I am very excited about celebrating Christmas this year with our congregation. We have three wonderful yet different Christmas Eve services planned. And I am excited about being able to tell the old story like it is brand new again.
Does it ever really get old? I hope not. What the Lord has done for humanity by entering the human race is so out of the ordinary, so unpredictable, so amazing, and so incredible!!! A baby born to die. A baby who is both the Son of God and the Son of Man. A baby who made a way for me and you and every other human being to have a relationship with God. A baby who died on a Roman first-century cross and rose from the dead to offer eternal life to any who believe.
I am pumped.
O come all ye faithful!
Joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the king of Angels!
O Come let us Adore Him!
O Come let us Adore Him!
O Come let us Adore Him!
Christ the LORD.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
A Morning to Remember - Well, Maybe
It is Sunday morning. I am leaving for church at 7:00 a.m. My car battery is dead!! I immediately connected my booster battery to the car battery and tried to crank the car. Nothing.
I then cranked my wife's car and went to get the jumper cables out of the trunk -- they were not there!! I went and asked her where they were, and she said she gave them away.
What to do now? I thought, "my motorcycle works fine, I just rode it. I will ride it to church." I put on my backpack and helmet and went to crank the motorcycle, and it was wouldn't crank! Dead battery.
My wife then offered to take me to church even though she was in her pajamas. We travel to about 3 miles from the church and then her right front tire goes flat. I get out and change the tire, and put the spare tire on. When I lower the car, I discover the tire needs air. Fortunately, we were parked near an airpump, and we actually had three quarters to use it.
After arriving at church with greasy black hands and missing most of the early service, I could not help but to think what the Lord was attempting to say.
I shared with the congregation my story, and asked: "Do you think the devil didn't want me to preach today or do you think the Lord didn't want me to preach today?" We all laughed and some commented later that it was obvious the devil didn't want people to hear the sermon I preached.
But I cannot help but wonder if the Lord had something else in mind -- like protecting my wife from having a flat on a busy highway without me there, or like having to just let-go and let-God lead the way since things were so out of my control, or like having my attitude challenged to stay in the Holy Spirit (I was after all on my way to church!).
That night, after a late night of hospital visitations, I went to the local Walmart, bought a new battery, and spent 15 minutes installing it. The car cranked right up. Thank you Lord for the small blessings!!
I then cranked my wife's car and went to get the jumper cables out of the trunk -- they were not there!! I went and asked her where they were, and she said she gave them away.
What to do now? I thought, "my motorcycle works fine, I just rode it. I will ride it to church." I put on my backpack and helmet and went to crank the motorcycle, and it was wouldn't crank! Dead battery.
My wife then offered to take me to church even though she was in her pajamas. We travel to about 3 miles from the church and then her right front tire goes flat. I get out and change the tire, and put the spare tire on. When I lower the car, I discover the tire needs air. Fortunately, we were parked near an airpump, and we actually had three quarters to use it.
After arriving at church with greasy black hands and missing most of the early service, I could not help but to think what the Lord was attempting to say.
I shared with the congregation my story, and asked: "Do you think the devil didn't want me to preach today or do you think the Lord didn't want me to preach today?" We all laughed and some commented later that it was obvious the devil didn't want people to hear the sermon I preached.
But I cannot help but wonder if the Lord had something else in mind -- like protecting my wife from having a flat on a busy highway without me there, or like having to just let-go and let-God lead the way since things were so out of my control, or like having my attitude challenged to stay in the Holy Spirit (I was after all on my way to church!).
That night, after a late night of hospital visitations, I went to the local Walmart, bought a new battery, and spent 15 minutes installing it. The car cranked right up. Thank you Lord for the small blessings!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)