Dreams

Joseph, not Mary's husband, had a dream. Mary's husband had a dream, too but, that isn't the dream I'm referring to. So, Joseph had a dream. This dream came before he was interpreting dreams so, I don't think he fully understood what the dream meant. Was there a time while he was in Egypt that he did understand what those early dreams meant? When his brothers came to town looking for food, did that dream pop back into his head? Did he have a 'Yeah, God' moment when he realized his dreams actually came true after all those years?Years of slavery, years of imprisonment, years of disappointments, years of lost dreams.

What about you and me? What are our dreams? Where have those dreams gone? Are we living them? Are they buried deeply, safely in our hearts where no one knows about them? I was reminded by a internet security question which asked 'Who did you want to be when you were little'? My answer...Superman. I have the scar on my shin to prove it as I attempted to fly with a bath towel secured around my neck with a wooden clothespin off a green metal lawn chair. They don't make those kind of chairs anymore. I dreamed of being the next Larry Bird for a few months, then I tried out for JV basketball and it has HARD, I quit after a week of practices. My dream of being the next Larry Bird turned into a fantasy as I played through game scenarios on the church's court late nights by myself. 

I was reminded tonight that life isn't about my agenda or trying to figure out my story. It's about living out God's story through me. Throughout the Bible we read so many stories and if we aren't careful we can say, 'look at the story of Moses or Abraham or Peter or Paul.' But it's really not about them. It's about how God continued to tell His redemptive story through them. God is still telling His story through our lives, our dreams, our mountain peaks and valleys. We are all part of this beautiful tapestry. Unfortunately, we only see a small portion and it usually doesn't look like much. But from God's point of view, it's exactly as He knew it would be. 

So, whether we're living our dreams or even in the middle of life's worst nightmare, we need to realize that we are all part of God's dream. His dream to be our Father. His dream to be our Refuge. His dream to be our Shepherd. To me, this brings great comfort because God's dreams always come true.

2012 Is Done...2013 Has Just Begun

I can honestly say I was glad to see 2012 come to an end. It's been a long year. There have been so many good things and a few not as good. Thankful that God makes "all things new". I pray that as He continues to make 'all things new' that He also continues to make me new as well. He has promised, "He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it." How I long for that completion but I know it's a journey. As I journey I am so thankful for all those who are walking with me; Bonnie, family, friends...I would be lost without you all. I know it's cliche-ish but it's true. I may not know what the future holds but I know who holds the future.

Oh God!

Oh God, where were You?
Oh God, why did this happen?
Oh God, can You make sense of any of this?
Oh God, how can we move forward?
Oh God, have you forsaken us?

I've thought these questions before. Recently, because of the news events of the past week, I've been thinking them again. The answers are the same.

Oh God, where were You? 
    I was right there in the midst of the tragedy. I am always here.
Oh God, why did this happen? 
    Ultimately, it's because of man's sinful nature. Because of man's rebellion, the world is evil. 
Oh God, can You make sense of any of this? 
    Actually it does make sense to Me but it probably won't make sense to you.
Oh God, how can we move forward? 
    You move forward one step at a time. One moment at a time. You move forward with My arms wrapped around you. You move forward because I move forward.
Oh God, have you forsaken us?
    I will NEVER leave you or forsake you!

Even though I can type my shallow "God" answers, it doesn't mean I understand them completely. Remember God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. 

That first Christmas story had tragedy connected to it as well as Herod, full of fear and jealousy, had baby boys slaughtered in Bethlehem. We would like to think that Herod is dead but apparently he was alive again in Connecticut last week and still after our children. 

In reality, in times like these there are no words and if words are spoken they can be stupid as some of these words may be. 

I don't know why this happened and even if I did it wouldn't be reason enough for us. Even if we could ask the gunman what was going on in his mind. No matter how bad things were in his life,  I am sure they were not bad enough to kill 20 children. It just doesn't make sense. It probably never will.

We live under the illusion that we have some sense of control. The only one with control, the only one in control is He who has been in control from before time began.

I pray for those families, we know what it's like to lose a child, to lose children suddenly, although not by a senseless act of violence. I pray for the first-responders, the police officers, the firemen, the paramedics who rushed in there trying to save those kids. NO, you don't get use to it. NO, you don't get over. I pray for our nation whose life seems to be slowly robbed from us. I pray for our churches, now is the time to say this Christmas, JESUS IS HERE! He is Emmanuel, GOD WITH US. The Good News of Christmas isn't Christ is coming but CHRIST IS HERE! He is the hope of the world. 

Christmas Thought 2012

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (Luke 2:1 KJV).

'And it came to pass in those days' is an interesting way to begin the Christmas story. It almost sounds like, oh yeah and by the way, it just so happened that there was a census that was being taken at this particular time in this part of the world. Wow! What a coincidence that these events would happen causing Joseph, David's descendant, to have to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Mary so that Jesus could be born away from all of Mary and Joseph's families in the uncomfortable surroundings of a stable, just to fulfill Micah's prophecy. 'Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity. Micah 5:2 (HCSB)

But we know the whole story and we know that with God nothing is hap instance. Galatians 4:4-7 tell us...'But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (ESV). So, in God's perfect timing, everything fell into place to keep God's word true about everything that had been prophesied about the coming Messiah. And Paul reminds us that Jesus' mission was to redeem us and to restore us into a right relationship with Father God; a relationship of son-ship and not slavery. That is the greatest Christmas gift ever. 

 

Holy, Holy, Holy

Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” (Revelation 4:8)

In reading today's devotion by Matt Redman, I was reminded of the holiness, the 'otherness' as Matt puts it, of God. When those around the throne worship God with 'Holy, Holy, Holy', it isn't because they are at a loss for words and are simply repeating themselves. To me, they are saying God is holy, layered with holiness and bond by holiness. It's sorta like God is holy cubed. In reality, He is holy to infinity and beyond. I know this is a very feeble attempt at explaining the holiness of God but since I am a feeble man that's ok.

Here is a link to Steven Curtis Chapman's arrangement of Holy, Holy, Holy sung at First Presbyterian Church in Lakeland, FL
http://youtu.be/R62yy-HRn0I