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You're Invited!

How many Christmas parties are you going to this year? I have stopped counting! I am grateful for any occasion where friends and families gather together to celebrate Christmas, often sharing memories, jokes and encouragement as well as gifts and food.

This year, God is inviting us into His own celebration. He is drawing each of us deeper into His throne-room, the place where He dwells continually. When we encounter Him, life is abundant. As Psalm 16 says: 'In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand there are pleasures forever!'

Has anything been discouraging you from enjoying His presence recently? Have you been troubled by the many gifts to buy, or the many arrangements that need to be made? Fear and shame can cause us to hide from God's presence. He is inviting us to give Him anything that hinders us from approaching His throne of grace with boldness. As we offer Him our anxiety and uncertainty, He fills our hearts with peace, rest and joy.

In Isaiah 61 God's children receive a promise: 'Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion...'. God has many gifts and blessings to release to us! Today, let's boldly accept His invitation to enjoy His presence. As we join hands with Him, nothing can hold us back.

A Season of Preparation

Dear friends, in the aftermath of Thanksgiving I am aware of something very important: Christmas is nearly here! In the next two weeks many of our homes will undergo a festive transformation as we prepare to celebrate what is personally my favorite holiday of the year. It is a fun and exciting process where every aspect of life begins to take on a mood of celebration. We are anticipating the joy of Christmas: pleasures such as time spent with family and friends, eating great food and giving gifts. 

In my house, Christmas happens from the inside out. My practical preparations are a sign of preparation within: I am also preparing my heart to receive a fresh revelation of Jesus. I am furnishing a place where He can reside, and inviting Him to reveal Himself in new and wonderful ways.

I love to reflect on the excitement leading up to Jesus' birth: the journey of Mary and Joseph, the wise men gathering gifts, the stars themselves moving into alignment. This year I am anticipating the joy of our Heavenly Father revealing Himself on earth like never before. I believe each of us will experience renewal in our lives as we prepare our hearts with gratitude and allow this season to move us deeper into His presence.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Here's to a Selah moment between mouthfuls and touchdowns :-)

"Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse." Henry Van Dyke

"He that enjoys naught without thanksgiving is as though he robbed God." St. Chrysostom

"None is more impoverished than one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy." Fred De Witt Van Amburgh

"God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart." Izaak Walton

Risk

A great reward requires a risk of equal proportion. The reason a neurosurgeon banks a huge check is because drilling open a patient’s head involves enormous risk. The manager of Burger King meets the important need for food of his customers. He may feel pressure during the lunch rush but nothing compared to the stress of the operating room during neonatal brain surgery. His paycheck will not buy him a Porsche like the doctor’s

Jesus taught the disciples many lessons about the fear of risk, the robber of rewards. The man who was given one talent in the parable of the talents lost not only the praise of the master, but also his one talent, which had the potential to bring him increase. The reason for his loss was fear. Who else lost out because he didn’t take a risk but buried the talent? Did his family or his town?

It is hard to believe that Jesus had to step past fear, but the Bible says He was tempted in every way we are. The difference is He never let fear stop Him. Miracles happened each time He put faith in His Father’s word and not in the enemy’s lies. Lazarus would still be stinking in the grave if Jesus had let fear stop Him from yelling “Lazarus, come forth!”

The power to overcome the panic of the moment is released when we focus on the reward and not the risk. The writer of Hebrews wrote that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before Him. He looked past the present danger to the reward. Paul testified to the Philippians that he was always pushing toward the prize.

There are different levels of prizes. A student in a local high school track meet who finishes first wins an award. The athlete in the Olympic Track and Field competition wins a bigger award and a place in history. To win the big one requires victory in a lot of little ones.

The world desperately needs bold believers who blast through the door of fear to the miraculous rewards on the other side.

Expanding Perspectives

I love to ask people how God speaks to them. Over my years of knowing Him, He has surprised me many times by speaking to me in ways I did not expect.

When God first spoke to Moses, it was just an ordinary day tending sheep in the wilderness. It was not uncommon for brush plants to combust in the dry heat of the desert. It was only when Moses looked a little closer that he realized something very unusual was going on: the bush was burning, but it was not being consumed. Now that was extraordinary! God used this miraculous sign to get Moses' attention, but He also used it to teach him a life-long lesson: nothing is impossible for Him.

God does not want to be confined by our perspective of Him - He wants to speak to us in ways that expand our perspective of Him! He loves to challenge both our imagination and our intellect as He shares with us what He is capable of doing.

However God chooses to speak to us, His voice is life-giving. When He speaks, abundant life breaks out. Everywhere He speaks, He releases beauty, energy and vision. If you are currently experiencing a situation that seems impossible, why not ask God to speak to you afresh about it? Once He has spoken, nothing is impossible.

Have You Ever Used an Oil Lamp?

Have you ever used an oil lamp?

Oil lamps consist of a fuel chamber filled with oil. A wick soaks in the oil, and the tip of the wick protrudes from the top of the lamp. The wick will burn for hours, as it is saturated with a highly combustible fluid. They were common before electric lights were in use.

In some ways, we are very much like oil lamps. Sometimes our hearts are like fuel chambers filled with oil - we feel like we are burning with passion and joy! Other days, we may feel like an 'empty lamp' - tired, lacking compassion or excitement.

Jesus frequently used oil lamps to share His insight into the human heart. In Matthew 25 He told a story about ten bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom to arrive at his wedding celebration. Now I have been to a few weddings that started late, but this is something else: not until midnight does the bridegroom arrive! Five of these bridesmaids have been wise enough to bring extra oil to refill their lamps so they could light his way. Maybe they knew a thing or two about his punctuality! The other five are in a panic because their lamps are dying out. How can they greet their friend with no lamps to light his way or celebrate his arrival? They ask to borrow some oil from the five wise ones, who reply 'No - there may not be enough...buy some for yourselves.' The end of the story is bittersweet: the five with the burning lamps light the way for their friend, and the party begins. The others return late with their new oil, but guess what? The dooor is shut, the party is in full swing, and the bridegroom is not interested in opening the door for the friends who could not be bothered to show up on time for the biggest day of his life.

Many of us will find this story a little disconcerting. Especially those five bridesmaid who thought to bring extra oil: 'buy some for yourselves.' Some friends they were! But what point was Jesus making?

Nobody else can give us a heart connection with Him! Each of us must take responsibility for the oil on our lamps: our personal, heart-to-heart relationship with God.

God has designed us to work together as family. Many beliveers - myself included - acknowledge the importance of impartation, that is the transferring of spiritual gifts through the laying on of hands. We grow as we worship together, pray together and do life together. But let's learn from those five bridesmaids who brought extra oil: in the excitement of life, let's remember to take time, step aside, and immerse ourselves in His presence. When we spend time with Him and open our hearts to Him, we are like lamps filled with oil. Our 'fuel chamber' is filled with the combustible fuel of Holy Spirit! When God shows up, I want to be ready, with a smile on my face, burning with joy.