Consider Joseph

Journeying to Christmas, perhaps we can pause a moment and look at the nativity scene focusing in on Jesus' father, Joseph.

Put yourselves in his place and consider how you would feel if...

You were in love with a beautiful young lady and were engaged to her only to find out SHE'S PREGNANT!!!! (and you know you're not the father!). All the wonderful plans and dreaming of having her as your wife suddenly die and disgrace replaces them. Consider that.

In the night while you are spinning in your mind about the sudden turn in your life path, you dream and an angel of God is there....a huge shinning, beautifully powerful angel (Gabriel was one of the highest angels...an arch angel...the same as Lucifer was before his fall). He begins speaking directly to you an unbelievable message. And the message is actually telling you something to do regarding your future. You find out who the father is. And you are directed to take on an important role in a story only God could create. And that he would be the father of "God come in the flesh"!!!

Despite your situation and the disgraceful and judgmental thoughts/talk (whispers) that surround you, you quickly embrace the angel's directions and leave with your pregnant wife-to-be (there is no hiding the baby in her womb now) and go to your hometown to fulfill a required government law. All of the sudden, you are no longer living for your own needs...you are now a to-be-husband and a soon to be father (you know in a matter of days)!!!

Probably you meet and see others childhood friends and their family that have shown up in your hometown too. You struggle with not being able to explain what is happening but you determine to "obey God" over and over. It's really hard on you.

In your desperation to find a suitable place for your to-be-spouse (as any good father would do) to have this "special baby", the best you can provide is a cave animal shelter. There is no one to help deliver the baby....perhaps you even have to help deliver this baby and see your to-be-wife unclothed for the first time in this setting. Awkward at best.

Then there were those poor scraggly, smelly strangers that just "showed up" specifically to see your new baby (and you hadn't told anyone yet)....and they knew, like you, Who this baby is! Imagine the goose bumps...the joy (that had not been in your situation for months).

Imagine your thoughts turning to what it would be like to take your wife and new baby back to Nazareth...and then in sleep (again!) there is "that" angel and now he's saying to live somewhere else...not just another city, but a different country because the head government official has ordered soldiers to find and kill your baby! Imagine alarming feelings and urgency as a new father and husband! Imagine having to make hugely important decisions all of the sudden and second guessing yourself at every turn because you want to do what is best for your new family.

I've given you some of Joseph's story...but there is more in Luke and you might want to let the Holy Spirit lead you on to more wonderings....continue to journey to Christmas....

it is good for us to "consider Joseph"....a real man of God.

John

There is much to ponder as Christmas approaches...much.

God has given us much to think about before Him.

It has been very meaningful to read the Christmas account in Luke.

There are many stories in this account woven into the bigger story of the Lord Jesus being born.

When I looked at John the Baptist's story, I was amazed at so many things...

Read the first four verses of Luke 1 and you will read why Luke felt compelled to write down what happened...to whom it happened...where it happened and when it happened.

Luke's Christmas story starts with the father of John the Baptist, Zacharias...

Luke 1:5-25

Luke 1:39-45

Luke 1:57-80

It's a fascinating story...to ponder...mull over and see parallels in today.

John had a key role in Christ's first appearing...to prepare the way of the Lord.

Christ is coming again....who is in the role of John the Baptist now? Could it be the Church, the Bride of Christ

enjoy...and send your impressions

We journey on to Christmas

Something to ponder....

Last night while reading a Guidepost Christmas story, the last paragraph from the story,

"The Christmas everything went wrong" caught my eye and I've pondered it today.

From the title you can tell alot about the story of a newlywed couple that had "planned" their first Christmas together and how perfect it would be....then "life" happened and one thing after another fell apart. Nothing happened as they thought it would....severe disappointments....then God stepped in in a myriad of little ways that were like dominos to turn everything back around.

The husband ends the story,

"Linda was right. The more important we make things, the less important people become.

We can work for, and hope for, a "perfect" Christmas, but the more we are caught up in

engineering it, the more readily it's mystery eludes us.

Christmas is Christ's day, not our day, but He has a way of sharing it with us as we share with

one another."

something to ponder, isn't it..

"and Mary pondered all these things in her heart"

Making a goal

Christmas is coming again!

When you climb into bed on the evening of December 25th, 2009, what will you say about the Christmas season that you just went through?

Was it the best ever?

Was it deeply meaningful to you?

Was it just another Christmas season to cross off the calendar?

Was it depressing and draining?

Will you feel like you're glad it's over?

What is in the Father's heart for you this coming Christmas season?

Have you thought to inquire of Him about it?

Does He even have an opinion...or better yet, a desire for you with Christmas?

These are thoughts that have been coming to my mind and He is leading me to look ahead towards December 25th and make choices now about what I desire for this Christmas season.

From these choices, I feel He is saying to me, "make time and heart-effort to prepare for what I desire for you this Christmas".

December 1st is tomorrow and we will be stepping into the 24 days before Christmas.

Our flesh may feel sudden alarm that Christmas is so soon and we have so much to do....shopping, sending cards, decorating....

but wait...

we are talking about preparing our hearts as the primary thing.

For now, let's let the others things go on the back burners of our mind.

Let's come back to what the Father wants for you and I this Christmas.

Let's make that the main thing in our thinking

Let's ask for help from the Helper that Jesus gave us...

"Holy Spirit, lead us to Jesus. Lead us into the steps of preparation this Christmas in order to bring our very best gift from our heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen"

Here are a couple of things to help us begin:

1) the name CHRISTMAS means...

Christ..."Anointed of the Lord"

mas...."festival or feast day"

Combined...."festival of Christ (the Anointed of the Lord)"

Try and think about it everytime you see the word "Christmas"...on a card; on tv; in music; on the internet, etc

2) The first Christmas was about God's Anointed one coming to earth as a servant and as our Savior...every Christmas can now be a wonderful reminder that He is coming again; this time as the reigning Lord of Lords and King of Kings that every eye will see and know. We must prepare for that day as Jesus told us in the parable of the 10 virgins. It means we must prepare now. Christmas can be a wonderful exercise for our future in Christ...looking for His return. Remember, we have the Helper that Christ gave us to do this..."ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you."

"Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!"