The Son of God at Twelve Years Old

Today is the last entry for this year...

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ 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.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

There are two observation I'd like to make from today's passage. The first comes from verse 46 and 47. Jesus spent his time "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." In these verses, it seems as if Jesus is learning, even though he is the son of God, he's sitting amongst the teachers of the law, listening to them and asking them questions. The thing that struck me the most was the teachers' reactions to a 12 year old Jesus in verse 47, "Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers." Even though, Jesus may be challenging them or their teachings, they marveled at his intelligence. A total opposite reaction to how they'd perceive him about twenty years later. It also seems like they just brushed him off as a bright, smart twelve old kid. He was no real threat to them.

The second observation came from verse 49. Mary is chastising Jesus for making her and Joseph worry over losing him. She said, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” Mary Mary says, "Your father and I have been searching for you...", but Jesus answered “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” So in other words, Jesus has made it obvious to his parents that he knew who his real Father was and it clearly wasn't Joseph.

Ultimately, this incident points out that Jesus is indeed different from Man, and he made it very clear of his wisdom and divinity through his birthright, not the the general public like he did when he begins his ministry, but to the teachers of the law and to his parents, Mary and Joseph. It's subtle and they don't take great offense or quite understand what he's saying because Jesus is simply a child in their eyes. It's also strange because these would be the people who would have the most difficult time in accepting the true nature of who Jesus was and his mission for why he came down to this earth.

I hope you all have a happy New Year!!!

And the child grew...

the Bible doesn’t say anything about Jesus’ teen years or about what kind of a brother he was to his siblings… however, being “filled with wisdom, and the Grace of God upon him” we can be sure He was not like any child there ever was or will be

…but I struggled to understand why this was necessary… these 30 some years… I mean, did he really need to “grow up?” was there anything he could learn from Joseph about being a carpenter? He invented trees! He was there when Noah built the ark. Is there anything he didn’t already know that He needed to know to do what He came to do? was there some lesson from the Bible that he needed to get right before he started his ministry? He is the Word!

…to conclude, a quote from Esther (12/21 entry), “…rejoice in Jesus' humility that enabled God to display his amazing plan of redemption.”

…Jesus spent these years changing physiologically from dhild to man but it was a continuing act of humility, submission and obedience to the plan of the Father who sent Him.

…how great is His love for us.

Good morning ladies. I hope you had a restful night of sleep.
Today's passage on Luke 2: 36-38 and it tells of a woman who lived in the temple from the time she became a widow until she reached the age of 84.

To me, Anna seems to be the first nun in history as a woman who has devoted her life to a lifestyle of worship, fasting and praying. There were priests that lived in the temple but as a woman, it seems to me she was one of a kind.
I've always been intrigued by nuns and the kind of life they lead or I should say, the life they are lead to live. They sacrifice their whole lives to live in a habit. There's something pure and simple about them. They seem otherworldly and removed. There's also something so beautiful about their wholehearted and steadfast devotion. And, there's something about them I want to emulate but I see the deep contrast between what consumes our hearts and minds.
I think the greatest contrast I can relate to is that they have a lifestyle of worshiping and serving God whereas I have my lifestyle and I try to worship and serve God.
Anna was lead to live in the temple and as a prophet, she was able to discern the coming of the Christ. She faithfully proclaimed redemption-true redemption. We each have our calling and I realize that the focal point of our lives should and can be in worshiping, fasting and praying. I may not be a prophet and I don't have to become a nun and I don't have to live in a temple/convent. Jesus said in John 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
No matter what we do and no matter where we live and work, let us live a life of worship, let us fast and pray to God our Father.

Luke 2:25-32

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss[a] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

[so sorry for the extremely late post!]

The Holy Spirit reveals to Simeon that he would not die before seeing the Lord. As promised, Simeon is holding Jesus in his very own arms and begins to praise the Lord.

This passage should give us great hope and confidence in our Lord. His promises are true and never failing. I know that I put my confidence and hope in people and things other than the Lord, believing that it will bring me the ultimate joy that I desire. Of course those people have failed and hurt me, and those things have given me temporary joy if even that. May we be able to come to Lord in full confidence that His promises hold true in our lives, as long as we live according to His will. May we not undermine our Lord.

Jesus presented in the Temple

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

Joseph and Mary show complete obedience to God here in these verses. They adhere strictly to the Law of Moses by circumcising baby Jesus, presenting him to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice in accordance with the law. One of the commentaries I read mentioned that the two young pigeons was an offering of the poor because the law asked for a lamb and a dove or pigeons. However, if you were poor you could offer two doves or two pigeons.

I think we can learn a lot from the actions of Joseph and Mary here. They obeyed God's word, they did not make any excuses regarding their own personal situations or circumstances and obeyed. They offered all that they could to God.

Here we are at the eve of Christmas when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Just as Joseph and Mary obeyed God's words and laws I pray that we would be able to hear God, know his word so that we could strive to live a life of obedience so that we may be used by God in a mighty way. Merry Christmas ladies!

new people in the old situation

"so they hurried off".

shepherds had a bad reputation in Israel; they were regarded as dishonest and unreliable. yet God chose to announce to ones “such as these” that the Savior of the world had been born. what was the response of the shepherds? the scriptures tell us that they “hurried off” to see the Christ. i learned 3 things from the response of the shepherds in our passage today.

1) we have more in common with the shepherds than we might suppose.

we are outwardly fairly respectable people, without the bad reputations that the shepherds had. but most of us have a good idea what we are inwardly. what if our past histories, all our secret thoughts, intentions, motives, and desires on any given day were broadcast for all the world to hear? i wonder how many of us would have such a great reputation then?

2) the shepherds show us the right way to respond.

when we are told in our own lives to "come and see the Christ", our response should be just like that of the shepherds: to “hurry” without delay. the problem is, we very often “delay”. the reasons why we do are as varied as the number of people reading this blog. laziness. pride. unwillingness to repent or to give up a certain sin or lifestyle. all of us have some idea what is holding us back. but we must not delay. to delay is fatal.  to delay is to miss the time of God's coming. we must “hurry off” right away when we hear His voice calling us to "come and see".

3) the shepherds were "new people" in the "old situation".

the shepherds returned to their lives as “new people in the old situation”. these same old disreputable shepherds shared the gospel, “spread[ing] the word concerning what they had seen and heard”. they were never the same again. they were inwardly changed. whoever is born of God goes back to their old lives, their jobs, their homes, but as new people.

this Christmas, when Christ is proclaimed as the newborn King, let us all “hurry off” and go to Him without delay, that we might worship Him, as the shepherds did. then we will behold the glory of the Son, as the shepherds did, "full of grace and truth". and may His Holy Spirit “guide us to His perfect and glorious light".

The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

I had a poster when I was younger that we hung in the hallway of our home. It was a picture of this scene, shepherds taking care of their sheep and a bright star appears that is an angel of the Lord. This picture is always ideal for childrens bibles or for posters like the one I had where it bring the festive holiday mood. But we should constantly keep in our hearts and mind praise because this wasn't a bedtime story, this wasn't a fairy tale or a fable but there was a child. He is our Lord. From the beginning of time Jesus Christ was there and he came down to this earth for the one purpose to be the "great joy that will be for all people", our salvation.

Sisters lets study the word on our own further this holiday season and get to know our Lord more and what this night truly means.

Jesus' humble beginning

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:5-7

King Jesus was born in such a humble setting. It reminds me of the previous chapter, Mary's Magnificat "...he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty." Christmas is so commercial - everything is bright and dazzling, expensive gifts and all, that we really miss seeing the desolate and poor condition in which Jesus was born. There was absolutely nothing glamorous about this birth yet God chose this as the setting to bring His beloved son into this world.

Let us celebrate the humble birth of Jesus this Christmas, and really rejoice in Jesus' humility that enabled God to display his amazing plan of redemption.

Merry Christmas ladies! Happy New Year 2011!

e

Zechariah’s Song

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Zechariah was filled with the holy spirit and was praising God. God has provided so much for us, shown us mercy, and forgave us of our sins. Especially during the busy holiday season, we should set aside some time everyday to praise God and give thanks to God. This passage also reminds me that this holiday season, I should reach out to people to people who have wandered down their own paths, whether its through a simple phone call, an email, or taking time to write a letter to them.

Sorry for the late post!

The Birth of John the Baptist

I have read these verses many times, but this time vs. 58 and 65-66 stuck out to me.

58 "Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy." 65 "The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him."

These verses emphasize how contagious God is! Not only did the news of John's birth spread like wild fire, but so did the joy. We, Christians are the opposite sometimes. We don't share or even show the joy or love of Christ to those around us. So to everyone else, we look like non-believers. That is soooooo sad!

When the neighbors saw and heard about Zechariah, theys were "filled with awe...and were talking about all these things". I don't think it was just because Zechariah started talking again but because he "..began to speak, praising God." as soon as his mouth was opened and tongue loosened (and goes on prophesying!)

Let's not be silent and spread His contagious, wonderful love this Christmas!

Luck 1:46-56

46 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." 56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.


I think God loves who humbles oneself before him a lot. These days there are a lot of things going on here in Korea. Like the attacks and threats from North Korea. And I think there's nothing I could do for it but pray. As Mary has a strong belief that God would save her people and generations, I pray we all have that strong faith God will always be with us when we humble ourselves and fear him.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰ where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

The only thing I really got from today's passage is the true nature of John the Baptist's zeal for Jesus Christ. Even as a un-born baby, John the Baptist immediately recognized his Lord and Savior within Mary's womb, and he dancing in praise for Him. After seeing this example, we have to ask ourselves whether we can recognize Christ immediately when he is near to us or calls to us just like John the Baptist did from inside his mother's womb.

The Birth of Jesus Foretold (Luke 1:26-38)

Some thoughts that came to mind as I read these verses:
• in verse 28 and in verse 30, Mary is told that she was “highly favored” and “found favor.” In other words, whe was called… not because she was perfect or met the qualifications for the task at hand… when God calls, it’s not about our abilities but how we respond.
• verse 29 says, “Mary was greatly troubled.” My translation… she was terrified! But she is comforted, (“Do not be afraid…”) and finds strength in what the angel says, “The Lord is with you.” That’s a promise that is repeated over and over throughout the Bible… it’s a promise we can bank on no matter the circumstances… Jesus is with us… Jesus is the Emanuel!
• in verse 34, Mary asks the angel “How will this be?” I don’t think it was about unbelief… she just couln’t see how it was all going to happen… we are limited creatures and just cannot fathom what the Almighty can do: “…no word from God will ever fail.”
• verse 38, Mary responds “I am the Lord’s servant,” and “May your word to me be fulfilled.” I am moved by her response… She can’t see it, but she chooses to believe!

My prayer for today is that we can step out in faith choosing to believe…

A sign unexpected...

16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Zechariah was a devout servant of God and with his wife Elizabeth, was found to be "upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. "

How many of us can claim these attributes? Yet, they too had things that were wanting in their lives. Elizabeth could not conceive and she considered it a disgrace in her life. Zechariah was a man who belonged to a long lineage of priesthood but at the moment of encountering God's prophecy face to face, he was found doubting.

I think it's somewhat funny how the angel reacted when Zechariah asked: "How can I be sure of this?"
I for one can relate to how Zechariah may have felt. There are countless times when I faced a dilemma and could not be sure of God's promises. In those moments, I had wished for some kind of reassurance; perhaps a sign.
Gabriel was not amused by Zechariah's lack of confidence in his message to this old man. I wonder how many times God may have felt like what Gabriel may have felt and wanted to react to my doubts with something like, "Well, you want a sign? Here's a sign! "Be silent, be still, BEHAVE in that corner until all that I said will come true at their proper time!"
I'm so glad and thankful that God has been much more gracious to me than I deserve.

And in His proper timing, God has taken away Elizabeth's 'disgrace'. By no fault of her own, Elizabeth was childless all her life and by no means or ability of her own, she became pregnant in her old age. I'm sure each of us has a certain want, a lacking, a disgrace in our life. Let us be certain as was Elizabeth that it is by God's favor that all our needs are met, all our wants fulfilled, and our doubts rebuked.

The Purpose of Luke's Gospel

Today's passage was very short but it somewhat difficult to reflect upon. So I needed a help in understanding in more depth of what Luke tried to convey to his readers in the content. After searching on web, I found this commentary that helped me to understand the today's passage.

The Purpose of Luke’s Gospel

Luke 1:1-4


“Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.”

In this brief introduction to the Gospel of Luke, please notice three points of interest. There may be more, yet if we center our thoughts on these three, our understanding of the gospel and our study activity will become more focused.

First of all, Luke writes to us explaining that in the early days, many people took up the task of setting in order a narrative of the life of Jesus, the Son of God. It would seem by this statement that besides the inspired accounts of Matthew, Mark and John, there were also uninspired writers who “set in order” the events of Jesus’ life either for themselves or for the benefit of their family and friends. The very idea that many people would write about the life of one man indicates that His deeds were worth remembering.

Secondly, Luke indicates that it was good that he himself should write an account of Christ’s life. He makes this observation based upon certain qualifications that other writers did not have. For instance, he had been in the company of eyewitnesses who had accurately told him the details of the events and again another qualification which appears to go hand in hand with the first; Luke “had a perfect understanding of all these things from the very first” that is to say that Luke had accurately followed the events of Jesus’ life from the start. Following this line of reasoning, Luke declares that an “orderly account” should be written for “Theophilus” (one who loves God).

The final point I should declare from the opening words of Luke concern the reason behind the written gospel; “That you may know the certainty.” Luke understood that an accurate knowledge of the earthly life of Christ would strengthen the faith of Christians everywhere. When you become well acquainted with good people, you learn to trust them and you are apt to follow their instructions if you know they have your best interest at heart. Now see the application: The clear evidence of Christ’s life gives us reason to follow the instructions of the apostle’s doctrine. Why? Because their doctrine was based upon the facts of Jesus being the Son of God, His perfect fulfillment of God’s will, and His love for us.

Now, what should we learn from these facts declared? First and foremost we should learn to pray with thanksgiving that God inspired men such as Luke to accurately record for us a narrative of the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Secondly, if we are sincere in that prayer, then we owe it to ourselves to personally study the events of the gospel. Finally, having armed ourselves with godly knowledge, we are better prepared to serve God, others, and ourselves by living according to the things by which we have been instructed. Give yourself a test. Sit down one evening with pen and paper at a time and place where there are no distractions. Then set about to record the events of the life of Christ as best you know them. You may be surprised to realize the fullness or the scarcity of your own knowledge!

By Kenneth R. Peden

John 18:37-38

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

Jesus reveals himself and explains his purpose, to testify to the truth. He says that "Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." But then Pontius Pilate asks, "What is truth?" Pontius Pilate, like many others, questions what THE truth is. John 14:6 tells us what the truth is. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Until we know and believe that Jesus is the truth, we will be lost and confused just like Pontius Pilate. May we be confident in the Word that holds the very truth.

God dwelling among us

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
 ¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

In all of his glory God chose to become mere flesh like us and to live among us. This shows just how much he loves us and it sets the tone for the type of relationship God wants...an intimate one. He did not choose to rule over us like a mighty king from afar but he came down to us and became like us to pour out his grace and love to all. I am grateful for these words today to remind me of this truth and grace. I am thankful for a God that desires an intimate relationship with us and loves us so much. It is so comforting to know that we are so significant in the eyes of an Almighty God and that he is ALWAYS near.

the right to become the children of God

"yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (john 1:12-13).

the apostle john addresses three very great misconceptions as to how we become a christian. the first misconception is that if we were born and raised in a genuine, God-fearing christian home to godly parents that we are somehow christian "by default". certainly it is a great advantage to be born in such a home, but there are no guarantees whatsoever that we will become christian just because our parents are christian--"born NOT of natural descent".

the second misconception is that we ourselves decide at some point to become a christian. we pray "the sinner's prayer" at some retreat and, just like that, due to our act of praying, we "become" a christian.  this is also a false notion. certainly decision and action are part of the process, but the human will is powerless in itself to produce regeneration. born "not of human decision".

the third misconception is that by the will and desire of someone else, that we can attain a saving faith in Jesus Christ. the most earnest desire and prayer of the most godly person in the world cannot save us. certainly the prayers and petitions of godly people help, but they cannot cause us to be born again. we become the children of God, but "not of a husband's (or anyone else's) will".

we must be born from above. it is from beginning to end a divine act of God. if we decide and if we act to "receive Him and to believe in His Name", it is only because God stirred our hearts to do so first. this "new birth" is as radical and miraculous a change as any we can imagine--as radical and as miraculous as, well, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. that is the parallel. if you've ever been amazed that Jesus could be born of a virgin, be equally amazed that you and I, sinners that we are, could ever be born of God.

to be 'born of God" is a life-changing transformation as radical as being raised from death to life. the more we grow in the understanding that salvation is of God alone, how much more precious His grace appears! there was nothing good in us or lovable about us that God should save us, but He did, giving us the right to become His precious children and giving up the life of His own Son to make it happen.

we have much to celebrate this Christmas season. 

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

The word becoming flesh is our Savior. It shows he was there with God since the beginning. Jesus says he is the only way to the father. He is to be our everything. It says specifically, "In him was life, and that life was the light of men." Jesus has been our light from the very beginning. There is a Starfield lyric that I was reminded of reading this passage. "You thought of us before the world began to breathe, You knew our names before we came to be" That's what I imagine it was like. Through the darkness Jesus saw us, saw the desperation for salvation and he was the light that had come to save us. I'm understanding more and more on how to leave "religion" behind and focus on having a living relationship with our Father and passages like this are so beautiful because the image is so clear and it's humbling to see that we were chosen to see the light.

13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

We are instructed to pray in faith. I know I have to come to my knees every day to lay down the plans of the day to God and ask for his wisdom and grace over all matters. However, on most days, I am more inclined to tell myself that God already knows and so instead I have a short and fast one-way dialogue with God - no time to listen to God or to meditate. But I really desire to be a prayer warrior especially when I am content with life in general. [I know I have to be on guard at all times for satan's crafty ways.]

Let us continue to pray in faith, repenting and earnestly seeking God so that we do not have a chance to wander from the truth.

Christmas is almost here. Have a great weekend.

e

Patience in Suffering

 7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
 10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

 12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.


Having patience is definitely one of the most difficult things to do. I think you could say that I am one of the most impatient people in the world, whether it is traffic, or waiting to be seated at a restaurant. It is a struggle that I always knew that I had, but have not really made an effort on improving. If I do not even have the patience to sit through traffic, then I have a long way to learn and grow because we need to be patient for the Lord's coming. There are many places in the world that are suffering, and in far worse condition, yet there are people in those countries who are patiently waiting for the day that the Lord is coming, and I need to learn to be patient in all circumstances. 

Warning to Rich Oppressors

"Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes...gold and silver corroded."

God reminds us that none of our earthly wealth or belongings are eternal. We see money, technology (computers, cell, etc.), cars, and etc. as necessities, but how easily they corrode! We are so blessed with riches, shelter, and food compared to those in developing countries, the homeless in the inner-cities. Let us not take any of these things for granted. We must not forget that our worth and riches is only found in the love of our Heavenly Father.

Can't believe its already December! As we prepare for this Christmas season lets give and share abundantly because we've received the best gift of all..Jesus :)

It's getting cold...stayyy warm!