TYING UP THE YEAR---2021

 

II Timothy 4:6-7
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Paul writing Timothy from a Roman prison.
Paul knows that his days are numbered and that he will never see Timothy again.
The entire book of II Timothy is like Paul's farewell letter to Timothy, encouraging him to be strong in the faith for the days ahead will hard and treacherous.
I think this is the kind of life I want for myself. One that sees life clearly and does not try to sugar coat it as being wonderful but, at the same time, has a realistic view of life.
Life is full of problems and pitfalls....
Snares and strongholds....
Life is messy, but was given to us by God to live.
We are to experience life at every level as we grow and mature in Him.
The message that I get from daily life is that I must find God for every situation I face.
I must seek Him daily for every decision that I must make.
I have to hear Him for direction for every circumstance, good or bad, that may come my way.
I think it is all part of that "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me" deal we read about in Luke 9:23.

Paul could have written Timothy and told him that he just knew that God was going to free him from his prison. He could have painted an incredible picture of angels coming down...Roman guards falling down as dead men.....doors and locks broken and cast aside....and there striding triumphant from the place of confinement....the Apostle Paul. But Paul knew down inside that this would not happen. He knew that his days were numbered, and that he would give his very life for the cause of Christ and for His church. Why would Paul be so sure and set that this was the way his life would turn out/ Because I think Jesus showed it to him. In Acts 9:16, God is speaking to Ananias, a man that has been picked to take care of Paul after his encounter with Jesus. God says, "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake." In spite of knowing what he would be facing, Paul chose anyway to follow Jesus, all the way to the end of his life.

2021 has been an incredible year.
A year of struggles....
A year of doubt and fear as the word "covid" became entrenched in our vocabulary. .
Many messages shared....many hours of study.
But here on the last day of 2021, I have got to answer a question that God has posed to me.
"Did you learn how to love?"
"Did you learn how to love those that have been marginalized by society and cast aside like garbage."
How do I answer this question?

That I am not there yet, but I am moving forward.
It is easy to proclaim having a love for everyone...
Truth be known, it is hard to carry out.
I have found that this year has been a time of learning how to give away.
As the year has passed, I have found that I am quicker to not hold on to things.
I have found that we will always have the poor with us. I can't solve the hunger or poverty problem.
But I can feed and help the next one I meet.
I can clothe and love the next one who asks for help.
I can pray healing down on the one who can't afford to go the doctor.
I can tell them the good news that there is a God who loves them more than they could imagine, and desires to have a relationship with them.
I can be salt....
I can be light....
And that is what I want for 2022 more than anything.
I pray that God will let me sit here at this computer next December 31st, and post about how I have changed even more.

Have a safe New Years!
God on you...
mb

WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THEIR NAMES

 

We don't know their names....

Just a collective group of men doing a job....

A group of men outside the city on a hillside....

A group whose very lives reflected this truth of being "outside"...

They did not fit into the mold of being great men....

We don't even know their names.

Some may have had families......wives and children...

Others may have been single....

Being a shepherd was a lonely, hard job...

that usually gave birth to lonely, hard men...

We don't know their names....

Looking forward to the night....

they settled down for a meal and to share the warmth of

each others company and the fire in their midst.

Conversation of what might have been instead of what was....

We don't even know their names....

We do not know their names....

but God did!

He specifically sent angelic messenger to them to announce

the birth of His Son, Jesus.

TO reinforce this announcement, the host of heaven (other angels)

joined in a collective praise to God
We don't even know their names.

The very first persons who knew of the culmination that would be the birth

of Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one...

Outside of Mary, Elizabeth and Zacharias and Joseph.....

were shepherds.

The very ones that were "outside" the city.

There was life in the city.

There was religion in the city.
There was culture in the city.

There was commerce in the city.
But God was outside with the Shepherds.

We don't even know their names.

I guess if I could take anything away from this story,

it would be that being on the inside does not always tie

you to God.

Sometimes, it is being on the outside...

the fringe....

that is where you find God.....

We don't even know their names.....
But God knew them...
He knew that He could trust the message of the birth of Messiah
to these men.
Today, God knows you better than you know yourself
And He is willing to trust you with His Kingdom.
To and search for yourself the truth that was born into
that stable so many years ago.
That a Savior....
One who would break the power of sin over humanity...
One who would destroy the penalty of sin..
One who would overpower the presence of sin...
Had come into a world that was dark and hopeless.
Think of this as a belated Christmas Message that we are to carry into the new year.

2022! Who knows. Maybe this is the year Jesus returns. 
Wouldn't that be somethin.

mb

TWO STEPPIN'

 

Dark days.....
Hard Times......
This new life of recovery is, at times, so complicated (or at least it seems that way) that you want to return to the darkness of addiction.
But you know you can't.
You've come to far to turn back now.
So what do you do?
Look for the good....
Remember God's promises.....
Call someone and talk (preferably your sponsor).
Go to a meeting.
Do something positive....
Don't just sit there with your thoughts and emotions, thinking that this feeling will simply go away.
We have to learn to be proactive in these situations instead of reactive.
Doing nothing has been our behavior in the past.....rather than confront the feeling, we simply gave in to it.
No longer......
I have to learn to live in hope.

How do you keep hope alive?
You view every situation you face....
You view every circumstance you are looking at.....
As a gift from God.
It is simply another opportunity to grow and mature in this new found way of life.
I view every tomorrow as another opportunity to add to the sobriety I have been given.
When I get up in the morning, I will open my eyes and pray..."Good morning, Lord! How are you doing? What do you have planned for us today?"
God knows you better than you know yourself.
He does have plans for your day.

I love the verses from Lamentations Chapter 3.....
The prophet Jeremiah finds himself in the worst of all possible situations....
All around him is destruction.....
Death is everywhere.....
Pain and misery are the norm for the day....
Yet in all of this, Jeremiah pens these words.....
My soul still remembers....and sinks within me.
This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.....
Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed.
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning.
Great is your faithfulness.
'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him!"

Today is the day we not only believe Step #2 of the Twelve Steps...
We get Step #2 all down inside of ourselves....
Our belief that Jesus is the Higher Power needed to restore my life to sanity.
To make sense of all the insanity that I have brought upon myself.
To give me clarity of thought and purpose as I walk out this day.
To see things in a new way and new light....
To reject the voices of the past so I can embrace the VOICE of today...
Your voice, O God!

I want to close today's posting with Lamentations 3:25-26:
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him.
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

May the God of peace and  mercy strengthen you for today.
God on you....
mb

REVISITING THE VISTOR

 

(Originally posted here in the Greene Street Letters on December 25th 2015)

Sleep did not come easy last night.....

My wife had gone to bed, yet I was not ready. I sat in my chair bathed in the glow of the lights from the Christmas tree. Rambling thoughts caused my emotions to surface. Thinking back over the year, I found myself sinking deeper and deeper into a spiritual funk. My sister in law had died in July. Friends had also passed this year. It seemed that with each passing day, our ranks grew thinner and thinner. I hated it. The emptiness...the separation. No matter how hard you tried to convince yourself that it was "all a part of life"...that did not soften the pain that I felt. 
I was helpless. I watched day after day as my wife grieved the death of her sister.

Getting up from my chair, I made way outside to stand on our porch. Rain fell softly and only added to the gloom that seemed to engulf me. It was Christmas eve, and, as the the story goes, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. Up and down Greene Street I could see the lights from my neighbors trees casting an eerie silhouette on the front windows. Didn't seem like joy would be a part of our celebration this year. But there in the darkness of the street I heard a very familiar voice. It was coming up from Case Avenue, softly filling the air..."This is my Father's world....and to the listening ear....all nature sings, and around me rings...the music of the spheres."  slowly, as the voice drew near, I could make out the outline of the one who was singing this soft melody. It was The Visitor.

"Hello, Michael.....can't sleep?" He asked.
It had been several years since our last encounter, but each time we had met, He brought a comfort that seem to push all the dark emotions and feelings to the back of my mind and heart.
"Where have you been?", I asked.
"Been? I've been right here all along."
"Here?", I questioned Him. "I didn't see you. You never spoke or came by, or even knocked on my door. I just don't understand."

"Did you notice that new limb on the tree nearest the street?", He asked.
Limb? Tree? What does that have to do with anything, I thought to myself.
"No...I didn't notice it.", I shot back.
"Well, it was here all along, wasn't it?", He responded.
"Just like me....the limb was always there...you just never took the time to see it."
Point taken,and I felt a bit ashamed of the way I had spoken to Him.

Moving to the porch, The Visitor stood next to me. Putting His arm around my shoulder He softly spoke...."I know what you are going through. I understand the pain you feel because of death. I fully understand the helplessness you feel because you can't soften the pain and emptiness your wife is feeling"
Those words brought comfort and yet, at the same time, made the pain worse.
"Why is it suppose to be this way...why do we have to go through this whole twisted dance we call "Life and death"?"

"You know the reason," The Visitor responded to my question.
"You know that every death only reminds us that sin is in our midst. Father never intended for death to be a part of life. The two in the garden brought that in with their disobedience."
"Yeah, well I'd like to have a few words with those two.", I shot back.
"Michael, if you'd been there in the garden you would have chosen just like they did."
We don't like to think of ourselves in such a manner.....but what The Visitor said was true. As Charlie Daniels said in his song..."When I had a choice between good and bad, I'd pick bad two out of three."

"It still hurts", I spoke softly....with those words, my mind was flooded with the faces of those who had gone on. Tears began to form and roll down my cheeks.
"I know it does, but the pain is from your perspective, not from the Father's, or even those you miss. Here you are....standing on your front porch.....it's Christmas eve.....and what is suppose to be a celebration of My birth is mired down and stuck in the pain of your own heart. What do you suppose Peggy is doing right now?" The Visitor asked. I knew what He wanted me to say, but the pain and selfishness of my own heart would not let me.Eventually I gave in and responded to His question....."She is celebrating her first Christmas with You, The Father and The Holy Spirit."  "Right she is....DO you think maybe you do miss her?", The Visitor asked.
"Do I think I miss her? What a dumb question...of course I miss her," I thought to myself.
"Or do you think maybe there is a part of you that is selfish and wished you could celebrate the way she is doing?"

That did it....the tears came heavy and fast....
"I'm just tired, and I don't like this whole bit of getting older, and I hate it that my friends and family are dying all around me." I sounded like a spoiled child who was lamenting the fact they didn't get their way." I was suddenly embarrassed by my tears and my words.
"It's o.k.," The Visitor said. "I totally understand what you are going through. But I want you to focus on something." "What?", I asked.

"The Promise." He replied. "The Promise that fills every verse in My Book. The Promise that binds and threatens all darkness brought about by the devil and his minions. The Promise that is greater than death...greater than any separation death creates. The Promise that I am who I claim to be....and that I will do what I have said I would do. Did I not say that I had gone to prepare a place for you?" "Yes," I said. "Did I not say that if that were true that I would return and take you there to be with Me forever?" Again, I replied, "Yes". "Then believe it," The Visitor spoke. "Believe it beyond what you feel. Believe it beyond what your mind tells you. Believe it to the point that this Promise becomes a very part of your being, for you see.....this Promise is the Hope of Glory."  I was suddenly filled with a new perspective. "How can this be?", I thought to myself. "How can I suddenly feel so alive, so refreshed.....so filled with hope, and yet, at the same time, still experience the pain of separation." I looked into the eyes of The Visitor to ask how this was possible, but before I could speak, He said, "The Father loves you more that you could ever comprehend. His Promise triumphs over any and everything that is found in this world. Always remember that."

"By the way," The Visitor said, "It's officially Christmas." Suddenly the air was filled with the sound of praise and worship. The veil between heaven and earth had been pulled aside and I heard what the Shepherds heard that night when The Visitor had arrived on planet earth.

"Glory to God in the Highest....

And on earth peace, goodwill

toward men upon whom

His favor rests."

I found myself transfixed with this heavenly display of truth. I could not move, nor did I wish to as the words washed over me. There was power in the words that were spoken. Power that seem to declare a truth that was older than creation itself. The words were not spoke to convince anyone of the truth. They were declared because they were the truth . In an age where truth comes at a premium...this was a proclamation. All my thoughts and self pity about death and my own humanity seem to crumble and fall away. I stood on that porch renewed and restored.

I turned to speak to the Visitor....

To thank Him for the gift He'd brought to me....
But He was gone.

I turned my gaze toward Greene Street, and there in the darkness I could make out the form of one  slowly walking toward Case Avenue. Once again I heard the voice softly declaring...

"This is my Father's world....and to the listening ear.....all nature sings....and around me rings....the music of the spheres."

Merry Christmas, Peggy.
We miss you.

Merry Christmas from the "B's" in Attalla.
God on you...

WHAT DO YOU PONDER?

 

Luke 2:19 - But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

What was it that Mary "treasured" up? All the events that took place surrounding the birth of her son, Jesus. All the words that were spoken concerning this event. She knew with her head that an angel sent from God had come to tell her that she had been picked to be the mother of Messiah. She knew that God was with her and had granted her great favor and grace to make this journey to Bethlehem. She clearly heard what the shepherds said when they told of what had happened to them. She knew these things.............with her mind. But for them to translated to her heart was an entirely different thing.

These events and words were more than memories now. They were intended to do more than give her a fuzzy warm feeling that would comfort her. They were now a part of her story that would define who she was as she moved into motherhood. All the experiences she endured became a foundation that helped her daily. 

I think we need to step back sometimes and take a look at what we have stored up as treasure in our own hearts. Are they just memories of feel good times, or do we treasure things that have weight and carry with them the promises of God? Do we stop from time to time to look at the treasure we are carrying? Letting it fuel us to move forward in life. I pity the person whose heart-treasure is filled with darkness, doubt, and accusation. Heart's so empty that when the person cries out in pain or for help all they hear is an echo. Why? Because what they treasure has no substance....only the memory of day's gone by.

I know that 2022 is fast approaching, so why not let it be the year we begin to seek out the things of God. Seek them out and fill our hearts with treasure that can be pondered over to give us the confidence and will to move forward under His will.

Thanks for stopping by the Greene Street Letters...

And may God bless you.....

mbb

HOW GREAT IS MY GOD!

 

Psalm 71:23-24
My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You...
And my soul, which you have redeemed.
My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long,
For they are confounded...
For they are brought to shame who seek my hurt.

I am full this morning...
Full of the mercy and grace of God.
Never at any point in my life have I ever experienced such an outpouring of God before....
It only fuels me to chase after Him harder...
To want to see Him...
To talk with Him and listen as He speaks....
IT is more than church.....
IT is more than religion.....
IT is more than anything the world has ever offered to me...
The world kept a ledger of my offenses and trespasses against God....
The world took every opportunity to remind me what a total wreck and loser I was....
"Why would God want anything to do with you?" The world would whisper in my ear....
For a time, I listened.
I looked around me to justify my own behavior ("I'm not as bad as some people!")
But nothing could ever remove the shame and guilt I carried. It clung to me like the very skin of my body...
It taunted me at every turn and offered no rest or peace.
Then I met God........

Where I stand today is so far removed from where it all began.
Isn't that the way it truly is....?
Spiritual progress....day by day, growing and learning?
Day by day, putting into practice the things that God teaches you?
It really is like a spiritual awakening...
One day, you just suddenly realize that you have grown and moved on in your life.
You feel more comfortable in you skin...more comfortable with yourself....
You still have a lot of things to work on....but somehow that's o.k.
That is the beauty and wonder of the Grace of God.

Grace- The empowering presence of God in my life that enables me to be who God created me to be, and to do what God has called me to do.
There's you a definition of Grace (From James Ryles). It has served me well over the years and I am constantly walking, living, and sharing in this grace given to me by God.
The work of the Holy Spirit in us is this grace....
It is evidence of the POWER we have sought for so long to live free and clear from out sin/addiction.
So, let me just declare to you this morning exactly HOW GREAT IS MY GOD!!!

The video is from Danny Daniels....One of my most favorite Ge-tar players in the world...
Easy on a string with a voice that begs to be listened to...
Enjoy this worship song from Danny.....

Merry Christmas from the "B's" of Attalla...
God on you....
mb

CHRISTMAS EVE 2021

 

Christmas eve........2021. The television is filled with images, sounds and sites of what the world believes is the "perfect" Christmas. The perfect home all decorated with the perfect tree and ornaments. Beautifully wrapped presents awaiting the family to open them. Some will get up on Christmas morning to find new cars and trucks decked out with huge red ribbons, sitting in their drive way.  Gifts...gifts....and more gifts..... Smiles everywhere as the family relishes each unwrapping with sounds of glee and laughter. Christmas eve 2021.....

On the other side of these commercial's lies a reality that most of us do not want to think about. Those who will spend the day alone with their thoughts of Christmas past. Sprinkle these thoughts with an overflowing sense of guilt, depression, and a smattering of "What's the use?" and you have what some have faced (and will face)  during this season.

Their Christmas will be spent huddled away from everyone they know. Their companion on this day may be a bottle with which to drown the memories. Some will look to a needle to dull the pain of this day. Others will seek pills or "lines" or joints...anything to create a false sense of reality. Do you know what the funny part in all of this dark pageant is? The reason for this season, the birth of Christ, stands there with them. He sees every dark thought that move through their brain. He feels every bit of the pain and oppression that seeks to crush them in this season.

Call me silly, or out of touch, but I believe that Jesus is for the marginalized....the outcast...those under the oppression from the kingdom of darkness. I believe that the call and offer of salvation is loud and strong on this day. You see, all of us....from the highest to the lowest stand on equal ground at the foot of the cross. We all are in need of a Savior. That Savior has a name, and that name is Jesus. God come to all of us this day. Come to those who have much........but with an abundance, come to those who have little or nothing. Let the air be filled with Your glory today, tonight and tomorrow.

The posting this morning was not intended to be a downer, but rather a check on our own hearts to see if we truly do embrace the One we celebrate. It's funny, but I don't remember reading anywhere in the Christmas passage from Luke that religion was mentioned. It only speaks of a young couple who had been ostracized by their society because of an unusual pregnancy. Oh yeah, there were some shepherds who had a "Twilight Zone" moment when and angel showed up with some good news. This angel was followed by a host (not sure how many make up a host) of other angels, all with the same message. "Glory to God in the Highest".  The center of this event was a new born babe. But this babe was unlike any other. He was God in flesh. He was God come down to mankind to take away our sins, and in return offer to us eternal life with Him. Now that is pretty heady stuff.

Today, if you are out, look for those who are struggling with Christmas. Maybe offer to buy them a meal. Hey, give them your coat so that they can be warm in the coming days. The list is endless of what we can do. But above all let them know about this Jesus. He changed me and He will change you.

Tomorrow morning, beginning at 7:30 a.m. we will be having our breakfast give-away at the ReCovery Church. Our menu will be a bit limited, but I assure you that there will be plenty to eat.

Merry Christmas from Vicki and Michael, Anthony, Ann, Deb and Barry, Lanny and Debbie, Todd and Nola, Wayne, Mike K. and Chris K. 

God on you...

mbb

WHY CHRISTMAS?

 

Light years apart is the distance between the celebration of Christmas by the world and by the body of Christ.
One places emphasis on feeding the flesh...
The other on worshipping the coming of Messiah.
One doesn't even like using the word "Christmas".....
it seeks to diminish the name under the guise of tolerance, saying that we need to be tolerant. I agree there needs to be tolerant, but not by eliminating that which we disagree with.
Christmas has become Happy Holiday's!
The world makes a buck (dollar) on Christmas....
You aren't really in the Christmas spirit unless you are spending money you don't have, buying presents you can't afford, for people you don't really like.
Merry Christmas.

Am I the Grinch?
DO I look like Ebenezer Scrooge?
I don't think so.
No one loves this time of year more than me.
But Christmas IS the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

It is a time for family....
and reading the Christmas story to the grandchildren.
It is communion on Christmas eve.
It is a focus to what transpired years ago in the tiny town of Bethlehem.
A birth that was unlike any other.
A child was born who is Christ the Lord.
From the manger to the cross...
From the cross to the tomb....
From the tomb to the right hand of God the Father......
Merry Christmas!!!!

God on you....
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CHRISTMAS WISDOM FROM ANDY

 

When looking back, years past are often referred to as a "Simpler Time".
But were they?
Were they really more simple and innocent that what we are living today?
I don't see kids wearing leg braces anymore. You don't see children, as well as adults, having to live out their lives in an iron lung.
We don't have polio like we did back in the simpler times.
Men worked hard for a living and to provide for their families.
Going out to eat at a restaurant was reserved for the special occasions such as a graduation or weddings.
Long distant phone calls at night usually meant a death in the family.

Traveling to Birmingham was like going to New York City...such trips were just not taken as an after thought like they are today.
But the one thing I remember most about those so called simpler times....is that the church was my extended family. During the Christmas season, Church was the center of our community. Socials, dinners, a Christmas play...the carols...all made life a little more bearable.

So whenever this Christmas episode of Andy Griffin comes on, it truly does become a time machine of sorts for me. I am reminded of a time long ago when I was growing up, being shaped and influenced by the people God had surrounded me with. Maybe we call such times simpler because we still believed in God. We still prayed in school and read the Bible every for morning devotion. Maybe that is what we truly need in this nation. A simpler time.

Merry Christmas from the "B's" in Attalla.

WORSHIP IS AN ACTION WORD

 II Kings 17:9-10

And the sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right, against the Lord their God. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. And they set for themselves sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree.

I find it rather odd that Israel could refer to God as "their" God but at the same time

carry on an illicit affair with other gods.

Not only believing in them but going as far as erecting and dedicating specific locations

for the sole purpose of worshipping these false deities.

Saying with their lips, "You alone are our Lord!" and all the while their affections and attention is set upon other gods.

I pray that I never find myself in this type of relationship with God.

One where I offer only lip service to him while all the time I am focused on serving another.

This is a good time of year for such a thing as I have written about to happen.
This time of year, people give lip service to the birth of Jesus.

We may even read an obligatory passage from Luke Chapter 2 in

order to soothe the religious spirit that rises up.

But our affections are turned toward gifts, parties, gatherings, and other such things.

Are these things evil? I don't think so.

But when we live the other 11 months of the year by not following the directives and

instructions of God, only to try and make up during the month of December......

Well, there is something wrong with what how we perceive relationship with God

to be lived out.

To me Christmas should be the culmination of a year spent growing in Christ.

To celebrate the beginning of the end of the power that sin held sway over mankind.

Christmas should be a time of gratitude and helping those who are struggling.
Truth be known, this is how we should live 24/7---365!

How can we ignore people for 11 months only to turn around in the 12th month and

pass along a bag of oranges and say, "God bless you!"?

Yes, December is a time marked to celebrate the birth of Christ....

but shouldn't every day be a celebration of living for Him?

Shouldn't we work and strive to love as He loved?
To do unto the least of our brethren as we would do unto Christ?

Look for Jesus today!

You'll see him.

You'll find him.
It won't be in the places you think you'd find him.

Merry Christmas!

mb

THE BESTEST.....MOST FABULOUS TIME OF THE YEAR

 

...."Tis The Season"......
...."It's the most wonderful time of the year!"
...."Joy To The World!"

Why is it the most wonderful time of the year?
Because it is the day that God has made....
Today is a day that has been fashioned by the hand of God....
Fashioned and set in place with events and circumstances and situations waiting to happen.
Now smack dab in the middle of this day, he has placed you and me.
He has equipped us to affect and infect those we come in contact with, with the incredible, wonderful message that you don't have to live under the burden or bondage of sin.

You no longer have to be defined as a 'slave' to sin, driven by the wants and desires of a nature that will do nothing more than take you down the road to destruction. You can be free! This is why I chose Psalm 100:2 for today's verse....."Serve the Lord with gladness!" It is the time of the year to serve.....serve God and others...in fact in Matthew 25, in the parable of the sheep and goats, Jesus stated that when we serve those who are in need, we are actually serving him.
..."For I was hungry and you gave Me food. I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. I was a stranger and you took Me in. I was naked and you clothed Me. I was sick and you visited Me. I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, "Lord...when did we see You hungry and feed You. Or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in. Or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?" And the King (Jesus) will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to ME!"

Every morning that we arise to face this day that God has created, we should do so as coming into His presence. We serve! We were created to serve! We were created to be generous with anything and everything God has placed at our disposal. We should be goofy, silly, crazy people who spend themselves on others. We are to serve the Lord with gladness.

It's time we stop being takers......
It is time we start being givers......
So, with this in mind.....ask God to show you where you are to give.
Maybe you will be lead to start serving and giving at a Celebrate Recovery meeting...(What an incredible place to learn and practice this loving on others).
Maybe you could visit a nursing home and simply share some hugs and smiles....with those who don't have anyone to visit them.
It could even be as simple as getting out of the Scrooge-mood and as you walk through the mall (or in my case...Wal Mart) start praying for everyone you see....pray that God would lead them to the true meaning of what this Christmas season is truly all about. Smile at them and wish them Jesus!
Serve The Lord With Gladness!!!

Merry Christmas From the Bynum's...
Michael and Vicki

God on you....
mb

MY PLANS / HIS PLANS

 

The plans I make for my life aren't always God's plans.

Let me rephrase that.
The plans I make for my life are never the same as God's plans.
The one lesson I have come to learn is that when Scripture says I am to "Trust in the Lord"....it means just what it says.
I don't have to spiritualize it.
I don't have to say, "Well, it is speaking metaphorically".
What is, is.
I don't know how you feel about this, but God isn't too interested in our plans.
My plans usually involved what will bring comfort to me.
What can aid me in getting an advantage in life.
Plans that benefit me and bring nothing to God.

I hear some quote (I've been guilty of it) Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." We tend to quote this verse in a way that makes us thing that everything that is going to happen to us will be okey-dokey and top of the world. I don't know that it plays out like we tend to view it will.

Case in point: One couple, Joseph and Mary.
They had plans.
They were going about the business of making their plans and dreams come true.
Weddings....
Betrothals......
Parties.......
Family.......
A home and children.......
All the things a young couple looks forward to.
But before any of it can happen, God shows up. Well, actually the angel Gabriel speaking on behalf of God.

Here is a Michael B paraphrase of what the angel told Mary.....
"I appreciate all you have done. I know you have plans for your future, but God has other plans."
"You are going to become pregnant and give birth to His Son. The one you and your people have been searching for-----The Messiah...... The Christ."

Mary is thinking....."Wait a minute. If I'm pregnant before I am married to Joseph.......This might not be a good thing."
Here is the rub.
In life, we can reach for the good things.......
Or we can wait and receive the God things.....
Yes, there would be talk about Mary and her pregnancy.
Yes, there would be those who would cut ties to Mary and shun her.
But the plans of God took precedent over the plans of Joseph and Mary.
They became THE couple, picked by God to fulfill this particular portion of his eternal plan to redeem mankind and break the penalty of sin.

I must.....I must.....I must be willing to lay down my plans to pick up and receive God's.
It may not look like what I think it should.
It may not involve what I would want to do.
But in the end, the words of Jeremiah 29:11 still ring true.

Mary spoke and said, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said."

Merry Christmas!
mb