Every year our family reads through advent passages in our personal devotions.  Because we do it every year, the passages become familiar.  It is easy to read a passage and not even think.  Yet every year God speaks to my heart from different passages. 

This year as I read Isaiah 53, I was deeply impacted with what Jesus came to do for me. Verse 11 says:

 “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.”

Yes, Jesus bore my iniquities.  He was willing to die a criminal’s death so I did not have to bear my iniquity, my sin!

My heart is full because of the enormity of what Jesus did for me. 

I am amazed at God’s love!

Heaven to the Stable

 

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. I John 4:9

 

When I went to my weekly equestrian lesson at a local stable, I noticed a man sweeping and cleaning the walk ways.  They have to clean up all kinds of messy dirt.  Even after they clean the stalls, they are just cleaner, not CLEAN!  I was reminded that Jesus was born in a stable.  It was probably not too clean.  Maybe smelled bad.  What a shock for the senses of the King.  Heaven to the stable.  Talk about culture shock!  Jesus did that for me.  He came to clean up the stable of my heart which was dirty and smelly with sin.  And when He came in it became really clean.  That is the Christmas gift I received from God.  The best ever!

Immanuel!

 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

 

One of my favorite names for Jesus is Immanuel!  I like to hold that name in my heart every day!  Why you ask?  Well, it means God with us.  It means I can have a relationship with God.  If He is with me, then not a minute goes by without Him.  My parents stick pretty close to me, but not every minute of every day. Yet, Immanuel does.  So, when I am alone at night, I am not alone.  Immanuel is there – all the time.  Christmas is when Immanuel came.  It began the visible part of God’s redemption plan.  So, at Christmas especially I think about Immanuel.  When you step into relationship with God, Immanuel is there for you, too.  So why not jump into God’s arms and experience Immanuel?

 

The Simple Heart of Christmas

 

 

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  I John 4:10 (CSB)

 

Christmas is a big celebration in Japan where I live.  It is about trees and lights and Christmas cakes, and chicken legs and thighs. Yes, they like to eat that on Christmas Eve.  Kentucky Fried is a favorite!   But sadly 99% of Japanese do not know Jesus and do not associate Christmas with Jesus.  They have created a romance around Christmas that is totally devoid of God’s love.  So they celebrate a ritual that is empty.  Their hearts remain empty.  Please do not imitate them.  Look to Scripture to find the profound yet simple meaning of Christmas and embrace it for yourself!  God loved us! He sent His son to pay the price for our sins!  That is Christmas!

Rejoice Always!

 

 Recently my family had the opportunity to speak at our church for the Sunday sermon.  Dad turned the planning over to me.  I selected the passage and assigned the tasks to each of us.  It was a first for me.  Since our family has chosen I Thessalonians 5:16-18 as our year “verse”, it seemed good to use that passage.  Dad did the Bible exploration and I did the final challenge and prayer.  My mom did the spice!  She added the color by giving a personal illustration.  

I naturally felt a fair bit of stress as this is certainly out of my current routine.  Since the passage says “rejoice always.  Pray without ceasing.  In all things give thanks.” it would not be appropriate for me to meltdown in the midst of this presentation.  Just doing this sermon was an opportunity to put this Bible text into practice.  I must admit running up to the day I slept poorly and made several bad decisions.  Yet the day of presentation did arrive. 

Dad did great.  Mom was outstanding.  Then I was on.  I had a written text to serve as a guide and I plunged in.  It just flowed out and God’s spirit flow through me and into my fingers that were doing the communication.  I felt freedom and passion.  Then it was over.  I felt relief!  Yet, that was just the first service.  I still had one more to go.

God worked in the next service, too.  But I was drained from the experience.  I felt Satan creeping up saying, “You didn’t do a very good job.  You were weak.  What makes you think you could talk to these people?  How could you share anything worthwhile?”  I sat down and wept.  But God used my parents to speak truth over Satan’s lies.  In that moment I could rejoice for my Redeemer is in control of my life.  I am weak, but God is not! He chose me as His spokesman for that time.  I rejoice He allowed me to do His work!  So I am even today rejoicing because God is directing me day by day.  I may look like a broken person on the outside, but I am whole on the inside because my Redeemer is in me!

Come for Breakfast

 

As a family we enjoy doing things together.  We read together, we shop together, we play together, we work together.  It defines who we are as a family.  I think my favorite time together is our family devotions.  Each day we read the same portion of scripture as individuals. We journal what God teaches us.  Then, after breakfast we read from our journals and discuss what we learned and pray together.  It helps us glide into the day.  If guests are present, we expand the family and include them.  Then we go out to do the work God has for us.  So, if you are in the neighborhood, why not drop by for breakfast and God?

A Birth Announcement like None Other

 

I have seen many birth announcements over the years.  Some have come in the mail, some on social media, some directly from the parent’s mouth.  Never, ever have I seen a birth announcement to equal the one the shepherds received outside Bethlehem when Jesus was born.  They were watching their sheep, trying to stay warm, and trying to stay alert to threats to the flock.  Suddenly they were startled by an angel surrounded by the glory of the Lord.  They were terrified!  I sure would have been!  The angel was telling them, “Do not be afraid.  I am here with good news.  This joyful news is for all people.  In David’s city a Savior is born.  He is Christ the Lord!”  Enter more angels giving glory to God.  There were not just a couple angels, but a multitude of heavenly hosts.  A multitude means a large number according to the Cambridge dictionary.  Now that is the epitome of a birth announcement.  All for a baby born in a stable.

Of course, this baby was not just a baby born to a poor couple.  He was God in human form come to be our Savior.  Maybe His birth place was not special, but His birth announcement was beyond special.  And this ultimate in birth announcements came to shepherds who were considered the lowest of the low.  It comes to me today from God’s word.  It comes to me a sinner who needed a Savior.  It comes to you, too.  Do you need a Savior?  Well, He came for you.  This announcement is for you.  Rejoice!  Jesus came!

Birth Announcement

 

 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.  Luke 1:38

Let’s think about who got birth announcements when Jesus came.  First, we see Mary and Joseph got the word.  It was really big news.  Mary got it my heavenly currier.  Since this was her body, she got a big announcement.  Joseph got his in a dream.  It was impactful for this couple and changed their lives in a very major way.  Both obeyed the summons.  They trusted God in an adventure into the unknown.  There was no map for this adventure.  It meant walking step by step through gossip, travel, homelessness and a run for your life adventure.  Yet they obeyed because they trusted God because He asked them to. 

I have no idea what lies in the path God has laid before me, but God calls me to not worry, but to trust and walk the path one step at a time.  He promised to be with me every step.  He did it for Mary and Joseph.  He is doing it for me.  He will be glad to do it for you.  So be courageous and grab onto God and start walking.

Open Your Gift

 

 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16   

 

Recently we said good-bye to a dear neighbor who has been our friend since we came to this neighborhood years ago.  Of late we did not see him, but he has eaten in our home.  We have attended events together; we have prayed for him.  However, he has slipped into eternity, perhaps without knowing Jesus.  Oh, he had been told the gospel story, but he was too busy, or did not see his need.  As far as we know, he failed to open the gift God offered him.  Other gifts looked more enticing.

If you are reading this you still have time to open your Christmas gift from God.  You can enter into eternity with Jesus.  He wants you to come.  That is why He came and we celebrate His birth at Christmas.  Why wait?  If you have opened your gift from God don’t be selfish!  Share it with others.  It is a matter of life and death! 

Just Like Any Other Day

 

Matthew 1:21

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

Advent makes us think of the celebration that Jesus was born!  A wonderful birth.  But actually, at the time few saw it as anything remarkable.  The world did not stop and stand in awe.  Many did not know or care that a world changing event had just occurred.  The vast majority just plodded along in the routine of life.  The suffering and joys had not changed.  Israel waited for the coming Messiah, but most saw it as far in the distance.  The world in general went on with life as usual.

So it is with many of us today.  We see it as an event in the distant past.  It is a time for merchants to make money, and people to spend money.  The significance of Christmas is lost in the holiday bustle. 

I want to remember what happened that night in the stable.  I want to rejoice at the unfolding of God’s plan through the ages to arrange for my salvation.  I want to remember.  Won’t you join me in pondering that significance?  If it has no meaning for you, now is the time to find that meaning and internalize it.  Come on!  Think on the significance of Jesus’s birth.  Let it change your life!

White Christmas

 

Isaiah 1:18

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (ESV)

 

Images of Christmas are usually ensconced in snow.  People dream of a white Christmas.  However, when I read the Scripture accounts of the birth of Jesus, the snow is not there, or at least not mentioned.  I love to see the snow, and I agree it really makes for a picturesque setting.  Yet very few of my Christmases included that so lovely accessory.  Usually very cold, maybe rain, but no snow. 

 But you know what?  You can have a white Christmas where ever you live.  The Bible says God can make your heart even whiter than snow.  When we trust Jesus, He washes our heart even whiter than snow.  So this Christmas be courageous and have a white Christmas in your heart.  Don’t just dream about a white Christmas.  Have a real white Christmas that has eternal value. Ask Jesus to wash your sins away, and make it whiter than snow and enjoy a truly white Christmas!

God is in Control!

 

I have Japanese pastor friend I have known almost my whole life.  When I was a little kid he and his wife worked in a church plant with my parents.  They became family.  Eventually they moved away, and yet we have maintained a close, family like relationship.  About two months ago we got word that his heart had stopped.  His wife did CPR and he was transported to the hospital, where many procedures were done.  The outlook was bad.  He was in a drug induced coma to reduce stress, but all word was the doctors were not hopeful.  His heart had been stopped for one hour and twenty minutes. 

Our family prayed as did many Christians here in Japan.  I remember my mom praying that he would be healed and the doctors would know the Lord had done it.  He had a heart attack and so many scenarios were possible.  Would he have cognitive ability?  Would he always be an invalid?  Yet we prayed.  He came off the ventilator and knew his wife.  He was talking.  God in His mercy healed him.  He is still weak, but his brain was protected.  I saw a picture on Facebook of him preaching on Sunday.  God healed him.  The doctors are saying it is aa miracle.  I imagine he filled them in on who did this miracle.  We rejoice at what God has done!

Uncle Sasaki, I praise God He has spared you, and I am still praying for you every day.

Having a Bad Day?

 

Sometimes I have a bad day.  It may start out great, but it deteriorates as the day progresses.  Often it is because I have unreasonable expectations that my family cannot meet.  Maybe I have made bad choices and sabotaged my day.  Maybe I am just being sinful and rebellious.  Whatever the cause, it happens.  As I was reading in Job today, I saw him having a whole series of bad days.  Yet he met those days with steadfast faith and blessed God. When I have bad days what do I do?  My go to response is often whining and complaining.  And I have never had it as bad as Job.  I think it is time for me to adjust my response to an attitude of praise, no matter what.  I am thinking this might not be easy and will require some hard work on my part. But I am thinking it will be worthwhile work.  So, I better get to it. 

But Lord, It's Really Hot!

 

Where I live in Japan summers are hot, and I do mean hot. That translates to the mid-30s to low 40s Celsius, or mid 90s to low 100s Fahrenheit. That is really uncomfortable, but added to that is humidity, around 60 to 90%.  It can make for some really hot, sticky days.  I find it to be a challenge to be at my best, and in reality easy to be at my worst.  I confess to being very grumpy some days. 

Now to be honest, we have air-conditioning in our central living area, but the rest of the house is dependent on fans and breeze.  We sleep in uncooled bedrooms and of course our outdoor activities are breeze cooled. 

I find it easy to complain about summers as I return from an early morning run or horse riding with my shirt sticking to me, dripping with sweat.  But there is a troublesome verse in the Bible.  Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.”  I wish it said, “except really hot days.” But it does not.  That means God made this miserable, hot day, and is waiting for me to rejoice at all He has made.  It is not selective rejoicing.  If God made the day, I am to rejoice in it.  In the whole thing.  I really find that one hard.  I find myself saying, “I can’t rejoice in this.”  Then God speaks to me and reminds me of another verse Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” My strength does not cover rejoicing in this heat, but I can do it the strength of Christ.  Since His strength even conquered the grave, I guess it can handle hot days.  So today I rejoice in this day God has made only through the strength of Christ!  Amen!

Here Comes Immanuel

 

Isaiah 7:14

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Here we have a reference in the Old Testament that tells about the birth of Jesus.  It tells about His mother: a virgin. It tells His sex: male.   It tells His name: Immanuel.  And it told these details 700 years before Jesus was born.  Isaiah had no machines to tell this.  It came directly from God.  It was a message of hope in a troubled time.  When the kingdoms of the world were in transition, and people were troubled, God sent out a message of hope to that world.  That message is for us, too!  This Immanuel did come.  God kept His promise, and He did it!  Now we have God with us, day by day! 

 

 God is still fulfilling His promise .  We still have Immanuel – God with us.  It is our hope and help day by day.  The holidays can be hard.  They are full of stress, and difficult situations.  For some of us they are too full as we take advantage of each opportunity to share the Gospel.  At the end of the day we find ourselves exhausted!  But we have Immanuel – God with us all the time, every step of the way.  So today celebrate God who keeps His promises and is with us!

Man in Sync with God

 

Genesis 1:26-30 (ESV)

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man^[a] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

²⁷ So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.

²⁸ And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” ²⁹ And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. ³⁰ And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

 

God made man in His own image.  He gave man intellect and responsibility.  We were mandated with caring for creation which in turn would provide us with food.  We were told to multiply and populate the earth.  God made us, gave us work and food and it was good.  The whole world was perfect in all respects.  Man was in sync with God.  That is how it should be.  That was God’s image of life on this world. In fact if life had stayed like this Jesus would not have needed to come.  But it all went crazy, and sin bounded into the world with destruction spewing everywhere.  It did not have to happen that way.  Man was not content with the world God gave him.  He wanted more, but ended up with less. How do you want more than God has given?  Are you willing to surrender to God’s perfect plan?  Why not try it?

 

 

Thanks!

 

This week a young friend of mine had a birthday.  He turned three! He and I were both adopted into missionary families so we could find Jesus.  I sent him a greeting online. I admonished him to love Jesus with all he has.  I was completely surprised to get video reply.  There was his cute face and his shy reply, “thanks Jeffrey.”  I watched that over and over letting the joy it brought flood my heart.  I would have loved to hug him and receive a hug in return, but that was impossible at the time.  I was a bit sad I could not see him in person to give my small greeting.  However, God did something more.  I have looked at that video several times.  Each time it warms my heart.  I am slowly learning to give thanks in everything.  You see, that is what God demands. 

 

When I obey that command my heart is at peace.  God changes me; He shifts my point of view and gives me His best.  So today I watched that video again, and it reminded me to thank God again.  Are you thanking God for everything?  I sure hope you are.

Shelter of His Wing

Here we are in Japan watching varying degrees of fear as a new virus is doing a worldwide tour.  It is sometimes hard to keep perspective as the situation changes day by day.  Old habits and routines must be laid aside.  New routines must be implemented leaving us sometimes unsure and insecure.  In my daily Bible reading I find God assuring me He is in absolute control.  This is not too big for God.  He invites me into His refuge, into the shelter of His wing.  Into His unchanging self.  Now that is a place I want to be.  Don’t you?  Come join me under the shelter of His wing.  It is warm, cozy, and secure.  Come get to know Him better, where evil cannot touch your soul.  Come on, there is plenty of room.

Spiritual Up and Running

Of late I am having a great time in my personal devotions as we read through the Bible. We do it every year but it is not boring.  This year I am seeing how I often get great concepts from my reading.  Things I need to implement in my daily life.  AND there is  the problem.  How can I consistently get what I know in my head to be in my heart, and working.  How to get it up and running.  With a computer, you push a button and if you push the right set of buttons, you are up and running.  Spiritual life is different.  There are no buttons.  It takes much thought and energy to keep the focus where it needs to be.  No sliding by!  I cannot do this! God is steadfast, and keeps pulling me into account. So implementation requires me to go deeper into God, and know him.  More God, less Jeffrey works well.

Steps

We have been real busy this fall.  We go from event to event.  Each event is good and fun, but I have come to see that events take energy and time you would use for the not so fun but necessary routines of life.  We are not able to keep up with laundry and room cleaning, and writing.  It has increased my stress.  I am perplexed!  Which event would I have eliminated? 

If I cannot eliminate enough events, then I must find another answer.  Fussing, whining, complaining, being a brat is not the answer either.  Is there another answer?  I have decided there must be, but what can it be?  It is not a natural response for sure.  Well, then, what is it?

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3.  As I ponder this I realize I am not able to cope with change.  I am not a flexible person.  Clearly the answer is not in me, but I know where it is.  When I am steadfast in my trust in Jesus, I have perfect peace.  When I am stubbornly focused on me, I have no peace.  I can choose peace or stress.  The circumstances have little to do with it.  I want to choose peace, so I must die to self and the habits and compulsions that keep me from steadfast trust in the Lord. This is easily written here.  Now, I must push back from the written page, back to real life, where the practice of steadfast trust is a slow process of steps forward, and failure, too. Lord, help me take the next step!