Where is God?

After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Luke 2:46-50

At times we may feel lost or that no matter how hard we try we can never get back on track. In this passage, Joseph & Mary lost track of Jesus' whereabouts and were frantically trying to locate him, searching everywhere asking everyone. We too are the same way with our faith. We stumble a little bit and by the time we get back up we look around disoriented. Our heart becomes anxious and mind begins to panic because we lost our bearings. This scripture reminds me to stop looking with my physical eyes and pay attention to the Holy Spirit within me. He will tell me exactly where to go and when. We are being reminded that God is always right where He's always been.

This is a great scripture that I haven't really meditated on much. I love the closeness and intimacy God invites me into. I can see how easily I lose my way in this world. My faith is tested a little bit and I want to bail; want to go back to my old sinful ways. God has chosen and invested so much so that I may never lose my way back to Him and how do I repay it? With disobedience and adultery.

I like to think I'm close to God but there are so many missed opportunities to glorify Him. I lose my way back to Jesus because I'm not wearing Jesus. I have Him in my heart but in a selfish way. I only fill myself up to the brim with faith but once it's at the point of overflow I say enough. It never overflows to the point where it spills out unto my outsides... the place where I can do good deeds and works in His name. I need to remember I can't do the calling of the God without filling my insides with the Holy Spirit; deeds done without this overflow is empty.

Heavenly Father, so blessed are all Your children by the many sacrifices You've given. I thank You for allowing me to hear this message. I pray LORD that I put on my new self, my new identity in Christ Jesus and discard all my old ways. I died and am risen with You! Help me to pause and be still with prayer and the filling only You can provide. Help me to remember this so that I can go into every situation wearing Your priestly garments instead of my ragged & torn ones. I'm in You and You in me... thank You!

Doubting Flesh or God?

Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. "The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."

Luke 1:18-20

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^" the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:34-38

The angel Gabriel was sent with separate messages Zechariah & Mary about the child they will bear. Both seemed to respond with a question but why was it only Zechariah who lacked faith? At first glance, it seemed they equally had doubt about what was prophesied. What was the difference? Zechariah's response was more of a "prove it to me" or "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude. On the other hand, Mary's response was more of "Yes, LORD; I don't understand but what's next?" type of question. Zechariah's response showed that he doubted himself & God's power while Mary also doubted her flesh but didn't question the power of God. We must never doubt God's reach in our lives.

I'm a prime example of someone who tells God, "I'll believe it when I see it." I really don't want to be like this. I would love to be able to say "Yes, Lord!" in every single aspect of my life and jump readily at His call. That's my desire, that's where I want to be... but how do I get there? I need to be obedient to the small things everyday. Praying when the Holy Spirit prompts me, doing my devotions when I'm busy or tired, reaching out to loved ones immediately when my heart's nudged... these are the little things that will mature my sensitivity to God's call. Do I really believe God chose Elizabeth and Mary to bear these children if they weren't ready for the call? God found them faithful by the many previous seasons.

Glorious and heavenly Father, thank You for choosing me to be a part of Your family & kingdom. I know I have so much more to learn, please forgive me of my unfaithfulness and disobedience. I need to be only concerned with my next choice for tomorrow will be taken care of by Your mighty hands. Teach me to respond in obedience like the mother of our King & Savior. I will make Your ways known by my actions today. Praise to You my Wonderful Counselor!

The End

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Revelations 22:12-15

When I read this I get excited! The Messiah is coming back soon and there's definitely an urgency here. God wants us to see that it all comes down to this moment where we will be able to go back to the "tree of life," the very tree that was taken away in Genesis 3:22-24. It's history from beginning to end and we get a chance to witness this revelation through John. We are also reminded of all the unclean, the unrepentant sinners that are still outside wanting to get in but cannot because of their blemished garments. This is what we need to focus our efforts on; not finances, careers, status or trophies. The only thing left at the end is God's Word.

As I was reading today's scriptures, I was thinking how the bible spanned about 6,000 years time. Then it occurred to me how similar the people of today are to those in the beginning. I don't believe in evolution obviously but I do believe in variations of the same thing depending on how God wants us to adapt to our environment. A chameleon doesn't evolve from brown to green, nor did those birds in the remote islands whose beaks adapt to the amount of water available. God's Word is as real to us today as it was then as it will be in the end. We cannot twist His Word around to fit our culture because it was already written with our place in history in mind. We must take both the OT and the NT and apply it to our lives and never pick and choose. It's all or nothing. In the great city's gates or outside never on it.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being constant throughout time. You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow; never wavering. Your Word helps me understand a little more about Your plan even though I fail. Thank You for helping me pursue my calling in equipping myself for Your next assignment. Thank You for releasing me of my anxiety of finances and time. I can never be in control of my future but I am accountable for my next move. I say Yes to You my King! In the Master's precious Son's name I pray, Amen!

Promises Fulfilled

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:4-6

I chose this passage today because I'm trying to understand its meaning. The people who came to life with Christ during the first resurrection, are these a select group of people? Could they be His first disciples? Or maybe they could be those to faithfully went to their death, the martyrs? Could this also be all those who were saved? I feel led to believe that these are all those who have been covered by the blood of Jesus; all those who said yes to Him.

So what is the point of the thousand years? Why keep the devil around, a threat, for a thousand years while Christ reigns along with these blessed? It seems like John is trying to convey a time where God will turn around or reverse the evil works of the devil and display His mighty glory to all the world. Perhaps there will still be much work to be done in order to prepare the world of deliverance from Satan's evil grips forever. Satan is released at the end of the thousand years only to be thrown into the fire along with all those who have the mark on their foreheads.

Today's reading have been more academic rather than practical application to my life. Really? As I pause and meditate on this statement, I see hope and promises fulfilled. That glorious day will be when we are resurrected in Him, everything that we submitted and humbled ourselves during our hardships on earth will have accumulated to this blessed day. I need to remind myself that nothing goes unnoticed in God's eyes and the rewards will be so great.

Father God, thank You for this time of worship and praise while on this earth in these sinful bodies. You have a definite plan and I'm so excited to be transformed permanently in Your image. But there's a lot to do and a great harvest to tend. I know You're preparing me for Your will, keep my mind fresh and heart renewed to persevere all things in Your name. By the grace of our Holy King Jesus, Amen!

Misdirected Worship

Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God." At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

Revelation 19:9-10

In the presence of the Father's miracles, we can often be misled and confused as we give thanks. Here, John witnessed a great magnitude of joy to where we fell down and starting worshiping the angel instead of God. God's angel quickly re-pointed him back to the source of all joy, our Father in heaven. We need to remember all things were created to give glory back to God and when we fail to do that we are praising the created instead of the Creator.

As grateful people, we tend to give thanks and encouragement to just about everybody. Not that this is bad or anything but it can be misdirected. As part of frontlines as well as serving as a small group leader, appreciation is sent my way frequently. I try my best to glorify God with my response but sometimes it feels generic and heartless. How do I overcome this? I want to glorify God with my response but at the same time don't want to fall into an automatic response. What should I say or how should I please my Creator? As I ask God this question, He simply says to tell Him. He going back to the basic reason of our existence; to have an intimate relationship with Him. This means to look at Him and share in the joy. This goes the same for when I praise God.

Father God, so faithful are You! Thank You for creating me to have a relationship with You. That includes sharing the experiences, the praises, thanks, ups and even downs; all this reveals that I'm part of You and You in me. We are the same family and families stick together. Thank You for purchasing my soul by the blood of Jesus. Help me be stretched so I will never break. In You powerful name Lord Jesus I pray, Amen!