Wednesday, December 20, 2017

DECEMBER 20, 2017

“Yet as I read the birth stories about Jesus I cannot help but conclude that though the world may be tilted toward the rich and powerful, God is tilted toward the underdog.” 
― Philip Yancey

MICAH 4-5

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace. (5:4-5)

REVELATION 11

7Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. 9For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
11But after the three and a half days the breathb of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

JOURNAL 


This scene from revelation, is much like the road to calvary.  Public opinion would say "game over", God's anointed are dead, laying in the street for over 3 days...starting to discolor and smell. Then it happens, God shows up in ways never expected. Turns the table, flips the script, changes the game.

It is hard to mesh the spiritual with the visible world.  Yet this same story plays out so often in life...the cause seems lost and then out of the blue something changes...something we never saw coming. These are the sports stories that I love to watch. The classic underdog story that warms our heart and makes for great TV. Reality is that it strikes such a chord because it is God's story.  Death on a cross or dead and rotting in the street would never have been deemed a great victory...in those moments. 

So often in life I think too much is made of first impressions. It's easy to form an opinion and become fixated on how things "should" turn out.  I think it's our desire for control and to be able to predict an outcome. So often though the end result is something we never saw coming. That's why it is so important to always keep an open mind...to realize that just when things seem worst and lost...God may be about to flip a switch. 

I love this about life and God. Most of the stories from the Bible are unpredictable, Adam and Eve, Noah, Job,  Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel, Peter, Jesus, Paul...God defies convention and when he flips a switch it's usually pretty dramatic. 

This time of year that same story is what we celebrate...who could ever have predicted that the Messiah...would be born into a smelly dirty barn. Who would have predicted that this boy born into meager conditions would become the savior of us all. These stories give us hope but more importantly they give us a clue as to how God works and his love for defying our predictions, opinions and judgements.  

 We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,e 10so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified youf to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

COLOSSIANS 1:9-14

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