The Heritage

"Behold children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate." Psalms 127:3-5

Psalms 127 contains a powerful reminder that children are a gift from God. The soul of a nation is revealed by how the innocent and the most vulnerable are treated. Any nation that hides behind "the law of the land" to devalue children will eventually turn a blind eye to the murder of them.

Abortion in America is a legally validated, and culturally accepted final solution to children judged to be an unnecessary inconvenience. Judging a child's heartbeat as an invasion of privacy and excusing the parents' heartless evasion of responsibility, the law of the land invites God's judgment. Stop it!

Children are a heritage of The Lord. They are not a punishment, but a blessing. They are to be protected by their mothers, directed by their fathers, and appreciated by both.

Gift or heritage is the same word that is often used in the Old Testament to describe the land provided by God to the respective tribes. It also refers to the Holy Land as a whole and to Israel by name.

The Holy Land was a heritage, a gift from God, but remained a possession of God. He passed it into the hands of His children, but never released ownership of it. They were not owners of the land, but stewards of it. Jehovah continued to watch over Israel and care for it as His own.

In the same way, children are a gift from God. They are on loan to parents from God. They are to be watched over and cared for on behalf of God. Wise parents are tapped into God's value system, and remind themselves they are blessed to receive children from God.

In December 1979 I was standing at the window of the maternity ward admiring our firstborn child, Ashley, when Sharon Ross spoke these words to me.

"She is a little blank slate and you can write on her anything that you want."

Sharon's words triggered a crisis of faith that took my prayer life to the next level in an instant. I had been so caught up in the process of Ashley's birth that I had forgotten the purpose of God's gift. God had a plan for Ashley's life and I was responsible for guiding her towards Him. She arrived in this world with God's hand-prints all over her. Every child does. That is The Heritage.

NOTE TO SELF: Psalms 127 clearly describes the role of a father as a guardian and a guide to these precious gifts from God. A wise father not only collects arrows, he directs them.. A misdirected arrow is a dangerous weapon. An unused arrow is a pointless one. Get the point?

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Self

"Therefore they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" So the LORD said, "Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage." 1 Samuel 10:22

When the people of Israel were determined to reject God's direction, protection and correction, they searched for man they could crown as their own king, They wanted to be like other nations. He helped them achieve exactly what they wanted. Be careful what you pray for. God just might help you get it.

Hiding your SELF is not the same thing as dying to self. Before Saul was chosen as King of Israel, he hid himself among the baggage. His fear of man overshadowed his fear of God. He ran from man, but not to God. When Saul became king his prideful SELF could no longer be hidden. It was exposed.

False humility is nothing more than pride posing as piety. The prayerless are prideful, always hiding from God's call and fearing man's worst.

Don't make God look for you. Run to Him, before, during and after every crisis that comes your way. Prayer surrenders your SELF to God's desire and design for your life. In His redemptive plan, death is a way of life. The apostle Paul declared, "I die daily." (I Cor. 15:31) - Start today.

NOTE TO SELF: Don't hide your SELF. Crucify your SELF. The death of your pride is not some spiritual form of suicide. It is absolute surrender of your SELF to God's will for your life. This year die daily.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Countdown

There is life after Christmas. You can count on it. I know it for a fact. Jesus said, "I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." John 10:10

In 1976, Dana and I were preparing for our WEDDING DAY that was soon to take place on January 1, 1977. She was in Beaumont spending Christmas with her family. I stayed in Fort Worth, counting the days until she got back, while serving on staff of a local church, and assisting Ron Harris with a Christmas Eve service.

Since 1976 Dana and I have been TWOgether for every other Christmas Day. We are looking forward to sharing many more. As always, the day after Christmas, we can't help but reflect on The Countdown to our wedding day.

The week of our wedding, the lady Dana enlisted to bake our wedding cake was in a car accident, and broke her arm. The florist had somehow misplaced her order for flowers. These were two formidable challenges but not impossible for Dana to set right. She got to work on it.

The night after our wedding rehearsal there was a deep freeze that quietly settled into the area. During the night the pipe's burst in the bridal room of the church, resulting in a flooded auditorium with six inches of water lapping at the altar where Dana and I would be standing.

I will never forget opening the door to the bridal room and seeing Dana's wedding dress floating in water. Her mother's scream was a sound I had never heard before and am glad to say I have never heard since. The fire department was called and when they arrived they were joined by 50 men from the church. They spent all day cleaning up the mess in time for the wedding.

Note to those born after 1977: This was an expression of total commitment on the part of these men. It was Bowl Day. I mean the original, one and only Bowl Day. There were no home electronic devices available to record the games being played that day. These men gave up the biggest football day of the year to be there for us. For Texans this is spelled...Priceless.

I decided we should not tell Dana what was going on that day. it was the first and the last secret I have ever kept from her, but I still stand by the decision. Don't judge me.

I left the church about an hour before our wedding, when the Fire Captain pulled the shop vac out of my hands, and ordered me, "Get out of here. Go get ready for your wedding." I went home and packed and grabbed my brown tux. That's another story.

I hadn't noticed that storm clouds had been moving into the area all day. About an hour before the wedding, an ice storm hit the city, closing streets, and shutting down DFW Airport. People ice-skated in their cars to our wedding. Some ended up in the ditch, and didn't make it to the church.

Fortunately God showed up. A young lady was saved at our wedding service that day, thanks to the messages and prayers provided by W. Fred Swank, Charlie Gilmer and my Dad, Don Miller. This year all three of these great men are in Heaven. They made a great team that day and tied a strong knot that has lasted 39 years. I miss them all, especially Dad.

At the close of our wedding Dana and I gathered with family and friends in the fellowship hall for the cutting of the cake and the reception. One of our favorite pictures is that of Dr. Curtis Vaughan, my New Testament professor. He presented us with a recent book he had completed, and wrote in the flyleaf, "Dear Gary and Dana, You have both meant much to me during my interim ministry at Sagamore. I wish for you the very best of God's blessings as you begin your life together." Curtis Vaughan I Peter 5:7 - "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you."

For the record, Dana found another lady to step in on very short notice to make the cake. Dana's Mom, Arlyne and her Step-Dad, Bill, jumped in when they got to town. They found flowers and decorated the auditorium while we squeezed the water out of the carpet and vacuumed it out of the building.

After the reception Dana and I said our goodbyes, and then slipped our way down the icy steps and out the door to our car. We couldn't see very well. The windows had an inch of ice over them and resisted defrosting. We found out later that the kitchen in the fellowship hall of the church caught on fire. The same Fire Captain came back with his team. He dryly remarked to my father-in-law. "Memorable wedding." We should have had him and the firemen sign the guest book.

Weeks before our wedding my sister, Joy, had booked the first night of our honeymoon at the Bridal Suite of The Marina Hotel at DFW Airport. We planned to stay there one night and then drive to Ruidoso, New Mexico for a week. Some of you may recall The Marina was the only hotel at the airport in those days.

Since the ice storm had closed DFW Airport, all flights had been cancelled leaving many people stranded. When Dana and I arrived in the lobby of the hotel, it looked like a scene out of the fall of Saigon. Only the helicopter was missing.

People were standing 10 deep from the Front Desk, shouting and waving $100 bills in the air, willing to pay any price for a couch for the night. I am confident Mary and Joseph didn't use that kind of language on the innkeeper, the night they found out there was no room for them in the inn. But I digress.

Thirty-nine years later Dana and I still begin the first day after Christmas with The Countdown to New Year's Day. We believe what Jesus said. There is life after Christmas. Those who know Jesus as their Savior, not just a baby in a manger, will discover the truth of His words.

NOTE TO SELF: An abundant life is found in Jesus. No one offers more. Accept no substitutes. No matter what obstacles you may face in life, PRAY! "Casting all your cares upon Him," reveals Jesus is always there for you. He is never farther than a prayer away. The Countdown to abundant life begins with your next breath.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Glory

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." Luke 2:14

The heavenly host was not a choir, but an angel army. These warriors were shouting glory to God, not singing a song to the shepherds. It must have been a thrilling sound.

This side of Heaven, the annual shouting matches that take place at the annual Army/Navy game may provide a slight sense of the sound the shepherds heard that night in Bethlehem.

Remembering the black and white TV broadcasts of my boyhood, I recall the yell leaders of each of the service academies were not cheerleaders. Their job was not to dance for the cameras, or wave their pom poms, but to give the warriors in waiting of their academy a voice.

In those days, the Army/ Navy yell leaders would orchestrate thousands of cadets and midshipmen to lift their spine-tingling roars to a fever pitch.These shout-offs between the two service academies would bring a smile to my Dad's face. His heart would burn within him with memories of his service in WW2. In 1942 he marched and shouted with warriors mobilized to strike fear in the enemy camp. Their shouts were the first steps towards ultimate victory. I can still hear hims saying softly, "Oh, my soul."

NOTE TO SELF: The Christmas Story still stirs the hearts of angels, thrills the souls of men, and strikes fear in the enemy camp. That is why the enemy is so relentless to dilute the message, and to distract the warriors. Never forget The Glory of The Story belongs to God. Give The Glory to Him. Angels still do. You should too. Shout it loud. Shout it proud. Glory to God!

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Search

"Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's House?"

Luke's account of The Christmas Story is a chronological and historical compilation from personal interviews with those who knew Jesus best. It should not be surprising that the birth of Jesus is followed by The Search for Jesus. This time The Search was not made by The Shepherds or The Wise Men, but by His parents.

"Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out in consecutive order." Luke 1:1-3

At twelve years of age Jesus had accompanied Mary and Joseph on their annual trip to the City of Jerusalem. Along with thousands of other pious pilgrims they headed to The Temple to celebrate the Feast of the Passover.

The distance from Nazareth to Jerusalem is approximately 60 miles, as the crow flies, but in Israel even crows don't fly in a straight line. There are always turns in the road. What can be traveled today by bus, in a little over an hour, required Mary and Joseph to embark on an uphill journey that took the better part of a week to complete.

This worship experience was an act of obedience, not a matter of convenience. Genuine worship embraces the former, and stiff-arms the latter. Don't be surprised if worship feels like an uphill walk. You will never coast your way to higher ground.

The rugged terrain, slashed by a winding road, provided the threat of robbery at every twist and turn. The journey was made by caravan to provide protection for Mary and Joseph and the many pilgrims making their way to the celebration of The Feast.

After the celebration was completed, Mary and Joseph headed back downhill to Nazareth. After a day's journey they missed Jesus. This is an amazing admission, since all of what Luke wrote was inspired by The Spirit, and it also was a result of firsthand, personal interviews with those who knew Jesus best.

There is no evidence that Mary and Joseph ever released a book on "Parenting Jesus." My guess is, it would not be popular with contemporary "helicopter parents" intent on hovering over every moment of their child's life. But I digress.

"The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed him to be in the caravan, and went a day's journey and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking questions."

For crying out loud! Mary and Joseph misplaced Jesus. They had one job. Stay with Jesus! Remember, Jesus had not left them. They had left Jesus. Eventually, they returned to where they left Him. Follow their lead.

In all fairness to Mary an Joseph, people lose Jesus every day, by taking His Presence for granted. The wise ones call out to The Father for help, and soon find their way back to The Son.

When Mary and Joseph found Jesus, they saw Him sitting, listening and asking questions of the teachers. The rabbis were amazed at His answers. Mary was astonished by His absence. She didn't commend her son for what He had done right. She rebuked Him for what she had done wrong. Mary didn't invent the blame game, but she was good at it. Some things never change.

"Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You." v. 48

This exchange reveals both an intimacy and a disconnect between Jesus and His parents. Mary felt the freedom to play the victim card, and attempted to guilt Jesus into a remorse over what she perceived to be His calloused treatment of their feelings. Perception is sometimes called the cruelest form of truth, but don't fall for the lie.

"They did not understand the statement which He made to them." v. 50

This exchange between Jesus and His earthly parents reveals there is a clear distinction between knowing about Jesus and understanding His mission. Jesus was drawn to The House of His Father, and saturated Himself in The Father's Word. He did it by sitting, and listening to teachers and asking and answering questions. His Mission was to please His Father, no matter where the journey took Him. Never forget it. The cradle led to The Cross.

The success of His mission called upon Jesus to learn from others, and to submit to His parent's authority over Him. The learned rabbis and His anxious parents invested all they had into Him. Jesus received what God gave to Him through them. God brought the increase.

A rebel stomps on the seeds God plants in His heart. A servant cherishes and cultivates what God sews into His life. Jesus learned to lead by submitting to the will of His Father, not by demanding His own will. The prayer life of Jesus kept the will of The Father dominant in His life. Prayer will do the same for you.

"He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." v. 52

NOTE TO SELF: Never allow a saintly smugness to settle into your relationship with Jesus. Your hands and your heart can grow calloused handling The Holy. Just when you think you have arrived in your journey, Jesus will make a turn that leaves you breathless with anxiety. Don't worry. Stay by His side in the yoke. Prayer increases your trust in Him as He takes you around a blind bend in the road. By His side, you will see life, not as an ambush, but as an adventure. Remember the words to the old camp song, "Where ever He leads, I'll go. Wise men still do.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Child

"When they had performed everything according to the Law of The Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him." Luke 2: 39-40

Returning to Nazareth brought Mary and Joseph full circle back to their home. The Scripture from this point forward makes more of Jesus than it does of His earthly parents. They each had an essential part to play in the Christmas Story but Jesus played the lead role. He still does.

"The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom."

For twelve years the Scripture is silent about the childhood of The Child, except for this simple statement about the development of the body and character of Jesus. Contemporary parents should be interested in the growth of both in their children's lives. Feeding children with proper food without giving them a healthy diet of the Word of God always stunts their growth where it counts most, in their character.

"And the grace of God was upon Him."

The grace of God revealed the hand-prints of The Father upon The Child. More to the point, the grace of God was in the spiritual DNA of Jesus He was not just The Child born in a manger. He was The Savior sent to save.

By the time Jesus was twelve years of age, there is no biblical evidence that the people of Nazareth perceived Him to be anything other than a boy born out of wedlock to a working-class couple with a checkered past. If the shepherds' story about the birth of The Child made it out of Bethlehem, it was either old news to the people of Nazareth, or it had been discounted altogether. After all, they could only see Him as the son of a carpenter, not The Creator.

Mary provides the best glimpse into the life she shared with Jesus in her home. The Bible records she and Jesus were in attendance at a wedding feast when the host ran out of wine. Mary pulled the servants aside, and said to them, "Whatever He tells you to do, do it." Miracles still happen when people do what He tells them to do.

Mary witnessed a life-time of the outpouring of God's grace upon the life of The Child. Wise parents still pray for the unmerited favor of God to be upon their children. They will never grow in strength and wisdom without it.

God's saving grace was upon The Savior. From the time of His birth, throughout His childhood, during His ministry, upon the cross, by the resurrection, this grace was revealed. It can still be seen in His continuous intercession for His followers. What God poured out upon Him, Jesus prays for you to receive.

Jesus prayed for The Father's will to be done in His life. Intimate times of prayer with His Father maintained His attitude of submission and kept Him under the authority of His Father. Prayer released God's grace upon Him to make a difference in others, not just to make a name for Himself. Pray to receive His grace, not to get your own way.

NOTE TO SELF: The Savior was never in need of salvation, because He is God. Still, Jesus was the recipient of God's grace to carry out His mission. So are you. In your case, you cannot be saved without saving grace. Stiff-necked people with stiff knees always stiff arm the grace of God. Believing they deserve it more than they need it, they never receive it. Don't be one of them. Receiving God's grace begins by understanding you don't deserve it, but you need it. God's grace is essential to your salvation, and the development of your character. Pray for it.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Moment

"And there was a prophetess, Anna...advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem." Luke 2:36-38

Every year nativity scenes and Christmas plays collide with Luke chapter two, but directors rarely know what to do with Simeon and Anna. Their scripts call for a manger scene because Scripture reveals there was no room for Jesus in the inn, but if it will draw a crowd they will squeeze a a camel onto the stage.

Eight days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph brought their infant son to The Temple. The Wise Men were still on the road, and the gifts had not arrived but Simeon and Anna were right on time. The Bible doesn't reveal that they knew one another, but Simeon and Anna were definitely kindred spirits. Each of them had held onto hope in their advanced age, waiting for the coming of The Messiah.

The scene in Luke's account depicts a young couple, a child and two senior adults meeting at the crossroads of obedience to God's Word and reverence for His house. Simeon's blessing and Anna's prophetic word rarely make the director's cut, but they are priceless prose that deserve a second look.

"At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem."

Waiting on God is a difficult lesson to learn, but it is an essential part of the life of a child of God. Anna and Simeon waited on God, and were rewarded with the privilege of seeing what God was doing "at that very moment." God is always at work. Live in The Moment.

Praying and fasting, these two Senior Saints kept their hearts tender to God's touch. Prayer prepared their eyes to see God's hands and fasting inclined their ears to hear His voice. Prayer enabled them to live in The Moment. Prayer encouraged them to receive each moment of waiting, not as a day of delay or a final denial but a step closer to The Deliverer.

To the rest of the world Simeon and Anna must have appeared to be finished, used up, and discarded. Looks can be deceiving. They may have outlived their peers, but they had not outlived their usefulness. Praying people never grow old. They mature. Grow up.

Prayer improves your vision. Look again at these two saints. There was not one moment of their lives that God wasted. Each moment of life God gave them had prepared them for the greatest moment of their lives. When their time came, they were ready for their close up.

“Before we can pray, 'Lord, Thy Kingdom come,' we must be willing to pray, 'My Kingdom go.'”― Alan Redpath

NOTE TO SELF: God can create a convert in a moment, but He chooses to turn a sinner into a saint by converting a life-time of moments into a meaningful life. Prayer will keep your heart tender to God's touch and your ears attentive to His voice. Live in The Moment. Are you ready for your close up?

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Consolation

"And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him." Luke 2:25

Very few men in the Bible have been so closely identified with the Holy Spirit as Simeon. Luke's account clearly reveals Simeon to have, "The Holy Spirit upon him." His availability to the still, small voice of the Spirit was so intimate that, "it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ."

As a result, Simeon's life was filled with expectancy, and overflowed with hope. What was the sign of his intimacy with the Spirit? Simeon walked with God seven days a week. He not only went to the temple to serve and to worship, Simeon "came in the Spirit into the temple." Simeon's character and conduct remain a praying pastor's fondest dream, men of the church filled with the Spirit before they arrive at church.

Simeon was "righteous and devout." He carefully and cautiously conducted his life in accordance with the Word of God, and made himself available to be used by God. At his advanced age, Simeon could have been excused from the demands of service. Rather than retire, Simeon was re-FIRED by his intimacy with the Spirit.

Simeon woke up every day "looking for the consolation of Israel." He was looking for Jesus and he found Him in a place of active service. Those who seek the isolation of inactive service will never find the consolation of a Savior who calls us to active service until He calls us home. There is no comfort of The Spirit to be found in some isolated, self-serving form of Christianity.

"We must not be content to be cleansed but to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The word 'Comforter' as applied to the Holy Spirit needs to be translated by some vigorous term. Literally it means 'with strength.' Jesus promised His followers 'The Strengthener' would be with them. No lullaby for the faint-hearted, it is a blood transfusion for courageous living.' E.Paul Hovey

Throughout the day, every day Simeon's eyes were focused on the coming of The Savior. No wonder God granted him the honor of holding His Son in his hands.

The junction between Mary, Joseph and Simon was a holy place because Jesus was present. Still, each of them had to be in the right place at the right time to be a part of what God was doing. This meant eight days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph traveled uphill, six miles from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to be in strict obedience to The Word of God. Mary could testify that the long road of obedience is rarely convenient, often uncomfortable, and always uphill.

It is likely that Simeon's faithful service had gone unnoticed for years, by those in authority. Faithful service often is, but it is always noticed and accepted by God. In Simeon's case, it would also be honored by Him. Simeon's life of obedience was not a short cut to the blessing of God. It is a close walk down a long road with The Spirit of God. Simeon was nearing the finish line, but God wasn't finished with him yet. He never is

My father, Don Miller, died at 93, faithful to the end. He would often say, "The best is yet to come." My oldest brother, Roger, was with Dad in his hospice room the night he reached the finish line. Early in the morning, just before dawn, Dad was restless, and trying to get out of bed. Roger asked, "Dad, where are you going?" Dad responded, "Almost to Glory." Those were his last words. Dad finished strong, reaching out to the threshold of Heaven. Follow his lead.

As Jesus was placed into Simeon's hands, God released His unction upon Simeon. The unction junction is where expectant faith and continuous obedience meet. Mary and Joseph were in Jerusalem as an expression of obedience to God's Word. Simeon was in the right place at the right time because he was being led by the Spirit of God. Follow their lead.

NOTE TO SELF: Simeon kept his heart filled with hope and his eyes focused on "The consolation of Israel." The Consolation is Jesus. When treated as a worthless consolation prize, His name becomes a stumbling block. To those who receive Jesus as The Gift of God, He becomes The Rock of Salvation. God isn't finished with you yet. Tell people about Jesus.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Name

“His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb…they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the LORD.” Luke 2:21-22

The Name of Jesus is the one name the forces of darkness and the tongues of men have no shame taking in vain. Every demon in hell knows the name of Jesus is the one name by which men can be saved from their sins. It is their mission to marginalize this saving name and to dishonor it on every occasion.

In the shady gray, dim edges of civil religion, it is still possible to hear voices shout, “God Bless America” at the close of a political speech or “God Bless You” at the end of a sneeze. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is Christianity or reverence for God.

Pray in the name of Jesus at any public gathering, and the cries of political correctness scream out in offense. Jesus came as The Light of the world, but those who love the darkness still hate His name.

Go to a football game at high school or university and listen to pre-game prayers. You will often hear the chosen chaplain of compromise or some other prophet of political correctness painstakingly wordsmith their way through a thesaurus of theological terms to avoid using the name of Jesus. Like a cat pussy-footing over broken glass, these pointless prayer-mongers paw their way over Christian vocabulary attempting to avoid offending anyone who hates to hear the name of Jesus. Why?

Cool Christians don’t want to be accused of being on fire. They camouflage themselves in the civil arena, by throwing a blanket over the head of Jesus in the public square. They try to smuggle Him through the public debate without offending their friends or embarrassing themselves. They end up robbing lost people of an encounter with The Savior. Stop it!

NOTE TO SELF: The Name of Jesus is not a man-made invention. It is a command from Heaven.  For you to replace The Name with your own brand of benevolence or another synonym for salvation is not cowardice. It is heresy. His name was created in the mind of God, sent from Heaven, delivered by angels and has the handprints of The Father all over it. In Hebrew, English or any other language, The Name of Jesus is still the sweetest name of all. The Name means “God Saves.” Jesus still does. When you pray in His name, you will find the passion to say it, the wisdom to treasure it, and the courage to share it.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Treasure

“But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.” Luke 2:19-20

Our firstborn child, Ashley, came into the world on a very cold December day in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Christmas has never been the same at our house. Dana and I experienced the profundity of a simple Scriptural truth in a personal way, “Unto us a child is born.” I recently asked Dana what she counts as her favorite Christmas. I was confident of her answer before she said the words, “The Christmas Ashley was born.” I love hearing Ashley sing the powerful words of a contemporary Christmas song, “A Baby Changes Everything.” No truer statement can be made.

I cannot recall a single gift Dana and I gave to each other or received from family or friends that Christmas, but years later we still celebrate the birth of our firstborn child with great joy. We received a little package from Heaven that day, and she continues to be a treasure, growing more valuable to us with every passing day, as we watch what God is doing in and through her.

Mary was an unusual lady, trusted by God to be the recipient and the nurturer of His Son. Rather than pointing out her special privilege and taking credit for the honor, Mary pondered “all these things” in her heart. She knew she had a role to play in this drama of redemption, but the story was about her son, not Mary. Wise men still follow her lead, and worship her Son.
 
I cannot begin to know a mother’s love, but I lay claim to some small measure of understanding of Mary’s capacity to treasure all that was taking place surrounding the birth of her child. Dana and I share precious memories of the special occasion of our child’s birth. Still, it went completely unnoticed by most people, and it remains unremembered and uncelebrated by them to this day. Their loss is our treasure.  
 
Mary treasured the experience of the birth of her child, not placing them in a scrapbook, but pondering them in the deepest recesses of her soul. Mary drew a deep sense of meaning and purpose from a personal relationship with her child.
 
Since that lonely night in a Bethlehem when a small group of shepherds came to honor her Son, billions of others have found meaning and purpose by meeting Jesus. The Christmas story told by the shepherds is still a powerful message, and many more need to hear it.
 
The tiniest gestures of kindness expressed towards our child touched our hearts. Recalling the people who ministered to us, making a big deal about the birth of our baby still bring smiles to our faces, and tears to our eyes. The people of the First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma were our shepherds in so many ways. In the middle of busy schedules, and full lives, and at one of the busiest times of the year, they came running at the good news of Ashley’s birth. God bless them, one and all.
 
This Christmas we find ourselves pondering the goodness of God, and marveling at His willingness to use us to do whatever He has in mind for us. Two thousand year later, the Christmas story is still about His Son, Jesus. Dana and I have a role to play in this great story of redemption, but like Mary, we are not the lead actors in the Christmas story. The script of The Scripture reveals Jesus is the reason for the season.
 
A personal relationship with Jesus gives meaning and a sense of purpose to our lives every day of the year. The longer we live, the more we understand the treasure God gave to us, through His Son.
 
A recent news report indicated the average American will spend over $800.00 on Christmas this year, and credit card debt will rise in homes all over the country. Spending treasure on gifts is often a quest for meaning and purpose. Only Jesus offers both, and neither one will be found on the discount table.
 
The gift of salvation is free, but not cheap. It cost God His Son. The cradle of a manger was the beginning of a story of redemption that pointed Jesus to the cross. He died there to cover your sins and mine with His blood. His death, not His birth leads the way to His Father through the forgiveness of our sins. I never fully understood the price paid for my salvation until I held my child in my arms. I realized I don’t have the kind of love God offer to others. Thank God He does.

NOTE TO SELF: Never allow the natural to rob you of the treasure of the supernatural. Childbirth is so natural, and yet in God hands it is so supernatural. God placed His handprints on the birth of His Son. Don’t miss the handprints of God on your life. Treasure them.  Prayer will improve your vision, allowing you to see His hands at work.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!