Sounds of the Season: How Many Kings, by downhere

Here's another Christmas song I'd like to share.  A song that I've come to love over the past several years, sung by the group downhere (yes, they do spell it with a small 'd'), a Christian band from Canada.

The lyrics from the chorus, which I've included below, just blow me away:

How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only One did that for me.

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?  No one I know of. 

No one but God, my Abba, gave up His Son, Jesus.

All for me.

All for you.

Such a great love! And for us!

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.~ 1 John 4:10 (NLT)

We love, because He first loved us.~ 1John 4:19 (NASB)

Think on these things, these truths, as you listen to and enjoy this beautiful Christmas song.

The Struggle

One day long ago, God's Word came to Jonah, Amittai's son: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer."  But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get. ~ Jonah 1:1-3, The Message

Sitting here at my kitchen table this morning, sipping my coffee, I am struggling.

Struggling with obedience. Obedience to the Lord. My head is in a knock-down-drag-out, no holds barred battle with my heart…and with Jesus. WWF has got NOTHIN’ on me today.

I'm struggling with a true 'WWJD - What Would Jesus Do'  moment -- and I’m thinking, “Hellllloooooo, me!! This SHOULD be a no-brainer!!“  Because this is Jesus we’re talking about here. It’s Jesus calling. And I’m not talking about the devotional book.

It’s Jesus calling -- and He's calling me!  It's Jesus Who is doing the not-so-gentle nudging right now, tapping me on my shoulder and telling me I need to do such-and-such. It’s Jesus Who continues to place the face of this particular person before my mind’s eye and to place their need upon my heart.

Yet…..here I sit,trying to make excuses, trying to find my way around and maybe even out of this ‘dilemma’, almost literally covering my ears with my hands and chanting, “Nah na, nah na, nah na -- I can’t hear You!!!!!” like some foolish, stubborn and spoiled brat. As if THAT’S going to shut out His still, small Voice.

Smack dab in the middle of a season that’s SUPPOSED to be about giving from the heart, not the wallet; right in the midst of a season when I’m encouraging others to prepare their hearts, minds and souls to celebrate the birth of and welcome for the One Who was -- and still is -- the greatest and best gift of all, I’m wrestling with what I know I MUST do (the Difficult thing) and with what I would much RATHER do (the Easy thing). This is pretty much a shameful and embarrassing confession to put into words and to share here. But confessing this is akin to slicing into a snake bite to suck out and spit out the poison.  It begins the process of healing.  It's cathartic for me. And enlightening.

Yes, Jesus is calling -- but I'm not responding as I should.  At this moment, I’m not feeling much like Isaiah, waving my hands and shouting, "Here am I. Send me!"   Actually, I'm feeling more like Moses, offering God not himself, but his laundry list of lame excuses by the light of the burning bush.

Or more like Jonah. If there was a boat pulling out of port towards Tarshish anytime soon, I’d be on it in a heartbeat and high-tailing it below deck to hide, because I really DON’T want to head for Ninevah. It’s certainly not the destination to which I've dreamed of being sent.  

But also at this moment, I’m being BOMBARDED with the Word of the Lord:
 
I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices ~ Hosea 6:6 (NLT)

Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. ~ 1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)
　
And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law." ~ Mark 12:33 (NLT)

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV)

"If you love Me, you will obey what I command. ~ John 14:15 (NIV)

 Ouch, ouch, OUCH!!!!!

Basically, I can pat myself on the back for all I do and have done in the past for other people; I can post all kinds of really cool and wonderful writings on my blog, using big, flowery, twenty-five cent words; I can blab all I want about my relationship with Jesus and how much I love Him, and encourage other people to surrender themselves to Him and partake of His love, grace, mercy and forgiveness, but if I’m going to talk the talk, dear ones, I had also darn well better walk that walk. In love. Christ’s unfailing, unconditional, selfless LOVE.

I do not wish to anger or irritate the Lord with my stubbornness and unwillingness.  I do not wish for Him to send a huge storm to shake me out of hiding or out of my procrastinating. I already have enough storms in my life through which I'm currently riding the waves.  

And I certainly DO NOT wish to wind up overboard, like Jonah, suddenly finding myself within the dark, lonely, sticky and smelly confines of something larger than me.  Believe me-- I’ve been there before, too; most definitely NOT on my list of 'Places I'd Like To Visit Again'.

So instead of just sitting here wasting time being wishy-washy and drinking coffee, whining, hiding, pretending I don’t hear that still, small voice of the Lord nor feel His ’push‘, or emailing other people to ask them, ‘What do YOU think I should do about this?’ and checking back to see if anyone's responded yet, I need to get up off my keister and

JUST DO IT.

I’m well aware that there is a cloak of fear wrapped around all of this. A cloak that, every time I think about this person and their situation, feels as if it gets tighter and tighter, completely enveloping and smothering me.  And I realize that the outcome of my obedience will more than likely cause some issues and upheavals within my family.   

But as preacher Charles Stanley says, “Obey God and leave the outcome to Him." 

Jesus is calling: "Do you love Me, dear one?"

Yes, Lord, I do love you.

"Then JUST DO IT."

But Lord, I'm afraid. 

"Fear not, for I am with you.  So JUST DO IT."

But Lord, how in the world is this all going to work, anyway? I don't even LIKE this person!

"Trust Me, little one.  And JUST DO IT."

But Lord, what if I mess everything up?

"Child, if you love Me, then obey Me and leave the outcome to Me.

And JUST DO IT."

Amen.

Worship Song Sunday -- Wonderful Merciful Savior by Women of Faith

This song came on the radio the other day.  It's been too long since I've heard it.  Both the melody and lyrics are just so beautiful and moving. 

As you listen and perhaps, even sing along in worship, contemplate the words -- meditate on their meaning.  May it bring you closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and give you a greater sense of His presence in your life.

For He is indeed all of these things to us: our Lamb, our wonderful, merciful Savior, precious Redeemer, Friend, Counselor, Comforter, Keeper.  He is all that and so much more.

Wonderful, merciful Savior
Precious Redeemer and Friend
Who would have thought that a Lamb
Could rescue the souls of men
Oh you rescue the souls of men

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper
Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have
Hopelessly lost the way
Oh, we hopelessly lost the way

You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace
Our hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for

Almighty, infinite Father
Faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us
Falling before Your throne
Oh, we're falling before Your throne

A Prayer To Christ Our Teacher

Christ, our Teacher,

You reach into our lives

not through instruction,

but story.

Open our hearts to be attentive;

that seeing, we may perceive,

and hearing, we may understand,

and understanding, may act upon Your Word,

in Your Name.  Amen

(This prayer, by Janet Morely, is taken from the book, 'The Beginning of Wisdom -- Prayers for Growth and Understanding.')

During this season of Advent, may our eyes, ears and hearts be open and attentive to

His Voice 

His Word

His Mercy

His Grace
His Forgiveness
His Peace
His Joy

 His Love



The Battle Is On!

United we stand, divided we fall.

Satan, the enemy of our souls, know this truth all too well -- sometimes, seemingly more so than we ourselves do.  And since he also knows his time is getting shorter and shorter, he works hard and fast, doing whatever it takes to fulfill his mission -- to steal, to kill, to destroy our unity.  Unity with our parents, our siblings, our spouses,  our children, our neighbors, our coworkers, our church family (from its congregants on up to leadership).

And ultimately, our unity with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

All you have to do is take a good look around you to see how this is being played out in your own life and in the lives of those with whom you live, work, play, love and serve.  The battles are fierce and heated; the attacks relentless and the casualties of war continue to rise daily.

This has been on my mind a lot lately, as I recently became aware that it's been quite a while since I reached out to gather my 'prayer peeps' together to pray.  I've been so busy with 'other things' in my life - things I deem to be oh so important in my little sphere of the world -- that I've fallen by the wayside and been disobedient to what the Lord called me to do some time ago. And that was to be His prayer warrior, as well as to be the one to 'round up the troops' to keep us all united in prayer.

I know there are those of us who feel as if we've been in the trenches for much too long. I know there are those of us who are weak and exhausted from the hand-to-hand combat we've experienced and are looking to either hide in the nearest foxhole or are ready to just wave the white flag of surrender and become the enemy's prisoner of war.  If you find yourself a member of this group, as I have, I encourage you right now to

STOP!!!
Take heart!
Stand up!
Stand firm!
Unite in prayer!
And keep on praying some more!!!

For we have a Warrior King -- Jesus -- to fight for us!!  The battle, ultimately, is God's.

In the Old Testament Book of 2 Chronicles 20, we learn that the Moabites and Ammonites made plans to attack Judah's king, Jehoshaphat.  Men came and informed Jehoshaphat that a huge army was on the way to destroy him and capture his land.  The NIV says that Jehoshaphat was 'alarmed' - and hey, who wouldn't be?  So what did he do after hearing that information?  Did he begin making detailed, strategic battle plans, calling all warriors to gather 'round to prepare for the imminent attack?  Did he send the people of his kingdom away to find safety elsewhere, much like King Théoden did for his people when he sent them to the Helm's Deep stronghold in 'Lord of the Rings?'

No.  Here is what it says he did in 2 Chronicles 20:3-4 ~

'Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.  The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek Him.' 

And then, in verse 12, Jehoshaphat says this to the LORD:

'For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.'

Jehoshaphat, wise king that he is, knows that there is no way in the world that he and his army are going to have victory in this upcoming battle against the enemies that are coming against him and his kingdom.  He admits to being powerless against the impending attack.  But he knows who does have all the power -- God.  And Jehoshaphat makes sure to do something the enemy can't stand: he calls together ALL the people of Judah, uniting them before God:

'All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood before the LORD.' (v. 13).

After that, it says that the Spirit of the LORD came upon a man named Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, and he tells the king and all the people:

'This is what the LORD says to you: "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God's."  You will not have to fight this battle.  Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Go out to face them tomorrow and the LORD will be with you." ' ~ 2 Chronicles 20:15;17

Dear ones, when we find we are weak and exhausted, without hope in our spiritual battles and ready to give up, we can be encouraged because, just like King Jehoshaphat and his people, our hope and strength lies in trusting God and in the faithful promises we find in His Word.

God is with us, so we don't have to be afraid or discouraged.  The battle belongs to Him and the victory is His, not the enemy's!  It states very clearly here in the Old Testament and the New Testament, in Ephesians 6, that we are to stand firm with the full armor of God firmly in place on us.   The apostle Paul encourages us to:

'Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.' ~ Ephesians 6:10-11

Take up your armor, put it on and look to the Lord for His strength to stand your ground firmly when you are under attack.

-Seek Him BEFORE the battle to prepare your self for what is to come.

-Seek Him in the midst of the battle. December 3rd's 'Jesus Calling' devotional entry said When you are in the thick of battle, call upon My Name, "Jesus, help me!" At that instant, the battle becomes Mine.'

-Seek Him when the battle is over (for the moment anyway) to thank and praise Him.

God is our Commander-in-Chief and we need to stay in constant communication with Him.  Paul also states in Ephesians 6:18 that we are to

'pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.'

When we're under attack and being relentlessly bombarded, it's so easy to want to break from the unit and run and hide.  'Yeah, let somebody else fight the good fight.  Let someone else be the one to lift up holy hands and pray. I've had it.'  Believe me, I've been in that place more times than I care to admit.  It's a cold, dark and lonely place, devoid of all hope.

And it's EXACTLY where the enemy wants us to be.  Don't give him what he desires!!  Remember, dear ones: we are MORE than conquerors through Him Who loves us!  So don't be afraid or discouraged.

Have you ever noticed when you begin to pray for something or someone in earnest, enlisting an army of prayer warriors to join you on the battlefield, that the situation or the person suddenly seems to get worse?  I've seen it happen to other people and have experienced it personally.  I've often wondered why that is, and I've known other people who have just thrown up their hands and ask, 'Why bother to pray? Things only seem to get worse.'  And to be honest, there have been times I've thought that myself.  A while back, I read a fictional work by Christian author Robin Lee Hatcher.  The book was called 'Beyond The Shadows,' and the main character had this to say about her prayers for her alcoholic husband:

'But the harder I prayed, the more Gideon's life seemed to spiral out of control.  The more I prayed, the sicker he seemed to get, the more he seemed to drink, the further away from me he pulled. I can see now how reluctant the enemy was to let go.'

Don't you see now how reluctant the enemy is to let go of what or of whom we are praying for, for those things in our lives and those people that we love which we are faithfully bringing before the Lord?!!  It isn't as if the very things and situations and people we're praying for are hopeless.  It's not that God isn't listening or doesn't care. It's just a vicious, tug-of-war with Satan.  He is reluctant to let go.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil ruler and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12, NLT)

But: remember in Whose grip we rest. And in Whose grip we can place everything.  Ourselves, our loved ones, our worries, fears, our needs.  Everything.  We are in God's hands. And He NEVER lets go.

Yes, my friends. This is war. The battle is on and shows no signs of letting up.  I know there are so many of you who have just been pummeled lately, hit again and again by those flaming arrows of the enemy.  But again -- don't be afraid or discouraged.  The Lord, our God, is on our side.  Let's take up our positions, stand firm in the battle, stay alert and unite with one another with fasting and with BOLD prayer.  And then watch what our amazing God will do!

United we stand, divided we fall.  So stand firm. Stand strong. Stand together.

Do you have the patience, the faith and the trust in God to let Him work in situations and with loved ones while you stand still and watch?

'Be still and know that I am God.' ~ Psalm 46:10

If God is on our side
Who can be against us?
If God is on our side
We won't be afraid
Though the mountains may fall
And the sky will crumble
There ain't nothin' gonna stand in our way ~ On Our Side, by Chris Tomlin

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

And [Isaiah] said, Hear then, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary and try the patience of men, but will you weary and try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us]. ~ Isaiah 7:13-14, AMP

December is upon us and, as Bing Crosby croons in the classic song, ‘it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas/everywhere you go!’

Over this year's Thanksgiving weekend, our New Jersey area experienced some beautiful weather with unusually high, almost summer-like temps. As I sat outside on my front steps, I watched as many of my neighbors were unloading their vehicles stuffed with all their ‘booty’ from Black Friday sales, or decorating the outsides of their homes or heading out to local tree farms to find and bring back the perfect Christmas tree, all in frantic preparation and anticipation of ‘the big day.’

But there’s another kind of preparation that we need to consider as we head into the Christmas season -- the preparation of ourselves. Because in between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is this other, sometimes forgotten season. The season of Advent.

Advent, which comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning 'coming,' is a time of hushed and hopeful expectancy and preparation among the church body for the birth of the Christ child. It is a time to prepare our hearts, minds and souls for the greatest gift ever --Immanuel. God With Us.

I’ve been observing, with great delight, the young couple who recently moved in next door to us, as they ready their new home for the birth of their son. The past few weeks have been a flurry of moving, cleaning, painting, rearranging, decorating and baby furniture purchases. Purging what is unnecessary and replacing it with only what is necessary, making room for their new baby. They are preparing their home, with great joy, to be a clean, fresh and loving place to welcome their infant son into.

Can we do any less in the preparation of our own hearts, minds and souls to welcome Jesus as we move through this holy season of expectation and anticipation of our Savior’s birth?

In all the hustle and bustle and insanity that is way too often associated with the coming Christmas season and which can sometimes threaten to push us over the edge, please don’t lose sight of what and of Who is most important.

Instead, may I invite you to take some time in the coming days to cleanse and prepare your own heart, purging what is unnecessary and replacing it with ONLY what is necessary? May I invite you to joyfully make room in your own heart for Jesus and to welcome Him there?Take time to fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, focusing on Him as the True Reason for the season. And rejoice! Because of Jesus, this is to be a season of hope, love and comfort and joy! And it is ours. So rejoice!!

O come, O come Emmanuel
And ransome captive Israel;
Who mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Worship Song Sunday -- O Come, O Come Emmanuel by Selah

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is one of my most favorite Christmas songs. Originally, it was written in Latin text in the 12th Century -- ('Veni, veni, Emmanuel') -- and was translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1851.  The author of the lyrics and the music are unknown.

It's also considered an advent hymn, so appropriate for this second Sunday of Advent. 

There is a beautiful, yet haunting feel to it, a song being sung from the deepest, darkest, loneliest of prisons, a plea for help, relief and deliverance.  Which indeed it was: the captive people of Israel, in dire need of rescue and ransom from a savior.  

Its text is based on the Scriptural prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 (AMP): 'Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel [God with us]'. 

Remove all distractions as you listen; open your heart as you sing and worship our Savior, Who came as a ransom for us all.   He is with us.

Sounds of the Season: Born In Bethlehem - by Third Day

Today is the first of December, and cold weather and the always possible threats of monstrous snowstorms aside, this is truly my favorite time of the year.

As we step into the beginning of this Advent and Christmas season, I would like to take some time on my blog this month to share the gift of Christmas music with all of you.

I love music. I have a picture frame in my bedroom which reads:

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Indeed it does!

The songs I’ve chosen include old favorites of mine and new tunes I’ve just recently discovered. Some of the songs and artists you may know, and some you might not. And, with my heartfelt apologies, some of the videos aren’t the best.

But really in these instances, it's more about what you're hearing than what you're seeing.  Because as you listen to each song, I'd like to challenge you to close your eyes and allow the message within the music wash over you to saturate and refresh your weary soul. It’s my wish that the words and music will lift your spirits, bring you peace, comfort and joy and cause you to take some quiet moments afterwards to meditate on the innocence, the sweetness and the beauty of this season -- the season when we focus on Messiah, in the form of a tiny, helpless babe, born to a humble couple in a small town called Bethlehem.