Just after noon I stood on a hill where about 1/3 of Sarajevo was in view. I prayed for the mercy of God to be made real to this city…
At sun down I was perched on a mountain praying as the Muslim call to prayer began… I prayed for the Gospel to be real to this city and for the small group of workers who God has here for that reason.
Sweet hours of prayer indeed.
A baker’s dozen of us will go on a retreat tomorrow. It will be a time of rest and reflection.
Here’s our outline:
Don’t look back with regret,
Don’t sit now in fear,
Look forward with hope in God.
Tomorrow I’m privileged to teach the Scripture on two ends of Budapest, the south (Del Pest) and the north (Békásmegyer).
I’m looking forward to looking at what the Bible tells us about the greatness and the model of Jesus. And the fact that without His power IN us, we cannot hope to be like Him. Is He IN you?
Just got home from the Foley-Luper-Penno Christmas, this year at the Penno’s. As we were driving home from mid morning through pretty heavy traffic, I was thinking as I always do about the post Christmas feeling.
For me Advent is an awesome season because it is a time of anticipation of the holiday of Jesus incarnation. It is wonderful to think deeply about the Incarnation itself especially as we consider the helplessness of the baby Jesus. This was especially clear to me this year with a little William present. I was amazed as I was considering the helplessness of our 3 month old and realizing that God became a human, a baby… in a helpless condition.
Indeed this is what humility means, to lower oneself to serve another. In this case Jesus leaving heaven to come to earth to serve us through his birth death and resurrection.
To me the holiday seems to be over but the truth of Jesus’ work for us never ends.
I’m thinking about how we should truly celebrate Christmas by humbling ourselves and serving someone else.
Merry Christmas indeed.
I was stunned when I looked at my phone this morning, a friend had died early in the morning over in the Heartland.
Ron was just a few years older than I. His health had not been good since I had known him. Walking around was hard for him as he struggled to breathe. But even in his struggles, he always remembered our last conversation and would ask me how my knee was feeling, how my Redskins were doing, and if I was encouraged. We would talk about about our common background in the grocery business and the 70s and about what we were thankful for and what we were struggling with.
He was most thankful for and loved to talk about his family in Szeged. He was so proud of his son Kyle, his daughter-in-law, Odi, and his two grand-daughters. Those two little girls brought him incredible joy. In talking to his son Kyle this morning, we reflected on Ron’s testimony, he had the faith of a child. That’s what Jesus told us we needed, isn’t it.
His son told me that Ron was at church yesterday morning and at a special Christmas gathering last night, I know that this would have brought Ron joy because he loved being at church and, especially hearing Kyle’s teaching, a proud dad he was. In faith, I remember his testimony of trusting in Jesus and believing in God’s mercy. Ron and I would pray together, praying the Lord’s Prayer from the King James as men of our generation remembered it from long ago.
I believe that when Ron left his earthly body, he was present with the Lord. Perhaps he is singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” right now. May God have mercy on his soul. May God bring comfort to all who loved him as a dad, father-in-law, grand-father, brother and friend. I am glad to have been his friend and look forward to seeing him in the presence of the Lord.
May the joy of the Lord make us even more grateful for Christmas today, realizing that we CAN have hope because without the Incarnation there is no salvation. And we have the hope of salvation because of the baby-King whose birth we celebrate.
Here’s how we would pray:
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
Thanks be to God for the joy that He gives, even in the midst of sadness and loss. That joy from God is how we can rejoice in all things. Especially today.
Scripture doesn’t say much about the innkeeper who turned Joseph and Mary away.
It just said there was no room in the inn.
I heard a song the other day about the innkeeper. The lyrics hypothesized about how the guy felt when he found out what was going on.
There was no room in his inn for Jesus. It made me ponder this question: If our hearts and souls are so filled with stuff, have we become like the innkeeper and have no room for Jesus now.
Unbeliever.
Believer.
Churchgoer.
Convert.
Are we acting and believing like the innkeeper?
Is there room in our hearts and lives for Jesus today?
Become a disciple, train your heart, mind and soul so as to fill it with Jesus.
These did…
kingdom travelin' 