Even More Devotions for Church Leaders and Small Groups

This scripture is probably one of the most familiar of all of the prophesies in the Old Testament. I think it's read every Christmas season in every church I know. It's written in the style of most Jewish poetry, which means that the author basically says the same thing twice. So, when Isaiah says "walking in darkness" and then "living in the shadow of death" he's saying the same thing. Isaiah is describing the condition of every human.

We humans think we know so much, we think we're so smart, and we think we know about God. But as much as we can do on our own, as intelligent as we are, as much as we know about God, we're still wandering around in the dark.

Have you ever been in the dark? I'm not talking about nighttime when there's a full moon or street lights. I mean have you ever been in a place where it's really dark? A place with no moon, no stars, no glimpses of the neighbors porch light. Steve and I were in Lowe's last week when the power went out. You talk about dark. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. He quickly held me tight because he knows how much I love the dark! We didn't move. We didn't dare. We had no idea how far we were from anything, and I was afraid. Even if we had tried to move, where could we have gone? The whole store was black.

That's walking in darkness. And basically, living in the shadow of death is the same way. The shadow of death is a place of fear. It's facing the greatest unknown that man will ever experience. And living in that shadow is a miserable place to be. You live your entire life afraid of dying. You miss out on great things because you're afraid of what you don't know. How dreadful it would be to spend your whole life being afraid of dying or being afraid someone you love might die. You'd never let your children out of your sight!

Unfortunately, there are many people who live like that. People who feel lost and don't know where to turn. Some who feel alone when they are in a crowd of people. They believe that no one understands. These same people often believe they fail at everything they do. There are those who fear day to day life. These folks are afraid to leave the house, afraid to let their children go, afraid to go to the doctor because they don't want to hear bad news. And then there are those with courageous looking fear. Those who are so afraid of being hurt that they hurt others first. Some are so afraid of failure they use others to get where they want to go or miss out on some of the best in life to keep from messing up.

But fear and darkness are not what God has in mind for us. In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul says that "God did not give us a spirit of fear." So when we are afraid or live in the shadow of death, that is not from God. And what about the Christmas story in John. Did you know that there was a bit of the Christmas story there?

Look for a moment at John 1:1-5 & 14. There in verse 14 is the Christmas story . . . "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." And when look closely at Isaiah 9:4 & 5, we'll see this is the same light that Isaiah was talking about 700 years before Jesus' birth. He knew that human nature would cause us to live in darkness, but Isaiah also knew some who walked in that darkness, if they paid attention, would see a great light.

There are 100's of 1000's of people sitting in churches today who are still walking in darkness. They think they're walking in the light, because they've caught a glimpse of it in others and they've learned to mimic it. I know. I lived that way for a long time. And there are millions more, some inside the church and some out, who don't even see a need to try to walk in the light.

One of the problems with convincing these millions of the need to walk in the light is that we who do don't really walk differently than the rest of the world. Our lives are like all of the other good people in the world. We aren't letting Jesus make a enough of a difference.

Another part of the problem is that many of those "church going" people who are walking in darkness don't know that's where they are. Their eyes have grown accustomed to the dark. They can see, but they don't know they're missing out on abundant life and true light.

Think about those times you wake up in the middle of the night. You've become so comfortable in the dark, you're afraid if you come into the true light, it will hurt. And just like when you flip the real switch in the middle of the night, stepping into the light of Christ may hurt, too, but just for a minute or two. It may hurt when you find out that your innocent little quirks are really sin. It may hurt when you see that you've lived for 60 years thinking you were saved and all of a sudden you realize you missed out on all of those years of blessings because you were really walking in the darkness. It may hurt when the light finally exposes the truth and you begin to take it personally that you killed Jesus. Yep, it may hurt, but does knowing that the light will hurt your eyes keep you from going outside on a beautiful day? Does it keep you from vacationing on the beach?

We can't keep walking in darkness. The light has come. We can't keep kidding ourselves about being saved. I've known two people personally who had been in church all of their lives, thought they were going to heaven and lived really great lives. I thought they'd been born again. Then they listened to the Holy Spirit and saw the light. They came to an altar one day and really gave their lives to Jesus. The finally saw the truth. These two folks had been in church for 65-75 years before they saw the light.

Friends, where are you in your walk with Jesus? Are you in the dark, in the shadow of death, in a place where you can't see where you need to go next? Or are you one who has been in the dark for so long you are used to it? Maybe you don't even realize that there's no light in your life. Either way Jesus can and wants to be your light. He came to show you the truth to be your bridge to the Father.

And if you have definitely made a commitment of Jesus, are you living as if you are walking in the light or are you stumbling around in your faith not showing anyone the true light?

Today, regardless of your prior commitment to your Savior, finish your time with Christ by praying these things:
Ask the Everlasting Father to dwell within you and the Prince of Peace to give you His peace that is beyond understanding. Praise our Mighty God for His gifts of love and salvation and listen for the Wonderful Counselor to speak to your Heart so you don't miss a single blessing He wants to pour out on you. Tell the Son of God that you truly want to walk in His Light!

"Devotions for Church Leaders and Small Groups"

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I've been reading Numbers lately. The more I read, the more I wish I had the faith of Moses. He was more than just the leader of the people of Israel! This was a man that God talked to face to face. No fleece, no signs, just a wonderful two way conversation. I have been blessed to hear the voice of God, but only once or twice in my life! I wish God's direction was as clear to me as it was to Moses.

Not only that, but when the Israelite community sinned, God planned to destroy all of them and start over with just Moses and his family. Oh to be the kind of person that my heavenly Father would consider faithful enough to start over with. Not that I want the Almighty to destroy everyone around me, but how faithful must Moses have been for the Creator of the Universe to choose him above all of the other Israelites to just start again from scratch. To just toss aside nearly 600 years and close to 10 generations of building a nation had to be a big deal. There were more than 600,000 MEN in the Israelite community, a group of people that started six centuries earlier with one man and his only son. Abraham and Isaac started it all, and God was willing to chuck it all because the children of Jacob were so rebellious.

Am I faithful enough to God that He'd be willing to start over with me?

When the world gets rebellious, I wonder, "Am I faithful enough to God that He'd be willing to start over with me?" Or am I more like the crowd? Does it seem as if I'm constantly complaining and grumbling about my circumstances. I'm free, but am I willing to live like I'm free or do I want to return to the comfort of slavery? When the current day to day gets a little tough, it's easy to look at the "good old days," forget about the pain and anguish those days caused and begin to grumble.

Life isn't easy. It wasn't easy for the Israelites in the desert, and it isn't easy for us in our comfortable homes. However, if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, if we are living for Him, then, like the Israelites, we are free. We are no longer slaves to "Egypt." We are free to live and breath and move any way we wish. I just have to remind myself that I can choose to be free like the Israelite community, grumbling, complaining and pretty much miserable in my freedom, or I can choose to be like Moses, one who speaks to God face to face, hears His voice and God chooses to use to start all over again.

This devotion is not included in the book "Devotions for Church Leaders and Small Groups"

Lately, I've been reading Leviticus. I'll be perfectly honest, it's not the most exciting book in the Bible. God seems to repeat Himself a lot in this book of law, and if we stop and think about it, we discover it's really kind of gory. There's a lot of blood sprinkled all over the Holy things. The priests rip birds in two with their bare hands, and oil is poured on the bread and the priests. Seems a bit messy and makes me very glad I'm a follower of God in the 21stCentury instead of 2000 years before Christ. Often when I read Leviticus, I wonder what benefit I can receive from reviewing the book at least once a year. And every time I allow myself to consider that question, I receive a different answer. Obviously, there are a lot of reasons that God sends us the message of Leviticus.

Today as I read, I thought about how these sacrifices were engrained into the Jewish lifestyle. There were sacrifices scheduled for every year and every day. These sacrifices were expected of every person in Israel, regardless of their politics or economic status. They were such a part of the everyday life of an Israelite, it made me contemplate how these people, chosen by God, could have fallen so far away from Him in a matter of 500 years. My guess is that at some point along the way someone forgot to pass along all the details of the past. People no longer appreciated the goodness of the Father. Some, who still sacrificed, probably just went through the motions, and others gave up the practice altogether.

This time as I read through this long book, I believe God wanted me to see that even with the constant reminder of animals being slaughtered at the temple and the ongoing stench of the sacrifices themselves, it was difficult for these, the chosen of God, to remember the works and goodness of the Creator. Obviously, parents didn't pass on to their children the news of a loving Redeemer. The sacrifices, for those who continued to bring them to the temple, became mundane and repetitious.

Sadly, today's church is too much like these Israelites. God pours out His blessings, reveals himself in the beauty of nature and sends subtle evidence of His love every day. Much like the Israelites at the time of the exile and before, most of us inside the church are more interested in what we can "do" to earn God's favor than we are in changing our hearts and allowing His Holy Spirit to lead. Like the Israelites, we take for granted God's goodness, we hurry about our day and do our "duty" by meeting with the congregation once or twice a week. Our weekly meetings are usually called "worship" services, but often they do more to make us feel good about our "sacrifice" than bring glory to the Omnipotent Creator of the Universe.

Consider your congregation; are your musicians and vocalists there for show or is their passion drawing others closer to Christ? Do you hear excitement when your liturgies are read, or are the sounds more like a drone as the congregation puts in time? Does your congregation excitedly greet newcomers hoping to help someone else meet Jesus Christ, or do they fret that the newbies might cause change?

Discover the Wonder, Majesty and Beauty of Christ

The book of Leviticus reminds me that it's up to ME to help the next generation discover the wonder, majesty and beauty of Jesus Christ. The repetition of the commands for the sacrifices tells me that I need to repeat the story of Christ's sacrifice over and over. The feasts and festivals designed to commemorate the deliverance God gave the people of Israel give me incentive to never miss one celebration that commemorates Christ's birth, death, resurrection and outpouring. My Father's commands to give myself, my co-workers and even the land a Sabbath every time I reach a "seven" of any kind teach me the importance of taking time to refresh my physical body and setting aside time to devote to the worship of His Son, Jesus Christ.

What legacy of worship and dedication to Jesus are we leaving for the next generation? Are we teaching our children and the world around us the excitement and beauty of following our Sovereign Lord, or are we, by our actions, telling these same folks that worship is archaic and boring? The people of Moses time were given this same choice. When Joshua took over command of the people of Israel, he allowed them to choose again. David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah and more, right up to and beyond the time of Jesus and the apostles, all these leaders gave the people they led the opportunity to choose to devote their entire lives to serve our Heavenly Father, and today we are given the same choice. We can choose to be like much of Israel, a group of followers living by the rules, going through the motions, tired and worn-out or we can choose to live our lives completely sold out for Christ, living in such a way as to attract the next generation to live the same, reaping the benefits of knowing the fullness of the Father, the Love of the Son and the Power of the Holy Spirit. Which do you choose?

This devotion is not included in the book "Devotions for Church Leaders and Small Groups

Graphics courtesy of Clker.com

I've been thinking a lot about this parable lately. It was part of my daily readings about a week ago and now I can't get it off my mind. I generally hear it taught as a reminder to us that we each have gifts (talents), some have more than others, but if we don't use them, we could lose them, and if we are faithful in using them to serve we may actually be given even more abilities.

As I read the parable this time, I thought about my finances. After all, Jesus was really talking about money in this story. We want God to help us with our expenses. We hear sermons, and even read some verses from scripture, that lead us to believe that if we give enough, God will pour out material blessings on us. And while those verses are obviously true, perhaps we need to tie them in with this parable and ask ourselves if we've been faithful with the little God has given us before we expect more. Not simply tithing, but asking God's opinion in every aspect of our spending and investing.

And today, this passage came to my mind once again. To me and others like me, there is something even more valuable than money. You see, if I work hard and watch my spending and investing, I can make more money; however, no matter what I do, I only get 24 hours a day. When I waste a dollar, I can work a bit extra at my part time job to make it up. When I waste an hour, it's gone forever.

Today as I contemplated my schedule and wondered how in the world I would get everything done, I thought about this parable again. Perhaps what seems to be a lack of time in my world is really me "burying" the time God has given me instead of investing it. When I take on a project, do I really go to prayer to be sure it's a project God has called me to, or am I "burying" the time He's given me by taking on more than He's called me to? If I invest every hour properly, will it seem as though my Savior is giving me more time? I don't have any answers to these questions, it's merely a concept I haven't considered before, but one that intrigues me and pushes me toward being even more conscientious of the way I spend or invest my time, because I want to be the one who "has" who "will be given more!

This devotion is not included in the book "Devotions for Church Leaders and Small Groups

A Turkey or an Eagle

Thoughts on Christmas

Noah the Rock Dove

Jesus is the Way

Now you are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them.
Matthew 18:20

I just got back from a ten day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. It snowed at home the entire time we were gone. Sitting here at the La Guardia Airport waiting for a plane to take me back to Eastern Ohio, I am looking out over the tarmac at snow and ice. If you could "see" cold, that's what I'd see. I didn't miss the January weather at all.

Throughout the two weeks, I often thought, "I wish the girls were here, they'd love to see this." And I saw things I knew the grandkids and parents would have loved. I'm used to seeing my family at least three or four times a week, so that was very different. I missed playing music so much so that on the eighth day of the cruise, I found a piano tucked away in a closed restaurant and played for about 20 minutes. There was much that I missed despite the beautiful weather, gorgeous beaches, bluest water and most relaxation I've had in quite some time.

However by the end of my vacation, I realized the thing I missed most was the Body of Christ. I'm accustomed to fellowshipping with the Body nearly daily. You see, even my biological family are my brothers and sisters in Christ. Plus with worship twice a week, small groups at least once a week, social network interaction and phone calls and texts, I've gotten used to feeling the Spirit of God in every fiber of the fabric of my day. In fact, the bulk of our past vacations have been scheduled around Christian conferences, concerts and seminars.

As we watched the bluest ocean we've ever seen along with the perfect weather with nearly no humidity, we wondered if those who live there have grown complacent about the beauty and tranquility that God has given them. It's easy to take for granted the wonderful things in our lives when we have access to them on a daily basis. Our husbands and wives, children, parents, friends . . . it's easy to assume they'll always be around, and this week I've discovered, I take the Body of Christ for granted.

Early in the cruise we asked if there would be worship on Sunday. But we must have been among the only folks who asked because there was none. I couldn't even tell if there were others on board who might have been part of my kingdom family. I heard people using language that seemed a bit offensive and saw a lot of people drinking. We chatted with folks about where they were from and there were folks who said, "Thank God" about one thing or another, however, the phrase seemed more of a cliché than a prayer. And despite the two days Steve wore t-shirts with church names listed on the back, we weren't able to identify one person as a follower of Christ. I began to envy the Jewish families on board (who, by the way, did enjoy a worship experience on Friday evening). At least the men's yarmulkes helped them find one another.

But what I noticed most in being in my Christian vacuum for that long was the lack of Spirit I felt. I couldn't help but find Christ in the starfish I held and the jelly fish I saw. The hand of God was all over the frigate birds and the iguanas. The coral, the flying fish, the islands untouched by humans all gave evidence to my Creator, my Father. The wonder and majesty of the I Am were so obvious I wondered how anyone on board kept from worshipping spontaneously. Yet, in spite of all the beauty, there was something missing, and the longer I was there, the more I realized, it was the power of the Spirit I had grown accustomed to when I'm with the Body of Christ.

I read my Bible every day and continually thanked the Almighty for the blessing of this experience. I felt so loved by my Father as I spent time just relaxing and basking in His creation. But I know that if there had been a significant number of others there with us praising Christ, even without my knowledge, His Spirit would have been overwhelming. I've been in the presence of God's creation before WITH the Body and the difference is noticeable. The next time I cruise, I may volunteer to organize a worship service. Who knows how many others I may have uncovered if we'd had an opportunity to gather. I believe Jesus meant it when He said, "when two or three are gathered in my name." Never again will I underestimate the power and the Spirit that can be found when the Body of Christ gathers.

Noah is a Homing Pigeon/Rock Dove who is a permanent resident at Wild Rose Rescue Ranch in Whitehouse, Texas. Noah is a non-releasable, one legged dove living at Bob and Georgeanne Lenham's Ranch. The Wild Rose Rescue Ranch is a natural habitat that is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of wildlife that has been injured, lost or orphaned.

At one point the Lenhams rescued three baby bunnies orphaned at just six days old. A dog attacked this rabbit family, and these three were the only ones to survive. Two of their siblings lost their lives as well as their mother and father. During the first days after the bunnies were rescued, Noah was seen checking the brown furballs' cage on a regular basis. He kept looking in and even slept in front of the cage. One day when Mrs. Lenham went in, there were only two bunnies in the cage. One had mysteriously come up missing. However, when she picked Noah up from in front of the cage to investigate further, to her surprise, there was the third bunny under Noah's wing sound asleep. The little bunny had squeezed out of the cage and curled up under his overseer. Mrs. Lenham speculated that the tiny orphan preferred the "featherbed."

It didn't take long for all three bunnies to adopt Noah as a surrogate parent. Noah would open his wings and allow the three weak bunnies to nestle there beneath him. He surrounded them with his wings and nudged them with his beak so they would stay under his wings and keep them nice and warm. The bunnies responded tremendously to Noah's love and care. They grew well and were able to be released.
Noah's story has been around the world by e-mail (that's how I first heard of it) touching hearts and lives as it goes. But what those e-mails don't tell you is this is just the beginning of the story. Keep reading below to hear the rest of the story.

The story of Noah is inspiring. There are a couple of things I believe we can learn from Noah to apply to our day to day life.

First, everyone can do something. There may be a lot you can't do. Noah was a bird who couldn't fly and had only one leg. As far as birds go, he was pretty useless. After all, the whole beauty of a bird is the freedom it has. A bird in flight is one of the most beautiful and majestic sights around. So in bird terms, Noah was hopeless. But this bird didn't allow his shortcomings to stop him. Noah somehow understood that everyone can do something.

Even when we can't do the things we're expected to do, what others do or even what we really want to do, we can still DO! We each have gifts we can use to help others and be the body of Christ. Noah can't fly, but his wings still hold warmth that nurtures and heals. With only one leg, I'm sure he doesn't necessarily hop around very well either, but his lack of mobility doesn't keep him from using his gift of helps and caring to give another animal the nurture it needs to heal and live.

Second, it would seem that Noah understood Galations 3:28, Colossians 3:11 and Romans 10:12. All three of these verses tell us we are all the same in God's eyes. Man, woman, Jew, Greek, slaves, free, it doesn't matter. There is no difference as far as our Father in heaven is concerned. The saying "Birds of a feather, flock together" is just as true for humans as it is for our winged friends. We tend to congregate and help those who are like us. It's not necessarily an evil thing, but when we're unwilling to help and love those who are different, when we judge them because of their differences and refuse to realize they are beloved children of the Almighty God, we are not living in the fullness of what God created us to be.

Noah would have been expected to nurture other doves or pigeons, perhaps even other birds. But instead he reached out to some unlikely recipients of his love. I think the most surprising to me was the deer with two broken legs. To see him there at the deer's head while she lay there in the grass was touching. To a bird, a deer of any size would normally be scary or at least intimidating. But Noah didn't allow the size or reputation of the breed stop him from being a friend.

Who does God need you to nurture? What wounded, lost or orphaned human creature has God called you to befriend? It needn't be a physical wound or navigationally lost. The emotionally wounded and spiritually lost need us at least as much (if not more) than those with broken legs and arms.

So, learn from Noah. You can't do everything, but you can do something. So overlook the differences in others and be a Noah in someone's life!

On my way home today a turkey flew in front of my truck. I felt so bad for him. He was flapping his wings with all his might and never got more than eight feet off the ground. Fortunately, there weren't any other vehicles around as he made his trip across the two lane road. With his tail feathers all spread and his neck stretched out as far as he could, he looked as if he was giving it all he had to get to the other side before he met some oncoming traffic that could take his life.

Not one-tenth of a mile further, a little bird darted across in front of me. I couldn't correctly identify the little fella' because it was moving so quickly. About the size of a sparrow, I could tell it was dark in color as it flitted by. It made me wonder if the turkey ever got frustrated that he'd been created a bird with such limited flying ability. Does he ever envy the sparrows or hawks? And I wonder how winded he was as he landed on the bank on the other side of the highway. He looked like he was working as hard as he could to get from point A to point B safely.

The whole picture quickly brought to mind our Christian walk. How many people do I know who feel like turkeys? They feel like they just can't get anywhere, and so many others are speeding ahead of them, getting the better view in life as well as all the fun. After all, a turkey never gets to coast along on the breezes or just play in the wind.

Isaiah 40:31 is a familiar verse in scripture. It says, "Those who hope in the Lord (some translations say "wait on" "wait for" or "trust in") will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles . . ." It doesn't say strut like turkeys, it says soar like eagles. It's not God's plan for us to become weary or grow faint. We weren't created to struggle through life, we were created to soar.

Turkeys don't have much choice in the matter. They were created to strut. Fortunately, they can run pretty fast and the wild ones blend in with the brush well, so they have an advantage when predators come along. When a turkey hears the phrase "bird's eye view" he must get pretty confused. After all, what's the big deal about a view from eight foot off the ground when you're working so hard just to keep from crashing? No, a turkey's lot in life is sealed.

But we are blessed. We get to choose. When God created man and woman, He gave them the freedom to choose to serve and trust Him or live for themselves. We know from history that the one who's chosen to live for him or herself generally ends up living the life of a turkey. It's a life full of hindrances and entanglements. The burdens of the day to day keep him from truly flying.

But those who live like eagles "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that entangles." (Hebrews 12:1) They trust in God for every aspect of life. They have discovered that when they allow His power to work in them, God is able to do "immeasurably more" than they can ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) These followers of Christ have learned to "wait on the Lord," and unlike the turkey, we can choose to be one of them. We can walk and not grow weary, run and never faint, and best of all, we can soar.

John 14:6 is one of those verses those of us who've been in the church for a while know by heart. If you grew up in the church, it may be one of the first you ever learned. We know it so well that we often take it for granted. We assume that everyone knows this simple truth. And yet, despite our knowledge, we sometimes fall into the trap of "must do."

There is a lot to be done in a church. And if you are a growing, productive congregation, the Pastor can't do it all. To really be effective in the Kingdom, a body of Christ must always be moving and doing. The problem lies in the fact that often those who "move" and "do" are the same who "moved" and "did" the last time and the time before. We love our church, we want to see people come to the Kingdom, and in order for that to happen, things must get done.

But what happens when the "moving" and "doing" becomes the goal? It's easy for eager volunteers and leaders in the church to get caught up in all that needs done. And even if they don't believe those activities are "the way," to someone on the outside looking in, and maybe even when God looks at all the hustle and bustle, it may appear as though we believe the work is what is needed for salvation.

It's important that we review our lives often to be sure our priorities still reflect John 3:16 "Whosoever believes in me [Jesus] will not perish but have everlasting life." We need to look at our daily schedule and make sure our "to do" list looks like we are convinced that "man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ." (Galatians 2:16)

It's been an age old problem. Paul felt a need to remind the Ephesians that "it is by grace we are saved, through faith . . . not by works." (Ephesians 2:8-9). If we search scripture, we'll see he had to explain this to the Romans as well as Titus and Timothy. Over and over again, Paul, Peter, John and others explained to the early church that our works are a result of our salvation, not a means to it.

Jesus is the Way. He's the only way, there is no other. He has opened the door to the Father and poured out on us the gift of His Holy Spirit. As a leader in the body of Christ, it's probably one of those spiritual truths you've known for quite some time. But as one who works in the church, it's one we must remind ourselves of often.

If you find yourself growing weary in your work for Christ, perhaps it's time to step back a bit, maybe God is opening the door for a different ministry for you. It could be that you need to recruit help in your task or you may have overcommitted yourself. Are you doing too much? Or perhaps you need to just ask yourself this simple question, "Have I begun to think this job IS the way or do I do this because I love 'The Way'?"

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

Today we flew from Pittsburgh to New York via Baltimore. At the Baltimore airport, when those not going on to La Guardia disembarked, there were only three left on the plane, Steve and me and one other person. The flight crew allowed us to sit anywhere we wanted, so we moved to the front row where there's more leg room. It looked like it was going to be a nice half hour to New York.

But just before we were scheduled to take off, the steward asked Steve and I if we'd mind moving. A family with two children in wheelchairs were about to board, and the stewards had only saved two seats up front instead of four. We're still not sure why he didn't ask the two young women on the other side in the front row to move, but it didn't matter. We lost our comfy seats. It didn't seem fair. Had they saved enough seats to begin with, we'd have been there on that front row, or we'd have taken the seats in the emergency exit row. Instead we ended up about six rows from the back in the middle and aisle seats. Did I mention we'd had a window in the front row, too?

Unfortunately, life often isn't fair. Joseph's story is proof again that we can't always control the events in our life. These couple of chapters from Genesis occurred right after Joseph found himself sold into slavery by his own brothers. He worked hard to climb up the slave ladder. But just when life got bearable, he finds himself in prison courtesy of a lie he has no power to refute.

After a years in prison, Joseph begins to see some a way out. But even a promise from someone he helps in prison can't rescue him. And so the 17 year old boy becomes a man in slavery and prison.

Life wasn't fair 2000 years before Christ and it's not fair 2000 years after. I recently read something that reminded me the devil and his armies hate God but can't touch Him. However, this evil can reek havoc in the lives of those who were created in God's image. The prince of darkness will do everything he can to take down the children of the Living God.

It's not easy to get back up after life knocks us down. But if we pay attention to Joseph's story, we'll see that God has more for us. Joseph shows us that it is possible to keep the faith even when it looks like God is no where near us. At every turn, Joseph gave God honor. Each time life sent Joseph backwards, Joseph pushed forward doing his best and giving all the glory to his Creator. As a slave Joseph insisted he couldn't take what wasn't his. While in prison he let his fellow prisoners know that God was the one who deserved credit for his abilities.

And finally, when it seemed as though everyone had forgotten him, God raised Joseph to the 2nd highest position in all Egypt. God wants to bless us, prosper us, too. The trick is to learn to be patient like Joseph, to give God glory and honor Him even when things get tough, to never give up hope in the midst of the darkness and to trust that God has everything under control even when life isn't fair.

"Good news (or tidings) of great joy . . . and Peace on earth . . ."

Today I went to a Christmas music program at my grandchildren's school. The first and second grades did a musical together, followed by a presentation by the third and fourth grades. Both 15 minute performances were absolutely wonderful, and both had a theme of "what's missing in Christmas." The story line was creative, the choreography was darling and the direction was superb; however, the message was bogus.

My grandchildren attend public school, so even though in our area, they can get away with a Christmas "theme," it was very secular. Santa made an appearance in both performances as did elves, reindeer and even some sugar plum fairies. And in both productions even the snowmen were looking for something that would make Christmas "real," something to take the focus off of presents so people could find joy and peace, something to make Christmas something heartfelt again.

People want peace and joy. They want it year round, but for some reason, they want it even more at Christmas. Nearly every movie tells a tale of Christmas miracles, in fact, miracles were even mentioned in those plays this morning. And a theme of hope rises in the midst of the commercialism and greed. The season does seem to turn many a Grinch into a giver and not a few Scrooges become overnight Santas.

But the truth is, in spite of the transformation of some, the reality of life doesn't meet the expectation of most. Perhaps that's the reason suicide and depression rates escalate during this winter holiday. People are looking for that "great joy" and "peace on earth" they keep hearing about, and it just doesn't happen. Which makes the promised "hope" of the season seem to be a lie, a lie that some can't live with anymore.

I think it's because the secular has tried to take the peace and joy of Jesus Christ and make it fit their anti-Christ Christmas. Advertisers promise joy, but neglect to inform the consumer that it's the "GOOD NEWS" that brought the great joy. The commercialism capitalizes on the peace of the season, never mentioning that it is promised to those on whom "God's favor rests."

Peace and joy are available at Christmas, as it is throughout the year, from the One whose birth is the whole reason we celebrate. Without Jesus and His promise of a counselor, His Holy Spirit there is no peace. Where there is no Christ in the center of your Christmas, there can be no joy. And miracles . . . the world wouldn't even know what miracles were if our Heavenly Father hadn't poured them out over and over.

Unfortunately, most who read this will already have met the One who gives me life. Those who don't know Him won't even look for this kind of article. If they do see it, most will pass it off as a religious fanatic going on about Christmas again. So, it's up to us who've found that peace and joy to pass along the real message of Christmas.

For you see, there is peace and joy available. Hope and miracles can be found right along with them. I've experienced each of these things in my own life. However, they don't come wrapped in paper or even in a child's happiness with the perfect gift.
I've found that hope without Christ is just as fleeting as a snowman on a 50° day. True peace without a Savior is as elusive as finding two snowflakes exactly alike. And joy, that deep down happiness that overflows from a heart filled with contentment, is only available through complete trust of an angel's message about Good News. It only happens when we embrace the baby who was born to die, and trust the One who lived a perfect life to be a sacrifice for our sins. It's only available to those who have met Jesus and celebrate their Best Friend's birthday.