A GOOD BEGINNING

 JANUARY 3, 2023

2 Timothy 3:14-17

But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

"Remain Faithful" the apostle Paul says. 

The apostle Paul's words to his fellow church planter , Timothy, help us understand four key dimensions for our relationships in this New Year, well every year:

1. With Christ. Jesus directs our living toward all other things: the Scriptures, values, right and appropriate relationships with others.

2. With other believers. God united Timothy and Paul in ministry through their shared faith in Jesus.

3. With others. Physical family members (Paul reminded Timothy of the faithful example of his mother and grandmother, Lois and Eunice), friends, acquaintances, and coworkers.

4. With the Scriptures. God's word should shape our lives and guide us in the way to live with others and honor Him in these relationships.

God's purpose for us is that we would live productively (flourishing) and bring His goodness into the lives of those around us. The four dimensions outlined above serve as guidance that helps us to live out God's intention as we engage in honoring, righteous, compassionate, and faithful relationships with those around us. We know that God did not call us to live our lives of faith alone, yet sometimes we need reminding that God is always with us,  and an aspect of his care for us is that God has given us fellow Jesus followers, brothers and sisters in Christ, a Community of Faith in which we help one another on our life journey.

We are pilgrims on a journey;
We are family on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the miles and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the nighttime of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear.

LET US PRAY

Almighty God, we thank you for being our Abba Father who tenderly loves us and has done so much to bring us into your family. Please be with us this year as we seek to honor you in our relationships and bring Your blessings to others. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:2 


May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace. AMEN

NO FEAR, NO DISCOURAGEMENT

 JANUARY 2, 2023

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.


This command and promise to Joshua is also for us as we embrace the upcoming year. We have no idea what lies ahead, we only know this promise, that God will go with us as we seek to follow hos purposes. So this verse is not just a promise to cherish, "I will go with you." Notice it is also a command! Think about that for a moment. God commands us, "Be strong, and courageous, and do not be terrified or discouraged." I believe that the message for us today is to embrace 2023 as an opportunity to serve God, the God who promises to be with us, and not as something to fear!

LET'S PRAY

God, thank you for being with me as I begin this new year. Help me by your Spirit to greet it with passion and excitement for the opportunities ahead. Forgive me when my own inadequacies and the unknown ahead of me make me fearful and indecisive. Give me courage to live boldly for you this year. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

STANDING IN THE RIGHT PLACE

 DECEMBER 30, 2022

Philippians 4:9

9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 15:5

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Isaiah 32:17

“The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.” 

Righteousness is a biblical, theological word that at its simplest definition means right-ness, as in standing in the “right” place with God.

How do we know we are standing in that right place? Simply, it’s when we have peace—Peace. Confident Peace that transcends every circumstance, every conflict, every difficult and dark place. The right place is abiding with Jesus, being Jesus followers living by His truth and His righteousness. Personally, I have found in my journey, that when life is somewhat in turmoil, disordered and chaotic and missing peace, it is usually because I have stepped away from abiding in the Prince of Peace. This unrest I feel is because instead of trusting my faithful saviour I take over and try to run things my way, instead of resting in him. Does this ever happen to you?

Paul tells us in Colossians 3:15 to “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” It’s an instruction to rest in Jesus and his gift of Peace. That “Peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7) This peace keeps us standing in the right place.

Jesus humbly entered the world as the Prince of Peace and His lasting gift to us is His peace-filled presence by the Holy Spirit.

As we have been saying this week, peace is not just a perfect scene, a place without noise and difficulties, or only a feeling. Peace is a gift; Peace is a Person.

Let us rest in God’s Peace.

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.                          John 14:27

 

MISSING PEACE

 DECEMBER 29, 2022

JOHN 14:15-27

15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
22Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”
23Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. 24Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. 25I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

If you ask people, “What is peace?", you will receive a range of responses:

Peace and quiet
Tranquility
Freedom from disturbance
Lack of oppressive thoughts or feelings
Harmonious relationships
Time without war
Absence of hostility or harm

Those answers are quite good, don’t you think? These answers though are usually from a viewpoint that peace is the absence of conflict, war, opposition, or tension. I find that this kind of peace is temporary and is dependent upon circumstances. That’s where questions like “Did the angels waste their words? come from, or the declaration “there is no peace on earth," as Longfellow mourned. According to the world when things are calm, we are at peace. When our circumstances grow dreary, gloomy, or tense we’re not at peace.

Do you recall yesterday’s scripture where Jesus promises his peace to us and then says that there is a distinction between his peace and the world’s peace? The rejection of his peace brought Jesus to tears as he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. We Read in Luke 19 that “as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. What grieved Jesus at this moment was that he wanted to give something better to people than a peace that depended on the insecurity of circumstance.

In John 14:27, Jesus doesn’t want our hearts to be troubled. Because although we concern ourselves with earthly struggles, He’s offering a permanent solution, which is His peace. The Creator of peace is the One who created us. He is our Lord, our Creator, our Mighty God, our Everlasting Father and our Prince of Peace offering the gift of a deep lasting Peace that is not based on circumstances or feelings, but on the foundation of God's desire for his peaceful favor to rest on all.

Peace peace wonderful peace
Coming down from the Father above
Sweep over my spirit forever I pray
In fathomless billows of love

What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace
Buried deep in the heart of my soul
So secure that no power can mine it away
While the years of eternity roll

I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace
Resting sweetly in Jesus' control
For I'm kept from all danger by night and by day
And His glory is flooding my soul

Peace peace wonderful peace
Coming down from the Father above
Sweep over my spirit forever I pray
In fathomless billows of love

I WANT ME SOME OF THAT

 DECEMBER 28, 2022

JOHN 14:26-27

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in my name, will teach you all
things and will remind you of everything I have
said to you. Peace, I leave with you; my peace I
give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be
afraid.”

When we think about the scene of Jesus’ birth, “peace” is probably not the first word that comes to mind. In Luke’s account of the story (Luke 2), we read that while Mary was pregnant, she and Joseph traveled about 80 miles on a donkey to Bethlehem, because of Caesar’s census. Upon arriving, the couple found there were no rooms available, so Mary had to give birth to the Savior of the world in a stable. To me, this scene of a journey in late pregnancy, newborn infant laid in a manger, the presence of animals, and the darkness of the night doesn’t exactly paint a picture of peace. Rather, it seems this situation results in an overwhelming and chaotic circumstance. Where is the peace in this? No wonder that Chris Rice asks, “Did the Angels waste their words.” The Nativity scriptures and the after-birth scriptures seem to have more conflict than peace.

In today’s Scripture from John, Jesus encourages His disciples by saying that after He returns to the Father, the Holy Spirit will come to remind them of everything He had taught them. Jesus left us with the promised Holy Spirit to constantly point us back to Himself and help us live in His perfect peace. 

Jesus says “Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you.” Let us not miss what Jesus says next, it is rather important about this peace, “I do not give to you as the world gives.” Peace that I give, Jesus implies is not simply a circumstantial absence of conflict, my peace is deeper, it is an experience deep in your spirit that all is well. It is a peace that rests in God’s faithfulness.

This has been a rough year, for most people. Doesn’t it feel like we have been enduring one long, tiresome, unexpected, and difficult journey to Bethlehem. We have arrived there, we celebrated that on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and we have heard the angel message that was declared our Emmanuel Has Come!! God with Us. Our Prince of Peace. Glory to God in the highest.

This means that when the world around us plunges deeper into darkness, chaos, and instability, we can walk confidently and bravely because our foundation has been built upon the love and work of Jesus, our Prince of Peace. The one who is the same, "yesterday, today, and forever." 

 

A GIFT FOR ALL

 DECEMBER 27, 2022

John 14:27

“My Peace I Give to You.”

The word peace is common in most languages. People can talk about peace treaties or times of peace; it means the absence of war. And in the Bible, the word peace can refer to the absence of conflict, but it also points to the presence of something better in its place.

Two words in the Bible stand out, the Old Testament word “Shalom” and the New Testament word “Eirene” both can be translated as “peace,” but the meaning of these words suggests that the peace described in the bible is the presence of completeness and wholeness as a outcome of restoration.

The core idea in the scriptures is that life is complex, full of moving parts and relationships and situations, and when any of these is out of alignment or missing, then “peace” breaks down. Life is no longer whole as God intended. It needs to be restored.

So, the prophet Isaiah, in chapter 9 looked forward to a future king, a prince of Peace. And this Prince’s reign would bring ‘Peace” with no end. Isaiah looks toward a time when God would make a covenant of peace with his people and make right all wrongs and heal all that’s been broken.

Jesus’s birth, as the New Testament Nativity texts reveal, was announced as the arrival of Peace. Jesus came to offer his peace to others, just like when he said to his followers, “My peace I give to you all.”

The idea is that Jesus restored to wholeness the broken relationship between humans and their Creator. Therefore, the apostle Paul can say Jesus himself is our Peace.

Remember the question Chris Rice posed in his song “Peace on Earth, Did the angels waste their words?’ later in his song he writes

Peace with God, peace with God
Offered through one Holy Child
Even when this life is hard
There can be peace with God
There can be peace with God.

Peace requires taking what’s broken and restoring it to wholeness, whether it’s in our lives, our relationships, or in our world. And that’s the rich biblical concept of peace.

So, the Angels declare to the shepherds, and to us, a promise,

“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth ….”


And now may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

 DECEMBER 26, 2022

Isaiah 9:6

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Micah 5:5

“He will be our peace”

LUKE 2:14

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”


Peace. God’s Promise of Peace. The Scriptures above emphasize that the Messiah, Jesus will bring this peace to us. Do you believe that?

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in reflecting on this promise of Peace observed in his well known Christmas hymn “I heard the Bells on Christmas Day” the following

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth goodwill to men

And later in the Hymn he writes,

And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth goodwill to men

Chris Rice, a Christian Songwriter in his song “Peace on Earth” in a similar fashion asks

Peace on earth, peace on earth
Did the angels waste their words?

What do you think? Wasted Words?

Our Daily Devotions this week will reflect on the message of God’s Peace promise that weaves through scripture and seek to answer Chris Rise’s question “Did the Angels waste their words.”

For today, as preparation have a listen to the following:

CHILD OF PROMISE

 DECEMBER 24, 2022

Luke 2:11 

“Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

We hope you enjoyed our Jesse Tree Advent series and the glimpse of rich and relevant stories that fill the bible. It’s easy to see some common themes weaving throughout – promise and doubt, hope and waiting, faithfulness and struggle, and our God who loves and gives purpose to everyday people… and keeps his promises.

Tonight’s service will welcome this 

Child of Promise 

as we journey to Bethlehem together.

Come and join us at

6:30 pm Hot Chocolate and "goodies"

7:00 pm for carols, candlelight, and the story of Christ’s arrival!

BETHLEHEM, EPHRATHA

 DECEMBER 23, 2022

Micah 5:2-5

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
whose origins are in the distant past,
will come from you on my behalf.
3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
will return from exile to their own land.
4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
for he will be highly honored around the world.
5 And he will be the source of peace.




Our ears aren’t accustomed to hearing prophecies. We sure hear a lot of promises—campaign promises, wedding vows, promises from brands that buying their product will improve our quality of life. But those promises are so often broken that we start to think promises hold no real weight. And we might think the same is true of prophecies. They won’t possibly come true, will they?

I urge you, do not let your skepticism about promises color your hearing of this prophecy: from Bethlehem will come someone who will rule, not the way  promise-breaking politicians do, but like a shepherd. He won’t say one thing and do another. He won’t disregard his constituency. No, this leader cares for his people the way a shepherd cares for his sheep. He’ll stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord.

The people who heard this prophecy for the first time worried about the same things we do: what to eat for dinner, how to make amends with family members, whether their homes and land would be secure. It seems to me that the prophecy can bring us the same comfort, comfort that we will live securely and in peace. The same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem, fulfilling Micah’s prophecy, will come again to reign as Prince of Peace. Come, Lord Jesus!

LET US PRAY

Prince of Peace, I am eager for you to return. Some days, both the world and my life seem out of control and beyond repair. But I am trusting you to keep your promise to come and rule like a good and gentle shepherd. Amen.

DAWN OF REDEEMING GRACE

 DECEMBER 22, 2022

Jeremiah 33:14-15

“‘The day will come,’ says the LORD, ‘when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things, I have promised them. In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.’”

At the time of today’s text, Jeremiah has been fighting a battle. A long, hard, uphill battle, which has now landed him in prison. All that  he has warned God’s people about is coming true. Despair is everywhere. Doom and gloom have taken up a home in the cities and villages. God’s promises seem to have come to an end. From where is their Saviour to come now? Who are they as a people? Has God abandoned them?

Defeated. Exiled. Hopeless. Sagging and Tired.

And into this despair God speaks: “I will fulfill the good promise I made . . . “

God gave the world his best so that we can experience the best even in the midst of our darkest. When life is demanding the best of you, lean on the promise of God’s best: “…the dawn of redeeming grace.”

 

 

ONE WE CAN TRUST

 DECEMBER 21, 2022

Isaiah 42:1-7

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

Are you fearful? Disappointed or disillusioned? Discouraged by the lengthy “waiting period” in your life?

In Isaiah 40, the Prophet reminds his people the following about God.

The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, …

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak. . . .
those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Then in Isaiah 41, God through the Prophet Isaiah encourages His people not to fear, because He will overcome all their adversaries. He tells them to look to His servant whom He would send – the One who will bring hope.

When we get to Isaiah 42, there is this growing excitement in the message, as God speaks to his people. I picture the announcement this way: As God unveils his Servant/Messiah, he is essentially clapping his hands and jumping up and down. LOOK! He says. THIS is my servant. I, myself have chosen him. And I couldn’t be more delighted in him. Filled with my own Spirit, he is ready to do all my will. God’s servant is calm, steady. Gentle. He doesn’t make noise or try to draw a crowd: “He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice (Isaiah 42:2).”

Isaiah 42:3 records about this servant that “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”

We might not have much experience with reeds, unless we’ve taken basket weaving classes, or perhaps played a reed instrument in a school band. If you have you know that both types of reeds are dry and stiff, and that they will need to be soaked before they can be used.

A bruised reed is one that has been damaged, but not yet broken in half. Imagine the care you would need to move it safely so you can mend it. A moment’s distraction could ruin it. A hasty movement could finish it. Isaiah 42 says, this is the care our Deliverer takes when he handles our souls. He is “gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29).

Jesus is this servant, and he is the one that we welcome into our world and our lives at Christmas. “Let every heart prepare him room”!!

GOD'S DWELLING PLACE

 DECEMBER 20, 2022

2 Samuel 7:11b-13

“I will raise up your offspring to succeed you… and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

These words from God to David in 2 Samuel 7:12–13 is a powerful promise in the "now and not yet." We know that this promise is fulfilled in David’s son Solomon who would indeed build a house, a temple, for the dwelling of God’s glory. It was an awesome temple; it became the measure for any future temples.

In 2 Samuel 7:13, God says, “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” This is not just talking about David’s kingdom or Solomon’s throne that would last throughout Solomon’s life. Davidic kings ruled in Jerusalem for more than four centuries, ending with the exiling of Zedekiah in 586 BCE. The word “forever” tells us we are talking about a throne, a kingdom that would be without end. It is a kingdom that is still going on today.

During the Advent season, we remember God’s promise, not just to bless David, or David’s son, Solomon, but God is going to send a King through David’s line who would reign forever. David’s not reigning anymore, Solomon’s not reigning anymore, and all the kings we read about in the Old Testament aren’t reigning anymore. Jesus comes as King. This is noted for us in the Gospel’s in the accounts of Jesus birth. He is a king in David’s line, and He is still ruling. And He will always govern as King of kings.

Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world." Jesus' kingdom is not restricted by physical boundaries. This kingdom includes all who follow Jesus, who place their faith in him, and live with the Holy Spirit’s help in the way of love. I believe what we are to be mindful of is that it is not a building that defines God's kingdom but the community that works together in love, peace and compassion.

AN UNEXPECTED QUALIFICATION

 DECEMBER 19, 2022

1 Samuel 16:7

"The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Here we have the account of Samuel’s search for Israel’s new king. God leads Samuel to Bethlehem where he was to invite Jesse to a sacrifice, and thereby Samuel began the interview process of Jesse’s family. Jesse presented his tall and handsome son, Abinadab, thinking he looked the part of a king. But God told Samuel to look for someone with the right heart. Jesse then presented six other sons, but Samuel asked, “Are these all your sons?” In response, Jesse then presented his youngest son, David. By outward appearances, this shepherd boy was not considered a good fit for king. Samuel took one look at him, and God spoke “This is the one; anoint him.” God had big plans for David. David would make some mistakes, big ones, but he had the heart and courage to lead God’s people.

You see God calls, uses, and does great things through the unexpected. Whether it is places like little Bethlehem, or People like Jesse’s son David. David did not look the part of a king on the outside. Yet, the youngest and the least in Jesse’s family became Israel’s greatest king and leader.

From the line of David came the Messiah, Christ the Lord. A baby, unexpected! In a stable, unexpected! In little Bethlehem, unexpected! God does great things through you and me, unexpected!! Remember the verse today when you doubt God's plan and purpose for you, "The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

LET US PRAY

Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul
I live for you alone
And every breath that I take
Every moment I'm awake
Lord, have Your way in me. Amen