Yesterday I conducted the funeral of a true saint of God. She wasn’t world famous, she hadn’t traveled the world or gone into the slums of some 3rd world city. Rather, she was a consistent prayer warrior for God. Every time that I would go and visit her in her home thinking I would be the one ministering to her, the exact opposite happened. She ministered to me. I was blessed just sitting for a few minutes in her presence. Her health was declining, she had lost her husband (of many years) the year before and yet in the midst of her pains she kept testifying of God’s faithfulness. Her life represented Christ in every way. She was covered with the image of Jesus. She had “a little Jesus on her”.

It reminded me of just how important it is to bear this image of Christ in our attitudes, in our living and in our thoughts and words. Are we honorable people? How do others view us? Are we above reproach in our words, thoughts and actions? How vital it is to live exactly what we claim to believe. My prayer is that each of us would seek to be covered in Jesus. Not just on our faces on Sunday morning but every moment of every day. Is it possible to bear His image everywhere? YES!! But you see in order to bear His image we have to boldly and honestly say to Him, “I surrender all of me to You!” This is a very scary prospect for most people. Many fear a loss of their identity, or the loss of fun, or independence, yet when we say those words to Jesus we will have gained so much more than just one solitary temporal life.

There is a great picture to see here if we take the time to step back from the canvas. I was in a museum a number of years ago and happened upon a painting by the famous modern painter Chuck Close. His method of painting would be frustrating to most painters, because he paints his portraits one color at a time in a pixelated like scheme. When you stand up close (no pun intended) to one of his paintings all you see is a distorted colorful blob on the canvas, but if you step back from it the distorted image becomes so much more clearer and the true portrait is reveal. It is an amazing method that astounds most people when they first see it:

When we step back from the canvas, that is our life, what do we see? Do we see a life lived just for “self” or is there something more to it? Are we so diluted by a self-indulgent lifestyle that we can’t even fathom containing a little Jesus on us? It would be the easier route, but when we finally stepped back from the canvas we would see how little we have truly impacted this world for anything other than ourselves. I am guilty of this.

Sitting in the small living room with a Saint taught me more than I could have ever thought possible. How much of Jesus do you have on you today? Can others see Him through you? Have you said to Him lately, “Lord I surrender all of myself to You again. Use me Lord!” It might be a scary prospect, but if we do this daily, even moment by moment those little blobs (our surrender) of color will make up the image of Christ in and through us!

I would much rather get to the end of my canvas here on earth and step back and see Christ rather than a mess of colors that really never had a purpose. Let the world see Christ through you! Let them exclaim “Ah ha! You have a little bit of Jesus on you!” and because of it they are changed!

-Just a thought for today!

Somewhere in my grown up heart

exists a child full of wonder and the glimmer

who still “ooo’s and ahhs” over

twinkling lights on Christmas trees 

and longs for that early Christmas morning 

crisp and clear… where, in pajamas and socks,

the family settles in on the old worn sofa

presents wrapped and glowing under 

the stings of lights still hanging on the tree. 

I am still that child, 

still exploring and uncovering this 

majestic mystery of the Yule tide.

Here is a list of my favorite songs. At the end, after you have read mine, won’t you please leave me comments on your favorites! Thanks!

10) What Child is this?

9) Mary Did you know?

8) O Come all ye faithful

7) Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

6) Silent Night

5) Still, still, still

4) Angels we have heard on high

3) O little town of Bethlehem

2) O Holy Night

1) O come, o come Emmanuel

Now if you could comment and leave me feedback on what your favorite Christmas songs are!
Thanks!

My wife and I were privileged nearly six years ago to have twins, a boy and a girl. We found out seven weeks into my wife’s pregnancy that they were twins. It came as a pleasant yet complete surprise! Now we had to prepare ourselves for the eventuality of two babies in the household instead of just one. Two car seats, two stroller seats, double the diapers, the onesies…you get the picture. Eventually when they were born and we brought them home we were prepared thanks in-part to a church baby shower and family! We were blessed to have their support and found that we certainly needed the help along the way! But you the amazing thing about twins regardless if they are identical or fraternal (ours are fraternal)? They do everything together! Our twins are inseparable when it comes to play time and even bed time. Most nights, even if I have placed them in their own beds, I will go into their room and find them fast asleep together in the same bed. They need each other, they are inseparable, and we are blessed by their love and care for each other.

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)
The notion that God is with us, is staggering. God. Is. With. Us!!! Imagine it for a second, the God of the universe right beside us, fairly insignificant, human being. Yet God loves us so much that Emmanuel is within us, before us, behind us and beside us. It blows my mind! My twins are inseparable. They are lost when one of them becomes sick, which happens from time to time. But the thrive and exist by knowing that their genetic twin is right beside them in this life. I wonder how we would be if we too thrived and existed knowing every moment of every day that God, Emmanuel was right beside us each step of the way? Would the words that we choose be different? Would our confidence levels be any different? Would we treat other people…differently?

God sent His Son into the world – Light into Darkness, so that we could see and be different! God is with us, not just during Christmas but every day of every year that we live on this little blue ball located in His created universe. God. IS. With. Us! If that doesn’t blow you away, nothing will. He is closer than any brother or sister. He wants to be a part of your life. Will you make that step in acknowledging Him today, if you haven’t already? If you have taken that step, perhaps it’s time to reconnect with Emmanuel. Perhaps it’s time to utter the words: “I need Thee oh I need Thee, every hour I need Thee, O bless me now my Savior I come to Thee.”

Emmanuel , God is with us…He is with YOU today!

-Just a thought.

Zechariah was in the temple performing his duties as a priest. It was his turn as it was chosen by lots from within his group of priest. It was a sacred honor to perform these responsibilities, yet year after yearI would imagine the responsibility would become mundane or at the very least repetitive. Yet Zechariah was there when it was his turn, but something on this day would change the course of his forever. An angel appeared before him. Can you imagine for a moment working away at your job and then suddenly “poof” someone of the glowing kind is standing in front of you? I’m pretty sure we would all jump with fright and our hearts might pound a little harder in our chests. Zechariah was certainly no different. He was going along in his day and then suddenly he is jolted from his thoughts when the angel appears.

Isn’t it interesting that every account of an Angel visitation or proclamation the people are told by the angels “do not be afraid!” I kind of find that humorous because the Angels almost seem to just show up suddenly and it would certainly shock anyone idly standing there. You’d think perhaps they would ring a bell or have some sort of entrance music…but they just go “poof” and they are there…ok I digress… Zechariah is afraid and he’s so afraid that he falls on his face before the angel Gabriel. An priest of The Lord is shocked when an angel of God appears before him. Let that sink in for a moment. Zechariah wasn’t just a follower of God, he was a priest of God. He had studied the very words of God, he had memorized the Tenach, he was educated on its messages and prophesies. Yet Zechariah was shocked when God’s messenger appears before him. Why? Why would a priest be shocked?

I think we place religious leaders too highly upon these pedestals sometimes. After all, Zechariah was first a man and then because of his education was a priest. Natural instinct took over and his response was…normal. But why Zechariah and Elizabeth? Why did God choose them? Yes I understand the lineage issue, but besides this “blood” connection why them? They were old, they had put the possibilities of being parents to rest long ago. Their hope had died as they aged and grew too old to be parents. Why them? I think within this story there is a single sentence that tells us everything that we need to know about why God chose them: “And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of The Lord.” (Luke 1:6)

They were righteous and walked blamelessly! It had been over four hundred years since a prophet of The Lord or the word of The Lord lived among them. That’s a serious spiritual drought, yet here we have two individuals who were righteous and their walk was blameless. This speaks volumes as to why God chose them, and it should also be a clear indicator as to the kind of people God wants to use to spread His message to the world.

Can we say in all honesty today that we are righteous people? Can we honestly say that our walk is blameless? Are living our lives as God has required of us? The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is paramount to the story of Christ’s birth. Without the voice crying out in the wilderness who prepared the way of The Lord we would have unfulfilled prophesy. John the Baptist was divinely appointed to do what he did, but so were his parents as those who would train him correctly and be examples of godly lives.

How is your walk today? How is this set-apart relationship that God has placed you in?
May it be our prayer and mission to live righteously before our God each moment of each day.

-Just a thought for today.