On a Mission

A meditation on Epiphany
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Matthew 2:1-12 

[The definition of epiphany is “the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi”. During the first century, the church debated what Gentiles needed to do in order to find a place in the church. Paul affirmed their place in his letter to the Colossians.]

“For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”               Colossians 1:27 NLT

  

For Christmas, we made plans to arrive at our daughter’s house about 9:30 am. By the time we packed the presents plus the food, our car was very full. Although it’s only about a twelve-minute drive to their house, we were running a little bit late. Not much, just a little.

 

However, apparently at 9:32 our grandson turned to his parents and said, “They’re late”! It’s not that he was worried about us, but he was on a mission to open ALL of his presents as SOON as possible! In the same way, the magi were on a mission.

 

According to my ESV study Bible, the magi were likely Persian priests who used astrology to understand and predict future events. Also, if they came from Babylon, it would have taken them at least six weeks to get to Jerusalem. But they were on a mission to find the baby who was born king of the Jews.

 

Upon their arrival in Jerusalem, King Herod soon learned about their mission. He was “deeply disturbed” by this news, and consulted the Jewish priests and teachers of the law. You see, Herod was on a mission too, but his was quite different. Instead of worshiping the king of the Jews, he wanted to eliminate him.

 

When the religious leaders told Herod where the Messiah was to be born, he in turn, told the magi. He instructed them to go find the child, and when they did, to come back and let him know so that, “I too may go and worship him”.

 

^9-11 The wise men listened to the king and then went on their way to Bethlehem. And now the star, which they had seen in the east, went in front of them as they travelled until at last it shone immediately above the place where the little child lay. The sight of the star filled them with indescribable joy. So they went into the house and saw the little child with his mother Mary. And they fell on their knees and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts—gold, incense and myrrh.                        NLT

 

The magi were on a mission to find the king of the Jews. They were willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish their mission. They invested their time, talent and treasure. They risked their lives by disobeying Herod’s direct instructions.

 

Are you willing to do whatever it takes to find the Messiah? To worship him? To bring him your gifts of time, talent and treasure? Are you on a mission this Christmas? This year of 2023?

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

The Adventures of Letterman

A Series on Advent
The Christ candle – Jesus
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 1:1-18 

[Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Tradition includes lighting four candles: hope, love, joy and peace. To celebrate Advent, we will be looking at four people plus one who were intimately involved in the Christmas story, and then relating their part of the story to one of the Advent candles.]

  

In the 70’s, there was a children’s TV show called The Electric Company. During the show, they had a daily vignette called “The Adventures of Letterman”. The plot revolved around some problem with a word that Letterman would fix. But before he could come to the rescue, the narrator would say:

“Faster than a rolling ‘o’. Stronger than silent ‘e’. Able to leap capital ‘T’ in a single bound. It’s a word! It’s a plan!! It’s Letterman!!!”

 

Suddenly Letterman would fly into the story and fix the word making everything right. In one episode, Letterman changed ‘night’ to ‘light’ with a simple switch of a letter. By changing the word, everyone would live in daylight rather than night. Letterman saved the day!

 

John’s opening verses tell a similar story.

¹ In the beginning the Word already existed.

    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
² He existed in the beginning with God.
³ God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
⁴ The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.
⁵ The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.                NLT

 

“The Word gave life to everything that was created”… that includes you and me. “And his life brought light to everyone”.  Like Letterman, if you’ll forgive the comparison, the Word brings light where the “darkness can never extinguish it”.

 

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.         NIV

 

Jesus is “the Word who became flesh”. He did this by making his home not just “among us”, but within us. Paul confirmed this in his letter to the church in Colossae.

 

²⁷ For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.              NLT

 

As you light the Christ candle of Advent, may Christ live in you today and throughout the coming year.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

 

 

 

Routine or Upside Down?

A Series on Advent
The candle of peace – the shepherds
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 2:1-20 

[Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Tradition includes lighting four candles: hope, love, joy and peace. To celebrate Advent, we will be looking at four people plus one who were intimately involved in the Christmas story, and then relating their part of the story to one of the Advent candles.]

  

Life can feel upside down at times.

 

Since I retired, I’ve developed a pattern in life that has a certain ebb and flow to it. It includes working on this devotional blog, practicing piano, picking up my granddaughter on Tuesdays, meeting with friends for breakfast or lunch and going to choir practice. It’s pretty routine.

 

The shepherds probably had a routine to their life also. Most likely this included feeding the sheep and giving them water. Or if one got lost or caught in a bush or wandered from the herd, a shepherd would search and bring them back to safety. For the most part it was fairly mundane.

 

The only time there would have been any real excitement is when a predator would try to attack one of the sheep. It doesn’t take much imagination to visualize a shepherd jumping to his feet with adrenaline rushing and doing whatever it took to protect his sheep.

 

The night the angel appeared to the shepherds was no doubt just like any other night... routine. However, they were totally unaware of the life-changing drama that had taken place in Bethlehem. They didn’t know anything about the couple who had come into town in the ninth month of her pregnancy, only to give birth in a stable to a son.

 

But then the angel appeared to them and told them this news. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

 

¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”         ESV

 

This is the news that the shepherds brought to Joseph and Mary. It was a message about peace. Not outward peace, but inward.

 

⁶ For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.              Isaiah 9:6 NIV

 

Christmas is often routine. We sing the same carols; put up a tree with the same ornaments; listen to the same Christmas story. But for the shepherds, it was anything but routine. In fact, their lives were turned upside down.

 

So… where are you in the Christmas spectrum? Are you settling for the routine? Or embracing the Prince of Peace with the risk of turning your world upside down?

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

Z’s Anticipation

A Series on Advent
The candle of joy – Zechariah
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 1:5-25; 1:57-80 

[Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Tradition includes lighting four candles: hope, love, joy and peace. To celebrate Advent, we will be looking at four people plus one who were intimately involved in the Christmas story, and then relating their part of the story to one of the Advent candles.]

 

Last Christmas, my wife gave me this beautiful National Park Quarters Collector’s Map. There are fifty-six slots to fill, and after a year of collecting I still need eight!

 

Recently, I received an advertisement in the mail to buy the complete set. It’s tempting, but for me, the whole idea of collecting is that you do the collecting, not somebody else who sells it to you.

 

Plus, the anticipation of completing the set, results in greater satisfaction when it’s all done. There’s something special about faithfully waiting rather than having it handed to you on a platter. Such was the case for Zechariah… or Z as I will call him.

 

Z and his wife Elizabeth, are described as being “righteous in the sight of God, very old and childless”. On one occasion Z, who was a priest, was responsible to burn incense in the temple. While there, he encountered an angel.

 

Terrified, the angel comforted Z and told him to not be afraid. That his prayer had been heard and that his wife was going to have a son and that he should be named John. Even more amazing though, was what else the angel told Z about his son.

 

¹⁷ He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”     NLT

 

The phrase “prepare the people for the coming of the Lord”, was a direct reference to the Messiah! But, Z didn’t believe the angel. As a result, he was struck dumb and couldn’t speak until after the child was born.

 

As the angel had prophesied, Elizabeth became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When it came time to name him, Z confirmed the name of John by writing it down. Only then was he filled with the Holy Spirit and finally able to speak.

 

⁷⁶ “And you, my little son,
    will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
⁷⁷ You will tell his people how to find salvation
    through forgiveness of their sins.        NLT

 

You can feel the pride and joy in his words. His son was going to be an integral part of the coming Messiah on whom the nation of Israel had been waiting for centuries. However, Z was most joyful about the coming Messiah.

 

As you prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, do so with great anticipation. Not the anticipation of giving or getting gifts or being with family. But with Z’s anticipation, that God sent his son into our world to bring redemption.

 

Jesus… Immanuel… God with us. That is worth waiting for. That is worth lighting the candle of joy.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

A Mother’s Love

A Series on Advent
The candle of love – Mary
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-20 

[Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Tradition includes lighting four candles: hope, love, joy and peace. To celebrate Advent, we will be looking at four people plus one who were intimately involved in the Christmas story, and then relating their part of the story to one of the Advent candles.]

  

A few years before my Mother passed away, I gave her this wall hanging which puts into words a mother’s love. It was so true for my Mom.

 

Her world was her children - raising and loving us. Even as adults, we were still her children. As a young woman, she probably had dreams of what being a wife and a mother would be like. Whether those dreams ever came true, I don’t know.

 

It’s safe to say that Mary’s dreams and expectations of marriage and motherhood, weren’t fulfilled. After all, what woman in Mary’s culture, would dream of getting pregnant out of wedlock? Or dream of traveling sixty-five miles by donkey over rugged terrain while being nine months pregnant? Or dream of giving birth in a stable and laying her baby in a feeding trough?

 

And yet, following the appearance of an angel, Mary seemed to not only accept these adverse circumstances, but to embrace them.

 

The angel said, “^37 “For the word of God will never fail.” ³⁸ Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.          NLT

 

The birth of a baby is a joyous occasion. Friends and family celebrate with you; bring you presents; provide you with meals. But not Mary. Shepherds came to see her baby. They were strangers who tended sheep... just about the worst possible job you could imagine. But they told Mary of an angelic birth announcement.

 

¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹² And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”          NLT

 

Based on this announcement, the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found the baby Jesus just as the angel had described. In their excitement, they shared what the angel had declared to them. Mary responded with a mother’s love.

 

¹⁸ All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, ¹⁹ but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.     NLT

 

What did Mary “keep in her heart”?

Was she thinking about the angel who predicted that she would have a virgin birth; that the Lord God would give her baby the throne of David; that he would reign over Israel forever; that his Kingdom would never end?

Or was she thinking about the shepherds that told her an unbelievable story of an angel declaring that the Messiah had been born in Bethlehem; that the Messiah was her baby Jesus?

 

As you prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas, remember to “keep all these things in your heart and think of them often” just like Mary did.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

A Wild Ride at Disney World

A Series on Advent
The candle of hope – Joseph
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Matthew 1:18-25

[Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Tradition includes lighting four candles: hope, love, joy and peace. To celebrate Advent, we will be looking at four people plus one who were intimately involved in the Christmas story, and then relating their part of the story to one of the Advent candles.]

  

Recently, my wife and I went to Disney World with our daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren, ages 12, 8 and 4. It was Magical! Where else could you do any of these?

 

Eat in a restaurant where Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Grumpy or Snow White might stop by your table for a photo op.

Go to “Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party” where we dressed up as the Seven Dwarfs. (After all, there was seven of us.)

Go on the roller coaster ride Expedition Everest, where during part of the ride you’re in total darkness going backwards! It's wild!

 

I would imagine that Joseph might have felt like he was on a roller coaster ride with all the ups and downs; flying around turns; abruptly changing directions with no control over where he went; riding in total darkness, not knowing where he was going. It was unchartered territory.

 

After all, Joseph was your “average Joe” – nobody special. He was just living life. He had started his carpentry business and was engaged to be married, when suddenly the roller coaster went off the rails. His fiancé was pregnant… but not by him.

 

An angel appeared to him in a dream, telling him an unbelievable story. That Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit; that he should still take her as his wife; that she will have a son and they should name him Jesus. Why that name?

 

²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”    NLT

 

You could imagine when Joseph woke up the following morning the thoughts that were running through his mind. “What just happened? Did I have bad pizza last night? Was the dream even real? The angel couldn’t have said all those things. Surely, I misunderstood.” But he didn’t.

 

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.             NLT

 

Like Joseph, sometimes life can feel like a roller coaster… out of control, even hopeless. But, there is a plan; there is hope. For Joseph, that plan included the extraordinary fulfillment of prophecy from Isaiah.

 

²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”            NLT

 

As you contemplate and celebrate the birth of Jesus, keep in mind that God has a plan and that he is sovereign. And, because of this, there is hope. And, because of that hope, we can live faithfully like Joseph.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

We Are… Marshall

A Series on the letter of 1 John
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
1 John 5 

[The author of this letter is John. Prior to being a disciple of Jesus, he was a fisherman with a reputation for his bad temper. In fact, he and his brother were called the “Sons of Thunder”. But he was also known as “the one whom Jesus loved”. In this letter, John shares that same love with us.]

  

The 2006 movie titled “We Are Marshall”, is based on a true story about a college football team, a school and a town that needed to mourn a tragic loss and to heal. On November 14, 1970, a plane crashed that was carrying the Marshall University football team, coaches, staff and boosters. All died!

 

In the movie, the newly hired coach gave his newly recruited team an inspirational message before their first game. He took them to the memorial site where six of the deceased players were buried. This is an excerpt from his message.

 

“When you take that field today, you’ve got to lay your heart on the line until the final whistle blows. And if you do that, we cannot lose. We may be behind on the scoreboard at the end of the game, but if you play like that, we cannot be defeated. This is your opportunity to rise from the ashes and grab glory.”

 

The players responded with a “we’re ready-to-run-through-a-wall coach”, call and response chant of - “We are… Marshall”!
(You can watch this scene by clicking on the link below.)
We Are Marshall

 

In the closing paragraphs of John’s letter, he summarizes several significant themes. He does it with a repetitive phrase starting with “We know”. As I read these it reminded me of the movie. It’s not a call and response like the Marshall chant, but it has that feel to it.

 

In a way, John’s giving the believers a pep talk to teach them; prepare them; inspire them. They’ve already faced the adversity of heretical teachings which led to people they knew, some of them were likely friends, rejecting their faith and leaving the fellowship. Plus, the believers would certainly face more adversity.

 

¹⁸ We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

¹⁹ We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.            NLT

 

As you read these verses, could you feel the rhythm of the chant from the movie? We know… that God’s son holds you in his arms; we know… that you are a child of God living in a sinful world; we know… that you live in fellowship with the Son of God.

 

Do these words move your heart and soul? Like the players, are you ready to run through a wall for your faith? Do they inspire you to “rise from the ashes and grab glory” for the Son of God?

 

John also wrote these simple words of encouragement for us.

 

¹¹ And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.    NLT

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

Life is a Test

A Series on the letter of 1 John
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
1 John 4 

[The author of this letter is John. Prior to being a disciple of Jesus, he was a fisherman with a reputation for his bad temper. In fact, he and his brother were called the “Sons of Thunder”. But he was also known as “the one whom Jesus loved”. In this letter, John shares that same love with us.]

  

Tests are expected in school. You learn a section on fractions… it’s followed by a test. You learn how to spell three syllable words… it’s followed by a test. You learn about World War II… it’s followed by a test. Tests are a way to find out if you actually learned the material, and what you need to work on.

 

Sometimes a test can be scary. This is especially true in college where your whole grade could very well depend on just two tests: a midterm and a final. If you have a bad day or miss the final, like I did once, your grade for the quarter or semester could drop dramatically.

 

Chapter four of 1 John is about tests. However, the result of John’s tests wouldn’t just impact a short period of your life, but your eternal life. Talk about scary!

 

During the first century, there were people who at one point had claimed to believe in Jesus, but then went astray. They didn’t believe that Jesus came in the flesh, only in the spirit. John warned the believers to be wary of these false prophets and gave them a way to test a person’s beliefs.

 

² This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. ³ But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God…      NLT

 

This was a test about truth, but John also gave the believers a test about character based on the character of God’s love. His love for us and our love for him is exemplified by how we treat others.

 

²⁰ If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?                         NLT

 

John was known as “the one who Jesus loved”. He didn’t earn that love. In fact, like the other disciples, he deserted Jesus when he was crucified. But Jesus gives his love freely and unconditionally. Even when it is undeserved. Even at our worst moment.

 

⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.           NLT

 

Life is a test. John faced them. First century Christians faced them. We face them. Those tests may come in the form of what you believe or how you treat others. But they may also come through an illness, an accident, a broken relationship, an addiction, problems at work… anywhere that life happens.

 

So the question for you and me is, “How will we respond”? Will your love for God strengthen or weaken? Will you learn from your tests and grow in your faith? John gives his own personal answer with these words.

 

¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. ¹⁷ And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the Day of Judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.                     NLT

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

Put on the Shoulder Pads

A Series on the letter of 1 John
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
1 John 2:28-3:24 

[The author of this letter is John. Prior to being a disciple of Jesus, he was a fisherman with a reputation for his bad temper. In fact, he and his brother were called the “Sons of Thunder”. But he was also known as “the one whom Jesus loved”. In this letter, John shares that same love with us.]

  

It’s often said that a sports team takes on the personality of their coach.

 

Tom Izzo is the head men’s basketball coach at Michigan State University. He’s an intense, hard-nosed coach that pushes his players to be the same. In the past, to make his point, Izzo had his basketball team wear football shoulder pads during practice. By doing this, his players could visualize what he wanted. Point made!

 

In John’s letter, he tried to help the believers to visualize who they shouldn’t be. Specifically, the Gnostics, who believed that the spirit was good, and the flesh was inherently evil. Because of this, they also believed that there were no consequences to how they lived. So, they could sin without any repercussions.

 

John flatly refuted this. He maintained that God was their Father, and they were his children. He emphasized that continual disobedient behavior was unacceptable.

 

⁹ Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.              NLT

 

John also helped the believers to visualize who they should be by giving them a goal. It focused on how they live their lives now in light of the expected return of Christ.

 

²⁸ And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

 

² Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. ³ And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.                 NLT

 

Finally, John challenged believers to follow the commandment to “love one another”.

 

¹¹ For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 

 

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. NIV

 

John’s words still ring true today for us. He’s telling us to “put on the shoulder pads” and practice so that we’re ready for the game. He’s giving us a picture of who we are to be and how we are to live so that we will “remain in him”.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams