Rise Up!

     Rise up!  Our Lord calls you to serve.  The time is at hand to take the Word of our Father to every person he desires to hear his word.  Where is your faith?  Where is your holy spirit?  It is time to let this world know that the one true God, our Father, is and has great love for them.  It is time to glorify his name before mankind; a mankind that has shown the human tendency to take up idol worship when our Lord is away preparing them an eternal home. 

     We must have faith and pray for his guidance, courage, and strength.  If we go forward with faith and in service to him, he shall fill our mouths and our writings with his divine words.  We need to add action to our words.  The world must know and understand through our faith that God is, was, and forever shall be.  The world must know his glory and his unconditional love. 

     The sheep have strayed.  It is time to call them in.  Our Lord will instruct and show us the way of the shepherd through prayer and faith.  He will show us the faraway nooks and crannies the sheep have strayed into.  He will be our guide, our light for searches in the dark recesses.  Yes, he will tell the mountains to move to bring in his lost sheep.  We must begin to put our faith into action.  Show no fear.  If you must fear someone or something, fear God for he has power over all things, all creatures, all people.

     Let us go forward with enthusiasm and great joy as one doing the work of our Lord surely possesses.  If you doubt, pray for conviction.  If you falter before the enormous task at hand, pray for his strength.  If you do not possess the means, pray for the source.  All these things shall be given to those who go forward in our Father’s work through faith and the holy spirit.  Who or what can stand against its creator, our God.

     We are blessed by our Lord for those acts we do in his name for his glory.  What other glory can be worth the effort, after we have worked for his glory.  Rise up!  Show the world that divine love we possess, and give it to them without condition as it was given to us. 

                                             

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.  Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.”

 Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

¹ And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
    let all the peoples extol him.”

 And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.”

 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

(Romans 15:1-13 NIV)

Do we really have faith in God?

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
    and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved
    and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
    The Lord Our Righteous Savior.

(Jeremiah 23:1-6 NIV)

     As the prophecy foretold, the Lord Our Righteous Savior has come and is ruling over us.  He appeared 2013 years ago to teach and spread the Good News that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.  He was born unto lowly circumstances according to the physical world, but high circumstances in accord with our Father’s spiritual world.  Nonetheless, many people, then and now, have asked, “Why would God send the world’s savior into such lowly circumstances?”  Good question.

     Learn this lesson: God, Lord over all, has no use for worldly gold and political power.  He rules over all; physical, spiritual…he created it all, and can create an infinite amount of gold and create himself as ruler over all the nations if he desires such.  God has no use for these worldly riches and empty designations. 

     Furthermore, our Father rules and has power over us through his divine, unconditional love.  When he makes a statement, like the one above to Jeremiah, you can be certain he will carry through with it.  God will carry through in his time and in his way.  We become impatient if prophecies do not come about in our time and our way.  If God promises or states anything, it has or will happen, but in his way and in his time.  

     The Israelites that Moses brought out of Egypt were led and their way lighted by God himself, as he promised.  Yet, as soon as Moses was gone a short period upon the mountain to speak with God, they turned back to lifeless, powerless idols to worship.  How thick headed and impatient we humans are.  How sad that we cannot give our Father, who has never failed to make good on a promise, his time, in his way.  He loves us so much.  Surely, it makes him extremely sad that we forsake him so easily in such a short period of time.   We turn to idols so quickly when he is out of our physical sight.  When has he done any act that deserves such shallow faith? 

     Faith is synonymous with devotion and loyalty.  When most people state, “I have faith in God,” do they really know what that means or fully realize what they are saying?  I hope so, but think not.  I know from personal experience that I did not understand what I was saying until recently.  Saying, “I have faith in God,” should be stating, “I have belief in and am fully devoted to the one true God as revealed by Jesus Christ, his son and the holy Bible, and am working to become more like our Lord Jesus each day and to serve him better.

     Therefore, if we have this true faith, we should have the patience to allow our Father to bring about his promises in his time and in his way and to not loose any of that faith during the period of waiting.  God has not forsaken us.  If anybody has forsaken anybody, it we humans have forsaken God.  God has never shown us any reason to distrust him.  We humans have given ample reason to be mistrusted, but, time and again, God relents and trusts us again by honoring his covenant with us through his unconditional love. 

     Finally, what do we get for this faith, this love and devotion?  We get the most precious and astounding gift of all, eternal life and love by and with him, our God. 

     We come upon one of the most holy of times during the year that is a celebration of the birth of our dear Lord Jesus.  Let us celebrate and worship this holy birth by focusing on the spiritual riches our Father has bestowed upon each one of us and the gift of his son.   All glory to him, our most holy Father, God of all. 

The Magnificent, the Superb, the Divine, the Humble

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

(Luke 2:8-15 NIV)

     Shepherds?  God sent his angels to the Shepherds?  What kind of Messiah is this?  Since when does God almighty, ruler of heaven and earth, send word to lowly, ignorant shepherds?  What kind of God would let his son be born in a shabby manger?  That’s totally absurd!  Be gone from my presence you lowly shepherds!

     Yet, it all makes so much sense.  Our Father sent his most holy, his most loved, his only son to be conceived by a woman of low earthly stature and to be born into very humble circumstances.  Our Lord, our Messiah came as a servant.  He came in the back door of this world, and the people of that time were waiting by the front door.  They were looking up, when they should have been looking down. 

     Today, which direction are we focusing our attention.  If he appeared at this time, would we be looking up again?  Would we believe the lowly peoples he would send his angels to with the glorious news?  Our Father does have a long history of using the most unlikely of people for his instruments.  Isn’t our Father so mysterious, so exciting, so unpredictable?  Why would he let a lowly person such as myself write for him?  Who is that person standing on the street corner appearing to be a bum, an outcast? 

     Be careful, whom you put down.  What class of people was our Lord accused of associating with by the Pharisees, the religious leaders?  Are we the modern day Pharisees; reciting the law, yet knowing not the spirit of the law, the scripture? 

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’

(Matthew 21:42 NIV)

     My brothers in Christ, let us not be caught looking in the wrong direction and unprepared to listen to our Father’s messengers. 

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’

(Matthew 2:6 NIV)

     Such a splendid and holy time of each year when we celebrate our Messiah’s birth.  All glory to God, our Father.  His son teaches us to serve others, to love all, to have compassion when none is deserved, to forgive all who sin against us.  No more powerful an act exists than the forgiving of others.  What beauty and love in that act.  Our Messiah’s message of the Good News astounded mankind then and now; so simple, yet, so powerful, so humbling.  All Glory to God, our Father.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 1 John 5:1

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

(Luke 2:8-12 NIV)

     Would you not be afraid if this happened to you.  The angels always tell the person or people they appear to, "Do not be afraid."  Our Father never desires to frighten us.  He does not send his angels as monsters in the night to scare us to death.  He is loving and kind...so loving and kind, he sent his only son to live upon this earth with all the human frailties connected with that. 

     This is a time of tremendous excitement and rejoicing in heaven and upon the earth for the son of God is come.  This is the holy season of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ's birth.  Let us begin to celebrate and praise this gift from our most holy Father, the one and only God of all.  What greater gift could a father give than his only son. 

     Let us rejoice and give praise to God as the shepherds did.  Our Father sent his son to be born into a family of very modest means materially, but great wealth and means spiritually...the real wealth.  Material things and worldly status mean nothing to our God.  He loves us and rejoices in our love of him and devotion to him.  Let us begin the celebration of mankind's greatest treasure, our Lord Jesus and the divine love he represents. 

Always the Teacher and Always the Perfect Example is our Lord

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.  “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

‘He will command his angels concerning you,
  and they will lift you up in their hands,
  so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

(Matthew 4:1-11 NIV)

     Satan was tempting Jesus, the human.  Unfortunately, for Satan, Jesus’ human being was thoroughly saturated with the holy spirit and could not be tempted nor corrupted by earthly recompense or payment.  In other words, our Lord, even in his weakened physcial state, was impregnable in the holy spirit. 
    
      Hosanna to our Lord’s divine majesty.  How this great deed strengthens my faith.  As well as the awe inspiring power of this deed, Jesus demonstrates the protective nature of the spirit.  We must wear the spirit on the outside as well as the inside.  Let it shine outward to be a beacon in the dark to others floundering in stormy seas near hidden shoals.  We must have faith in the holy spirit to guide and protect us as it guided and protected our Lord in his human element.
    
     Many are the times, I have been tempted.  The holy spirit through my innocent faith always made the best of a bad situation.  I truly believe the Lord led me into these situations to teach me.  Each time, there appeared opportunities to give comfort to the downtrodden by the word of love from our lord.  Each time, I was watched over and given guidance by the holy spirit.  Each time, I was taken aback at how, seemingly, godless people listened with reverence to the words I spoke by direction of the spirit.  It increased my faith exponentially. 
 
     I firmly believe people that are spurned by society are those who need and desire our Father most of all.   Is that not the majority of people our Lord associated with when he visited us in his human form?   Is that not our mission as Christians to minister and give aid to the poor, the oppressed, the downtrodden?  The very people society as a whole casts out are the foundation of the church of our Lord Jesus.  That is us.  We are them.  We are different.  Our Father sends us on missions to gather the outcasts of society to his son, Jesus Christ.  In doing this, the outcasts begin a journey toward a new life, a new self  in the kingdom of our Father.  They are his most loved and should be our most loved…not despised. 

     Let us take the light of the holy spirit into the dark areas of life.  Let us glorify our Father by having faith in his spirit to guide, protect, and give courage to us to serve and bring to him those whom Satan has shattered.  Let us take his light to those lovely creations, and guide them out of those dark recesses of human hate and broken dreams.   Let us bath and clean them in the holy spirit and love of our Lord.  Let us dress them in their new clothing of the forgiven and loved.  As Jesus trusted the holy spirit to protect and give him courage, let us trust the spirit to finish the missions he assigns to us.