As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, may God give us eyes to see the beauty of the Christmas story in a fresh way. Every figure we meet at Jesus’ birth points to someone who will be present at Jesus’ death. Today, we consider Simeon and Anna, who met Jesus at his circumcision and dedication at the temple. Luke shares of their encounter of the infant-Messiah in Luke 2: 22  And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord   23  ( as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)  24  and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”   25  Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  26   And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  27  And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law,   28  he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29  “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30  for my eyes have seen your salvation 31    that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32  a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” 33  And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.   34  And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed  35  (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 36  And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin,  37  and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.  38  And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. [Luke 2:22-38] Simeon and Anna, faithful Jews, waited on the Lord and hoped in his faithfulness to his promises. And when God fulfilled his promises in the Christ-child, God gave them eyes to see, and they held the child and celebrated the goodness of God’s fulfillment. This child had done nothing. There were no miracles that announced that he was Messiah, there were no signs that showed Simeon and Anna the long-awaited Messiah was the child of these peasants. And yet they knew this was the Messiah, despite a lack of evidence (he was only a baby!), despite everything they were taught to expect. They knew. And they worshiped. Nicodemus was also a faithful follower of the true God. He devoted himself to God and his Word, but struggled to understand who Jesus was when he met him. Like Simeon and Anna, Nicodemus spent much time at the temple. Like Simeon and Anna, he sought God in earnest prayer. But, unlike Simeon and Anna, he couldn’t comprehend who this man was. He had to get answers, and so he slunk off at night to visit Jesus secretly. He said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” He knew Jesus was a rabbi. But could he be Messiah? Could he be more than that? Jesus told Nicodemus, one of the most influential Jewish leaders that he (of all people!) had to be born again. “How can these things be?” the confused Nicodemus responded. Jesus shares that salvation would come when he is lifted up. We don’t know when Nicodemus’s spiritual eyes were opened, but we know that by the time that Jesus was lifted up on the cross, Nicodemus believed. And, now, transformed, he worshiped publicly, just as Anna and Simeon had. Just as Anna is at Simeon’s side, Nicodemus has a fellow spiritual traveler at his side, his friend Joseph of Arimathea. And just as Anna and Simeon, devout Jews, held Jesus at his birth, so Nicodemus and Joseph hold Jesus at his death. We read: 38  After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.  39   Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.  40  So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.   41  Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.  42  So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. [John 19:38-42] The act of preparing a body for burial is an intimate act. As we read this description, we see the costly and loving care Nicodemus and Joseph bestow on Jesus. Whereas Jesus’ apostles had fled out of fear when Jesus was arrested, these two men step out of the shadows. They publicly claim the humiliated Messiah: the defeated enemy of Romans and Jews alike. In doing so, they put themselves in grave danger. Nicodemus and Joseph give up an expensive tomb, they pay for the costly ingredients of the embalming mixture, and they tenderly wrap the mangled corpse of this man and lay him to rest. Joseph and Nicodemus knew this was the Messiah. Despite the risk, despite the lack of evidence (he was dead!), despite the fact that he did not live or die as they expected. They knew. And they worshiped. May we have eyes to see Jesus at Christmas as Simeon and Anna did. And may we see Jesus at Good Friday as Nicodemus and Joseph did. May our Christmas worship go up this day. Merry Christmas.

The end of Jesus’ story is found in the beginning. Every detail of God-made-flesh in the manger points to the crucified Savior on the cross. Today, we consider Herod and Pontius Pilate, two heads whose rule was threatened by the coming King: Jesus. Their political savvy could neither outmatch nor outmaneuver the true King of the Jews. Herod the Great was raised as a Jew with ties to the Roman government. Herod’s father, Antipater, was entrusted by Julius Cesar to care for the public affairs of Judea. Familial relationships with Rome already established, Herod rose to power by cozying up to Sextus Caesar, the acting Roman governor of Syria. The Rise of Herod In his twenties, Herod established himself as a darling of Rome by turning Galilee into a cash cow for Rome with his successful procurement of taxes. That led to Herod’s promotion to tetrarch by Mark Antony. But all was not well. A challenger Antigonus took the throne by force and Herod was forced to flee to Rome to plea for intervention. Herod utilized every ounce of his political skill to garner the Senate’s support. With the backing of the Roman Senate and the muscle of her army, Herod returned to Judea and took the throne back from Antigonus. In 37 BC, with the power of Mark Antony’s troops, Herod captured Jerusalem and executed Antigonus. Trying to consolidate power, Herod banished his first wife and child in order to marry a relative of Antigonus’s: Mariamne. Herod was a political animal by nature, adept at grabbing hold of power, and fighting off attempts to have that power taken. He spent a lifetime accumulating the power to bear the title, King of the Jews. Herod loved the opulence of his life. He spent lavishly, constructing ambitious building projects around the empire, many of which can still be seen today, such as the construction of the Temple Mount and the harbor at Caesarea and several fortresses. Herod didn’t bat an eyelash when he had the opportunity to obliterate any threat to his clutch on that power. A tyrannical despot by nature, he executed several members of his own family, including his wife Mariamne. An Infant Threat to Herod When Herod is introduced in Matthew’s gospel, we see Herod in slimy fashion attempting to get the Magi to do his bidding. He wants to evaluate the threat of this child who the signs foretold. “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him,” Herod instructs. The Magi never return to Herod, but the fear of a threat to his claim on the title, “The King of the Jews” remains. Herod is furious and his forces descend on Bethlehem to kill every male child under two years of age in Bethlehem. Just as the Pharaoh had once attempted to secure his power over the Israelites through infanticide, so does Herod. Before his orders can be carried out, an angel tells Mary and Joseph to flee to Egypt so that Jesus might escape death. Herod the Great is outmaneuvered. Herod and Pilate Fast forward three decades. Herod the Great came to a horrific demise with a painful and disgusting illness. His kingdom was split among his children with his son, Herod Antipas, reigning in Galilee. As his father lurked in the shadows of Jesus’ birth, the younger Herod would lurk in the shadow of Jesus’ death. The attempted murder of Jesus the infant because he threatened the King of the Jews would lead to Jesus’ actual murder as he landed in the political crosshairs. Herod’s governing counterpart in Judea, Pontius Pilate, would try to drag Herod front and center, but like his slithering father, Herod knew how to dodge a political trap when he saw one. Handed over to Pilate by the Jewish authorities on the charge that he claimed to be “The King of the Jews,” Pilate quickly discerned that Jesus was no political rival. “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law,” Pilate rebuffed the Sanhedrin. He had no interest in the chief priests pulling the puppet strings and forcing him to use his power to execute for their will. Pilate had far from a genial relationship with the Jewish leaders and he wasn’t about to serve at their bidding. The King Who Won’t Play Along But Pilate was trapped. By delivering Jesus to Pilate with the charge that he claimed to be the King of the Jews, Pilate knew he couldn’t let a man accused of claiming the crown off without the threat of emperor Tiberius hanging over his head. Rome didn’t shrug off competing threats to the throne. It squashed them. Pilate ushers Jesus back to his private quarters. He’s got to help coax this man to do what is in both of their interests: reject the claim of his kingship. This should be easy, Jesus’ simple denial of any claim to being king will save his own neck and let Pilate not have the blood of this popular miracle worker and teacher on his hands. Irritating the chief priests would be gravy. “Are you the King of the Jews?” Pilate asks. Simple enough. Jesus complicates things, with a question of his own, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Jesus is pressing to see if Pilate has any personal stake in this question, or if this is just a political matter for Pilate. It’s all politics for Pilate. He’s no Jew. He has no interest in the internal wranglings of Jews. He has bigger fish to fry. He just needs to figure out how to appease the Sanhedrin. “Am I a Jew?” Pilate asks, “Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Pilate has no interest in your claims of Messianic kingship. He needs to figure out how to solve this political mess. What did Jesus do to make the Jewish rulers so angry? What is Truth? But Jesus isn’t interested in solving Pilate’s problem. He won’t back down from the truth. He’s about his Father’s business. “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Did you catch that? Jesus isn’t saying that he has a claim on the throne, but that he sits on the throne. Tiberius’s throne is not under threat because of Jesus any more than your local high school basketball team’s title is under threat because of LeBron James. Pilate and Tiberius have no idea the scale of Jesus’ throne nor the span of Jesus’ kingdom. You can almost see Pilate’s head spin, “So you are a king?” “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Jesus’ kingdom is already established. Everything he is doing is bearing witness to that established fact. Pilate is lost: “What is truth?” Outmaneuvered Pilate has no clue what type of king Jesus is, but he knows that Jesus is not an imminent threat to Tiberius. He returns to the chief priests, “I find no guilt in him.” But, with Jesus unwilling to offer any help and the Jewish leaders rallying their supporters, Pilate cannot release Jesus. Pilate is outmaneuvered. Jesus hung on the cross, “The King of the Jews” inscribed over his head. He was the King of the Jews. He was far more. The infant Jesus’ life was nearly snuffed out because of the ruthless political ambitions of one man. Jesus, the adult, would have his life snuffed out because of the political opportunism and cowardice of another. And yet neither had the control that he wished for. Only Jesus himself had that control. Petty, oily men grappling over politics cast their shadows over Jesus’ birth and death and left destruction in their paths. And yet, only one wasn’t outmaneuvered: the true King of the Jews. And yet he used his sovereign power not for his own good but for the good of his people. He was the true King and he is the true King.

The man without God says: "You and I control our own destiny. God expects us to make things happen. Faith may give you peace and the freedom to find meaning for yourself, but remember, faith is a private matter. The important thing is for each person to determine his own purpose in life, hoping in some way to leave a lasting impression on the world..."   But God invites us to ask, seek, and knock. This requires the use of our minds, for He wants to share with us His intimate secrets so that we may relate truth to our everyday living.   1. Understanding requires application   Understanding takes place when we know how to apply truth correctly. Simply knowing a truth or principle without applying it with the hearts is not satisfactory.   "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good life, his deeds performed in the gentleness of wisdom" (James 3:13).   "And the one on whom sees was sown on the good ground, this is the man who hears the Word and understands it; who indeed produces a crop, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty" (Matthew 13:23).   Intelligent faith unites the intellectual evaluation of truth and inward perception of the heart with its application to our lives. We glorify God when our faith results in the mind and heart joining together to produce godly behavior.   2. Understanding requires association.   In some of the richest language of Scripture, Paul emphasizes that the key to understanding is knowing Christ.   "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..." (Philippians 3:8).   "...That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death..." (Philippians 3:10).   Understanding with our hearts and minds how truth applies depends upon our knowing Christ well. As believers, our hope is founded upon the intimacy of our relationship with Christ.   3. Understanding requires examination.   The early church leaders frequently urged believers to evaluate intelligently any doctrine they received. They gave their converts solid criteria for judging doctrine (2 Corinthians 11:4-15; Galatians 1:6-9).   A stimulating challenge to us, as believers, is the example of the Bereans. Pail and Silas preached the gospel to the Bereans, who didn't just accept this new doctrine blindly. (Acts 17:10-15).   The Bereans were not about to accept something just because missionaries in sandals came along and taught it! The Apostle Paul did not discourage their open-minded search by saying, "Just believe." Examining the Scriptures to understand how to apply God's truth to our own lives is the only sure way of establishing a solid foundation for our faith.   II. Intelligent faith provides purpose (Romans 8:28-39).   Faith is the assurance of the heart, resting in the adequacy of the evidence.   Certainty about God's control comes when I intelligently submit, surrender, rest in, acknowledge and accept His work in my life. This creates a deep conviction that God does have a plan for me to follow. I am a person of destiny!   God, who is in control of the events of every believer's life, focuses even apparently meaningless events into one meaningful purpose. His plan is to make us like His Son Jesus. He is at work in each experience and circumstance to give us the opportunity to trust intelligently in His control. And while God does not will adverse conditions or circumstances upon us, He is able to use them to achieve the goals of making us more like Christ.   Intelligently understanding the basis of my faith leads to a deeper understanding of God's purpose for every circumstance I face. He does not want me to accept blindly what comes; rather; He delights in my humble search to know Him and His plan for me. When I acknowledge and submit to His sovereign control, I discover how He uses my present circumstances to create in me the family likeness of His Son. He wishes to use even mundane events as opportunities for me to trust in His control.

"Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees." Isaiah 35:3 One of the reasons we make a trip to the desert is so God can heal us. God takes us to a quiet dry place and he speaks tenderly to us in our hurt and pain. God desires to bless us and restore us to spiritual health. Why did Isaiah choose these two parts of the body for healing? Why didn’t he say we needed to heal our broken hearts or our troubled minds? Why does he use our hands and knees? I think he had something very important in mind when he began writing poetically about our weak hands and feeble knees. Specifically, I believe Isaiah was referring to the healing which needs to take place in our lives, so we can pray. In scripture we are often urged to lift up holy hands in prayer which is often a state of worshipful prayer, and we also are taught to bow our knees in prayer. So, the next principle we see from this passage is if you want to bloom in the desert, you must see in the desert surrendered and worshipful prayer grows. God wants our prayer life to blossom. God heals us because he wants to know us and be known by us. Prayer then is one of the main practices God uses, so we can know him and learn to trust him. What is the international symbol of surrender? We lift our hands up so everyone can see that we are holding no weapons in our hands. When a person is about to be arrested lifting up their hands is a signal to the police they are unarmed. What does your toddler do when she wants to be held by you? She hold up her hands and by this nonverbal sign she is saying, “Mommy, hold me.” When we lift up our hands in prayer to God both ideas of surrender and hold me are communicated. Secondly, when we think of bending a knee visions of surrender again fill our mind. Whether it is a man humbly falling to his knees and asking his girlfriend to marry him or a subject bowing before a sovereign king a bended knee is another international symbol of surrender. I once heard Jack Schull, preach on giving a blessing to others and he shared that the Hebrew word most often translated to bless in the Old Testament means to bend the knee. So, figuratively speaking healing our spiritual knees is critical to experiencing surrendered prayer. Both lifting our hands and bowing our knees involve prayerful surrender to God. Can we express our surrender and worship if we are still hurt, angry and don’t trust God. It would probably be difficult to do this with any genuineness. A feeble knee will not bend and droopy hand cannot be lifted until they are healed. We must let the dryness of our personal desert become a place of rest and health. It is important that we understand that surrendered prayer is not a passive form of prayer and neither is it an attitude of self-protection. Sometimes we are so obsessed with wanting the heat to stop in our desert we think we are surrendering, but we are really choosing a form of self-protection or passivity. All of you who work with children have experienced the child who on the surface seems to be obeying you, but is resisting your directions in a very polite way. When I used to teach art I had students in my class who were so polite I hardly noticed they were not doing what I told them to do. Educators call this behavior passive resistance. Surrendered, worshipful prayer comes from a heart of trust. We can’t surrender when we do not trust God. Can we preempt a desert excursion by choosing to surrender in prayer without a current emergency motivating us? Yes! In the natural world we all prefer to blossom without enduring any stress. We worship and seek God’s face because he is worthy of all our praise. While this is reason enough to seek his face, there is also great refreshment which comes on the worshipper when we linger in the Lord’s presence. The next time we find ourselves living in a parched land, we need to remember it is ok to ask God to hold us (Psalm 34:18-19). God desires to know us and be known by us. If you want to bloom in the desert, you must see in the desert surrendered and worshipful prayer grows. Consider for a moment these thoughts. Have you ever bloomed in a spiritual drought? Explain. Have you ever needed God’s embrace? Explain. Surrender prayer means coming to grips with the goodness of God’s plans for our life. When we surrender we are saying we believe God is on our side. In our strength we think we know what is best for us and our loved ones, but we simple do not have all the facts to make an informed decision about our lives. Our scope of evaluation is very microscopic and limited to what we can know in the present. We can’t envision what God is protecting us from in our future by allowing us to experience this parched earth today (Isaiah 55:8-9). God and God alone can see the end from the beginning and as the author of time God is not bound by his creation in any way. God lovingly embraces us as victors because he knows with certainty we will be victorious in the end. Keep bathing in the truths found in Isaiah 35. Consider reading this passage as often as you can.

A while back I took a large number of professional and personality assessments to help me hone in on what my greatest strengths and desires are so that I can know what kind of ministry assignments I should pursue. I wanted to know what I can do that fits me best. Perhaps you want the same thing? During one assessment my coach explained to me, “Tom, you are all about belief. Everything you do you do because you believe in God’s will for your life and you pursue it. For you, nothing happens by chance.” When she spoke that to me I was in hearty agreement. But sitting in the back of my mind was another reality. What if I’m called to do something I don’t want to do? Would God do that? How would my nature of belief be affected? In fact, contrary to the popular notion that God doesn’t call us to do something we are not equipped for, I find in scripture that God often calls men and women to do things that, normally, they have no business doing. But God is God. He is sovereign. He can do that. So let me provide a few examples from my own study and show that when God calls us he often calls us to do things that hurt us, cause us anxiety, and perplex us. But he’s God. He can do that. And if we obey him we will be the better for it. Here’s goes. Noah was called to prepare for the destruction of every living thing (Genesis 6:17). I bet that was outside his comfort zone. Abraham was called to abandon everything he knew and everything that was familiar (Genesis 12:1). I bet he struggled with that. Sarah was called to do the impossible; have a baby at 90-years of age (Genesis 18:10). I bet that hurt. Abraham was called to send away his oldest son, Ishmael, into the desert with only a little food and water. He didn’t want to do it (Genesis 21:9-12). I bet he was an emotional wreck. Jacob was called to return to the promised land, where he was sure he would encounter the brother who wanted to murder him (Genesis 31:3). He was scared to death and put his whole family and his servants in risk of their lives (Genesis 32:6-11). But he went anyway. Moses was called to lead Israel out of slavery. He was afraid and asked the Lord to send someone else (Exodus 4:13). But he still had to go. David was called to be a king (I Samuel 16:12-13). He didn’t know the first thing about being a king. But God trained him over time. Solomon, upon taking the throne, asked God for wisdom because by his own admission, he had no idea what he was doing (I Kings 3:3-9). Jeremiah was commanded to have no wife and no children, something he likely hoped for, maybe was even planning. But God took away his dream of having a family (Jeremiah 16:1-2). I bet that was the hardest thing he had to live with. Esther was called to save her people by appearing before a king who might have her killed (Esther 4:11, 5:1-2). She went before him anyway. Jonah was called to preach to Nineveh, a country and people group he despised and hated. He ran the other way, but God forced him to turn back (Jonah 1-4). Jesus was called to the cross, but he asked his Father, “If there be any other way…” and was crucified anyway (Matthew 26:36-46). What can we learn from these examples? Allow me to offer five points of application you are not going to like. With the exception of Jesus, none of these people hoped for or looked for the calling they received, but God called them anyway. When God calls you, you may not like it. But he’s God. He can do that. When God calls us he calls us outside our comfort zone, into that for which we are ill-prepared, untrained, and not ready. But he’s God. He can do that. God doesn’t call us to do something we want or to fulfill our dreams. He calls us to do what he wants and to fulfill his dreams. He’s God. He can do that. If you really want to hear from God and know his will for your life, if you truly want that more than anything, then God will speak. But be ready to sacrifice your dreams and everything that makes you feel comfortable. He may do that. He’s God. He can do that. You don’t dictate when God speaks. He may call you when you are young, like David (youth), or when you are old, like Moses (80). You can have periods of fasting and prayer, or “practicing the presence,” or diligently seeking God, but the reality is that if God is going to speak to you, he will speak when he’s good and ready and nothing you can do will make him call you any sooner than he intends. He’s God. He can do that. What is God’s will for your life? Whatever it might be, be ready for God to call you to something outside your realm of experience and ability. In this way, God receives all of the glory. And it’s his glory that we should be pursuing in the first place.

How can you become heavenly-minded and hopeful?   1.      Remember that eternal life starts now.  Jesus said in  John 17:3 : “Now this is eternal life; that they may know You, the only eternal God and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Jesus’ presence will fill you full of joy and pleasure ( Psalm 16:11 ). Quiet your heart, mute your cell phone and let His love wash over you today. 2.       Jesus will be glad to see you .  Matthew 25:23  expresses God’s absolute delight in your celestial arrival. He says “Well done, good and faithful servant….Come share your Master’s happiness.” Have you spent your life trying to please God and others? You will find forgiveness, grace and rest in heaven. ( Psalm 103:12 ,  Hebrews 4:10 ). Picture God smiling at you, welcoming you with open arms instead of shaking His finger at you in reproof. 3.      Bored? You will have fulfilling work to do.  The cream cheese commercial featuring “haloed” angels lying on cloud pillows and strumming harps is a myth. Revelation 7 and 22 states that we will not work riddled with fatigue and frustration (the result of the Fall), but will fulfill all of the potential God placed within you with unlimited resources and energy. 4.      Those you love and miss are watching. Hebrews 12:1  describes the crowd of witnesses cheering us on in our earthly struggles.  Revelation 6:9  and  Luke 16:19-30  give us an indication that our dear ones do see us but through an eternal lens. What joy to reunite with them! If “a thousand years is as a day, and a day is as a thousand years,” then your husband may die and you follow him ten years later. That’s about fifteen minutes in “heaven” time. He sees you and quips, “Hi, Honey! Late as usual…” 5.      The worship will be awesome!!!  Revelation 4:1-11  depicts the glorious scene of unceasing worship before God’s Throne. All are singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” I don’t care how much or little you enjoy worship now, sing, shout, thank and praise God during your day. God’s presence hangs around when you praise. (Read about the Ark of God and His smoky glory). That should get you going!   Hoping in heaven gives you a different perspective on life. I envision my understanding of the here and now as the underside of an embroidered pillowcase. All I see are knots and dangling threads. The heaven side reveals a beautifully crafted masterpiece.   Thinking about heaven makes me happy. Besides, I am going to chow down at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb and not gain an ounce!

“Then war broke out in heaven, Michael and his angels going forth to battle with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no room found for them in heaven any longer” ( Rev. 12:7-8  AMP). Notice the phrase, “there was no room . . . for them in heaven.” The war against principalities involves displacement: Christ filling the spiritual territories once held by Satan. This war in Heaven is difficult for us to comprehend. How do angels and demons, beings who do not die from wounds, wage war? With what do they do battle? And how do they conquer one another? Without exceeding the bounds of our knowledge, we can safely say this: All spiritual warfare is waged over one essential question: Who will control reality on earth, Heaven or hell? When it comes to angelic and demonic warfare, the battle rests not in physical weaponry but in the power of agreement between mankind and the spirit realm. We read in Ephesians 6 (NKJV) that “principalities” and “powers” occupy the “heavenly places” (v. 12). But we read in  Ephesians 1:10  that it is the Father’s expressed purpose to sum up all things in Christ, “things in the heavens and things on the earth.”  Ephesians 3:10  reveals God’s glorious plan, that “through the church” God has purposed to make known His manifold wisdom to the principalities and powers “in the heavenly places.” You see, as the body of Christ on earth agrees with its Head in Heaven, the Spirit of Christ Himself displaces the powers of darkness in the heavenly places.In other words, when the church on earth is aggressive in its agreement with the will and Word of God, then the presence of God increases in the spiritual realm, proportionally displacing the influence of hell on earth. Shortly thereafter, manifesting in the world of men, we see God’s miraculous power at work. But when the church is passive, indifferent or carnal, the powers of hell increase their rule over the affairs of men: Marriages break up, crime increases, and wantonness becomes unbridled. We must see that our prayers, attitudes, and our agreement with God are an integral part of appropriating the reality of the kingdom of God on earth! Let me add, that when I refer to the “Kingdom of God on earth,” I am not referring to the Second Coming of Christ at the rapture. I am speaking of the reality to which Jesus was referring when He taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” ( Matt. 6:10 NKJV ). Thus Jesus teaches us to pray in a way that transcends simple requests for blessings or finances — things that will be supplied to us automatically once we get our priorities right. Jesus calls us to a form of prophetic prayer. He says, “Pray, then, in this way: … Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!” ( Matt. 6:9-10 NKJV ). This is strong prayer, empowered with the life substance of Heaven itself. This is the prayer that changes societies and rolls back the advance of evil, and ultimately wins the war over reality. Adapted from Francis Frangipane’s book, The Three Battlegrounds, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

Our words and actions tell the truth of what we believe. If that statement is true—and I believe it is—then is Christ honestly replicated in everything we say and do? We live in a physical world bursting with things that speak to the senses. It’s real if we can touch it, smell it, taste, feel and measure it. For the average person, if it’s not material, it doesn’t exist. But our faith requires us to believe in a God we “hope for,” one we “do not see.” To “live by faith, not by sight.” When we really examine the truth, we don’t live the sort of faith the Bible teaches. We understand what God’s Word says and we may even think we’re living according to it, but there are few of us who actually exercise and execute pure Biblical Christianity—a life of complete obedience to God. Studies over the past decade by The Barna Research Group and others show that younger generations are looking for believers who are authentic and genuine. They want to see Christians live what they believe, and they have little time or respect for those who don’t. Our lives should be a complete reflection of Christ. We should be people whose words and action match up with our faith. How can we do this?  Here are four intentional steps, I believe we can take, to help our faith become one that will solidify our belief in God, and declare it to others: Study Scripture  to give an account of our faith. If we don’t study God’s Word, we won’t know what to believe. The Bible is clear in how we are to live. Listen to God.  A consistent life of prayer, where we provide time and access for God to speak to our hearts and minds, is vital and irreplaceable. Record times of God’s faithfulness.  If we were to regularly stop and think about God’s faithfulness—in our homes, in our relationships, in our finances—and remember how God came through as we trusted Him, it will encourage and strengthen our faith. Give up control.  We want to make things happen. But whenever we relinquish control to the Lord, it’s faith-building. Giving Him full reign in our lives is liberating. It is the essence of walking by faith. Intentional ONE THING Challenge If you could do ONE THING and know that it would make a significant, lasting, possibly life-changing difference in your life, would you do it? www.theintentionallife.com.

Fall and Spring are my favorite times of year. “For who hath despised the day of small things?” Zechariah 4:10a __________ There’s something about a fire that draws me in (the sight, the sounds, the smell)…really it brings people together. Since the first strike and ignition, fires have provided many things, but warmth, cooking, cleaning, and protecting ourselves from harm seems to rise the surface. Nowadays, for many folks however, a fire has been relegated to convenience, at best. What I’m trying to say is that a fire’s purpose for most of us today is ambiance. Now, I’m the first to say that ambiance is important. A fire sets the tone for any room or environment unlike any lamp or light bulb every could dream of creating. However, for most of us today, that’s the extent of a fire. Over the years, I’ve burned a fire outside for the very reason of ambiance. If you know me well enough, then you know that the temperature doesn’t dictate whether or not a fire is burning in our outdoor fire pit. For that reason, I’m constantly foraging for wood that might burn well and keep the desirable environment all around. At the same time, we’ve looked for property that would provide the wood onsite as my source. As the Lord would have it, my family and I moved just north of Denton to a little piece of property covered with woods. It was a dream for us for many reasons, but one of the main ones was bringing the old purpose of a fire–for warmth–to bear when the season turns cold. And so, as we renovated our new cozy little house, we added a wood stove that more than accomplished that desire. One of the main (and inconvenient) challenges of a wood stove is lighting the fire. In my old house, I had a gas line that was used to get the wood burning. In my outside fire pit, I used lighter pine (fatwood) that my father-in-law and I foraged from east Texas. It’s a great natural starter, but puts off a lot of creosote, and thus should be used sparingly when burned through a flue. And so, the reality of starting a fire from scratch every time in my new wood stove can be somewhat daunting if not approached in the right way. A good fire start has to be built with varying thicknesses of wood. The easy part of having a fire is splitting the bigger burning logs. Most of us use a maul, wedges, or even a hydraulic splitter. I’ve used these and more to get the logs ready to season and burn. However, the more challenging step in getting a fire from scratch ready is gathering enough kindling without bark. This aspect can’t be overlooked, but it can’t be overstated. You’ll spend many hours trying to get a fire started without the use of kindling. It’s critical to the light, but it’s also tedious. That, however, is exactly why I wrote this article. The tediousness of the splitting of kindling wood. As I was splitting and storing all the kindling that I’ll need for this year and beyond, I took a picture below of my set up. The wood I’m splitting is virtually free of knots. It’s solid red oak that has been seasoned for a good bit. For all these reasons, the wood will start easy, it will burn long, and it will burn hot. Really, the kindling is the base of the fire, and without it I’m better off not even trying. As I was splitting this wood last night, I thought of being faithful in the small things to appreciate the greater things. It takes a lot of swings with my dead-blow mallet to get that solid red oak to cooperate and be shaped into proper kindling, and at the same time it’s fundamentally necessary if my family is going to enjoy the warmth of a consistent fire when the temperatures drop this season and beyond. And so, I split the wood, because I want the warmth and the ambiance of a fire! How Does This Apply to Us Today? What in your life is so small, but so critical to experiencing a greater reality? What small things are you avoiding, because of laziness, apathy, indifference, or whatever? How are you handling your money…your passions for sexual intimacy…your casual relationships…your work responsibilities…your family responsibilities? May God gives us the strength to see that the small things, because they lead to bigger things, are therefore just as important as the big things! May we then be faithful in the little things and not despise the day of small beginnings. Amen.

When I am on a jog I often find myself looking right in front of me. Whether it’s because I’m focusing on the path, getting lost in my thoughts, or just fixed on the next turn coming ahead, my sights are generally set on my near surroundings. However, there are times when I will look up. It could be the flash of a bird, the pattern of a deer offsetting the foliage and brush, or it could be that my mind takes my eyes from what is directly in front of me to my surroundings. When I look up there’s a different feeling that washes over me. When my eyes are lifted up…the surroundings fill out and take shape…the colors take on a different hue…the landscape envelopes me and my vision changes. I can’t stay looking up however, because there’s the real possibility of tripping on a stick, stepping on a snake (I’ve seen many on my greenbelt runs), or soaking my feet in a puddle. Nevertheless, the differences of looking down and looking up are stark, and are yet complimentary. If I never look up, then I can’t see the spectrum and scope of the beauty around me. If I never look down, then I can’t see the dangers lurking beneath my feet. There is a harmony in the contrast and there is a shape in the exercise. It’s a lot like life. Long ago, God’s people would make three trips to Jerusalem from all over Israel. As they went on their journey they had many obstacles to overcome, the least of which was protection of their land as they traveled. However, God’s promise to them as they made these trips was in fact that He would look after their land and belongings as they were faithful to embark upon their journey to the central place of sacrifice and worship–the temple in Jerusalem. In the midst of their pilgrimage, they would sing songs to accompany them as they went. These songs were recorded in the Psalms and are designated as the  Psalms of Ascent . The second Psalm of Ascent is our focus here. It begins… __________ “I will raise my eyes to the mountains; From where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 __________ These travelers would raise their eyes…they would look to the mountains. Their ascent would be to the temple mount wherein sacrifice for their sins would occur. They would fix their eyes on the act of substitutionary atonement. This would comfort them on their journey and in their lives throughout the year. Their help…? From God. Their eyes…? Fixed on His work for them in restoration and reconciliation for their sins. In the midst of cultural chaos and contemporary confusion, what’s the one thing mankind should be concerned with in their lives? His relationship with his Creator. Moreover, what’s the one thing that separates man from being in a relationship with his Creator? Sin. Thus, how does the Creator deal with sin? Substitutionary sacrifice. How Does This Apply To Us Today? Enter the gospel…the good news. Here is where the human is to fix his gaze. He looks to the hills. The hill in Jerusalem. The hill of Calvary where Christ offered His life for ours. The substitutionary work of Christ for all mankind dealt with mankind’s sin eternally. The response? Transfer of trust from oneself–to be in a right relationship to God–to the person and work of Christ. Everyday remembering Christ’s work and how it informs my love for my wife, my children, my co-workers, my boss, my neighbors, my enemies, and my ___________. If God died on a hill for me, then I can look to the hill and remember His sacrifice, and then love others as He loved me. The hill of Calvary is a reminder of my God’s love for me, and it informs and teaches me how to love others. What hill are you not willing to climb for those in your sphere of influence? Look to the hill of Calvary, remember Christ’s love for you, and then climb your hill and sing the song of ascent… “ I will raise my eyes to the mountains; from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” God help us. Amen.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” Genesis 1:1-3 In the opening chapter of the Bible, God brings order out of chaos. Later, God makes mankind in His image, and tells them to rule the creation, be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth by subduing it according to God’s design. As the Bible articulates, God’s design is to create…this creation has in its center an ordering. Most everyone understands and appreciates the fact that chaos is bad and order is good. What’s more, we have largely been removed from the chaos of the external world. For instance, take shelter and water…there is the invention and utilization of indoor plumbing, of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning units, of slab-built and masonry constructed housing, etc. We could also talk of political, clothing, food, and medicinal conveniences. The point remains, there have been many instances where chaos has largely been mitigated from our world around us. And so, many in first-world countries benefit from external order created by generations of forethought, sacrifice, and ingenuity. However, while we benefit from these things, we can still face chaos in our own lives. This chaos, on the other hand doesn’t have to rule us. No, no. We have a say. We have a say on how we invest our time, our talents, and our treasures. As we begin a new year, let me share how I invest my morning time. In reality, most of my life is built around routines. Sure, I have to be flexible, because life is dynamic. However, I can still bring order to my life by routines that guide me like seasons. Let me share my morning routine that has been helpful for me to cultivate order instead of chaos each day. 5:30AM – the alarm goes off (I still need an alarm…I’m not one of those who wakes up without one. Further, I need at least 7 hours of sleep to feel rested and ready for the day. Thus, I’m aiming for bedtime to be before 10:00PM. I drink a full glass of water I pour a cup of coffee and some half-and-half I grab a small snack Next, I write in my morning journal Each journal has the following heading: day, date, time, and temperature I simply list prayers, events, or thoughts. The entry is usually 3-5 sentences. Start my Bible reading plan Here’s the one I use:  RMM  — DA Carson —  Volume 1  and  Volume 2 Next, I read the insight from DA Carson on the chapters I just read Then, I read from the  Voices of the Past  devotional Next, I read from  Diary of Private Prayer Then, I read from a thought-provoking and spirit-lifting resource Right now, I’m reading the Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis Finally, I Pray As I’m led… I also use the following  FamilyLife resources 6:30AM – I’m usually wrapped up in 1 hour Upon finishing this AM routine, I get ready for my day, which may include a walk, but does include looking over the schedule, starting necessary communication, and then getting dressed for the day. This obviously isn’t the only way to cultivate order instead of chaos, but it has been very helpful for me each day. There are changes to this routine based upon changes in the day, but this routine is my aim. If I miss, I’m not stressed, I adjust, and look forward to the next morning! Do you have a morning routine? In what ways could one create order in your life?

Do you remember as a child sitting in the grass, watching various bugs and creatures move about their world? There were ants, worms, and small green grasshoppers. If you watched closely, you’d see the grasshopper jumping from spot to spot until it encountered an obstacle. Instead of taking a giant leap in faith, it turned the other direction to avoid the conquerable feat in front of it. Grasshoppers won’t take a risk when it comes to the seemingly impossible. And sometimes, neither will the people of God. In the book of Numbers, the Israelites finally came to the place of promise, a land full of milk and honey, as God had said. What they hadn’t accounted for is that this land was already occupied by some of the greatest obstacles they had ever faced. Rather than taking possession of what God had provided for them in faith, the people became scared and unwilling to trust in God’s continued provision for them. One of the spies sent to survey the land, Caleb, believed that God would provide a way even though there were obstacles. Instead of siding with Caleb, the people chose to err on the side of inaction. They argued that the challenge of fighting those who already occupied the land was too great. There were the descendants of Anak, Negev, the Hittites, the Canaanites, the Amorites, and others in the land. The Israelites themselves determined they were “ not able to go up against the people because they are too strong for us ” ( Num 13:31 ). Like a grasshopper in the field facing something in its path, the Israelites were unwilling to leap to the other side of the obstacle in faith. Instead, they chose to turn around and go the opposite way. This rationale – grasshopper thinking – is the failure to take the risk of faith to claim the promises of God. The Israelites believed the challenges in the physical realm were larger than those in the spiritual one. They thought the greater issue was not disobeying God but rather having to fight armies of giants. You might also feel like this when what’s in front of you looks bigger than your future. How did a people who had seen such great miracles and who had experienced such great deliverance get to this place of thinking like a grasshopper? The Israelites had gotten into the habit of complaining, constantly grumbling about anything and everything. They did this so much so that they had lost sight of all God had done on their behalf. This lack of vision of what God had done, coupled with poor leadership, resulted in a faulty perspective when it came to the obstacles they faced. The consequences of this grasshopper thinking are huge. For Israel, it meant their perception was off when it came to what was true. Their fear overshadowed their ability to trust God in the midst of all that was in front of them. Instead of stepping into the promises God had for them, the Israelites had been lost in the desert, wandering for years and unable to experience the goodness of the destiny God had prepared. Their future was distorted, and they were quickly losing out on the blessings that awaited them. What is the solution when we see the obstacles we face as bigger than the God we serve? For the Israelites and for us, the answer is the same. When our thinking becomes small like grasshoppers, we need to repent and choose to obey in order to find our path back to the blessing and bounty that a life that trusts God and all His promises can bring. Is your focus today on the problems in front of you or on God who is with you? In faith, choose to think bigger with God’s perspective instead of man’s, and let the Lord’s vision for your life unfold in incredible ways! www.ocbf.com.