a relationship with Him. It isn’t difficult to invite the Creator to become actively involved in our lives. One of the blessings of Christmas is a gift that is given to all if we choose to accept it.
There will always be suffering and hardship in this life, regardless of our faith. The difference is, as believers, we have a supernatural Shepherd constantly keeping watch over us.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit, Psalm 34:18, NLTChristmas Blessings, Francine
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Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Looking for ways to enrich our relationship with Jesus doesn’t mean we ignore the more worldly traditions of Christmas. After all, how can we be a light to the world if we insulate ourselves from it?
Just look on any residential street shortly after Thanksgiving, and you see a magical transformation. Dark houses suddenly twinkle with lights – sometimes hundreds and even thousands of them. Displays adorn rooftops and yards. Have you ever thought about how much time it takes to decorate so lavishly?
In some states, entire communities dedicate themselves to creating displays that dazzle the eyes and bring out the child in each of us. Scenes play out before us in a blur of light as we race through the season.
While our focus should be on the true meaning of Christmas, I sometimes think we miss opportunities to just enjoy the amazing spectacles in our own back yards.
One of my fondest memories is driving through our city, enjoying all the tinsel and lights and reindeer with my children, accompanied by singing Christmas songs – usually sung loudly and off key. It’s become a tradition that my grandchildren now enjoy.
We’ve also participated in our share of Christmas presentations. One year, our church decided to create a living nativity. Invariably, the three nights chosen ended up being the coldest and wettest in our small desert town. We were all overwhelmed with the community response. Traffic backed up on one of the major thoroughfares as people flooded the area. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything.
Our town also has the longest running Christmas parade in Arizona. Each year, thousands line the street to enjoy floats and bands. It snarls traffic and makes getting there and leaving a challenge even for the most patient. It too has become a tradition for our entire family, despite broken bones and loved ones no longer with us.
The point is that merriment and excitement are all around us. All it costs is a little time.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven … a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4, NIV
Christmas Blessings, Francine
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