Mid-Week Message - The Shepherd is With Us

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."  Psalm 23:1-3  (KJV)

I was a straight "A" student.  Well, most of the time at least, in all of my classes except physical education.  Oh, how I dreaded that class!  It started in the third grade at South Lawn Elementary School in Amarillo, Texas.  We had begun the tumbling unit.  Now, one thing about me is that I do not like to be turned upside down.  Not for any reason.  Needless to say, tumbling wasn't my preferred activity.  I guess the teacher thought that he was helping me when I was hesitating before doing a forward roll.  He came behind me and forced me over.  It terrified me!  Thus began my anxiety over P.E. 

In junior high, my distaste for the class only grew.  By this time my weight problem was rather pronounced so I was worried about being teased.  It was during these years that after-class showers became mandatory.  I started off the year by complying, however, when some other girls ripped open the shower curtain and laughed, I knew I had to find a way to avoid it ever happening again.  Because the teacher would stay outside the locker room and smell for soap, I would wash one arm.  It was just enough to convince her. 

We all have things in life that tie our stomachs in knots.  Sometimes it is a boss who seems to single us out.  Maybe it is something else, like a fear of crowds.  Whatever it is, I know that each of you can identify with the feelings I had.  It would be wonderful to sail through everything we encounter, but I have never met anyone who hasn't struggled with something. 

The twenty-third Psalm is one that many turn to when they need reassurance.  It is a beautiful reminder that we do not walk through our lives alone.  Our Shepherd is always there and is always overseeing all that we go through.  For all those times of anxiousness, we know that He will also "lead us beside the still waters" where we will not need to fear being carried away by the rapids that try so hard to pull us under.  He will lead us in the way of righteousness if we are only willing to follow Him. 

Several people have shared with me how difficult the last couple of years have been for them.  It seems that turmoil has been widespread in so many lives.  I can't tell you why that happens when it does.  However, I can tell you that hard times don't last forever.  Every battle ends eventually.  The secret to making it through is in knowing Who is in charge and Who to follow.  Just like sheep in the field depend on the shepherd for safety and provision, so we also depend on Jesus, who is our Shepherd, to guide us through harrowing times and supply green pastures so that we may lie down in peace. 

I know many are walking through the "valley of the shadow of death" right now.  Many I know about and many I don't.  However, there is One that sees each difficult step taken and catches each tear that is shed.  He will never abandon any of us.  Hold tight to His hand, little lamb.  God bless.

Mid-Week Message - Just an Ordinary Day

 "You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected."  Luke 12:40 (NLT)

Today is an ordinary day for my family and it probably is for yours as well.  We woke up, took the dog outside, had breakfast and began our everyday activities.  This afternoon I may run a couple of errands, maybe stop for coffee and then head home to begin preparing dinner.  Nothing out of the ordinary has happened so far and for that, we are grateful.   

On a clear day in September 2001, thousands of people in New York were getting ready for what they thought would be an ordinary day.  They got up, had breakfast, got children ready for school and did whatever else they normally did each morning.  It didn't turn out to be an ordinary day though.  Terrorists in hijacked planes destroyed the World Trade Center, crashed into the Pentagon, and killed another planeload of passengers in a field.  That day changed this nation forever.  We found out that we are not as protected as we assumed and while fears were ignited, so was a unity that the citizens of this country had not experienced since its early years.  

There was another ordinary day that changed the world.  It took place over two thousand years ago when a young virgin girl and her betrothed husband sought a place to stay in Bethlehem where they had traveled to take part in a census.  After what had to have been a grueling trip, they just wanted a bed for Mary, who was due to give birth.  No one knew what was about to happen.  The other citizens were taking care of their personal needs.  I'm sure they didn't even take notice of the couple.  All the rooms were taken so the best that could be provided for them was a stable.  Here they settled themselves for the night but before that night was over. the ordinary day became extraordinary as the time came for the girl to give birth to the Son of God.

The ordinary day certainly changed for a group of shepherds who became the first to receive the announcement of Christ's birth.  It wasn't an ordinary occurrence for angels to appear before them.  Nor was it ordinary for them to leave their flocks in the field to worship a newborn.  Imagine, the King of Kings arrived on earth as a helpless infant and the announcement wasn't delivered to royalty but to lowly keepers of sheep.  Only later do we see the significance as Jesus likens Himself to a Shepherd and His followers as His sheep.   

Sometimes, the unexpected happens.  Life is full of unexpected moments.  Sadly too many of them cause extreme grief.  However, those that bring joy are moments we look forward to.  As Jesus was born on an ordinary day, so one day He will return.  He has told us that no one knows the time or day except the Father.  That means that He will return on an ordinary day when we are doing ordinary things in our ordinary lives.  We will wake up, have breakfast, get ready for the day and be doing all the things we normally do.  There will be weddings and births and deaths and then, there He will be, coming in glory.  This time the announcement will be delivered in person and every knee shall bow before Him, no one will be excluded.  We don't know when it will happen but we have been warned to be ready.  May your ordinary day be blessed and may we all be ready for the out of the ordinary return of our Savior.  God bless!  

Mid-Week Message - The First Visitors

"In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;  for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.'"  Luke 2:8-14 (NASB) 

Do you have a manger scene set up in your home for Christmas?  Many of us do, I'm sure.  Almost all of them contain the same pieces.  Mary, Joseph, the Baby in the manger, three wise men with gifts, several animals, and an angel and a shepherd.  These are the classic parts in Christmas plays and pictures.  However, the wise men were not there.  They didn't make it to Jesus until He was at least a year old.  And, does it surprise you to know that there is no mention of an angel there either?  At least not visibly.  Surely the Lord's armies were encamped around His Son.  Where then does the angel come into the story?

Shepherds were in the fields guarding their flocks.  These men were doing a lowly job.  They were smelly and not the favorite people to invite to the Christmas party.  Yet, God chose them for the angels' visit.  He chose them for the announcement that the prophecy had been fulfilled and the Christ child had been born.  And in what a mighty way!  There they were, under that night sky, probably tired from a long day's work, talking among themselves.  Suddenly they see a sight they couldn't believe!  An angel of God had come to deliver the good news.  After that we are told that a multitude of the heavenly host appeared to them and began praising God.  

So, why them?  Of all the people the angels could have made their announcement to, why dirty sheep tenders?  What can we learn from this?  The Father wanted to show that the Savior had come for all.  Not just the rich or the religious.  By appearing to the shepherds, the angels not only announced the birth of the King, but also God's inclusion and acceptance of people from all walks of life. 

There is one thing that amazes me each time I see a manger scene.  That is that there is almost always only one shepherd present.  However, scripture says "they" went to see what the angels proclaimed was true.  So, a more accurate representation of that night would be Mary, Joseph, the Baby and several dirty, smelly shepherds.  Does that change how you feel about that scene?  I don't know about anyone else, but it makes it more beautiful to me.  God bless you!

Mid-Week Message - It's All About the Baby

 "But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."  Luke 2:10-11  (NIV)

Through the years I have written and performed a variety of skits for the church that I attended.  For one dealing with Christmas, I brought in a huge bag of Christmas related items and my cell phone.  As I unpacked the items one by one, I carried on a conversation on the phone about how stressed I was about getting everything done in time and would reference the item that I held in my hand.  

One of those items was a baby doll.  As I handled it, I wondered out loud how it had gotten in my bag, and I moved it out of sight.  But there was a person in the audience whose job it was to put the baby back where I would see it.  As I kept moving it and it kept reappearing, my stress grew and I asked why the baby kept getting in my way.  

Preparing for Christmas can be a stressful time.  As we decorate our homes, shop for gifts, plan the meal for the big day, attend parties and deal with anxious children, our nerves can become frazzled.  Aside from the special preparations, all of our regular needs and concerns need to be tended to as well.  It is extremely easy to get so wound up in the "doings" of the season that we forget what it is truly supposed to be about.

Today's verse recounts when the angel appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of the Christ child.  Can you imagine what that must have been like?  What an honor it was that God chose these men to receive the news.  I can safely say that was a moment that none of them ever forgot nor stopped talking about.  For them, life became all about that birth. 

It is far too easy to lose our focus on what is most important at this time of year.  We get so busy fulfilling what we perceive to be the expectations of the season.  But, when we take the time to stop, spend some time in the Scriptures reviewing the birth of Jesus, then we can be reminded that there is really only one reason to celebrate.  

In my skit, as I picked up the baby doll over and over again and cast it aside, my intent was to show how quick we can be to allow the material part of the season to push aside what is most important.  While we enjoy them, the ornaments, lights and bright colored packages are temporary and will be forgotten once they are all put away.  Christmas is about our Lord Jesus Christ, who left His majestic throne in heaven and was born as an infant.  He was the ultimate gift and who we should be focused on.  

It's all about the baby.  

Mid-Week Message - Chosen Shepherds

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'"  Luke 2:8-12 (NIV)  

Who were they, these shepherds?  There is more to their story than the fact that they kept sheep.  Did they have families?  How old were they?  How many of them were there?  What did they talk about as they passed the time?  Did they have dreams of doing other things?  How is it that they just happened to be where they were that momentous night?  

I think about these things as I read the story of our Savior's birth.  I know the facts but I wonder about the individuals involved.  These were souls made in the image of our Creator Himself and loved fully by Him.  Though others may have thought they did a lowly job that left them smelling of the animals they tended, they were honored above all others with the angelic announcement.  In our world, we would expect that the elite would be the first to know, but God chose the lowly to receive the most important news ever proclaimed just as He chose a lowly feeding trough for the King of Kings to lay His newborn head.  

What must have been going through the minds of these chosen ones?  The Messiah had been anticipated for centuries.  Suddenly they are told that He has arrived.  Aside from the fear of beholding a heavenly being, what did they feel?  As they made the journey to the manger, what were they expecting?  Were they focused on the baby they would find there or were they worried about the sheep that they were leaving unattended?  They must have been astounded to find God's Son lying in a bed of hay, surrounded by livestock and I ponder their amazement as they knelt before Him.

As He did that night, our Lord meets us where we are and as we are. Whether it be in a field with bleating sheep, or in a boardroom with executives, He is available and ready for each of us.  The shepherds saw Him as a vulnerable infant.  We get to meet Him as a risen Savior.  But for all of us, He is God's provision and fulfilled promise.  

As you read the nativity story this Christmas, spend some time considering all those who were present.  Remember that the wise men, though important, did not visit Him at His birth.  Some scholars estimate that it may have taken them as long as two years to make their journey.  My challenge is to think of that blessed night and who the Lord chose to welcome the Prince of Peace to the world He was sent to save.  If it had been you, how would you have reacted?  How do you respond to Him now?  The shepherds were people, dear to the Father, just like us.  That gives us a lot to consider.  Have a blessed week.