Do we pass "The Test of Loyalty?"

Hey All!
Again Merry Christmas!

I just finished lunch and had a few minutes before I had to get back to it, so I thought I would check to see what Oswald Chambers had to say in his devotional today, and I’m glad I did. I’ve been going through a bit of a “Why Lord?” kinda funk the last couple of days, but am reminded in today’s devotional that “God engineers circumstances”, and once I re-looked at my current “Why Lord?” situation, I could see, understand and say to myself; “Yeah Lord! I can see where You could work this whole mess out!”

THE TEST OF LOYALTY
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." Romans 8:28
It is only the loyal soul who believes that God engineers circumstances. We take such liberty with our circumstances, we do not believe God engineers them, although we say we do; we treat the things that happen as if they were engineered by men. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, and that is to our Lord. Suddenly God breaks up a particular set of circumstances, and the realization comes that we have been disloyal to Him by not recognizing that He had ordered them; we never saw what He was after, and that particular thing will never be repeated all the days of our life. The test of loyalty always comes just there. If we learn to worship God in the trying circumstances, He will alter them in two seconds when He chooses.
Loyalty to Jesus Christ is the thing that we "stick at" to-day. We will be loyal to work, to service, to anything, but do not ask us to be loyal to Jesus Christ. Many Christians are intensely impatient of talking about loyalty to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more emphatically by Christian workers than by the world. God is made a machine for blessing men, and Jesus Christ is made a Worker among workers.
The idea is not that we do work for God, but that we are so loyal to Him that He can do His work through us - "I reckon on you for extreme service, with no complaining on your part and no explanation on Mine." God wants to use us as He used His own Son."

Lord, forgive me for being so self centered at times and not seeing that this circumstance or set of circumstance may not be about me at all, though I will grow from the out-come, help me to see that this may be Your hand working in someone else’s life to bring them closer to You. Help me to not take whatever backlash or thrashing of their disobedience in a personal way, even if it’s directed at me, help me to pray for them, and to patiently watch what You’re gonna do in their lives and in mine.

Father may it not distract me any more than I am already distracted from life in general at times, but that Jesus, You would be the thing that I “stick at” today and tomorrow. What a terrible thing to read; “Our Lord is dethroned more emphatically by Christian workers than by the world.” but Lord how true it is. May we never take you lightly, or see you Jesus, even though you were not only fully God but also fully man, in a way that measures you to a world standard like I’ve seen even in this season of Your earthly birth.

May we always hold you higher than even the thought of what You must have been like as a child, or young man growing up here on earth, that yes even though you experienced some of the things that a child would experience, You are still Creator, Savior, Master, and worthy to be praised!!! Amen

In HIS Grip
Tony

"A Christmas Letter From Jesus"

Dear Children,
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just get along and love one another.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town. Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families
8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to a church or charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I AM Jesus and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court.

And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember.
I LOVE YOU, JESUS

"...who for the joy set before Him..."

Hey all!
On Sunday mornings we’re going through the book of Hebrews, what a rich book! We’re just getting into chapter twelve, and that is where my devotion time started this morning, specifically verses 1 & 2.

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Just an FYI, the “cloud of witnesses” that Paul is referring to are all those saints mentioned in chapter 11. He doesn’t mean that they are up on a cloud watching and praying for us, he means that we are basically in good company.

In verse 2 it says; “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” I never really understood what it meant when he says; “...who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross...” My bible study notes says; “His attention was not on the agonies of the Cross, but on the crown; not on the suffering, but the reward.”

I immediately flashed on two scenes from the movie “The Passion of The Christ” one is where Jesus begins to carry His (our) Cross, but before He takes it onto His shoulders, it’s almost seems as though He embraces it first. Then the other scene is where Jesus has made it up to Golgatha, the cross is laid down, and if you look closely, it appears that Jesus is eager to crawl unto the cross and get into position; He knows that the time has come AND He knows what awaits Him when this is all over.

I thought about the fact that Jesus was on this earth for some 33 years, I think we sometimes forget how hard that must have been for Him at times. We think of the Sermon on the Mount, we think of the miracles, we think of His relationship with His disciples, but what about the times when He was alone praying to His heavenly Father, when He would reflect on the fact that this was not His home, that He left His home, He left His throne, He left warmth and comfort of His Father to come here, to endure cold, to endure heat, to see the decline and depravity of what God, and Himself had created here on earth. He was spit on, cussed at, laughed at, attacked physically, tempted in every way yet without sin.

He came here for one single reason, but how many times in when He was alone did He ask The Father if it was time, and The Father said “Not yet my Son!”? The human side of Him might have cried out from time to time; “Abba! Abba! Look what they are doing to Your Son! Listen to what they are saying about Me! I have no place to lay My head tonight, I have no food for tomorrow Abba!” And again, how many times might The Father have said; “Be patient my Son, I AM with you! I AM your bread of life. You will be with Me soon, and will never have to go through this again. ‘You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier’” for just a little while longer.

Jesus was fully God and fully man while He was on this earth, may we never forget the humanness of Him and the suffering He endured for us. May we never forget, that when we go through hard times on this earth, Jesus tells us what The Father may have told Him during His time here;

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier.”
“I will never leave you nor forsake you!”
“Be still and know that I AM God!”

In HIS Grip
Tony