Am I the Father I Should Be?

Luke 2:22-35

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. 
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. 
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:

"Lord, now let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you prepared in the sight of every people,
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel."

The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
"Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
(and you yourself a sword will pierce)
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

I don't know how I would handle being the father, or rather the step-father of Jesus. Would I be arrogant thinking, "Hey I am the father of the Savior make way for me!", or would I be humble like Joseph was. As a father I find I do my job best when I am humble. It's hard sometimes because I have been blessed with so much. Sometimes I actually think I have everything that I do because of me, and not because of what God has chosen to bless me with. I could imagine taking my first child to church for the first time and have some old guy I don't know coming up and speaking that he would be the savior of the world. Honestly that would really shake me, but I do get compliments in regards to my children, and again I have to remember that the compliments are not for me, but rather for my children and how God has blessed them. My kids are not good in church because I am a great father and teach them well. They are good in church because I listen to God and share his teachings with them well. I do this when I listen well, and I guess that's what made Mary and Joseph such great parents for Jesus. Mary and Joseph listened to God and they heeded his word. I see so many lost in the world. I see so much pain in the world. There is such a need for love. Even in my own life I get lost on a weekly, if not daily basis. When I find myself lost and/or alone the first thing I ask is, "Have I been listening to God? Have I even been trying?" Usually the answer is no, so I pick myself up and get on my knees and goto his feet. I sit in silence to listen and love like an obedient child should. Not to be some mindless slave, but rather to be a student and to learn to find happiness through loving like God wants us all to.

Jesus,

I love you. You gave so much. I sorry I mess up. I am sorry that I act so immensely stupid sometimes. Please don't give up on me. Help me to hear You and Your Father and the Spirit each day. Help me to be the man that you know I am meant to me. Help me to love all that I meet and accept all as my brothers and sisters. I want to make you proud. Your Father has blessed me so much I don't want to waste a thing. Most of all help me to be the best father I can be so my children can learn about You, love You and follow Your way.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,
Amen

Christmas: A Time for Hope

"Hope, truly is not just a feeling, and it's just not this thing we like conjure up, It's a relationship."

Learning How to Love from the Bible

"I am guessing there is someone in you life today whom you find it difficult to love, but you know you're supposed to love. Who is that person? And how can you love them?"

How to Take the News

Matthew 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. 
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. 
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly. 
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 
"Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. 
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her. 
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins." 
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means "God is with us." 
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home. 
He had no relations with her until she bore a son,
and he named him Jesus.

I couldn't imagine being Joseph here, I mean the woman I am to marry comes up pregnant and I know it's not me. I would have a massively broken heart. In this day and age these are the things that Jerry Springier shows are made of. Yet Joseph is a righteous man and says nothing and intends to divorce her quietly. That says a lot about a mans character. Secondly to have an angel visit me in my dreams and to take direction from that. I would love to see this dream. It must have been amazing and convincing. Myself I usually have dreams about trying to kill sharks with dill pickle spears. I couldn't imagine how this dream must have been. I read about the birth of Jesus and I just am in awe of Mary and Joseph's character. If God were to come to me today would I be able to risk being stoned to death like Mary? Would I be able to overcome being the town laughing stock like Joseph? Would I have been able to trust the message from an angel in a dream? Would I have been able to take on the massive responsibility of raising the Son of God as a poor tradesman/carpenter? But here's the thing God has entrusted much to me. By the worlds standards I am rich. What do I do with it? God has given me 6 children. Do I raise them well. God approaches us all and blesses each of us with unique gifts. How are we using those gifts each day?

Jesus, I love you so much. You are so patient with me. I'm going to be celebrating Christmas soon and it's hard for me to fathom that you would want to come here considering how you knew you were going to be treated. Thank you. Please help me to see all the gifts that your father has given me and help me to love them the way you want me to. Help me to be the best man I can be. 

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,
Amen

What is Coming, What is Seen?

Isaiah 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the LORD!

It would be easy to say in a knee jerk reaction that the world has NOT come to the lord, for each day it seems that the world is delving more and more into a lifestyle of pleasure, but in reflection the world has come a long way. It would be easy as a christian to give up on hope, but hope is all around. For Jesus has come, he has conquered death. Following him and his teachings one can find the way into Heaven. Yes, there are many distractions abound but the devil has been beaten. Some may still fall to him but the world is no longer his. The world and all in it belongs to God, but do we choose God or do we walk away from him? I know that I am guilty of this, from time to time when I sin, but Jesus is always waiting for me to come back, ask for forgiveness to and to learn and become stronger as my pilgrimage continues.

Matthew 8:5-11

When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." 
He said to him, "I will come and cure him." 
The centurion said in reply,
"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;
and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;
and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." 
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."

I read these lines and I am amazed. I am a man in this world, a world that always demands proof. We look to science to "prove" if things are "real" or "true". We are in the midst of the Christmas season, and I find myself a bit sad. Because the facts show somewhat that this is NOT the Christmas season. It seems to be the season of buying stuff and eating too much. I hope to have during this Christmas season to have the faith of this centurion. To have unfailing faith that Jesus can pierce into the hearts of all those lost and broken in the world, that all can be saved. I "know" that Jesus can, I have been reading about it for years, but the world seems so broken. 

Jesus,

I love you because you have changed my life for the good. I trust in you because I have chosen your ways and have found such great happiness. The world is so messed up. So many that I love seem lost. I try to help them find you, but I fear that that I am not doing good by you. I am sorry. I wish everyone could know the love that only you have to offer, a love that satisfies always. Please guide me this day so that I may share your love and do your part. Help me to have a strong heart and doesn't give in to hopelessness, because you have won. You are my King and I love you. 

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen