THIS Day...Today

Give us this day

For this NON-procrastinator, it is very difficult to live in the moment, in the today!  My mind is always racing ahead...to the next responsibility, the next event, the next idea... As a result, " time crunches" and "performance anxiety" are often the name of my game! So I love these words from our Lord, captured with the help of two brothers.

Give us THIS day our daily bread...

Here is today's reflection to feed my soul...and yours?

Most of us live trapped in anxiety around either the past or the future

There is something about the human condition that seems incapable of living in the now. We seem unable to enjoy the moment; to be grateful for our current provision; to be joyful in our present reality. We tend to either memorialize the past or anxiously await the future.

...for some of us, we seem to incessantly gravitate back to the “glory years.” This is quite common in the life of church. As the congregation grows and evolves, some of us are tempted to say, “I wish we could go back to (fill in the blank) era. Things were so peaceful then. Everybody knew each other. There was so much harmony and joy.” Of course, the actual reality was almost never as good as the fantasy we have turned the glory years into. But that’s just the point – by fondly remembering a story we’ve created for ourselves, we find another way to escape from the reality we currently live in.

For others of us, we spend all of our precious emotional resources on trying to guess what lies ahead. We worry about our future finances, our future vocation, our future spouse, or the future of our kids. We plan, strategize, and obsess over every potential detail. We hear the words of Jesus — “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” — but it doesn’t seem to break the anxiety cycle. When it comes down to our emotional and spiritual state, we realistically live much more in the future than in the present moment. Daniel Hill

praying hands

So again we pray...

I do not ask

for some future bread.

I do not ask

for some lofty thing.

I ask for nothing more

I ask for nothing less

than primal provision.

For this, and this—only this.

I do not ask for then.

I do not ask for there.

I do not ask for that.

only this meal—this moment.

for this day, only

for this, and this—only this.

Jonathan Martin

THIS Day...THIS bread!

lords-prayer-41

I have a new prayer to pray, a new breath to breathe:

Father...THIS day, THIS bread!

I find myself breathing this often...

And there's a bit of a story behind embracing this prayer.

It all started with an unlikely meeting...on Twitter, of all places!. Now you have to know that I am on Twitter, but I'm not "on Twitter."  But when Daniel Hill interacted with my "tweet" (a tweet? really?), a connection happened.  And I'm so glad! I've been following Daniel's blog ever since.

Daniel Hill pastors River City, a diverse congregation in Chicago, and is the author of a new book,10:10: Life to the Fullest.

Pastor Dan's blog has held treasures for me, and his current post is no exception. In it Daniel shares some profoundly simple and practical truths from a sermon on a line from the Lord's Prayer by a respected colleague in the ministry, Jonathan Martin:

Give us this day our daily bread.

So for the next few days, I would like us to meditate on this amazing verse here on A Branch in the Vine.

But for today, this prayer:

I do not ask

for some future bread.

I do not ask

for some lofty thing.

I ask for nothing more

I ask for nothing less

than primal provision.

For this, and this—only this.

I do not ask for then.

I do not ask for there.

I do not ask for that.

only this meal—this moment.

for this day, only

for this, and this—only this.

Thank you, Jonathan Martin for letting us pray along...

And thank you, Daniel, for sharing your reflections.

Found!

lost & found

The first time I heard this song, I began to sob.  It took me back to the darkest point in my performance-addicted, self-effort driven Christian life. When I finally had realized Christ in me, the hope of the glory of God being manifest in my human life...it was light into darkness...like being born again, again!  I can't go back.

What about you, dear friend? Have you discovered the indwelling Christ by faith?  If not, may the Holy Spirit illumine your mind and heart to receive the good news...Christ in you, the hope of glory! (Colossians 1:27)

FOUND Travis Cottrell

Somewhere deep inside me I found You

Your sunlight shakes the morning sky

How'd You ever find me through the blue

Of my darkest night

Chorus:

All, all, all my life

You're all I've never known

You're all I need to feel alive

This heart has found it's home

No one need remind me where I've been

In younger years I'd gone astray

Somewhere down the wrong road You took my hand

And led me here today


Chorus 



Right where I've always longed to be

Though never seemed to find

Until Your grace opened up my eyes

found, travis cottrell

Christ in Me is Everything I Need

Christ in Me is Everything I Needlyrics by David Bolton

Christ in me is everything I need

Christ in me is all the Father seeks

He’s my Truth, my Righteousness

My Wisdom, and my Peace

He’s my Life, my Holiness

My Hope of Glory

For all He is

He is in me

And I am now complete

For Christ in me is all I’ll ever need

Thanks to a dear brother, David Bolton, for permission to reprint this beautiful lyrical response to our all sufficient, indwelling Christ. Explore David's Christ-exalting website/blog at www.christcenteredchristianity.com

The Bible: Religion or Relationship?

I love the Lord's interchanges with the religious rulers of His day, the Pharisees.  Jesus always cuts to the heart of every issue of life, every point of the Law that these religionists would bring up. Perhaps one of my favorites is the encounter described in the gospel of John, chapter 5.  In the midst of "discussion" about Jesus' claims of relationship with His Father, we find this surprising "jewel" tucked away in the discourse:

 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. John 5:39-40 ESV

Wow! I remember the first time I really got this!  I began to realize that even though we Christians have come to Christ for eternal life initially ("salvation"), we  can live our lives as if Bible reading and study, in and of themselves, are what gives us a greater experience of that "life." We can treat the Bible above the Lord Himself, if we are not careful.

But here's the truth:

All...yes, all...of the Scriptures points to our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Father's All.  And we come to HIM to experience LIFE!

Paul said it well,

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ... Galatians 3:24 NASB

And even as believers, the Scriptures expound Christ to us so that we can know Him in ever increasing measure.  Along with Paul we can exclaim,

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! ...Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Philippians 3:8-10 NLT

So as promised in yesterday's post, here are just a very few of the precious Scriptures that point to our Christ.  Our brother, Watchman Nee, has saturated his writings with the truths of Scripture concerning our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.

Take a few moments today and meditate on these gems (many of which are familiar) which are tucked away in the short excerpt of Christ, the Sum of All Spiritual Things.

Our Jesus is...

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 ESV

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power... Hebrews 1:2 ESV

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:9-10 ESV

And because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 ESV

If you are journaling, add your own Christ-centered favorites.  And if you care to, comment and add them in below...we would love to share them with you so that...

...in everything he might be preeminent. Colossians 1:18c ESV

 For a good read, visit High Calling, What Does it Mean that Jesus Came to Fulfill Scripture

Knowing CHRIST...not methods or doctines or power

“The characteristic of Christianity lies in the fact that its source, depth, and riches are involved with the knowledge of God’s Son. It matters not how much we know of methods or doctrines or power. What really matters is the knowledge of the Son of God. Knowing God’s Son is the way, knowing God’s Son is the truth, and knowing God’s Son is the life. Our power comes from knowing His Son. All that God gives to us is His Son, not a lot of things. Hence the whole question lies in knowing God’s Son.” (Chap. 1, Pg. 8) “We have briefly mentioned how all spiritual things are in Christ. God has given Him to us to be all these things. This is a most essential point of understanding in spiritual life. Is our experience mere experience or is it Christ? Is our righteousness simply righteousness or is it Christ? Is our sanctification only sanctification or is it Christ? Is our redemption merely redemption or is it Christ?

Frequently we talk about the way, but that way may not be Christ himself. In like manner, we can speak of truth and of life without necessarily speaking of Christ. In brief, we have many things outside of Christ. This constitutes a formidable spiritual problem to God’s children. We may confess with our mouth that Christ is the center of all things, nevertheless in our lives we have many matters other than Christ, as if these can help us to be Christians. How we need to have our mind renewed so as to understand that aside from Christ God has no intention for us to have many so-called spiritual things. According to God’s arrangement, there are things; only, these things are Christ. For Christ is the sum of all spiritual things. Christ is our righteousness—He has not given us a righteousness. Christ is our sanctification—He has not granted us a thing called power to make us holy. Christ is our redemption—He has not offered us a redemption. Christ is the way—He has not opened to us another way in which to walk. Christ is the truth—He has not presented some truth before us for us to understand. Christ is the life—He has not conferred on us a thing called life.

“Brothers and sisters, as we travel along God’s course, we will discover more and more that of all God’s grace there is only one grace, of all God’s gifts there is only one gift. That grace is Christ, that gift is also Christ. Thank God, day after day He is showing us how Christ is all-inclusive.” (Chap. 3, page 37-38)

Excerpt From “Christ the Sum of All Spiritual Things” – by Watchman Nee

Thanks to a dear brother, David Bolton, for permission to reprint this excerpt. Explore his Christ exalting website/blog at www.christcenteredchristianity.com

Tomorrow, we will explore some Scriptures that expound these glorious truths. Again, we come to rest in the glorious fact that...

JESUS + nothing = Everything

Christ Himself, the Sum of All Things!

Christianity is a PERSON, not a procedure; the LORD, not a list! Not church attendance, not Christ- like qualities, not good works, not the Christian "to-do list" (which may vary depending on the group and "camp" you are in)...

Not evangelism, not mission trips, not a quality "quiet time," not Scripture memorization or Bible study...

Not spiritual disciplines, not prayer, not fasting, not obedience, not miracle-working faith...

Not ______________________ (you fill in the blank with your favorite supposed "godliness-producing external" activity).

No!

The LORD JESUS CHRIST, the Son of God!

He is God's AMEN and total sum of all things!

...the glory of God..is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NLT

Stay tuned and be ready to reflect on our Lord Jesus, the Father's All in All.  May you begin to see those spiritual activities fall into perspective, and maybe some will even fall away, in light of all HE is...EVERYTHING and anything you will ever need!

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. Colossians 2:9-10 NLT

May this become your equation for life:

JESUS + nothing = Everything*

Your All-encompassing God has you!

ps 139

A prayerful declaration for your Today, dear friend!  The Almighty Triune God of the Universe has you...you are cocooned in Him through our Lord & King Jesus Christ! God to enfold me,God to surround me,God in my speaking,God in my thinking.

God in my sleeping,God in my waking,God in my watching,God in my hoping.

God in my life,God in my lips,God in my soul,God in my heart.

God in my suffering,God in my slumber,God in mine ever-living soul,God in mine eternity.

-Ancient Celtic Christian Prayer

Repeat it again changing God to Christ, then to the Holy Spirit, then to Love, because the God who is Love loves you tenderly and with the utmost affection...even smiling upon you...today, right now!

So today you can live from that union with the Living, Loving God in Christ.

psalm 139

Spend some time in Psalm139 today and enjoy His abiding presence by resting in this song:

​Nothing is Beyond You

Where could I go, where could I runEven if I found the strength to flyAnd if I rose on the wings of the dawnAnd crashed through the corner of the sky

If I sailed past the edge of the seaEven if I made my bed in HellStill there You would find me

'Cause nothing is beyond YouYou stand beyond the reachOf our vain imaginationsOur misguided piety

The heavens stretch to hold YouAnd deep cries out to deepSaying that nothing is beyond YouNothing is beyond You

Time cannot contain YouYou fill eternitySin can never stain YouDeath has lost its sting

And I cannot explain the way You came to love meExcept to say that nothing is beyond YouNothing is beyond You

If I should shrink back from the lightSo I can sink into the darkIf I take cover and I close my eyesEven then You would see my heart

And You'd cut through all my pain and rageThe darkness is not dark to YouAnd night's as bright as day

Nothing is beyond YouYou stand beyond the reachOf our vain imaginationsOur misguided piety

The heavens stretch to hold YouAnd deep cries out to deepSaying that nothing is beyond YouNothing is beyond You

And time cannot contain YouYou fill eternitySin can never stain YouAnd death has lost its sting

And I cannot explain the way You came to love meExcept to say that nothing is beyond YouNothing is beyond YouNothing is beyond You

Songwriters RICH MULLINS, MITCH MCVICKER, TOM BOOTH

Abide with me...

Brother Lawrence

The abiding presence of my loving Savior...how warm, how tender!  On these cold winter mornings...and especially when the heat of the struggle of my day is very truly upon me...how comforting to turn afresh...again and again...to the very real "I AM-ness" of my Lord right here, right now. I'm reminded of a humble, obscure, "pot-scrubbing" monk from centuries past, Brother Lawrence.Reading his words as a young adult, in the more contemplative stage of my life as a young novice, was arresting and brought solace:

The time of business does not differ with me from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great a tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament. The Practice of the Presence of God

And now as I read, in the closing years of my life, I'm comforted even more...today, right here, right now, in this present moment...while life is clamoring and stresses are upon me, I relish and rejoice in this:  HE abides, lives, makes His home, with me...IN me!

Maybe you too have life with its stresses clamoring today!  Are you a stay-at-home mom with little ones all calling for you at the same time?

Are you at your job, with everyone needing you "yesterday" and your to-do list screaming for your attention?

Are you in a hospital bed, just wondering about the bills and even your next breath?

Turn your mind and heart to your indwelling, ever abiding, Lord and enjoy His presence, listen for His voice, invite Him into your need...today, right now.*

He is here!

Abide With Me

Abide with me, fast falls the eventideThe darkness deepens, Lord, with me abideWhen other helpers fail and comforts fleeHelp of the helpless, O abide with me

I need Thy presence every passing hourWhat but Thy grace can foil the tempter's powerWho like Thyself my guide and stay can beThrough the cloud and sunshine, O abide with me

Abide, abide with meAbide, abide with me

I fear no foe with Thee at hand to bless Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?I triumph still if [read, since] Thou abide with me

Abide, with me Abide, With meAbide, abide with meAbide, abide with me

*I love the mellow voice and style of this song by Amy Grant.  To me, it is not a plea for Christ to abide, but rather a loving longing to experience His presence at every juncture of life.  Sing from that heart longing!

Cocooning...

Two years ago, a friend on Facebook posted this picture of thermal glass igloos to view the Northern Lights in Finland:

glass igloo

Isn't that a fun, amazing thought?  To see the Northern Lights through your own heated "igloo!"

I just had to share it on my Facebook wall with the caption,

Field trip, anyone?

I was just kidding, of course, but I was shocked at how many people commented,

Count me in! Me too!"

ice

Here in the Dayton, Ohio area, we seem to again be in the "Polar Vortex." 

Oh, the Polar Vortex!  Oh, school closings and work cancellations!  Oh, cocooning in my nice, warm house!  I am so grateful!

For me, it's the Lord's way to get me to slow down, get caught up at home, and just enjoy some quiet reflection with HIM!

I know, I know!  Everyone does not have the same attitude...and the same safe place of refuge.  But since every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights, I will thank Him and enjoy!

So as I settle in to enjoy my warm day at home, I think of those "igloos" to view the Northern Lights.

How much better, as I grab my cup of warm "something" this winter morning, to view the Light of the World --- our Lord Jesus Christ -- from my warm "igloo" of God's Word, the Scriptures.

Bible & tea

Would you like to join me?

Grab your favorite warm "something." Then open your Bible and your heart.

Take in the brilliant glory of Jesus Christ, the Light of Life!

...[we] who walked in darkness    have seen a great light;...[we] who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,    on...[us] has light shone. Isaiah 9:2 ESV [my paraphrase & application]

Amen!

You may want to explore the gospel of John, chapters 1, 8, and 9.

HAPPY COCOONING WITH THE LORD!

  See you next time!

Immanuel's Land...even Now!

Many of us have said our tearful "good-byes" to loved ones in the past year.  Many of us will say those same "good-byes" to others this coming year.  In fact, there are those among us who may say our own "good-bye" to this broken, yet beloved, world. Where is the comfort?

Perhaps the comfort can come in the final lines of each stanza of an old, forgotten hymn:

Glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land!

hour glass, sands

I rediscovered this tender hymn at the memorial service of a dear brother, who went home to Jesus recently. The Sands of Time are Sinking is a song that I always knew as Immanuel's Land. My own title comes from that last line of each stanza.  These hauntingly profound words were the dying words of a "great" in the faith, Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661). Inspired by his story, the hymn writer, 200 years later, penned the words of this magnificent piece leaving us with a treasure, not only to sing, but to deeply ponder...and worship.

There is tremendous comfort in the truth that those who fall asleep in Jesus are enraptured, as we speak, with the glory of being in their Immanuel's presence!  As someone has once said, if you were able to ask them if they wanted to return, the answer would be an overwhelming, "NO!"

But even though Immanuel's Land speaks mainly about seeing our Savior face-to-face in heaven, I have discovered the truth of Paul's penetrating and amazing words of delight (which are alluded to in the second stanza)...enjoyment of our glorious Immanuel Jesus is ours to "taste" in the "right here, right now"!

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,    and no mind has imaginedwhat God has prepared    for those who love him.”

But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 NLT

Many spiritual kingdom revelations and intimacies can be for our "today."  When a heart is filled with the Triune God through the indwelling Holy Spirit, Immanuel's Land is here!

In that vein, take special note of the last 3 stanzas, and join me in declaring "Glory! Glory!"

The sands of time are sinking, The dawn of heaven breaks; The summer morn I'’ve sighed for - The fair, sweet morn awakes: Dark, dark had been the midnight But dayspring is at hand, And glory, glory dwelleth In Immanuel'’s land.

sunrise over ocean

O Christ, He is the fountain, The deep, sweet well of love! The streams on earth I'’ve tasted More deep I’ll drink above: There to an ocean fullness His mercy doth expand, And glory, glory dwelleth In Immanuel’'s land.

O I am my Beloved’'s And my Beloved is mine! He brings a poor vile sinner Into His house of wine I stand upon His merit - I know no other stand, Not e'’en where glory dwelleth In Immanuel’'s land.

The bride eyes not her garment, But her dear Bridegroom’'s face; I will not gaze at glory But on my King of grace. Not at the crown He giveth But on His pierced hand; The Lamb is all the glory Of Immanuel’'s land.

THE SANDS OF TIME ARE SINKING TEXT: Anne Ross Cundell Cousin MUSIC: Phillip Palmertree

New Year Prayer and Encouragement

Frances Havergal

I love praise and worship music...and many of our contemporary songs express the heart of what we often go through in our lives. But time and again, what a treat to sink down deep into an old hymn book and enter the depths of communion expressed by saints of old.  One such saint of old is Frances Havergal and here are two of her little known hymns written to be sung at the beginning of a new year.

The first I discovered on facebook a few days ago...and then it just "happened" to be one we sang at church* today.  What a delight!  The second, also sung at church today, thrilled my heart.  In it the recurring theme of fear not discovers me again.  And the reality of God's presence with us pervades both.

Please enjoy, dear brothers and sisters, even if you don't sing.  Enjoy them as a poetic way to pray and worship your way into the year ahead.

Another Year is Dawning

Another year dawning

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be In working or in waiting, another year with Thee. Another year of progress, another year of praise, Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace, Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face; Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast; Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love, Another year of training for holier work above. Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be On earth, or else in heaven, another year for Thee.

​Standing at the Portal

Standing at the portalOf the opening year,Words of comfort meet us,Hushing every fear;Spoken thru the silenceBy our Savior’s voice,Tender, strong and faithful,Making us rejoice.

Refrain

Onward, then, and fear not,Children of the day;For His Word shall never,Never pass away.

Abba

“I, the Lord, am with thee,Be thou not afraid;I will help and strengthenBe thou not dismayed.Yea, I will uphold theeWith My own right hand;Thou art called and chosenIn My sight to stand.”

Refrain

For the year before us,O what rich supplies!For the poor and needyLiving streams shall rise;For the sad and sinfulShall His grace abound;For the faint and feeblePerfect strength be found.

Refrain

He will never fail us,He will not forsake;For His eternal covenantHe will never break.Resting on the promise,What have we to fear?God is all sufficientFor the coming year.

Refrain [youtuber youtube='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av5BKbgwbvc']

*Believers Assembly, Bellbrook, OH

Fear Not: a Conversation (a.k.a. prayer) for the New Year

My child...

Fear not...you are never alone for I am with you!

Fear not...you are never left out for you are one with Me !

Fear not...you are never condemned, but always accepted! I not only love you...I like you!

Fear not...you are always adequate with My adequacy...no matter how helpless and inadequate you feel!

Fear not...you are alive with my everlasting, indestructible life, no matter how dead you feel inside! I am your Life!

I AM in your "right here, right now," whether it be suffering in a hospital room or struggling over a wardrobe choice in your closet...and everything in between...I am with you!

Lord, I believe, help my unbelief...

You are my Courage, when I am afraid!

You are my Adequacy, when I am helpless and afraid of failing!

You are my Comfort Zone, and nothing You send me is outside of YOU, my Comfort Zone Christ!

You are my words, the Word, when my words fail me!

I invite you, O my King, my indwelling Lord...

into my fears...one by one...moment by moment...day by day...

into my mind and harassing thoughts...

into my nervous system and blood pressure that tends to be like the wind and waves being tossed to and fro...

into each and every thing I face today and for as many days as we walk together on this earth...

I chose YOU afresh this year, my God.  Amen.

The Lord is ever present with us. Don’t be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come. And know that the peace of God (a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding) will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.

Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth. Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy... and the God of peace will walk with you. Philippians 4:5b-9 VOICE

Facing the New Year without Regret

Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past.Behold, I will do something NEW, now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19

Everyone has regrets...it's part of the human condition!

We regret our offenses:

• hurts we have caused

• sins we've committed

• walls we've built up toward others

We regret our missed opportunities:

• to take advantage of new, though frightening, possibilities

• to choose love in difficult relationships

• to die to our own selfishness in order to serve

And the lists go on...and the regrets can eat you alive

• maybe because we can't believe we were so selfish or foolish!

• maybe because we can't undo them!

• maybe because those opportunities are gone forever!

But whatever the regret or the reason, if we are to begin afresh in the NEW YEAR, we need to put the past to rest...to rest, that is, in the hands of our Sovereign Father God.

Oswald Chambers says it well, speaking of the regret Christ's disciples must have felt when they didn't watch and pray with the Lord...

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples went to sleep when they should have stayed awake, and once they realized what they had done it produced despair [...regret?].

The sense of having done something irreversible tends to make us despair. We say, "Well, it’s all over and ruined now; what’s the point in trying anymore." If we think this kind of despair is an exception, we are mistaken. It is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize we have not taken advantage of a magnificent opportunity, we are apt to sink into despair.

But Jesus comes and lovingly says to us, in essence, "Sleep on now. That opportunity is lost forever and you can’t change that. But get up, and let’s go on to the next thing."

In other words, let the past sleep, but let it sleep in the sweet embrace of Christ, and let us go on into the invincible future with Him.

There will be experiences like this in each of our lives. We will have times of despair caused by real events in our lives, and we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them.

The disciples, in this instance, had done a downright unthinkable thing— they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus. But our Lord came to them taking the spiritual initiative against their despair and said, in effect, “Get up, and do the next thing.”

If we are inspired by God, what is the next thing? It is to trust Him absolutely and to pray on the basis of His redemption. Never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step.

Jesus is in the redeeming and renewing business.  He has promises that are sure:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.    1 John 1:7-9

So we can flip the page of the calendar to this new year...trusting that our Sovereign God is weaving everything in our lives-- past, present, and future--including our faults, failures, and yes, even our sin (because of His grace) into the beautiful tapestry of His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3-14: Romans 8:28-39).

My life is like a weaving Between my Lord and me I do not chose the colors He worketh patiently Sometimes He weaveth sorrow And I in foolish pride Forgets He sees the upper And I the underside

Not till the loom is silent And the shuttles cease to fly Shall God unroll the canvas And explain the reasons why The dark threads are as needful In the Weaver's skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver In the pattern He has planned

Author Unknown

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Be sure to see

Giving and Receiving...2013

Sue Cutting's Fleeting Sands of Time

Post Christmas Comfort: Fear Not...Emmanuel Finally & Forever (Part 3)

fear

As the old year is coming to a close and the holiday glitz and cheer have dwindled, what is rushing in?  Anxieties and fears for today and the year yet to come? Then hear these words again from your Creator and Savior:

Fear not, for I am near you!

Fear not, for I am closely associated with you! I've gone through it all too!

And now finally and forever...

Fear not, for I am united with you forever...we are one!

Through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, our Emmanuel, God with Us, we are now in union with God, always and forever.  We are one with HIM!

Through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the right Hand of the Father, Christ made this union possible through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The night before He died, our Lord told His close friends:

...it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate [the Holy Spirit] won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. John 16:7 NLT

And it is through the indwelling Spirit of God that we are forever united to the Triune God.  So with that in mind then, Jesus could then pray that very night for all of us believers down through the ages,

I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me... I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them. John 17:20-26 NLT

The apostle Paul then later on would expound on this indwelling Spirit of Christ,

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.... For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God...

Abba

And what is our spirit like, now that we are united to the indwelling Spirit of God?

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory... Romans 8:9-17 NLT

Did you notice?  It's not a fearful spirit that is afraid of God, but recognizes the sovereign Creator of the universe as our Abba...yes Daddy!!! WOW! So then what about all the other fears we have?

...fear of one another:  does she like me? will they leave me out?

...fear of ourselves: am I adequate? will I fail? will I get cancer?

...fear of material creation: will I have enough to pay the bills this month? will I have enough to last through the rest of my life?

But the Lord describes the spirit He has given us:

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 AMP

So, of course, we will be afraid in this fearful, fallen world, but we can face our fears with the courage of the indwelling Spirit of Christ...with power for whatever He calls us to, choosing love instead of hate and revenge, and with the stable mind that fixes iteslf on the God of the universe...to whom we are inextricably united.

Why not journal today by listing your most current, more bothersome fears.  Bring them to the Lord, one by one, leaving them in His capable Hands.  Receive what ever words He may say to you about each.  And then rest in the peace that is yours through your indwelling Lord:

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 NASB

Christmas: Welcome to our World!

Christmas blessings from a branch in the VINE.
Thank you, dear readers, for journeying with me this Advent!  I hope you feel better prepared to remember our Lord, Emmanuel's coming to our earth.  I certainly do for the writing.

Enjoy this family story, my gift to you, and remember your JESUS!

Taste and see that the Lord is good; how happy is the one who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8

I had good intentions.  The recipe looked easy enough, yet festive:  Chocolate Orange Cake.  I figured this year the boys were old enough to  enjoy a birthday for Jesus.  And who doesn’t like chocolate?  Even though I had been  tempted by the beautiful little chocolate cake at Trader Joe’s, I decided to take the plunge myself.  I pulled out the spring form pan (which I had worked with before) and went at it.

I wasn’t prepared for the result!  Even though my toothpick came out clean, something happened to part of the middle as it cooled on the rack!  If the whole middle had sunk a little, it wouldn’t have been that bad.  But there it was, a desperately mis-shapen birthday cake for Jesus.  My efforts at patching it up just ended in making it worse:  glaze sliding off one side, crumbs in the glaze…nothing I tried helped.

Discouraged, pressured, and ready to pitch the thing and go spend $7.99 for that cute little TJ cake, I remembered… JESUS!  I realized that He probably NEVER had a perfect birthday cake (if they even did that in those days).  Even His actual birth-day was far from perfect…no hospital, no doctor, no nursery with a clean crib and changing table, no doting relatives, no baby showers, no “home sweet home”, not even a room in a hotel…but rather a barn filled with animals, far from loved-ones, with two teen-aged parents, and unclean out-casts with their sheep for visitors!  (Of course, God couldn’t resist throwing in a few angels and a star!  But they were only “visible” to the few believing hearts).

Something began to change in my attitude toward my cake.  Now it was a picture, a “metaphor," for my Lovely Lord who wasn’t one of the beautiful people (kinda like my cake):

He has no beauty or majesty that we should look upon Him nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. (Is 53:2)

My cake began to speak to me of this Glorious One who came to earth and put up with a broken, imperfect life for my sake:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt (pitched His tent) among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only-begotten of the Father,  full of grace and truth. (John 1:14).

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus…who although He existed in the form of God, …emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil 2:5-8)

So I swallowed my pride and put a little crystal nativity on top.  When it was time for dessert, I read the verses from Isaiah, and we sang “Happy Birthday” to Jesus.  The funny thing is that it was actually “delicious”…kinda like Jesus, huh?

Taste and see that the Lord is good; how happy is the one who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8

WELCOME TO OUR WORLD
Chris Rice

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You’ve been promised, we’ve been waiting
Welcome, Holy Child
Welcome, Holy Child

 Hope that You don’t mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make yourself at home
Please make yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking heaven’s silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

 Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2

Advent Devotions: the WITH-ness of our God {from nearness to oneness}

star over bethlehem

Jesus Christ the Son of God became one with us, so that we could be one with Him! 

This glorious truth is at the heart of the Incarnation.  God became one of us!  One with us!  Why?  So that we could experience union with God.

And that takes us back to our 3 Greek prepositions for with:  (see previous post:  The WITH-ness of our God (prepositions):

• para, meaning beside, nearby, in the immediate vicinity or proximity, alongside
• meta, meaning with, in close association with, in companionship with
• sun, meaning together in intimate union, inseparable from

We have been celebrating all month the glorious truth of Emmanuel, God with (meta) us, the Incarnation, God made Man -- in scripture, story, and song.  Last time, we saw that, during Old Testament times, God was certainly with His people, but in a temporary, transcendent, external way.  He was para, alongside, nearby so to speak.

But then Emmanuel came and everything changed!  Now God was in close association with (meta) His people.  But HOW?  That is today's question.

Let's look at the answer in 3 ways (and I promise we will finally see our last preposition sun).  Jesus is our Emmanuel, God WITH us:

• In His Person
• In His Passion (suffering)
• In His Abiding Presence

1.  We've already talked about how God and man are united in Jesus Christ.  In His very Person deity and humanity are united:

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 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.Colossians 2:9 NLT

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! John 14:9 NLT

And then a significant verse tucked away in John 1:1-18 (you may want to look at the entire passage):

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling ("pitched his tent") among (our word meta, in close association with) us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NIV

2.  But not only is Jesus our Emmanuel in His very Person, but also in His Passion (suffering).  It's a great mystery that God would deign to suffer and die... beyond our comprehension!  But suffer and die He certainly did, to pay for our sins and bring us to God.  In theological terms, we call that substitutionary atonement.**

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18 NLT

No passage says it more clearly and poignantly than Isaiah 53, the Old Testament prophecy of the Suffering Savior.  An in-depth study of this passage reveals treasures.  However, it doesn't just spell out in detail the sufferings of our Savior in dying as an atonement for sin (see vss 5-12).  It also describes Jesus' sufferings as a righteous human growing up in a fallen world with sinful men.  Let's look briefly at verses 2-4:

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

Jesus wasn't one of the "beautiful people." He was ordinary...not attractive physically.  He was rejected, despised because of his "illegitimate" status. (It was no secret that his mom had gotten pregnant before marriage.) Our Savior suffered grief and pain.  Perhaps He was thought to be "unspiritual, ungodly," because He didn't play by the "religious rules."

Does any of that sound familiar?  Well, Jesus our "God meta us" identified with us in the sufferings of our daily life on planet earth.  And because He is both God and Man, He can not only empathize, He can and does help!

...he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted [tried or tested], he is able to help those who are being tempted....For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted [tried, tested] in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15-16

3.  As if all of this hasn't been exciting enough, hear this glorious truth:  Jesus Christ is our Emmanuel, God meta Us in His Abiding Presence...today!  Right now!  This is where our last with preposition comes in -- sun, together in intimate union, inseparable from.

biscuits for Jesus ingredients

In order to show the incredible depth of this preposition, I want to use an illustration that I've borrowed from a favorite Bible teacher, Wayne Barber.  He calls it "Biscuits for Jesus."  I've adapted it a bit to illustrate how all 3 of our with prepositions relate to each other.

There are certain ingredients that go into making biscuits:  flour, salt, baking powder, milk, sugar (if you’re Polish like me), and shortening (namely butter, if you’re Polish like me).  Anyway, as you gather the ingredients and place them next to each other on the kitchen counter, you could say that they are with each other (para, in the Greek), meaning alongside.

Then if you take them and place them in a bowl one by one, you might say that the ingredients are with each other (meta, in the Greek), meaning closely associated with.  At this point, each of the ingredients is still somewhat separate from each other.  Even in the bowl, you could skillfully separate the ingredients from each other to some extent.

biscuits for Jesus biscuits

BUT once you mix those ingredients together, roll them out and cut them, place them on the cookie sheet and bake them, there is no way you can separate those ingredients from each other.  There is a mysterious union of ingredients called “biscuits.”     That’s the Greek word sun, meaning united together with, inseparable from.  And this little word is our word with found in these significant Scriptures (and many more):

Since you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God… For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God… Colossians 3:1-3

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him…. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:3-11 ESV

That's right!  All of the highlighted with's in these verses are our 3rd with preposition sun, united with, inseparable from.   Now we've really plunged the depths of mystery...we are united to the Living God through our Emmanuel, God with Us.

Do you remember our summary statement from John 14?

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another [of the same kind as Himself] Helper, to be with [meta] you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with [para, in Old Testament times] you and will be IN you [in New Testament times]. John 14:16-17 ESV

How would the Helper be with us forever?  By being IN us!  United in life union...

I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Did you see that?  With (sun) and in!  You and I are united to the Living God.  We died united to Him, and now He lives His resurrection life in and through us...as us!  What glory!

...Christ in you, the hope of glory! Colossians 1:27

Take a few moments as this Advent season is coming to a close to reflect on Emmanuel Jesus, God with us.  Use the scriptures and songs in these posts and others that come to mind.  If you need a little nudge, explore these questions:

• Are you experiencing the joy & comfort of your Emmanuel’s presence in the midst of your “everyday”?
• Is there anything that you could take out of your life or put into your life that will “make more room” to enjoy the presence of your Emmanuel?
• Write out in your journal your own expressions of love and gratitude to the ONE with whom you are forever united.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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**To further explore the mystery of the death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, click on Lenten Meditations: a Word of Abandonment  View the entire Lenten Passion series

Rejoice with exuberance in the Amazing Grace of our Emmanuel!  Click here:

A Christmas light display :)