He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
TO PONDER
Our theme this week has been the 'perilous adventure'. I don't know if it's right to think of anything as being 'perilous' for God; but if there was ever a plan or situation that was, the birth of Jesus into the world of humanity would surely be it.
Think about it for a moment. The infinite, eternal, creator of all things puts aside all that power and infinite glory and majesty, and willingly makes himself a part of his own creation because it is the one shot He has to put things right between himself and the creation which he loves so dearly. Yet it is not a sure victory. Here in John 1, we hear the reality of the situation. "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. This may have always been God's plan but it was not a plan without risk.
Max Lucado put it this way, “Jesus humbled Himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in straw. From Holding stars to clutching Mary's finger. The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier. Why? Because that's what love does.”
To borrow a phrase from the world of poker, God went 'all in'. He put it all on the line so that you could be united and restored to himself. It may not have been a gamble, God knew how things would work out, but even so, dying for all people while knowing that some would reject that act of love and mercy makes the life, death and resurrection of Jesus even a more profound expression of God's love for us, don't you think?
PRAYER: God, I can't begin to imagine the fullness of who you are or even begin to understand the enormity of what you did by sending Jesus into the world to bear the pain and punishment of our sins so that we could be restored to relationship with you. I simply ask that you would help me each day to grasp a little more how deep and high and vast and wide your love is for me. Amen
Today's devotion was written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
TO PONDER
Did you ever stop to think about the danger that the baby Jesus faced? Not only is the paranoid king Herod looking to Kill the infant Jesus, but we hear later in the gospels, that the demons and evil spirits the Jesus encountered recognised who he was. I'm sure that Satan was at work right from the very beginning seeking to put an end to God's only son.
And not much has changed. Life this world is dangerous for those connected to or following Jesus. This should not surprise us, Jesus said it would be like that. But have you stopped to really think about How Jesus was kept safe until the appointed time of his. death on the cross?
The short answer is faithful obedience. God told Joseph to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt and so he did. God knows how to keep us safe, he wants to keep us safe. He has already told us much of what we are to do in order to live with relative safety and freedom in the laws and commandments He gave to Moses. The primary thing that stop us from experiencing God's protection is our own disobedience. When we don't go where he calls us, when we fail to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and insist on doing things 'our way' then we put ourselves at risk.
Think of it this way. When a parent tells their child not to touch a hot stove, the child can heed the warning and hence be kept safe, or ignore the warning and experience the pain and injury of a bad burn. As a child of God, what is your response to his instruction going to be?
PRAYER: Lord God, I am sorry for the times when I fail to seek your will and your ways, especially those times when I then want to complain about the poor outcomes or challenges I end up facing which are often the result of my own, well intentioned efforts. Help me to listen to you when you call and help me to trust that your path is always for my good. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
TO PONDER
It often amazes me how God seems to go to great lengths at times to get the attention of certain individuals. He knows we all respond to different kinds of messages. He sent angels to the shepherds, but announced the birth of Jesus to this group of magi by placing a new star in the sky. They saw the star and somehow, according to their ancient wisdom and arts, knew what it meant.
I remember an old school friend of mine telling me how, as a young child, he had come to believe that God answers prayers. One day as he was playing in the sandpit in their family's backyard. He decided that his experience in the sand pit would really be enhanced if he had a Tonka Truck, to move the sand around. As he had no money of his own and felt sure his parent were not likely to respond positively to this request, he turned to God in prayer, as many young children do. Less than a minute later, a Tonka Truck bulldozer appeared to fall out of the sky. What an answer to prayer!?
What my friend didn't realise at the time was that his dad was up on the roof of their garage cleaning out the gutters and found this truck that my friend's older brother had owned and thrown up their months earlier. It was only years later that he heard the truth of the story.
While we might laugh at a story like this, God used that situation to spark faith in my friend at a very young age.
You might feel at times like your attempts at sharing Jesus with others are uninspiring, or ineffective. However, If God can use a 'miraculously' appearing Tonka Truck to spark faith in the life of one of His children, He can surely use you. In fact, when he asks you to share his message, he knows that you are the exact right voice in the exact right place that will engage the ear and grab the attention of those he is calling to himself.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me to remember that you are the one who calls people to faith. Help me to trust that when you call on me to share the Good News of Jesus, that you do in fact know what you are doing and that you will use my meagre efforts to bring about your saving grace in the lives of others. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
TO PONDER
I always wonder why we have such fond and treasured memories of past Christmases, and such excited anticipation for future ones. I mean gathering together with friends and family is great (if your family all get along ok.) The fancy food is nice, but let's be honest we have access to all the foods that make Christmas special all year round. Gift giving and receiving can be a joyful experience, but again, it's not something we can only do at Christmas.
The thing that is unique about Christmas is Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. And that too is something that we have all year round.
Mary was able to recognise the fulfilment of God's promises in the birth of Jesus, and while she may not have been aware of how things would ultimately play out with His death and resurrection, she took the joy of being involved in God's advent-ure to redeem the world with her when all the excitement of the angels, shepherds, the birth, the manger and stable were well behind her.
As people who have become part of God's advent-ure, the things we feel, the things we treasure about Christmas should go with us into the year ahead. The advent-ure and joy of Christmas do not end when Boxing Day sales and Sydney to Hobart races start. We can celebrate and rejoice in them all day, everyday.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please help me to take the joy and excitement of your Christmas with me into each and every day. Help me to treasure the story and adventure of Christmas in my heart all year long so that others might see you alive and at work in me. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”
TO PONDER
What is it about shepherds? God pulled Moses away from shepherding his father-in-law's sheep to shepherd his people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. God took David from shepherding his father Jesse's flocks to make him king over all of Israel. Now, years later and the Messiah, the Good shepherd is born in a manger in Bethlehem, and the first people to find out besides Mary and Joseph are a bunch of shepherds. Perhaps the wise men from the East got an idea on that night as they watched the night sky, but they had a long way to travel to actually encounter Jesus. The shepherds were there on the scene they were the first to meet Jesus.
Sometimes I think we forget how privileged we are to know what we know about Jesus. We are in many ways like those first shepherds who were told the news and then were the first to encounter Jesus. Now 2000 or so years later we can't say we were the first to encounter Jesus, and yet there are so many people in the world today who do not yet know Jesus, who have not hear or have maybe heard the news but not yet actually had a personal encounter with their Lord and Saviour Jesus.
Maybe that's the thing about shepherds, they know a good thing when they see it. They know where the watering holes are, they know how to lead their flocks to green pasture and safe waters. How will you shepherd the people God has given you towards an encounter with their saviour?
PRAYER: Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Please help me to be a faithful steward of the gospel and a good shepherd to the people in my life. Help me to lead people to an encounter with you so that they too may be another place where people might encounter you. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
TO PONDER
You may or may not be aware of this but Luke, the gospel writer, is believed to be a doctor and historian. And I love that this is how he begins the narrative of the birth of Jesus. I love it because it is very 'historian'.
Luke is careful to accurately place the birth of Jesus in its correct historical context. Important events were often recorded along with the names of the ruling monarch or emperors at the time, and an empire wide event such as a census would have well documented accounts of who was where during the time of the census.
This is the level of planning and detail that blows my mind when I think of God's plan to send Jesus to humanity. He planned to do it at a time when there would be good, reliable historical records to verify the accounts that his people would record and which would later become part of Scripture.
There are still some people who fail to recognise the historical evidence for the person Jesus. However, more and more people when actually supplied with the historical evidence for the existence of Jesus are finding they have to at least accept that he was a real historical figure. Which leads me to the main thought I want to leave you with today.
The people you know, the people you encounter regularly throughout your week, they may or may not believe Jesus ever existed. They may or may not believe that he was the Son of God. The evidence God is providing them is you. You are a real, physical presence in these people's lives and they cannot deny your existence, or the way you live or the choices you make. So how is your life leaving evidence that Jesus makes a difference?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you that you leave us so much evidence of your existence. Whether we see it in your creation or encounter it in your word or even in the accounts of history, your fingerprints are there for us to see. As I prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus again this year, may my celebrations, my relationships, and my presence among my friends, family, and neighbours also be evidence of your life transforming love and grace. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
TO PONDER
Our adventure with God can be very unpredictable and surprising. While that can make us hesitant to really give it our all, it is also what actually makes it an adventure! When I was a young teenager my family embarked on an adventure holiday. We called it a coin flip holiday. This was because each day we flipped a coin to decide which of 2 destinations we would travel to that day. We spent the mornings together in the car travelling to the new spot, and then the afternoon checking out what was on offer there. It is one of my most treasured memories and one of our most special family holidays. It was the unknown and the unpredictability that made it so special! It is the same with our adventure with Jesus. We can think we know why he is sending us somewhere or even why certain people are put in our lives, however, like Philip, God can surprise us with something unexpected. This is what makes it exciting and a true adventure. So, take the first step and trust that Jesus has exciting things in store for you, more than you can even imagine.
PRAYER: Jesus, I am in awe that you ask me to join you in this adventure of sharing your love, hope, peace and truth in the world. Give me courage to take the first step, and to go where you send me and speak to those you place in my life. In your name I pray, Amen.
Today's devotion written by Elise von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
TO PONDER
Peter, one of Jesus closest disciples became the rock of the church, however his adventure with Jesus was not always a happy one. When Jesus was at his lowest, arrested with lies and false accusations being thrown around where was Peter? He was hiding and even more than that, he was denying that he even knew the man that he had left his life to follow. Peter is so adamant that he doesn’t know Jesus that he actually denies him 3 times! That is an important detail of the story, because notice what Jesus does when he has risen and appears to his disciples. He asks Peter 3 times if he loves him. This isn’t to upset Peter or make him feel bad, but rather to restore and make right all that had happened before. He then commands Peter to feed his sheep and indeed Peter does that! Jesus uses imperfect, broken and flawed people to do his work here on earth! But he doesn’t leave us in our broken state. In fact, he came to earth to restore us all and make right all that was turned upside-down and inside out. Praise God that he entered our experience and now calls us to join him in his amazing adventure!
PRAYER: Jesus, I am sorry for the times I have turned my back on you and denied all that you have done for me. Please forgive me and make me right with you. Thank you that you call me, a flawed person, into the adventure of a relationship with you. Amen.
Today's devotion written by Elise von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
TO PONDER
When I was a kid anytime one of the grownups was heading to the shops, any shop, I wanted to tag along! It was even better if it was just me and the grown up. The adventure, although actually quite a mundane task, like sitting in the carwash, somehow seemed exciting to me. I wonder now when I lost this sense of excitement and joy at the prospect of heading out to run errands. Today’s reading from Isaiah tells the story of someone hearing the voice of the Lord asking, “Who can I send, who will go?” Although it doesn’t specify in the text, I can picture someone with their hand waving in the air saying, “Pick me, pick me!” An adventure undertaken with and for the Lord is one of excitement and anticipation! My prayer for us all as we end this year is that our sense of joy and adventure would be renewed as we embark on a new adventure with the Lord!
PRAYER: Jesus, give me the spirit of a child who is excited and enthusiastic about the idea of heading through the adventure of like with you. When things get difficult or uncertain help me to remember that you are with me and I can be excited about that, Amen.
Today's devotion written by Elise von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle