I have a ministerial student in my church who is taking a homiletics class. As a part of the class, she had to interview me. The process was awesome because through it I was able to crystallize some ideas that I had never put together before. One of the questions asked was, “What are the most important lessons you have learned over the years about preaching?” After giving my answers, I thought they might be useful to more people than just this one student.

First: God very often makes you live out your message before you share it.
If you are preaching about forgiveness, you’re going to run into someone you have a hard time forgiving. If you’re preaching about anger, you’ll probably lose control of your own before the week is out. I’m convinced God wants us preaching practice, not theory. So get ready for some real-time, real-life practice.

Second: Just because you aren’t doing well in a particular area of your life doesn’t mean you cannot or should not preach about it.
The easy out is to dodge the life issues that we struggle with. We can take the attitude that says, “I don’t have victory over this, so I’m not qualified to speak about it.” This is exactly what the enemy would have us do. Instead, be honest about your struggles on this subject in your message. Admit to your listeners your weaknesses and your willingness to allow God to grow you through them. This produces humility in you, forces you to deal with your struggles head-on and makes you a first-hand example to your listeners of how a mature Christian deals with his or her own character issues.

Third: No single message is going to make a difference.
I can’t count the times I’ve said to myself, “This is IT! This is THE message that is going to change EVERYTHING in my church.” I just knew I had done just the right amount of preparation, found the perfect nugget of wisdom, or the perfect method to ensure complete commitment from my listeners. To this date it has never happened.

Preaching is much like filling a five-gallon bucket with sand one pinch at a time. It’s going to take a while to get to the top. The impact of any single message relies upon every message that comes before and is reinforced by every message that comes after.

Fourth: I must always be honing my communication skills.
Inadequate communication skills get in God’s way. There are only three things you can do to improve these skills:

a. View it.
Watch others. Find great speakers and listen to how they structure their talks. Pick out the powerful parts. Learn how they phrase things. Listen to pitch and tone and tempo. Don’t be afraid to imitate and copy at will. They were either given these awesome speaking skills from God (which means they don’t own them and don’t have a right to keep them to themselves) or they also learned them from someone else just as you are.

b. Do it.
No one learns how to hit a baseball by watching a game or reading a book. You have to get in the batter’s box an swing at the ball a few times. The same principle applies to communication: The more you communicate the better you get. Take every opportunity to speak that comes across your path.

c. Review it.
Record, listen and critique yourself. Figure out what works and what doesn’t. Never say to yourself, “That was terrible!” Always ask, “How can have done that better?” You will be your own worst critic, so always find two things you did right for everything you can do better. Never back off being honest with yourself.

Fifth: No matter how well I hone my communication skills, there is no power in my skills.
The power is in God and God alone. Delivering a beautifully crafted message with tremendous wisdom and brilliantly creative phrasing results in nothing more than a few pats on the back (mostly from myself) and a wasted half-hour. Approaching the pulpit with humility and a genuine attitude that says, “God, if anything is going to happen here, You have to show up,” creates an environment that changes lives. The most powerful messages I have ever shared are the ones I felt least ready to preach. Those are the ones in which I was most depending upon God to do something in because I knew I was woefully inadequate. Because of this, I have learned to trust not in my own intellect or creativity, but in God’s sovereignty and power.

Recently JoAnn and I went for a hike up Iron Mountain. Jo and I love to hike together because it gives us great alone time in which we can just be together without an agenda. Our only purpose is to have fun hiking and be with each other.

This was the first time we had done Iron Mountain, so the night before I Googled up some information about the hike. On one of the review sites, I saw the most interesting comment. Someone said something like, “This is a fun hike, but it’s uphill all the way to the top of the mountain.”

Uphill.

Isn’t it the truth that if we want to get tot he top of the mountain, we have to go uphill? The problem is, we all want to be at the top of the mountain without climbing to the top. But here’s reality: There is no such thing as a downhill hike to the mountain top.

I think this is why the Bible is full of scripture like this one:

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. – Romans 5:3-4

Every believer wants to live a life that is dominated by faith and hope. Yet there is only one path that produces that fruit, and that path begins with suffering.

You’ve been in the midst of suffering and the only thing you can think about is “why?” Why is this happening to me? Why does it have to be so hard? Why can’t I just get the promotion? Why can’t I get along with my family? Why do I have to work so hard and have so little to show for it? Why, why why why?

God says, “Check this out: I’m making you stronger. The longer you stay in suffering the better you are able to handle it. The better you can handle the suffering the more you’re going to figure out My ways are best. The more you figure out My ways are best, you will choose my My ways–that’s character. The more you choose My ways (character) the more you get to see Me work. The more you get to see Me work, the more hope you will carry with you.”

You see, God is calling you to a mountain top experience. Paul calls it the “upward call of Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13).” But you cannot get there by going downhill.

When JoAnn and I made it to the top of Iron Mountain the next day, we got a treat: one of the best views of San Diego county one can experience. We saw all the way from the Coronado Islands, out to La Jolla, and up to Escondido. Wow.

When we set out after Jesus’ upward call, we get a different view as well. The higher we climb, the better we see from His perspective. When we see what God sees, it is impossible to do anything but hope.

Bosnia

On Wednesday the team got up early and packed into Kent’s van for the two-hour ride to Livno. This was one part of our trip where none of us really knew what to expect. When I was in Croatia in 2001, Kent and Cheri were back in the States. Therefore, Trent & Nikki (another couple who was working with them in Split) hosted our visit. Since then Trent & Nikki have moved to Livno, Bosnia and started some English language classes there.

The first part of the day we spent talking with Nikki about what’s been happening in Livno for the last seven or so years. They have done a wonderful job fitting into the local culture there and building trust with their neighbors. While we were there it was evident that the reason they are so good at establishing relationships is because they really do care about the people they live with.

After the orientation, we all went to an open-air market and out for lunch. Although there was snow everywhere, it wasn’t too cold. None of us were walking around in our t-shirt, but we weren’t uncomfortably cold at all. Lunch was at a great local restaurant and while there we got to know the local team a little better. It was a late meal (we didn’t start eating until well after 1pm) and we got back to the school around 4pm. Luckily, the local team gave a little time to rest up before classes started.

Much like in Trogir, we got to participate with the students of the school. In the early evening, we met with the beginner’s class. One thing was certain: their English was much better than our Serbo-Croat. The students were eager to learn, and very fun to be with. It was obvious the students were extending to us the trust that Trent & Nikki had built up with them. We really enjoyed ourselves.

Next was English club. The English club is a group of local Bosnians who get together for coffee and conversation in somewhat advanced English. The flavor of this group was much different than the earlier one. Because their English was much better, we were able to talk about more substantial subjects. The group JoAnn and I were with talked extensively about the Croatian/Serbian/Bosnian war. Earlier in the day, Nikki had told us a story about how she said to one of her neighbors that Americans just did not have the capacity to understand all the reasons for the wars that took place in this area in the 90′s. Her neighbor told Nikki that her lack of understanding was evidence of her sanity. The people in the conversation group also could not understand why so many will kill for what seemed like petty reasons.

The wars did so much damage in Bosnia it may take another thirty years for the country to get over it. The damage is so much deeper than just to buildings and political systems. It goes right down into the souls of these people. But because of the depth of our conversation, we were able to talk about the need for all Bosnians, Croatians, and Serbians to both give and receive forgiveness. It was awesome to have a real-world conversation turn into something we could all sink our teeth into. In a situation like the one in Livno, a short-term team cannot get to deep–to do so may risk what the local team is trying to do. But we do get opportunities to turn the ground over a bit and get it prepared for more significant work.

After a light dinner at Trent & Nikki’s house, we said our goodbyes and piled up into the van to go back to Split. I’d like to tell you more about the trip back, but I was dead asleep for most of the way. Every day one spends on a trip like this is intense, and sleep is SO scarce you get it when you can. We were all completely worn out–but in a good way.

Long, full day. Walked around the city and talked about the history and the challenges that the people face here in Trogir. As I have said before, this is an old, old town. It is full of history and the ravages of war have swept across this land and these people more than we can imagine. Because of this, they are a very connected culture. Relationships around here aren’t measured in years, but in decades, and sometimes in generations. That makes it especially hard for new-comers to the region to plug in and be trusted.

After lunch, JoAnn, Jenna, and Jill all spent some quality time together while Marcus and I went to our rooms and quietly meditated with our eyes closed. (No, we weren’t sleeping–really!) Living in a foreign country where you do not know the language fully can be very taxing–even if your husband and his family are nationals. So, Jenna & Jo really wanted to love on Jill and they all enjoyed their time together.

There were two English classes today, and all four of us participated in both. What is incredible about these classes is that many of the students feel a little intimidated because their English is not as good as ours. We all kind of laugh, because our Croatian is no where near the level of their English. They all learn functional English in school, so if they had to they would easily survive on their own in the U.S. if they had to. The cool thing about that is it give us the opportunity to be great encouragers. That’s one of the places where we get to build relationships–which is why we’re here.

One thing is for sure, being in a country where you cannot speak the language really stretches you. Things that we normally can do without thinking become major tasks. For instance, JoAnn wanted to mail a few things off yesterday. So I went to the post office to get stamps. I had Hrvoje with me, but I thought, “No problem. I can do this.” Well, not so much. In the U.S. we can buy stamps of different values. But in Croatia, we had to buy two stamps and two labels for each piece of mail. The conversation that Hrvoje had with the lady at the post office took around 15 minutes. There is no way I could have done that without help.

This is one reason why I feel it is so important for everyone to go overseas at least once. It is only in those times when situations are truly out of control that you learn where your trust belongs. You and I can easily fall into self reliance by playing it safe. None of us were designed to live in the safe zone, and if we never venture out into situations where we are tested we will never figure out what we are capable of.

Tomorrow we drive out to Bosnia to visit some more friends I made in 2001, Trent and Nikki. They’re currently running an English school in Livno and they also have a FULL day planned for us. We do not plan to get back until after 10pm. I plan to update then, but if I don’t it will because we are just plain worn out.

Dovecenja!

This morning when I talked about Sunday’s adventures, I titled the post “Day 4″ While it was true that I was writing it on Day four, I was actually talking about day 3 happenings. So…let’s get on with the REAL day four.

We started the day with an orientation of what Kent, Cheri, Hrvoje and Jill are doing here in Croatia. Their main purpose is to begin to build real, significant relationships with the national Croatians. Along those lines, they’ve created an NGO to teach English to local Croatians. Croatia is currently in negotiations to join the EU and expect to become a member by 2011. The EU requires (strongly suggests, actually) that all their member states greatly encourage all their citizens to become fluent in at least three languages. That situation opens up a great market for people who are looking to become conversational in English.

Another thing we found out is that one of the greatest values of a short-term support team such as ours is that our mere presence is a great encouragement to the long-term team that is already here. It isn’t easy living in a culture, place, and language that is completely removed from the one you grew up in. It takes a while to build up significant, positive relationships and sometimes it is just nice to be loved on by people.

After lunch, the team split up and went different ways. Marcus went with Kent to play football (the European kind). Marcus and Kent ended up on opposing teams. Marcus usually plays defense, but for this outing he went forward and kicked a shot-on-goal that hit the top cross bar and shot straight down to the ground directly behind Kent who was playing goalie. Kent assures us it didn’t go in. Marcus kinda smiles and says he’ll be the better man and not press the point.

The ladies, Jenna and JoAnn, spent the afternoon at the English language school with Cheri. They started out talking in a group and then Cheri had them pair up and play a cliche-matching game. They each had a list of cliches in each language and they had to figure out which Croatian cliche matched up with which English cliche. It was a bit challenging because the cliches weren’t literal translations but meaning for meaning translations. The ladies had such a good time that even though the classes ended at 6pm, they didn’t stop talking until almost 8pm.

Knowing that I have no natural (or unnatural, for that matter) talent for football, and that I am definitely not female, I opted to attend a men’s study with Hrvoje. I met some great men there who are really having their lives change in a positive way. I was impressed by one person in particular who was really applying what we studied to his current life situation.

By the time we all got back together it was already 8pm. We all went out for a short grocery shopping trip and walked around Trogir a bit before heading back to the apartment for dinner. We’re all winding down and journaling now–it’s the quietest it has been all day.

It’s Monday morning and the sun is up over Croatia. We arrived in country yesterday after spending 46 hours in hotels and airports and planes. It took a bit for us to get here but we were warmly greeted by Hrvoje, Kent, and Cheri at the airport.

Funny aside: When we got off the airplane in Split it was raining. The airport doesn’t have terminals that hook right up to the planes so we walked down covered stairs and loaded up into buses–which drove a whole (wait for it…): 20 yards to the terminal. Our bus actually drove completely around the airplane to make it worth our while.

Kent and crew brought us back to their apartment in Trogir where we unpacked and settled in. They have actually rented a second apartment for mission teams like ours. Our team is on the floor directly above Kent & Cheri.

After getting settled in, we went down to Kent & Cheri’s for dinner. Concerned about jet-lag, I think their main goal for us today was to make sure we didn’t fall asleep until after dark. Our team was up for that and we had a great time eating and being together. After dinner we looked over the schedule of plans for the week and then went to bed.

This morning, we’re starting off with an orientation and devotional and finishing the day with English classes. Stay tuned.

NOT. THERE. YET.
Wow, what a day it was yesterday. We started off with our flight out of San Diego taking off two hours late because of the weather in San Francisco. I’m not sure what that was about. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t snowing there.

Well, because our first flight was so late arriving in San Fran, we watched our connecting flight to Frankfurt take off while we were landing. Even though there was another flight twenty minutes after we arrived and we made it to the gate in time, United & Lufthansa couldn’t get their heads together in time to get us on.

That forced us to improvise and change our flights to go through London. After working on that for an hour or so, we were put on standby for the London flight. When the time to board came, we were overjoyed that we all got a seat. We were home-free…or so we thought!

It turned out the plane that was working just fine when it landed now couldn’t turn the overhead cabin lights on and off. Unfortunately that’s enough to keep the plane from taking off. They worked on it for two-and-a-half hours before taking us off so we could board another plane. Then, twenty minutes after getting off the plane, United told us the problem had been fixed and they were going to re-board us onto the original plane. Alas, that was a tease as after another twenty minutes they informed us we would be boarding a different plane. There was wide-spread laughter after that announcement.

We weren’t too worried at this point because our connecting flight in London was scheduled almost five hours after we were supposed to land. We thought the buffer was enough. We were wrong.

After finally boarding the new aircraft, we sat at the gate for twenty minutes only to be informed that our crew could not continue with us because the duration of the flight would force them to work more than 14 hours. That meant we would be staying in San Fran for another hour or so (it turned out to be an hour and a half) while United put together a replacement crew.

Now time was becoming a concern, but we still all thought we’d be alright and make it into Croatia by 10pm Saturday night. Once the crew got on, closed the doors and we left the terminal a few passengers began to applaud. Some of us held back our applause, however, until we actually got off the ground. Appropriately so, it turned out. Before even lining up to take off, the pilot came on the intercom to inform us that our new aircraft had a defective valve and we were going back to the gate for the ground crew to repair it.

Needless to say, JoAnn, Marcus, Jenna, and I were past frustrated. At this point, punch-drunk would be an accurate description of how we felt.

United kept us on the plane for another hour-and-a-half or so before finally giving up. The booked us on flights for the next day, and gave us hotel vouchers. Of course that process took a heck of a lot longer to happen than it did to type it. It was 3:30am by the time we finally hit the sheets at the Airport Hyatt hotel.

So here we are, twenty-four hours later, still in the U.S. God is doing something in all this, but we aren’t sure what it is yet. One thing we know: We don’t have to have all the facts before we trust God to do what God does. It’s a new morning, we start fresh, and God will get the victory!

(The Magi) asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” - Matthew 2:2

Other than God Himself, the Magi are the most mysterious characters of the Christmas story. We don’t know exactly from where they came, who they were or what they entirely believed.

What we do know is they came a long way. They were not Jewish but they sought out a Jewish king. They endured untold dangers and difficulties so they would know the wonder of worshipping someone and something greater than themselves.

That leaves us with a question: what stops us from worshipping God fully and completely? We live in a culture of convenience. If it isn’t easy, we don’t do it. We even get to the point where we start to believe we deserve to have things the easy way.

But worship isn’t always convenient. There are things that get in the way. Schedules, attitudes, and circumstances all work together to put obstacles in between God and us. When we encounter those obstacles we have to make a choice. Are we going to surrender to the obstacles and give up or are we going to surrender to the living God?

It was worth it to the Magi to push through the difficulties to find the only one worthy of worship. Are you willing to push through what ever is in your way?

Today’s Prayer
Jesus, You and only You are worthy of my worship and devotion. Increase my dedication and help me push through anything and everything that keeps me from You. Amen.

Coming up to them at that very moment, she (Anna) gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. - Luke 2:38

Redemption.

That’s an interesting word. It means to buy back; To pay for; To release for a price.

In Biblical times when someone was in debt beyond what they could repay, they would offer themselves as payement for the debt. In essence they sold themselves into slavery.

The enslaved always had the right to buy themselves out of slavery and into freedom. The only requirement was they had to come up with the full price. Furthermore, anyone else could buy them out. It didn’t matter who paid the price. Once paid, the slave was free.

With our sin, you and I have sold ourselves into slavery. Every sin, every evil thought and desire creates a debt to God that we cannot repay. As long as the debt remains outstanding, we remain enslaved.

Anna praised God when she saw the baby Jesus in the temple because she knew He was to be more than a great prophet or king. She knew He was going to be the Price. Because of Jesus, we are redeemed. Your price has been paid.

Today’s Prayer
Jesus, thank You that Christmas means I no longer owe the debt that my sin has created. May I forever live in the knowledge and security that You are the complete payment. Amen.

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. - Luke 2:28-29

Have you ever put expectations on God? As Simeon was waiting for the Christ to appear, there must have been many instances when he thought it was the “perfect” time.

After observing so many missed opportunities, Simeon could have developed an attitude of disappointment, but he did not. Instead, he maintained a constant attitude of expectation. How did he do that?

Simeon stood in the temple, holding a helpless baby in his arms. It was a baby just like the ones we see today. A baby just as you were at one time: helpless, weak, and needy. Simeon looked at that baby and uttered words that made no sense at all, “Sovereign Lord.”

Sovereign means whatever He wants to do He can—ultimate power. Lord means whatever He says is right—ultimate authority. These are not the terms we use to describe a baby. What Simeon saw (a baby) did not line up with what was real (the baby was the creator and Lord of all).

Simeon never placed his faith in what he saw from God. If he had he would have concluded God had given up on humanity. Instead, Simeon’s faith was in who God was—regardless of appearances. Simeon could wait because he knew God was Sovereign and Lord. He had all power and all authority.

Today’s Prayer
Jesus, I want to hold onto You as tightly as Simeon. Help me embrace not what I see but who You are. Amen.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. - Luke 2:19

Let’s get real for a moment. It isn’t always easy to believe what Christians confess to believe. I mean, it’s pretty fantastic, isn’t it?

Seriously, to believe that the creator of the universe actually became a part of the creation is a bit out of bounds of logical thought.
And then to consider that instead of coming as some great, unexplainable being, terrible in power and amazing in appearance, this God came as a vulnerable baby stretches the imagination beyond belief.

And yet that’s what we believe. We believe this because for everyone who does there was that moment when we knew, undoubtedly and with great conviction, we were in the presence of God. Each of us has experienced His touch personally and powerfully.

Mary had that same experience. In that moment she made a choice to treasure that experience in her heart. Then she pondered it. Throughout her life she went back and re-experienced it.

We need to do the same thing. When was it that you experienced Christ? Treasure that moment in your heart. Go back to it repeatedly. When the doubt comes, it is that treasure that will keep you confident in God’s love.

Today’s Prayer
Jesus, You are my Lord and my Savior. You are my friend and my counselor and king. Your touch has changed me, and my world. May I never forget it. Amen.

So they (the shepherds) hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child - Luke 2:16-17

Every great story deserves to be told over and over.

I think this is why Christmas is so powerful. It is such a great story we can’t help telling it repeatedly. Even those who do not know Jesus personally know and love the story of the shepherds, the wise men, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, the baby king. It is a great story with great characters, great tension and exciting drama. Who can help not loving it?

But the power of the Christmas story is that it was and is real. It isn’t just a story for our entertainment. It was an event. It happened. And because it happened everything changed.

That’s why we need to keep telling the story. Every time we tell the story, everyone who hears it is reminded of what is really important. They’re reminded that God is real. They’re reminded that God loves us so much He is willing to do what ever it takes to reach us. They’re reminded that no matter how hopeless the situation is, it isn’t outside God’s ability to make it right.

So tell the story. Tell it with excitement and passion and conviction. Tell the story because it is true and powerful and amazing. Tell the story.

Today’s Prayer
God, You have given us such a great story. Place inside me a passion to tell everyone I come in contact with about You. Amen.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. - Luke 2:7

Much has been made of the innkeeper in popular Christian mythology. The truth is, the Bible never specifically mentions an innkeeper.

It is still amazing that in the city of Bethlehem no one could seem to find room for a pregnant woman and her husband. Most probably, no one found anything exceptional about Mary and Joseph. They were ordinary people in ordinary circumstances and weren’t worthy of extraordinary consideration.

We often expect God to do His greatest work in the extraordinary. We want the light show. We want the flash. We want the pomp and circumstance. But the truth is, God often works the miraculous in the midst of the mundane.

If you and I look only look for God in the “high and holy” places (at church, at the retreat) we risk missing Him when and where He does His most impressive work.

Perhaps God is working in the life of someone you work with. Perhaps He is doing something in the hum-drum routine of your work day. Perhaps God is active in the midst of something as boring as your bills. Maybe He is, maybe He isn’t. The question is, are you looking for Him in the ordinary?

Today’s Prayer
Father, may I see You work right where I am. I do not want to miss anything You are doing. Help me to see how You work the miraculous in the midst of the mundane. Amen.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. - Luke 2:10

The story of Christmas is the story of many characters. It is the story of God and His miraculous plan for His creation. It is the story of humanity and its journey from depravity and doom into redemption and restoration. It is the story of an ordinary woman chosen by God for an extraordinary calling. It is the story of humble shepherds who were given the honor of seeing the Son of God in the flesh. It is the story of wise men from a foreign country seeking out a foreign king in response to a foreign prophecy to worship the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

In the romance of the Christmas story, it is easy for to neglect one of the most important characters: you.

When the angels proclaimed the Good News, they said it was for all people—and that means you. Christmas is not something that happens once a year or happened on a particular day in history. It is an event that happens in the heart, mind, strength and soul of anyone who has a direct encounter with the living God. If that’s you, you are a character in the Christmas story.

So what’s your Christmas story?

Today’s Prayer
Jesus, I thank You that You have made me a part of the Christmas story. Because of Your love, You have made Yourself real to me. When I could not reach up, You reached down and I am changed because of it. May I forever live in Christmas and may Christmas live in me. Amen.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. - Isaiah 43:19

We are generally pretty good at two things in our relationship with God. First, we’re great at telling God what we want Him to do. Most of our prayers are just that: a long to-do list for God. “God, please heal my aunt, uncle, brother, cat, whatever.” “God, please bless me, keep me safe, give me what I need.” “God help me get that job, girlfriend, promotion.” You get the idea.

The second thing we’re really good at is telling God how to do what we’re telling Him to do. It makes sense, because we know just how God works.

Here’s the problem: as soon as we are convinced we know how God works we risk not seeing Him do His best work.
“I am doing a new thing! Do you not perceive it?” Perception is everything. You cannot react or respond to something you do not see. On Christmas, God came in flesh into His own creation. That was an entirely new thing. But not everyone could perceive it. The innkeeper in Bethlehem missed it. King Herod missed it. Who knows who else missed it.

What have you missed because you were looking for God to work in a particular way? Perhaps a relationship didn’t work out because God didn’t change the other person as you wanted? Perhaps you pushed so hard for a great job and missed out on the perfect one that God wanted you to wait for?

Today’s Prayer
Jesus, help me to see everything You are doing—especially when You do what I do not expect You to do. Do not let me be blinded by my own perceptions of how You work. Amen.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God… - Luke 2:25-28

The Bible doesn’t say how old Simeon was or how long he had been waiting for the Messiah. But tradition tells us that he was very old man who had been waiting a very long time.

There is something about waiting that often makes us take our eye off the prize. Maybe we convince ourselves that what we were waiting for wasn’t worth the wait. Or we come to the conclusion that God has changed His mind. Perhaps we figure God wasn’t in it to begin with and we must have been mistaken. When that happens we dull our ears to God’s voice.

Simeon didn’t let any of that get in his way. He knew God’s promise and he would have waited however long he needed. Most important of all, Simeon maintained a constant, consistent listening ear for God. The result was that when the time came, Simeon heard God’s whisper and looked for the baby Christ in the temple courts.

Are you listening for God in the midst of waiting? Or are you so missing His voice because you have chosen to stop waiting?

Today’s Prayer
Lord, I am listening. It is my will to do your will no matter how long it takes or how hard it is. I want to see you, so please help me hear you. Amen

God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. - Acts 17:26

God is passionate about you to the point where He isn’t satisfied just to know you exist. It isn’t enough for Him to know you are doing well. God’s passion is so great that He designed the fabric of reality so that it would awaken in us a need to seek Him out.

This is why when we are without God there is an constant undercurrent telling us there is something missing. It’s that little feeling that says there must be something more than we can see.

It’s also why we can never feel fulfilled no matter how hard we try. No matter how much we accumulate, no matter how many relationships we pour ourselves into, no matter how many thrills and experiences we have we never find that one thing that makes us feel complete.

That’s a Holy curiosity that has been placed in you by the eternal, living, all-powerful, forever-loving God and Creator of the universe.

Here’s the good news: that Creator wants to be found. He is only a mystery because He is so beyond who we are and what we can truly comprehend. But the reality of Christmas is that through Jesus Christ we can know Him who is unknowable. We can reach out and find Him, because He is not far.

Today’s Prayer
Father, make my passion for You match Your passion for me. I want to be constantly looking for You in every aspect of the world. Help me see You in every relationship, in every experience, and in every emotion. Amen

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. - Hebrews 11:6

The author of Hebrews says that there is one ingredient that is absolutely necessary to please God: Faith.

Without faith Mary would have said to the angel that it is impossible for a virgin to give birth to the Son of God. Instead, in faith she said, “How can this be?”

Without faith Joseph would have divorced his seemingly unfaithful bride. But because of faith he listened to the angel and raised Jesus as his own son. Without faith, he would have kept his family in their home in Nazareth. Because of faith he listened to God and hid the growing Jesus in Egypt.

Without faith the Wise Men from the east would have sent a message to Jerusalem looking for confirmation of what they thought might be happening. But because of faith, they packed up food, supplies, and servants and travelled for months to a land they probably had never known to see a king. Because of faith, they brought all they could and laid it at a baby’s feet.

God says everyone who seeks Him will find Him. But we must have faith in order to start the search. Faith makes all the difference. It is only through faith that we can seek God.

Today’s Prayer
Lord, I have faith; help me in my unfaithfulness. I want to seek You out and see You completely. Increase my faith so I can have an increased vision of who and what You are. Amen.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. - Psalm 27:8

The shepherds had to get up, leave their camp and seek out the Christ child.

Seeking God doesn’t come naturally, it doesn’t come right away, and it doesn’t come without effort. And for most of us, it comes in stages.

In the first stage, we seek His feet. We know that everything we have done gives Him every right to reject us and cast us aside. So we come, crawling and hopeful, to the Righteous Lord who loves us not for what we’ve done but for who we are: His children.

In stage two, we seek His hands. Having realized His perfect, unbreakable love, we set our sights on the goodness that He has for us. We learn the generosity of our Father in heaven and are only too happy to line up for all the blessings He has stored up to give us.

The final stage is where God really wants us, though. That stage is where we are seeking His face. This is when our greatest value isn’t God’s forgiveness nor His generosity but His great, overriding, ever abiding presence. The greatest desire you can ever experience is the one when your heart cries out “Seek His face!”

Today’s Prayer
Father, I know You are forgiving and generous. I never want to neglect or reject those. But the greatest desire of my heart is to seek Your face and know You as deeply and completely as You know me. Amen.

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 2:15

Have you ever had someone describe something incredible to you? You can tell from their description that what they witnessed made an impact on them. You may even hear about the incident from several people. But one thing you know: no matter how dramatically explained, you will not experience the same thing through the listening as they did through the watching.

God is always in all ways doing incredible things. On that night God was doing the most incredible thing He had ever done and will ever do. But that doesn’t mean His incredible work has ever stopped. He is still doing incredible things today. The question is, are you seeing it?
Those who see God’s incredible work are those who put themselves in the middle of it. We can’t see God’s work from the couch. We need to get out into the world, look for the mess and search for God’s hand in the midst of it.

What keeps us from doing that? Comfort. Comfort keeps us from the “going.” If we are going to see we first have to “go.” Where is it God wants you to leave so you can see? It’s probably a comfortable, pleasing place. But if you don’t leave it, you just might miss out on seeing God’s incredible work.

Today’s Prayer
Father, I no longer want to be comfortable with being comfortable. I am no longer content hearing about Your incredible work from others. I want to see Your work first hand. Amen.

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” - Luke 1:38

Think for a moment about the mission God had set before Mary. Raising an ordinary child is no small task. It is an overwhelming responsibility. Add on to that the knowledge that the child God gave her was destined to be the ruler of the universe. No pressure there.

How would you have reacted in that situation? Would you have argued with God like Moses did – saying you were inadequate? Would you have encouraged God to find someone else? Perhaps you would have said, “OK, God, I’m the one for you, but now isn’t the best time for me.
Can we do this in a couple of years?”

Mary’s response to God’s message was nothing short of astounding: “I am the Lord’s servant.” It wasn’t enough for Mary to watch God do His work. She wanted to be smack-dab in the middle of His story. Her desire was to be the very vessel of His work. That required trust, love, and most of all, surrender.

Are you the Lord’s servant? It’s easy to say you love Jesus and that He’s your savior. But when you think of your life, how often do you think of it in terms of how you fit into His story? Are you willing to surrender your ambition, your life plan, your future to the one God has picked out for you?

Today’s Prayer
Lord, you and I both know I have my own desires, future plans and expectations. Today I give all those over to You and give you permission to use me any way You see fit. Take from me any inclination to tell You how things should work. I give you all of me. Amen.

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 of great joy that will be for all the people. - Luke 2:9-10

It’s so easy to pass this simple truth up: the shepherds were not just afraid. They were not just disturbed. They were not just uncomfortable. They were TERRIFIED! The were out of their wits, running around in circles like chickens with their heads cut off, uncontrollably, unashamedly terrified.

Now, from God’s perspective, they had no reason for their terror. He was about to do something miraculous. He was about to do something that would benefit the shepherds and the whole world in such a way that would never be equaled.

Why were they afraid? Simply, they didn’t understand. They all believed in God and in the coming Messiah. They just hadn’t ever come into direct contact with God’s glory before. They had the knowledge of God, but lacked the experience of God.

If we hang around and look for Him long enough, God will show up. When He does, the experience is unlike any we have ever encountered. Our first reaction is often to be terrified. But, as the angel says, “Do not be afraid!”

If we run from God’s glory, we will never see God’s work. What have you been afraid of God working on in your life?

Today’s Prayer
Lord, I never want my fear to get in the way of your work. What you do and how you do it might scare me, but I want to experience it all the same. Give me the reassurance to “not be afraid.” I want to experience Good News of Great Joy. Amen.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. - Timothy 1:7

For several years I held a job with an office down on Morena Boulevard. Every day I would get up an schlep my way down to the office and in the evening I’d schlep right back home. I always took the same route and after a few years I could literally make the round trip without even remembering doing the drive.

After a while I was moved to a different office in Mira Mesa. I was familiar with the area and had no problem finding my new office. Even so, from time to time I would drive to the old office out of habit. I’d be three-fourths of the way to the old office before I would realize where I was going.

Fear is a lot like that. Once we get conditioned into being afraid of God it is hard to shake the habit. Sure we tell ourselves we no longer have to have fear, but then we find ourselves running away again.

That’s one reason I’m so glad God doesn’t leave it up to us. In the verse above, Paul tells Timothy that God has overhauled our spirit. He’s taken the fear and given us the Christmas gifts of power, love, and self-discipline. That means we do not have to acquire those things; we already have them. All we need to do is put them into action.

So when you feel fear, remind yourself that is not natural to you. Power is. Love is. Self-discipline is.

Today’s Prayer
Lord, I thank you that you have overhauled my spirit. I don’t always act like I have power, love, and self-discipline, but your word promises that these are mine to claim. Help me to put these into action today. Amen.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. - 1 John 4:18

It was the worst two hours of my life. I had just been caught doing something I knew I shouldn’t be doing. The school authorities had me sequestered as I waited for my parents to arrive to pick me up.

I was scared. My mind reeled to think of what was going to happen to me. What kind of punishment would I receive? How long would it be? How much would it hurt?

The ride home was surprisingly quiet. I kept waiting for the lecture, the yelling, and then the sentence. But it never came. I didn’t get off scot-free. My parents made sure I took responsibility for my actions. But there was never a punishment for that offense.
I found something out during that season: my parents loved me perfectly. Because of that perfect love, I never had to fear them.

Christmas is a reminder of God’s perfect love for you. That’s why it is so important that we celebrate Christmas every year. Even though our God loves with a perfect love, we don’t always remember that with a perfect memory.

But the man or woman who remembers, and cherishes, and claims God’s perfect love never has to live in fear.

Today’s Prayer
Lord, refresh my memory daily of your great love for me. May I always know your love, cherish your love, and own your love wholly and completely. May your perfect love in me result in perfect loving from me. Amen.

In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise—in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? - Psalm 56:10-11

The greatest risk in fear is that it causes us to do what we normally would not. The man who would normally not steal, considers theft survival when he is afraid that God will not provide. The woman who normally would not have an affair seeks affection in the wrong place when she is afraid her husband will never cherish her. The youth who normally would not lie bends the truth when he is afraid his parents are keeping something “good” from him.

In short, fear doesn’t only result from sin, it also leads us into it. That’s why God’s Word is so important. The Psalmist says when we trust God and His Word, there is no need for fear. The opposite is also true. When we do not trust God and His word, we are in a constant state of fear.

Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” There is an inverse correlation between the presence of God’s Word and the presence of sin in our hearts. The more His Word lives our hearts, the less sin can reside there.
At Christmas, Jesus became the Word made flesh. As a gift, through His Holy Spirit, He gives us the capacity to trust Him at His word, and never be afraid.

Today’s Prayer
Jesus, you are the Word made flesh and I will not fear. No one can do anything to me that you cannot pull me through. My confidence is in nothing but the truth of your Word and the spirit of Your love. Remind me of this today. Amen.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. - Isaiah 41:10

When I was around thirteen years old my brother, cousin and I stayed up late watching a scary movie marathon. Sometime around one in the morning I watched my very first zombie movie. It scared the pants off me.

What got me most about the movie was no matter what our heroes did, there were always more zombies. The good guys would come up with great plans to destroy or escape the zombies, but in the end they would always be found and surrounded. In the end, the shear numbers overwhelmed them.

Fears are the same. God isn’t the only thing we can be afraid of. There are plenty of other things that keep us awake at night. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to pay my bills.” “I’m afraid I’ve wrecked that relationship forever.” “I’m afraid because I don’t know which choice to make.” “I’m afraid because I don’t know how things will turn out.” Every time we deal with one fear another one seems to crop up.

The answer to every fear, however, it to know God is holding you up. On Christmas, Jesus Christ came to be Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” When God stands beside you, you can have the confidence of knowing He is bigger than anything else you face.

Today’s Prayer
Thank you, Father, that you stand beside me and hold me up when I am too afraid to hold myself up. May the fears that paralyze me be erased as I acknowledge the strength You give.

The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. - Proverbs 16:33

There is a difference between having a fear of God and being afraid of God. When we are afraid of God we find ways to avoid Him at all costs. We even go as far as to invent reasons why we are justified to keep God at arms length.

We say things like, “I’ll seek God when I get my act cleaned up,” or, “If God really cared, He wouldn’t let all these bad things happen to me.”

But to fear God is wholly different than to be afraid of God. To fear God is to say, “I not only believe in God, but I believe what He says.” That means we believe what He says about ourselves. We believe what He says about the world. We believe what He says about Himself.

To be afraid of God is to believe the lie that we can keep ourselves from Him. But to fear God is to acknowledge that it is truly impossible to hide from Him, as Adam and Eve did. When we fear God both wholly and holy, we are forced to face ourselves, open ourselves to Him, and place ourselves at His mercy. And that is where fear disappears. When we humiliate ourselves, face Him and tremble at His feet, He lifts us up and gives us wisdom and honor.

How about you? Are you running because you are afraid of God, or are you falling at His feet because you fear Him?

Today’s Prayer
Lord, take away my desire to run away from you because of I am afraid of who you are. Help me to face myself, turn and face you, so I can adopt a holy fear that leads me into righteousness. Amen.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” - Genesis 3:8-10

Have you ever wondered what the opposite of faith is? Right off hand most of us would conclude that it is doubt. But when we take a Biblical perspective, the opposite of faith is fear.

Fear is a direct result of the knowledge of sin in our lives. When we have sin in our hearts, our perception of God changes from that of loving Father and companion to one of a righteous and unforgiving judge.

Adam and Eve once enjoyed unbroken fellowship with God. Once they sinned, God didn’t pull away from them, they pulled away from God. That’s what sin does: makes us hide from God in fear.

This is why the reality of Christmas is so important. Jesus came not so we would feel warm and fuzzy every December, but so God could restore His relationship with us and remove the fear that separates us.

What are you afraid of? Are you hiding a habit, temptation, or an attitude from God? The root of that fear is sin. Give it to God.

Today’s Prayer
Lord, I do not want to be afraid of your presence. I recognize my desire to hide from you who I am and what I do. Thank you that Christmas means my relationship with you no longer needs to be based on fear. Amen.

And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. - Matthew 14:19-20

I was (you guessed it) at Cups & Cones this morning having a conversation with another believer. He was telling me about a short mission trip south of the border. Apparently the team took down enough clothes to give away to around 100 kids. When they got to their destination, they found more than 145 kids waiting to be loved on by them. The team began to panic a bit, because they knew they had under-estimated the crowd by about 50%. They knew they would run out of clothes to give away long before they ran out of kids who needed them.

Before long, the pile of clothes dwindled down to the last bag. Determined to do their best, the team kept giving what they had brought. The kids kept coming and the team kept giving. Somehow, every time the team reached into the bag, they would find something to give away.

When the day had finished, every kid went home with a new shirt and pair of pants–some even had new shoes. It wasn’t possible, but it was true. God had multiplied the clothes.

Here’s the thing. None of the kids witnessed this miracle. All they saw were nice Jesus followers doing the nice serving thing. The kids were the recipients of the miracle but they were not the ones who saw it happen.

It was only those who devoted themselves to doing Gods work that got to see God at work. That’s where it happens.

That’s why I am always encouraging people to get involved in what God is already doing. When we dive into God’s work, we uniquely position ourselves to see what He is up to.

If you want to see God at work, start doing God’s work.

He is Beside you— I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. — John 15:15

He is Beneath you— As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. — 1 Peter 2:4-5

He is Behind you—For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—Romans 6:6

He is Before you—Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 3:13-14

He is Above you—at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.—Philippians 2:10-11

He is Inside you—But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. —Romans 8:10