Monthly Archives: December 2013

What Lasts

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I was having a talk with someone yesterday about Christmas and buying presents and all the stuff that goes into this time of year.  Think about how much work, how much effort, how much everything goes into this time.

And think about how much of it we remember a few months from now.  I was talking about someone about buying a present for a 3 year old, and we all agreed that the best present that you could buy for them would be a cardboard box.  An empty, cardboard box.

And we could laugh at them playing in that empty box. And just enjoying it.

The greatest challenge of this Christmas season is to remember what really matters.  Listen to what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:17-18:

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

karen-tribett-faith-family-friendsSo many things that we put so much stock into are just passing.  They are not eternal.  They are not lasting. They will pass.  So many of the things that we put so much effort into will not be here in a year.

They many not ever be remembered in a week.

So, what matters?  What counts?  What should we count on?  The way I often put it is the “F’s.”  Faith.  Family. Friends.

These things last. These things count. These thing are not passing. These things are the things that we remember and that we cling to in all of life.  These things are where life is truly, truly found.

Faith. Family. Friends.

In this Christmas season, may we remember what is truly most important.  And what lasts.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

 

Nothing is Impossible

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What mountain are you trying to climb today?  What hill are are looking at, thinking that there is no way that you can do this?  What challenge do you face that is worrying you to death?

What are you up against today?  What thing do you face, that to you, looks impossible, and leaves you with no hope?  What are you to do?

Listen to what happens in Luke 1: 35-38:

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Fra_Angelico_AnnunciationThis is the story that’s called “The Annunciation.”  This is where the angel tells Mary that she will give birth to Jesus. And her response, with a greater challenge than anything we will face is “let it be to me according to your word.”

How could she have such confidence?  How could she have such hope?  How could she trust in a situation that seems to hard, to challenging, to much, for someone to handle?  This is how.

She believed the word that that the angel spoke – Nothing is impossible for with God.  Nothing.  Nothing.

God is bigger than that mountain.  That challenge. That fear.  That doubt. That hurdle.  That, whatever.  God is bigger.  God is stronger.  God is more powerful.  With God, nothing is impossible.

Nothing.

Believe that, today.  Have hope in that today. With God, nothing is impossible.  Hold tight to Him.  Trust in Him.  And He will make a way.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

He Will Rejoice

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We often think of us rejoicing in the Lord.  We think about each of us, giving praise to God through our songs, through our music, through our actions, through all that we are.

We think of so often of us, truly rejoicing and worshiping the goodness of our God, the greatness of our king. We think of all that we want to bring to God, all that we want to give to God. For He is worthy of everything that we could possible ever give to Him.

Everything.

But, today, let’s think on that concept a little different.  Listen to what is says today in Zephaniah 3:16-17:

On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

imagesThe Lord will sing over us.  He will love us.  He will quiet us with His love.

It isn’t just that that we will sing our praises to God.  It’s that He will sing over us.  Think about that for just a moment. God loves us so much that He will lift up His voice and sing over us.  What a powerful image.

Seriously. Stop right now and think about just how much it is that He loves you.  He does.  He loves you more than your human brain can understand.  Man oh man, He just loves and adores you.

Don’t forget. Don’t forget that.  He loves you. He will sing over you.  You are His.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Peace

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Peace is something that we all want.  We want peace with others.  We want peace with ourselves.  We want peace with God.  We want peace.

And as much as we want peace, it can be so hard to come by.  It can be so hard to find peace with others.  With God. With ourselves. We want that peace that passes understanding.  We want to rest our head on our pillow at night. We want to be at peace with others.

And sometimes, it’s just hard to have happen.  Sometimes, instead of peace, it feels like we are in a war.  And peace is never to be seen.  Listen to the words of Psalm 122: 6-9 today, talking about peace:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

Christ-Our-Peace-Postcard-2012In the season of Advent, peace is a major concept.  Jesus is the prince of peace.  He came to bring peace.   Peace to the world.  Peace to our relationships.  Peace to our souls.

And yet we find that there isn’t peace.

So, what do we do?

We work for it.  As best we can, in our lives, we work for peace. We work for peace with others.  Sometimes, yes, we must be the bigger person.  As Christians, that’s what we are supposed to do.

Through Christ, we can have peace with God.  He has paid the price, and you are forgiven.

And, through Jesus, we have peace with ourselves.  Because through Him, we are forgiven by God. So, we can forgive ourselves.

We desire peace. But that peace that we desire, it only comes through Jesus. Today, may we focus on the prince of peace. And may we find that peace that we are looking for.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Calm

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We worry don’t we?   We worry about the future.  We worry about the past.

We worry about the things that we don’t understand.  We worry about the things that we do understand.

We worry about the thing that we control.  We worry about the things that we don’t control.  We worry.

Today, in this season of Advent, where we focus on the fact that God has a plan, for salvation, for hope, for redemption, to make all things right, we are reminded.  We don’t have to worry.

Really.

We don’t.  We can be calm.  Listen to the words of Psalm 131 today:

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

calmThere is a simple humility in these words today.  David says, I don’t worry about things that are too great for him. He doesn’t worry about things above him.  God has those things .  Really.  God has it.

Do you believe that today?  God has it under control.  He really does.

David says, he has calmed his soul, because he knows that God has it under control.  He can rest.  He can relax.  He can.  He doesn’t have to worry. God has it.

He can rest in God. He can be calm.

So can you today.  You can rest in God.  Really, you can.  You can rest in Him.  You can be calm.  He has it.   He really does.

Today, rest.  Be calm.  Trust.  God has it.  You can place your hope in that this day, and each day.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

What is Your Purpose?

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We are in a season of the year that is called Advent.  Yesterday, Sunday, December 1, was the first Sunday in this season. This season is a time when we stop, and get our hearts ready for the Lord’s Coming.

His first coming as a gentle babe, born in the humble town of Bethlehem.

And His second coming, when He shall come as the victory King and Lord that He is.

His first coming was easy to miss, unless you were paying attention.  It wasn’t until the Wise Men came, that the priests and teachers of the Law in Jerusalem even knew that the Lord had been born.  His first coming was easy to miss.  His second, it will be unmistakable.

In our reading for today, we read from Mark 1: 6-8, where we see the that got things ready for Jesus’ coming.

Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

stjohnJohn came to get things ready for the coming of Christ. And look at the one thing that he knew to be true and that he lived by.  It wasn’t about him.  It wasn’t.  It was about Jesus.

He knew that He was here to get things ready for Jesus’ coming.  That was His purpose.  That was what it was about. And that’s what He lived to do.  He lived with that great purpose.

Today, as we consider John the Baptist, we ask this question.  What is our purpose today?  What are we living for?  Who we are living for?  What is the purpose of our lives?

Do we have one?

Today, unless Jesus is our purpose, we don’t truly have a purpose worth having. Today, may He be our purpose, our life, our everything.  Today, if we are living for Him, we are living for our greatest purpose.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.