Wow, can you believe it, a new year is just around the corner? It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming in 2010. Then again, we probably say the same thing at this time of year. As we reflect on the year that has been and the year that will be, there are usually tasks undone and some goals we want to see accomplished.
But what does a new year really mean? Well, it all depends on the person! Some people look forward to the new year and are excited. Others face the new year with hesitancy as they are unsure of the future. And yet, whether we are ready or not, the new year will come. January 1st will still arrive and we will face 2011 just like everyone else.
A new year should be something viewed as filled with amazing possibilities and wonderful opportunities. It ultimately depends on our trust in Christ. The more that we trust the Lord, the greater 2011 can be. The more we allow God to be who He is and not try to contain Him in a box that we can understand and wrap our minds around, the greater 2011 will be.
So, how big will you allow God to be? The bigger you allow Him to be and the more you allow Him to do what He wants, the greater your year will be. Our theme at Calvary for 2011 is: Walking in God's Will.
Yes, it is easy to say, not so hard to do. But we are going to take the time in 2011 to see what it means to walk in God's will and my prayer for each of us is that by the time 2012 rolls around, not only will we be walking in God's will on an individual basis, but our view of God will be greater than we could have ever imagined.
Come on, let's have a GREAT year and walk in God's will!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Humbling Worship in an Unexpected Place
Where do you like to worship? Some prefer a majestic cathedral, others a simple chapel. But would any ones first choice be a stable? Yet, after hearing the message of the angels, these shepherds' first response was to find the stable where Mary had given birth to the Savior.
To me, this only confirms that our God is the God of the unexpected. And few things could be more unexpected than the King of Heaven being born in a stable.
READ: Luke 2:15-16
I have often heard people use various forms of the expression, "You are not defined by what happens to you, but by how you respond to what happens to you." This is true, to some degree, in areas of life both good and bad, joyful and painful, exciting and terrifying. How we respond measures us in ways that words fail to express.
The shepherds' response was, first, to worship and, second, to tell what they had seen!
READ: Luke 2:17-18
Shepherds were not only the first to hear, they were also the first to tell the Christmas message. With their hearts bursting with wonder at what they had experienced, they shared that wonder with others by telling the whole story about the angels and the glory and the baby!
This is true worship - to kneel before Christ so that you are then able to stand before others and proclaim His glory and salvation. Once we are humbled into silence in the presence of the King, we can then speak boldly to all who need to hear.
The great challenge left to us, is that all of our Christmas celebrations should include at least traces or threads of the exaltation and worship the shepherds' exhibited. If we do this, we will cut through the glitz and the glamour of a season that has increasingly become secular and commercial and be reminded of the beauty of the One who is Christmas!
To me, this only confirms that our God is the God of the unexpected. And few things could be more unexpected than the King of Heaven being born in a stable.
READ: Luke 2:15-16
I have often heard people use various forms of the expression, "You are not defined by what happens to you, but by how you respond to what happens to you." This is true, to some degree, in areas of life both good and bad, joyful and painful, exciting and terrifying. How we respond measures us in ways that words fail to express.
The shepherds' response was, first, to worship and, second, to tell what they had seen!
READ: Luke 2:17-18
Shepherds were not only the first to hear, they were also the first to tell the Christmas message. With their hearts bursting with wonder at what they had experienced, they shared that wonder with others by telling the whole story about the angels and the glory and the baby!
This is true worship - to kneel before Christ so that you are then able to stand before others and proclaim His glory and salvation. Once we are humbled into silence in the presence of the King, we can then speak boldly to all who need to hear.
The great challenge left to us, is that all of our Christmas celebrations should include at least traces or threads of the exaltation and worship the shepherds' exhibited. If we do this, we will cut through the glitz and the glamour of a season that has increasingly become secular and commercial and be reminded of the beauty of the One who is Christmas!
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