"In choosing to be born in utter obscurity, the King of the universe ignored conventional expectations. He celebrated in His own birthday the freedom to be unorthodox. In failing to live up to people's presuppositions ("From Nazareth?" ask Nathanael, "Can anything good come from that place?") Jesus became a stumbling block to many of his contemporaries. The housebroken Jewish imagination cringed at the crib, shuddered at the ersatz salvation of a humble unpredictable God. A King in rags was an insult to the finely honed intellect of the Pharisee and the rational mind of the scribe. Simpleminded shepherds and the rabble who did not know the Law might be hoodwinked, but those who studied the Scripture could not be deceived. There is a fascinating principle at work here in very religious people: 'Messiah, You get our allegiance only when You fulfill our expectations.'"
Do you not just find it amazing that God feels no obligation to meet your expectations? He's not just free to surpass them; He is completely unfettered by them.
"In making decisions, Jesus was called in freedom to ask first not what the Law says but what would the Father have Him do. A free life is often unconventional and surprising because it is available to those creative possibilities and innovative gestures that have been screened out of consideration by standards of acceptable behavior. In opting to celebrate His birthday in Bethlehem in such low-key fashion, Jesus revealed himself free from public opinion, from fear of what others might say or think. Jesus is the incarnation of the Father's freedom."
(From Lion and Lamb, The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus by Father Brennan Manning)
Wasting our lives and glorifying God
Notice God's unutterable waste of saints, according to the judgment of the world. God plants His saints in the most useless places. We say - God intends me to be here because I am so useful. Jesus never estimated His life along the line of the greatest use. God puts His saints where they will glorify Him, and we are no judges at all of where that is. ~Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, August 10
Showing posts with label 12 Days of Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 12 Days of Christmas. Show all posts
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas....
1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:
5. The third day he rose again from the dead:
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:
9. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints:
10. The forgiveness of sins:
1l. The resurrection of the body:
12. And the life everlasting. Amen.
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:
5. The third day he rose again from the dead:
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:
9. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints:
10. The forgiveness of sins:
1l. The resurrection of the body:
12. And the life everlasting. Amen.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
On the Eleventh Day of Christmas....
....Eleven Pipers Piping!!!
The eleven faithful apostles Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
One more day left and then we party on Epiphany! Got your dancin' shoes on?
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
On the Ninth Day of Christmas....
....Nine Ladies Dancing.
Let's revisit a little fruit of the Spirit that we often overlook:
Click here: The Missing Fruit
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| Pomanders Oranges and cloves, lovingly (with only a little whining) made by Israel and Meg to decorate the house for Christmas. I LOVE the way it makes the kitchen and tea room smell! |
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
On the Seventh Day of Christmas....
...Seven Swans A'Swimming.
Powerful gifts!
prophecy
ministry
teaching
exhortation
giving
leading
mercy
Thursday, December 30, 2010
On the Sixth Day of Christmas....
.....Six Geese A-laying.
Six days of Creation. God the Creator and Sustainer of the world. It boggles the mind and frustrates those without faith. And He loved the world, so He gave. And it boggles the soul and amazes even those with faith.
What boggles my mind and amazes my soul even more is that God shares His glory with us. He lets us participate in creation. Love-making becomes life-giving.
Six days of Creation. God the Creator and Sustainer of the world. It boggles the mind and frustrates those without faith. And He loved the world, so He gave. And it boggles the soul and amazes even those with faith.
What boggles my mind and amazes my soul even more is that God shares His glory with us. He lets us participate in creation. Love-making becomes life-giving.
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| Shallah, my littlest niece, made a big announcement on Christmas morning by donning this shirt. |
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
On the Fifth Day of Christmas....
....Five Golden Rings!
(H/T: Only Admit One)
Yesterday I encouraged you to read the Gospels.
Today, go read the Pentateuch.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
On the fourth day of Christmas....
Just like Four Calling Birds--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.....
"We wish to see Jesus!"
John 12:21
(image from Admit Only One.)
Monday, December 27, 2010
On the third day of Christmas....
....Three French Hens.
"There are three things that will endure--
faith, hope, and love--
and the greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13:13
Sunday, December 26, 2010
On the second day of Christmas.....
....two Turtle Doves.
May you know the Greatest Story, God's revelation of Himself through His Word.
From the late Rich Mullins:
"The Bible is a very great book. It is the written witness to God's revelation of Himself in His Word: Jesus Christ. And, if you like, you can make a great deal of it.
You can speculate about it: This will make you a philosopher and people will think you are deep and very smart.
You can pontificate in view of it: This will make you a preacher and people will marvel at your courage and gift for oratory.
You can adulate it: This will make you its No. 1 fan. You can display your very fine collection of its various versions all over your house.
You can attack it: This will make you a skeptic and people will admire your honest, blind determination to live in your grim, faithless little world.
You can adapt it: This will make you a youth pastor or a Christian musician or a feminist theologian or a popular author. You, too, can be the icing on a cake.
You can systemize it: This will make you a theologian and people will quote you and regard those quotes as some sort of authority.
You can criticize it: This will make you a scholar--and those who are not put off by your eggheadedness will confer on you M.A.s and D.D.s.
You can theorize about it: This will make you an expert in biblical slants on contemporary issues like political science, psychology, church grown economics, sex and marriage.
You can ponder it: This will make you a mystic and people will turn to you for spiritual advice (and from you when they get it).
You can practice it: This will make you a model citizen--a fair, generous, and righteous (if somewhat uptight) person.
Of course, what we make of the Bible will never be as great a thing as what the Bible will--if we let it--make of us. For that which is born of the flesh--our human understanding and handlings--is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit--God's revelation of Himself and the power of that revelation to enliven us--is spirit. The will of man will not ultimately prevail against the will of God. It is the will of God that we should know Him as He has revealed Himself and that will has not only survived the arrogant attacks of the scientific and "enlightened" men, it has (even more miraculously) thrived in spite of our best intended, though sadly misguided, attempts at "rightly dividing" that seamless rode of revelation.
So, let us press on with no faith in our own understanding and nothing but faith in the Truth that is too great to be diminished by our feeble minds and too great to not transform us. Salvation comes from God, not from our cleverness. The Bible is a very great book. Let us submit to it so God may do the great work of making us into a great people."
May you know the Greatest Story, God's revelation of Himself through His Word.
 |
| Captain worshiping |
"The Bible is a very great book. It is the written witness to God's revelation of Himself in His Word: Jesus Christ. And, if you like, you can make a great deal of it.
You can speculate about it: This will make you a philosopher and people will think you are deep and very smart.
You can pontificate in view of it: This will make you a preacher and people will marvel at your courage and gift for oratory.
You can adulate it: This will make you its No. 1 fan. You can display your very fine collection of its various versions all over your house.
You can attack it: This will make you a skeptic and people will admire your honest, blind determination to live in your grim, faithless little world.
You can adapt it: This will make you a youth pastor or a Christian musician or a feminist theologian or a popular author. You, too, can be the icing on a cake.
You can systemize it: This will make you a theologian and people will quote you and regard those quotes as some sort of authority.
You can criticize it: This will make you a scholar--and those who are not put off by your eggheadedness will confer on you M.A.s and D.D.s.
You can theorize about it: This will make you an expert in biblical slants on contemporary issues like political science, psychology, church grown economics, sex and marriage.
You can ponder it: This will make you a mystic and people will turn to you for spiritual advice (and from you when they get it).
You can practice it: This will make you a model citizen--a fair, generous, and righteous (if somewhat uptight) person.
Of course, what we make of the Bible will never be as great a thing as what the Bible will--if we let it--make of us. For that which is born of the flesh--our human understanding and handlings--is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit--God's revelation of Himself and the power of that revelation to enliven us--is spirit. The will of man will not ultimately prevail against the will of God. It is the will of God that we should know Him as He has revealed Himself and that will has not only survived the arrogant attacks of the scientific and "enlightened" men, it has (even more miraculously) thrived in spite of our best intended, though sadly misguided, attempts at "rightly dividing" that seamless rode of revelation.
So, let us press on with no faith in our own understanding and nothing but faith in the Truth that is too great to be diminished by our feeble minds and too great to not transform us. Salvation comes from God, not from our cleverness. The Bible is a very great book. Let us submit to it so God may do the great work of making us into a great people."
Saturday, December 25, 2010
On the first day of Christmas.....
....a Partridge in a pear tree.
"Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
How often would I have sheltered you under my wings,
as a hen does her chicks...."
Luke 13:34
May you and yours be blessed with Jesus wrapping His loving arms around you and holding you tight.
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| A little bird bathing in a fresh rain puddle at Montana De Oro on Christmas Eve |
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