Tag Archive - Worship

What Do You Do With Jesus at Christmas?

December 22, 2009 in General with 0 Comments

You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.
Matthew 5:14-15 (NLT)

The kids were putting on the Christmas play. To show the radiance of the new born Savior an electric light bulb was hidden in the manger. All the stage lights were to be turned off so that only the brightness of the manger could be seen, but the boy who controlled the light got confused and turned off all the lights!

It was a tense moment . . . broken only when one of the shepherds said in a loud stage whisper . . . “Hey! You switched off Jesus!”

With all of the bright lights and decorations it is easy to get confused about what is really important this time of year. I know people who spend more time putting up their Christmas tree than they spend with the Christ child. There are folks who spend more on gifts to people they don’t even like than they give to God who gave them himself. It is really easy to switch off Jesus.

To keep from switching off Jesus you just have to do a few simple things. You need to spend some time in worship. Read the Christmas story in the Gospel of Luke like it was the first time you ever heard it. Give someone a gift without expecting anything in return. There are other and maybe even better things you could do, but if you just stop a moment here and there and remember the One who came to bring us God’s love to each of us, you probably won’t switch off Jesus.

Prayer:
Our Gracious Father,
Help us keep our hands off the switch this year. May the light of Jesus shine bright in our lives this year.
In His name, Amen.

No Time For Jesus?

December 10, 2009 in General with 0 Comments

Hurried Crowd

But although the world was made through him, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted.
John 1:10-11 (NLT)

I heard the story of a woman who was very busy on Christmas Eve. She had her little son with her as she ran from store to store. She had just come from the supermarket and now was battling her way through a department store for some last minute gift buying. She had made her purchases and was looking around for her son so that she could rush home and finish decorating the house.
The little boy was looking at a manger scene. He saw his mom and yelled out: “Mommy, look! It’s Jesus! There’s the baby Jesus in his crib.”
Quite impatiently the mother grabbed him by the arm and said, “Come on, we’re in a hurry. We don’t have time for that!”

Hurry is the number one enemy of the Christian life and the number one destroyer of Christmas joy. Hurry robs us of the opportunity to let God speak to us through the wonder of a child. Hurry steals the power of the message of hope that comes in a manger. Hurry makes us rush past God as He tries to get our attention.
Hurry keeps us from thinking about God’s wondrous love as we decorate our homes. It keeps from receiving His indescribable gift as we try to buy for those on our lists.
So what do we do? I doubt that we can bring all of it to a stop. We can try to slow down and would probably benefit from doing so. But I think the best solution at the moment is to ask God for eyes of grace so that we can catch a glimpse of the Holy moments of Christmas. Those times when we see the wonder in a child’s face. When we pause at a nativity scene and remember that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to us. When we actually listen to the words of a Christmas carol and hear the message of God’s love.
Make time for Jesus this Christmas. You’ll be glad you did.

Prayer:
Holy Father,
Forgive us when we forget You. Forgive us when Christmas is nothing more than another item on our to-do list. Touch our hearts again with Your love and let us see the Savior once again.
In Christ’s name, Amen

Don’t Forget the Birthday Boy

December 8, 2009 in General with 0 Comments

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He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
John 1:10–11 (NIV)

The party on June 3, 2006, was for Michael Emmanuel, Jr. It was his sixth birthday, and friends and family were celebrating at the local Chuck E. Cheese in Boca Raton, Florida.
The party itself went just fine. The problem came when it was over. All the children and adults climbed into three different vehicles and headed home. Everyone, that is, except Michael.
Apparently, the 6-year-old returned to the play area, and when the party-goers departed, he was left behind. Employees found Michael wandering around the restaurant at 10 p.m. and called the police.
Michael’s mother had assumed that her son was staying with his grandmother, and didn’t even realize he was missing until the next morning. Unfortunately for Michael (and his mother), it is possible to have a joyful celebration and still forget the guest of honor. (“Mother Forgets Child at 6th Birthday Party,” CBS4.com (6-5-06))

Advent is a time of preparation. It is a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord. It is a time to remember why Christ was born. It is also a time of celebration. We celebrate Christ’s birth and rejoice with angels and shepherds that a Savior has been born.
Yet like Michael’s mother we can forget the guest of honor. We can assume He will be in our lives and in our celebrations, but if we’re not careful, we will leave Him wandering in some mall.
Don’t forget Jesus this Advent. Spend some time in worship. Read the Christmas story from Luke’s Gospel. Put up an Advent wreath or calendar in your home. Put the nativity scene in a prominent place in your home.
Remember that He loves you. After all, that’s why He came.

John 1:10–11 (NIV)

Prayer:
Holy Father,
Thank You for coming. Forgive us when we forget You in the midst of our celebrating. Remind us again of Your love this Advent season.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Magnets

November 20, 2009 in Daily Faith, General with 0 Comments

Electromagnet

Electromagnet


In the book, Arabian Nights, Sinbad the Sailor warns his shipmates about a great magnetic rock in the Indian Ocean that is so powerful that it draws all the nails and bolts out of passing ships. The ships literally fall apart and sink. Sinbad tells his shipmates that they were to steer clear of that rock lest they lose their lives.

This world has a magnetic pull on us as Christians. It draws us away from God’s heart. The world distracts and entices us. Gradually pulling us out of the circle of God’s loving embrace. It draws us away from Christian fellowship and from spending time with God. The influence of this world loosens the nails and bolts that holds our lives and our families together. Our lives are pulled apart.

However, there is another magnet. When Christ resides in our hearts, we have an internal magnet that can pull us together. That magnet is stronger than the pull of the world’s magnet, but it’s like an electromagnet. It has to have a power source. And worship is what powers that magnet.

The magnet powered by worship pulls all the pieces of our lives together. Public and private worship holds us together in a world that wants to pull us apart. Worship is not a waste of time. Worship is what makes the rest of our time make sense. It holds together all our loose ends of our fragmented lives.

Don’t let the world pull you apart. Spend time with God in worship and your life will hold together.