Spotlight on the Baby

“Listen to me, my people;
hear me, my nation:
Instruction will go out from me;
my justice will become a light to the nations.

My righteousness draws near speedily,
my salvation is on the way,
and my arm will bring justice to the nations.(Isaiah 51:4-5)

God used His prophet, Isaiah, to spread hope, to tell the people to 'listen,' Isaiah has been told by God, things He wants the people to hear. Things like: justice will become a light to the nations, righteousness draws near, salvation is on the way. These are encouraging words for a suffering people to hear.

Waiting for a Messiah to appear is not easy, especially when you have heard of this promise all your life and don't really understand what it is all about. Then, one day, you see for yourself. All the waiting and anticipation is over. The Star shines above, the shepherds follow the light and are rewarded when they find the baby, the light to the nations, the righteousness and the longed-for Savior.

Fast forward a couple thousand years. Imagine you are a shepherd and you have just seen the bright star shining above. Light has covered your once dark world. Things look different. Your life is new and laid out before you are opportunities to embrace; a Savior to follow. 

Do you remember when you first basked in the light of your Savior? Do you recall how everything changed when you first encountered the baby Jesus, when you saw Him for the first time? Tell about that blessed moment. Comment below or email here.

Isaiah 51:4-16

“CURSES! FOILED AGAIN!”

Reading: Galatians 3: 6-14

These words were famously stated by Snidely Whiplash, the cartoon villain of the 1960s, as he was yet again thwarted in his wrongful deeds by Dudley Do-Right, hero extraordinaire of the Royal Canadian Mounties. It was Dudley‘s mission every week to defeat Snidely in order to rid the world of evildoers.

In Galatians 3, we are reminded that when we depend on our ability to keep the law, we are under God’s curse. “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law (vs 10).” We are foiled in our plan to perform perfectly, because no matter how much effort we put into it, we can’t do it. And may I say, our plans need to be foiled, our efforts need to be frustrated – why? Because we need to be rid of the evil notion that we can get free from the curse of the law and earn our own righteousness before God.

Just as Dudley’s mission was to defeat Snidely (evil), Jesus’ mission was to defeat “the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (vs 13).” At the moment the curse of our sin was laid on Him, His righteousness clothed us. We need to have this truth indelibly imprinted in our memory: “The righteous shall live by faith” (vs 11)…in what Christ did for us on the cross – what we couldn’t do for ourselves through the law.

Dear Jesus, how can I possibly thank you enough for your inexpressible gift, so undeserved, so easily taken for granted, many times forgotten as I once again begin to rely on performance to give me right standing with God. Remind me often that depending on you is my only hope to be declared righteous in my Father’s eyes. Amen.

No one is righteous

13 March 

Read Romans 3:9-20 and reflect on the passage.

Ask the average Person, “do you think you’ll go to heaven?” Usually, the response is, “Sure, I’m a good person and I do good things too.” As we are told by St. Paul in this reading, none of us are righteous through our own efforts. Even in Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

So how do we become righteous so Jesus will know us? It starts with setting our heart on Jesus. Like a best friend, we enter into a personal relationship with Him. Through our repentance and belief in Jesus as our Lord, we open our hearts to let the Holy Spirit flow through us. The Holy Spirit will provide the wisdom and revelation in Jesus so we can understand him with great intimacy. Open your heart to let Jesus consume you with love, and then use His love to love other people. In this way, Jesus makes us righteous.

Questions

1. Have you opened your heart to let Jesus love you, so you can love others?

2. In Proverbs 4:20, Solomon talks about protecting your heart. Are you guarding your heart from evil thoughts and replacing them with God’s Word and love?

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for Your amazing love for me. With Your love, I set my heart on You and others. Let Your will be done.

—Thomas Denegre

And it was so!

Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation..." And it was so.  Genesis 1:11

And God said, "Let there be lights...." And it was so. Genesis 1:14-15

Day three and day four of creation are highlighted in these two sections of Genesis. "God said...it was so." These are powerful words and ones we can trust and live by today. When God says it, it will be so. Who do we know that we can depend upon for this type of assurance?

I doubt if any of us has not been disappointed by human behavior. Broken promises and unmet expectations are part of life.  Our parents have failed us just as we have failed our children. We are not perfect and will always fall short. 

How many times in a day are we disenchanted by someone's behavior?  How many celebrities have acted in a manner that left us wondering why we admired them in the first place? How many of our own family or friends have not followed through with admirable conduct. How many times have we disappointed and saddened those we care for?

As much as I would like to think I am beyond that, the fact is, I'm not. Only by the grace and goodness of God am I able to maintain any positive outcomes. Only by God's love and affection am I able to change and become a dependable person. 

Only God is righteous and it is by his love I am redeemed from a life that disappoints and disrupts the good I want to do.

 Genesis 1:11-19

James 1: 17-21

Living as Firstfruits

James, brother of Jesus, authored this book to a general audience: to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations”-a figurative reference to believers worldwide. That general address includes Christians of all times and places.

 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created."

The first fruits of any crop are the favorites; the sweetest and most desired of the total harvest. It’s kind of an uplifting feeling to be the favored, yet with that comes responsibility.

I remember feeling very inferior as a child within my classroom. I was close to the bottom of the social hierarchy, and my clothes were an obvious illustration of that. The feelings of being less than many of the other “cool” kids was burdensome, but I do recall being able to go basically unnoticed, while the popular and over-achieving students had a burden of their own. They were always in the spotlight, so had to be at the top of their game in order to hold up to their reputation. I’m not sure which of us carried a heavier load, but I do know that I learned a great deal about how not to treat others, and often thought about how I would handle things if I were one of the favorites. Little did I know back then, that I was a firstfruit in the eyes of the Lord and that was all that mattered.

Realizing we are firstfruits of the Lord, brings us to an obligation to do as our God commands; to Love God, love others, and reach out to others in His name. Understanding our role in this world as modern day disciples of Jesus helps us find our way through the maze of humanness, and guides to the life that was intended for us. 

James goes on to say “My dear brothers, take note of this; Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”  

Amen. 

Read/Listen to James 1: 17-21