For Those We Love

My name is not on the cover of a dictionary (for good reason!). But if I were to define hospitality it would go something like this: an act of grace that is more about atmosphere than occasion; creating an environment of kindness and mutual respect in filling the needs of others.

What do you think?

But isn’t this courtesy typically reserved for holidays and strangers?

What if . . .  What if I were to have hospitality practiced in our home, among our family members? Isn’t this exactly the atmosphere and attitude I want displayed among us? So why not start in small ways this season? Now that would make our Christmas simply grand!

Giving the loving gift of goodwill—in even the small details of caring for my family—is sure to make a great impact.

I jotted down six simple ideas as a starting point. (After prayer, that is.)

1. I think it must be practiced with authenticity. I don’t think you can fake it. I think you have to exhibit a genuine spirit of grace.
2. A simple frame of reference might help. I could use this standard as measure:  Give to your own what you give to others.
3. We will have to intentionally guard our words and attitudes. Rushing is enemy #1; stress, a close 2^nd (especially at Christmas time!). (Some repentance may be required.)
4. Learning to align priorities and letting the lesser go might help. Taking time to listen moves to the top of the list.
5. Hospitality is best nurtured when we limit chaos. Organization, advance preparation, and good time management should be order-of-the-day.
6. Remembering that I actually love these people might prove helpful! Shouldn't we be expressing this love toward one another as matter of priority?

Even though hospitality is a basic biblical principle, we see few examples of it. But there are enough to learn from. A few come to mind: the widow of Zarephath that showed kindness toward Elijah; Abigail and David; Lazarus, Mary, and Martha frequently opened their home to Jesus; Levi, the tax collector-turned-disciple. Why, even the innkeeper offered his stable. He didn’t have a room available to offer, but he gave what he had. And who could forget Mary?! She showed the ultimate hospitality.

And God, the Author of perfect and generous hospitality, has demonstrated the same toward us.

“But now in Christ Jesus

you who once were far away

have been brought near

by the blood of Christ.

[Eph 2:13]

Not only did He draw near to us—by coming in the flesh to walk among us in the God-Man, Jesus Christ—but He tore the separating veil and invited us to approach Him and He shed His blood to draw us ever near.

Jesus depended on hospitality during His entire earthly life—from conception to even a borrowed grave. He knows very well just how important it is. And He stands at the door of your heart knocking to enter and make your heart His home. Will you extend to Him some hospitality?

Whether for important guests or among our small family, hospitality is a way to create in our homes an atmosphere of loving grace.

         

Hospitality is a matter of the heart. Mold ours, God, to exhibit Your grace. 

       

“and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.” [1 Tm 5:10]

The Greatest Thing You Can Do

Prayer is not only big . . . it’s H U G E!

And if it makes a big difference in our days, won’t making it a priority-of-the-season make a huge difference in our Christmas?

Prayer is the greatest spiritual discipline there is. Period. It is the soul’s glance God-ward. And even the smallest prayer can reap huge rewards for it is to usher in the eternal . . . in the here and now.

By it, this side of Eden, is our companionship with God--allowing us to walk with Him in the cool of the day.

And to “pray without ceasing” is both hard and easy. Hard; because we give our time and attention away to other things. Easy; because there is no lack of topic-of-conversations.  And there is no better Listener.

“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 Lord’s people.

[Eph 6:18]

On every occasion, in every season, anywhere and at anytime, we are to pray. To quote from The Practice of the Presence of God; “No affairs or cares of the world can serve as an excuse for neglecting this our duty.”

There is nothing too great. Or nothing too small. We are to pray for every country and every people, large and small. From the whispered request over the tedious to the great cries in crises, all is to be shared with the God Sovereign Over All. And when we keep our minds alert to the activities around us – whether in our families or across the globe – we know how to pray for the Lord’s people.

Prayer: it is the means of our personal, blessed communion with God and our duty on behalf of others. By it may we prepare for Christmas.

There is no other way, Lord, to keep You at the center of our attention than through prayer. Lock our focus on You, Almighty God. Show us what to pray for others.

Let's make a big deal of this small Babe

I sometimes wonder if we have a warped sense of big and small. If what seems big is, in all actuality, small and what we minimalize should be magnified.

We do it in areas of religion. Our forefathers built grand cathedrals yet neglected authentic worship. They expounded tradition over truth. And experiencing spirituality became more desirable than following Christ.

The same could be said of Christmas.

Is it about our big holiday plans or about The Wee Babe?

The vast heavens tell of the glory of God, but will we—His small creatures, held in His hand . . . His heart? Bearing humility, will we make ourselves small—as He—to make much of God?

From the galaxies  .  .  .  to our homes, may all reflect His majesty and declare His glory.

Let Him daily come again into our world by proclaiming Jesus, The Greatness of God.

With the nightly lighting of our advent candles this holy season, I pray His birth—the very essence of all things Christmas—is properly deemed of utmost importance. And just as that small flame bows, flickers, and sways our hearts, too, will be swept away in merry dance—making a big deal of the small Child, the Glory of God Incarnate.

So, let’s not just sing carols . . . let’s shout praise. Let’s not just decorate . . . but celebrate God. Let’s not merely shop . . . but wrap our hearts in the love of Christ and give ourselves away to Him.

Let’s make a big deal about the Christ of Christmas.

  

“He will bless those who fear the LORD— 
small and great alike.”

[Ps 115:13]

So move us, Father, to make a big deal out of the birth of Your Son. Give us an apt perspective to see all other things in a lesser light.

All Things -- Great & Small -- That Are Christmas

There are the big things of Christmas:

            Christmas trees

                        Christmas presents

                                    Christmas feasts

And there are the small things of Christmas:

            Christmas bows

                        Christmas greetings

                                    Christmas carols

There are the grand performances:

            The White House decorations

                        A Holiday Symphony

                                    Disney’s Christmas Day Parade

And then there are the small gestures:

            Homemade cookies for a neighbor

                        Lighting aromatic candles

                                    Cheerfully tossing coins into the ringer’s bucket

Preeminent is  The Grand Story of Redemption:

            The majestic display of

            heaven in a night sky

                        A big bright star

                        summoning distant magi

                                    Common shepherds in a hillside field

                                                An ordinary village couple

                                                            A Wee Babe in the straw

We can commit them all to Jesus.

My advent season prose will center on these:

            All things --

                        great and small --

                                    that are Christmas.

                                                All the while remembering;

                                                   Jesus is in them all.

I pray all things great and small this season be about the Christ.

And my humble aim is to provide opportunity to slow . . . slow to invite our Great God into even the smallest details of our Christmas.

May our homes be dedicated as the Master’s workshop. A holy sanctuary creating a joyous celebration of our Glorious Lord.

As each day unfolds, let’s discover ways to celebrate God – in both the big things and the small.

May it all – big and small – be about You, Lord Jesus!

            

"Final" Thanks: A Victorious Raising

I am more full than I once was. More full of thanks now after much giving of thanks. How can one give away and yet have more? God’s economy . . . such mystery!

Here I’ve arrived already at my final post in this series. But it is far from my last offering of thanks for God has richly blessed us with an immense capacity for gratitude—the very beat of a Christian’s heart. That we give thanks in all things this is not only His will for us but also His command.

So how do I choose from among the endless gifts of God’s grace just one blessing for this garland entry? God made it easy for me  .  .  .  this gift is so grand it cannot be overlooked.

“But thanks be to God!

He gives us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

[1 Cor 15:57]

Through Christ, God has given us victory! Victory over sin and its penalty—death. Victory over the grave. Victory over the myriad of things that plague us. The things that assault to bring discouragement and attempt to defeat our faith are temporary. Physical suffering has its end coming. For God declared this glorious promise . . .

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” [Rm 8:11]

*    *    *    *    *

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” [1 Cor 15:51-52]

This is the mystery God revealed to Paul and has now made known to us. Our bodies will be transformed immortal and raised victorious.

When our bodies die the Spirit dwelling within will raise us to new life—just as He did Christ. Our resurrection is not only proven possible but certain! It is not just our hope but fact.

And we have these gifts we have been giving thanks for to continue to spur us on. This garland is evidence of the things we cannot see. The spiritual blessings of God have the power to change appearances. For . . .

     the Cross appeared to be victorious,

         Death appeared the victor,

             the Grave seemed to have won.

                 But not so!

                     And not so with us!

                          For the Spirit is our Guarantee clamoring otherwise.

And what are the gifts we have been naming? Stringing into a thanksgiving garland?

Thinking on such praiseworthy things changes perspective. And with our perspective being one of gratitude, we keep these powerful truths in focus—bringing the eternal into our temporal view. And we honor the God Who Gave It All!

Our lips offer thanks and praise and our hearts lay claim to heaven. As our garland is full of Your gifts our hearts are full of gratitude. Accept this string of our thanksgiving as a worship offering. We thank You, God, we thank You—Your Name is our favorite word; Your mighty works are all we choose talk about. 

From our home to yours . . .

Giving thanks for you!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
who has blessed us in Christ 
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,"

[Eph 1:3 ESV]

Photos:  Sharing our home this 

thanksgiving-holiday

with you.

Smelling Good

“But thanks be to God,

who always leads us

in triumphal procession in Christ

and through us spreads everywhere

the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”

[2 Cor 2:14]

Let the baking begin!

Our plans for today, this day before Thanksgiving, include much time in the kitchen doing our holiday baking.

I can’t wait!

And it’s not really even the food that excites me. It’s the time spent together. It’s the accumulated memories of tradition. It’s the pleasing aromas that fill our home.

And aren’t we God’s diffusers? Emitting the sweet fragrance of the Gospel wherever we go?

There are some nasty smells out there. And people spend a lot of money to smell good. But No One has paid more for you to smell good than Jesus. Gone is the rancid stench of sin and death and shame. For knowing Him is to radiate the most lovely perfume—from deep within your soul.

Let’s offer an aroma of praise, an aroma of victory, an aroma of thanksgiving fitting of our Lord. 

Thanks be! May the sweet fragrance of the Good News be spread far and wide—an aroma pleasing to You, Father Dear.

Surrounded

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such

a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders

and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance

the race marked out for us,”

[Heb 12:1]

 I can’t explain why I am so comforted by this verse. I mean, who likes being surrounded by clouds, right?

But seriously. Paul uses a race metaphor when referring to our life of faith in Christ. He paints a picture of a heavenly crowd watching on in encouragement. And what athlete doesn’t benefit from a cheering section? Especially such heroes of The Faith? And what makes it even more inspiring is that these witnesses were ordinary, fallible humans empowered by God to advance His Plan.

Who are they? They are those mentioned in Hebrews 11. Who wouldn’t want Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Moses rooting for them? They ran through the fires and won. They are powerful examples of the sure fulfillment of God’s purpose—despite our involvement. They are examples of God’s grace toward man. Theirs is an example of enduring faith. Their examples of the difference God can make in a life fuels hope. And it tells us that we, too, can be runners and not mere spectators. That we can live an overcoming life—blunders and all.

This Thanksgiving, as you watch stadiums fill with fans to cheer their favorite teams on to victory, imagine these faithful fore-runners—victors—cheering you on.

This surrounding cloud is our heritage—one I’m thankful for. 




Thank You, Father, for the teaching example and inspiration of those that have gone before us. Let their witness build hope and courage to shatter every excuse to live a compromised faith. Let us run the race set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, Who endured the shame and suffering of the Cross. Empower us to live worthy of this rich heritage.

A Cultivated Heart

A spiritual "ugly duckling" I'll not always be.

I do not want to leave this world in the same condition that I have lived most of it. And there is this blessing as satisfaction for man’s innate desire for improvement. It is the blessing of transformation.

“Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust,

we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”

[1 Cor 15:49 ESV]

God has assured us that, in Christ, we are being changed. I am reminded of something I read of Jerry Bridges in “The Gospel for Real Life”; “ Likeness to Christ is God’s ultimate purpose for us and the hope we look forward to.”

Through blessed communion, the Spirit is at work in us to bring about this transformation. But it is not a passive process. It is done in us – not to us. It requires our application of His Word and obedience to His will and His ways.

But there is this promise of becoming – a gift of God’s grace – deserving of our thanks.

I am thankful for the encouragement in knowing that the peaks and valleys of each day are bringing growth. Thankful that each failure, each heart ache, each trial is cultivating this heart. Thankful that there is a hope that my spiritual blunders will wane as Spirit-led actions increase.

I have this hope that I have a heart that is becoming. Becoming like His. To become more becoming . . . more presentable to the Father. Surrendered, it becomes an instrument of His grace. Beating in the celestial rhythm of the kingdom, racing to do His will, pumping to reflect the Christ. The Spirit is at work cultivating this heart to become

        A heart to love others with His flawless, unconditional love

                 A heart to love the Father perfectly

                             A heart of righteousness

                                         A heart that is pure

                                                     Patient

                                                                Merciful

                                                                             Content

                                                                                          Holy

                                                                                                    Wholly His

This Thanksgiving meal we’ll be preparing come Thursday will begin with a cold, dead bird; raw fruits and vegetables; and some distasteful and unappetizing ingredients, to become a hearty, delicious feast to nourish and please those we love. It will require much work; much grinding, pounding, boiling, dicing, and slow-roasting. But, in the end, we will have the desired result. A reason to give thanks.

My thanks-giving today is for the hope in this promise of our becoming.

Ever-Faithful Father; Thank You that You find me worthy of becoming…becoming more like You. Please continue.

        “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate

               the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image

           with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord,

           who is the Spirit.” [2 Cor 3:18]

Danger Up Ahead

I don’t know about anybody else out there, but you better believe I’m thankful that we’ve been warned of impending judgment. I'm stringing that one up on my garland-of-thanks, for sure!

We may not have many of the details about the future, but we have been informed enough to know about a few “comings.”

Death is coming

Our Lord Jesus is coming

&

A day of reckoning is coming

Here are a couple samples of God-communicated warnings:

“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,”

[Heb 9:27]

“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.  There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

[Rm 2:5-10]

Those alone are quite enough to spawn gratitude. (Among other things!)  

While I hate negative consequences, I must say I love when I know to expect them. Warnings are meant to bring about change. And these warnings, a change of heart. While many have heeded, not many enough. Let’s pray many more will hear, act, and give thanks for this merciful blessing.

In this information-overload age, I pray awareness of this information does not go unnoticed.

Righteous and Holy God; Saying “thank-You” for Your warning seems under-stated. May I express gratitude with my life—loud enough for another’s notice. Help us to listen…fear…heed…tell.

“For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing, 
whether it is good or evil.”

[Ecc 12:14]

Amply Supplied

“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant,” [2 Cor 3:4-6a ESV emph mine]

The baking season is about to begin.

Gearing up for this holiday tradition, I’m checking the shelves to ensure I have an ample supply of all the necessary ingredients. Plans can turn south in a hurry when you find you don’t have enough of something midway through the project.

I can confidently report that whenever God has placed an opportunity before me, He always provides everything needed to complete the task at hand.

Never fail.

God will certainly always supply all you need to serve His purpose.

Purely by the sufficiency of God am I made able to do what He asks. I can (and do) fully rely upon Him to cover whatever is lacking in my ability (which is often significant) to meet the ministry challenge He places before me.

When God gifts you with a talent and a passion to serve in a particular area of ministry – as varied as that is – He always provides sufficient grace to administer that gift.

I have found that whether He asks me to speak, teach, pray, or write in serving His Body, His Sufficiency always fills. He is enough – has enough – shares enough – to give enough.

I am amazed when I scroll the archives of this blog. I wonder at the sheer number of words. Many-a-time I thought I would eventually run dry. That I would run out of ideas, thoughts, stories, words. But the word-river keeps flowing…and flowing…and flowing. It is the sufficiency of God. There is no other explanation for how a non-writer writes or a non-teacher teaches or a servant serves. A Christian loves. The afflicted endure.

And the secret siren blast required to call upon the aid of the Holy Spirit? A whispered confession, “I can’t.” A humble, honest, “I can’t, Lord,” ushers in the sufficiency of God to meet every need in the Lord’s service. And every servant world-wide can have more than enough—without ever depleting His sufficiency.

The result? Thanksgiving to God. May it ever be a beautiful cycle. Our giving thanks to God for His sufficiency to minister, reaping more thanksgiving to God.

The sufficiency of God’s grace is infinite. And to think that He so generously shares it – that we may then share it with others! How awesome is that! May that knowledge fill you with confidence to step out in faith when He moves you to administer His grace.

        And God is able to make all grace abound to you,

          so that in all things at all times,

          having all that you need,

          you will abound in every good work.

          [2 Cor 9:8]

By grace I am able, Father. I am utterly and completely dependent upon the sufficiency of Your abounding grace. Thank You that It is always enough.

“You’re Thanking God For WHAT?!”

Give thanks to God for skies of blue,

For singing birds and the sunset’s hue.

Give thanks to God for grass so green,

For all things lovely and serene.

(Enter Mr. Rogers)

REALLY?!

Can you sense my sarcasm here? (I'm not real sure just how you convey that on a blog, exactly.)

Sometimes I feel just that “cheesy” in giving the easy thanks to God. I merrily thank Him for all things bright and beautiful, then grumble at the first sign of discomfort.

A sure sign that someone has reached a level of maturity-of-faith is in the ability to offer sincere thanks in adversity.

If there is one thing that honestly belongs on my garland of thanksgiving, it’s gratitude for the trials of this life.

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” [Jms 1:12]

There is a unique blessedness that accompanies adversity when it is weathered with the Great Storm-Master. And there is no greater praise offered than sacrificial thanks to God for viewing a trial as pure gift. (Granted, it takes much wrestling to gain that perspective.)

Years ago—submerged in rising waters, with trouble on every side—I immersed myself in the Word and prayed Scripture in faith. God’s Abiding Presence accompanied me through the storms. One day, as I read Psalm 32 in The Message, verse 7 lingered;

“God's my island hideaway,

keeps danger far from the shore,

throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.”

I identified with this same sense of God’s deliverance—that He not only provided a refuge from the storm but blessed me in it. He was, in fact, my Hideaway and kept danger from overcoming me. And I felt a sweet blessedness, as if He were adorning me with a garland of hosannas as encouragement. That He was adding beauty to an otherwise ugly situation. (Hence, a blog title was born.) 

It was purely the compassionate companionship of Christ in the situation that made it bearable. I came across a quote by Paul Louis Charles Claudel that explains it magnificently; “Jesus did not come to explain away suffering or remove it. He came to fill it with His Presence.”

In trying to describe the function of difficult times and the response of our merciful God to our suffering, the compilation contained a variety of gerunds:

      Adversity is a tool in God's Hand—

            Pulling us close

                Stretching faith

                     Testing character

                          Growing confidence in our relationship

                                Building trust in His faithfulness

                                     Forming hearts

                                          Reshaping lives

                                                Bending knees in humble prayer

                                                     Birthing Christ in us

                                                          Improving eyesight

                                                              (to see the suffering in others)

                                   

With all those “ings,” one can reasonably conclude that God is actively working in our trials.

Just as cosmic gas explosions in the northern sky cause a rare beauty to behold in the Aurora Borealis phenomenon, adversity can adorn our lives with a divine beauty.

Armed with what we know of God, girded with the truth of His Word and the encouragement of fellow-believers, we are able to endure trials—giving thanks for the good God brings from them. All the while displaying a rare beauty in this world by the garlands He drapes around our necks.

“O Lord, that lends me life,

Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.”

 William Shakespeare

Selected "Trial" Posts from the Garlands Archives:
Cross It!
Crucified to the World
When Some Praise Is Just Harder Than Others
Behold the Glory
When Waters Rise
From Prayer to Praise
But Now . . .
Bare Feet