The Ghost of Christmas

John 14:2-3 (NIV)

2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Mary Mc Donald wiped the tears from her eyes as the memories flooded into her mind. She leaned back into her armchair and sighed heavily. "No one should be alone for Christmas" she spoke aloud as if protesting to someone- anyone who would listen- but she knew there was no one to hear her. No one cared enough to want to spend their Christmas day with an eighty nine year old misery like her.

Closing her eyes Mary let her mind drift back to the days when her life had been happier. When she had been so busy with little time to sit and think. Now it was all she had to do and time had little meaning to her.

A smile flickered on her face as she remembered her Husband Mark and the beautiful Christmas gifts he used to bring her every Christmas morning. They always had made Christmas 'special' because they were married on 'Boxing Day' so celebrated their anniversary as well. "A Double helping of happiness," as Mark would say, giving her a kiss.

Mary's thoughts were interrupted by a loud knocking on her front door and she jumped, startled by the unexpected sound. She shivered as she struggled to her feet slowly and made her way to the door, wondering who could be calling on Christmas day.

When Mary opened the door she stepped back in surprised to see her Brother and sister-in-law standing there. "Surprise" they said smiling. "Martha, Paul but how." she exclaimed. Martha interrupted her by giving her a hug. "We are here Mary and that's all that matters isn't it. Now are you going to let us in or are we going to stand here all day?" Martha smiled as Mary kissed her and Paul put his arm around his sister. Overwhelmed with emotion Mary could only let her brother take her arm and walked into the house together.

They had not seen each other for years and there was so much news to 'catch up' on, but they had barely sat down when her Brother Peter walked in the back door. "Merry Christmas Sis' he said grinning from ear to ear. "Hi Paul, Martha, long time no see. He said nodding his head to them. Mary just burst into tears of joy." Ohh peter this is wonderful," she said as he kissed her on the forehead as he had always done since they were children.

"To think I was feeling so lonely just a few minutes ago, thinking I was going to have yet another Christmas all by myself." She had not felt so happy for a long time and soon they were all chatting away like excited young children.

The time passed quickly and too soon Peter said he must go. Mary knew her lovely Christmas day would soon be at its end and she would be alone again. "Do you have to leave Pete? You could stay the night if you like." Peter could see the sadness on Mary's face, but knew he had to leave. " I really do have to go Mary, but Paul and Martha will stay for a while. Won't you Paul? He said turning to his Brother as he spoke.

Paul and Martha nodded and Peter kissed his sister goodbye and left hurriedly. Telling Mary he would see her again very soon. It wasn't until a little later when Martha told Mary they saw Peter nearly every day that Mary thought it was strange, after all she had not seen Peter for at least two years herself and she knew he lived even further away from Paul and Martha.

Seeing the puzzled look on Mary's face Martha quickly told her she would understand soon. Mary was even more puzzled than before and started asking questions. She remembered that Peter, Paul and Martha had all died years ago! She gasped and fell back into her chair. What was she doing? Had she gone completely mad? Were they all in her imagination? She began to cry." Mary please don't cry," Martha's voice broke through Mary's sobs. " Look Mary someone has come to see you, now you will understand." Mary looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes with trembling hands.

"Mark, Ohh Mark is that really you"? She couldn't believe her eyes. Her Husband Mark was standing beside Paul smiling. His arms outstretched toward her. Mary she ran into his arms. Ohh yes, she knew the answer now. Mark had passed away more than ten years ago. She knew she would never spend another lonely Christmas.

Mary's body was found sitting in her armchair the next day- Boxing day- There was a contented smile on her face. The words on the card in her hand read,

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DARLING! All my love Mark!

What a glorious day that will be when we get to be with those again that have gone ahead of us. This Christmas let’s take the time to remember those that God has put in our life.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the Christmas season. Because of it we can meet You and our loved ones in heaven someday. Help us share Your great gift with those around us so they may become Your children also. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What I Learned From a Fruitcake.

Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!

    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,

    righteous and victorious,

lowly and riding on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

As we get ready for Christmas in my household by making Christmas goodies for family and friends I think back to the many goodies my dad would make each year.  To this day I use many of those recipes.  As I was thinking about all the goodies one of them that came to mind was the fruitcake, I thought about how many people seem to roll their eyes at or complain about the fruitcake. As you read on maybe your idea of the fruitcake will change for the better like it did for me.

Attached to a fruitcake was the following note.

'The humble fruitcake is a dessert that, like the followers of our savior Jesus Christ, is often despised despite its sweet nature. It is unfortunate, however, that so many feel this way, because in reality, a fruitcake is very similar to any of the human beings on God's green earth.

The brown cake is our flesh, which was originally wrought by god's hands from the dust. Though it is sometimes bitter, it is moist and thick, symbolizing the labor and blood of human existence.

The nuts are little crunchy bits of sin that exist in all of us, since, like the fruitcake, we are made with sin inside of us, and only a higher power can take it out of us - provided we (or the fruitcake) let Him.

The bright fruits represent the joys of life that God gives us to uplift us, like flowers, babies, and puppies. The red cherries are especially important, because they represent the blood Jesus Christ shed to free us from sin.

The entire fruitcake is baked until it has a firm crust, similar to our skin, but possibly more similar to the shield that many place between themselves and God. As we do with the fruitcake, God needs to cut off a slice of us before the meaty insides and beautiful, tasty fruits are exposed to Him. Some people are baked too long, and as a result are impervious to God's love, so their tough skin and blinded minds eventually lead them to eternal suffering in hell, just as many an overdone fruitcakes are subjected to the trash can, garbage disposal or family dog.

So, next time you see or receive a fruitcake, don't cast it aside with scorn - where would we be if God had done that to us? Instead, enjoy the fruitcake, share it with your friends and family, and remember what it represents - not only us, but the Lord Jesus Christ, whose birth is not only the sole, undisputed reason for Christmas, but also the reason that we have fruitcakes today.'

As I finished reading the note a tear trickled down my cheek. We find ourselves rushing through Christmas like it is a chore; we have forgotten the real meaning behind it all. We need to let the Christmas joy began to bloom in our hearts.  Let us never look at a fruitcake or Christmas is the same way again

Dear Lord, we pray that we would not get to busy that it takes away from the true meaning of Christmas. Help us remember all that You did for us that first Christmas day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Lessons Learned from Noah

Genesis 6:8 (NIV)

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

One of my favorite Bible stories is about Noah. As we get closer to Christmas in all the busyness here are some great lessons we can learn from the story of Noah.

1. Plan Ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

2. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY big.

3. Don't listen to critics--do what has to be done.

4. Build on high ground.

5. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

6. Two heads are better than one.

7. Speed isn't always an advantage.

8. The cheetahs were on board, but so were the snails.

9. If you can't fight or flee--float!

10. Don't forget that we're all in the same boat.

11. Remember that the ark was built by amateurs and the Titanic was built by professionals.

12. Remember that the woodpeckers inside are often a bigger threat than the storm on the outside.

13. Don't miss the boat.

14. No matter how bleak it looks, if God is with you, there's always a rainbow on the other side.

Dear Lord, we thank You for Your Word and the lessons we can learn from the people found on the pages of our Bible. Help us completely trust You in everything. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Are You Hanging on to Dirty Rags?

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Once upon a time a man lived in the streets, clad only in the dirtiest and worst of rags. One day a person from the Palace saw him, and approached him. There was going to be a banquet at the Palace, and he had instructions to come and invite people from the highways and byways. Would he like to come?

The man was indeed interested. However, he could not attend a banquet dressed in his rags. The Palace representative assured him they would exchange his rags for some suitable finery to wear to the banquet.

All was in order. The two arrived at the Palace where they went directly to the dressing chambers of the King. Servants took the filthy rags, bundled them in a little package, and proceeded to rub, scrub, and clean the man from top to bottom.

He was then allowed to choose his robes from the closets of the King. He was told that whatever he picked he would be able to keep, so he carefully examined all the many garments in the closet. He chose an exquisite inner garment of purest silk, and an outer robe of finest purple satin. He was ready for the banquet!

As they left the dressing quarters, the man grabbed his old rags. The servants told him to just leave them, because he wouldn't need them anymore. However, he insisted on taking the bundle with him. Even though he didn't need the rags now, he felt more secure somehow if he could just hold on to them.

In the Palace banquet hall, the festivities were about to begin. Nearly everyone was there, including the King himself. The man was seated, looking magnificent in his new attire. He hid his bundle of rags on his lap, underneath the tablecloth, so no one would see them.

The banquet was not to be believed! There was music and dancing, and every kind of delicacy imaginable. As the trays were passed, the beggar had difficulty getting the food onto his plate. He was constantly juggling the package of old rags on his lap, balancing it so it wouldn't fall off. It constantly distracted him from what was going on in the grand hall.

Eventually the evening ended and the great gala event was over. Everyone was stuffed to the gills except for the man clinging to his rag bundle. He was as hungry as when he had come in. He never had eaten even one morsel of the food. He had been too busy fixing and holding on to his old rags.

Jesus invites all of us to God's great banquet, to leave our old ways and old rags, and to say, "Yes!" To Him and to a new and glorious way of living. That is good news!

Dear Lord, we thank You for the invitation to come to Your banquet. Help us to let go of the dirty rags.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Are You in Control or is God in Control?

Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

One of the situations that causes tension for all of us is our attempt to control our lives. We seem to feel that the tighter we hold on, direct and attempt to fix, the better things will be. However, God would obviously like us to lean a bit more on Him, to surrender and follow His lead. It's not always easy to determine just where He's leading us, but when we humbly ask for help, it's amazing what can happen. Helen Scheid of Rochester, Minnesota, knows this very well.

Helen has her PhD in Psychological Measurement and Evaluation, and has been a consultant and a director of her own company, one that provides examinations and licensing for schools and state boards. A business wanted Helen's professional advice to help their board of directors choose among three bidders for a project. But the board members didn't know what questions to ask, nor how to evaluate the answers when they got them.

It was a rather routine situation, and Helen felt she could help. She was familiar with the corporation, and with the three organizations whose bids they were considering. "I knew the strengths and the weaknesses of each, and I felt certain I could help them make their own good decision," Helen says. "That's what an effective consultant should do."

So far, so good. But as the evaluations and discussions proceeded through the first day, Helen sensed that one of the three organizations was already being favored. By the second day it became clear that the directors were divided into two camps---those with a preconceived plan in favor of that bidder, and those who wanted to weigh the evidence before making any decision. "I tried to steer a neutral course between the two, directing their attention to facts and data and the implications of alternatives," Helen says, "but by lunch time, there was a stalemate. The directors were no longer treating one another with ordinary courtesy and respect; the velvet gloves were coming off. What was I to do?"

Lunch was brought in to the conference room to expedite the agenda. Tension had taken away any appetite Helen had, so she excused herself to go for a walk. And on the path, she prayed. "Dear God," she said, "I'm in an impossible situation. I really don’t know what I can do about it. There is a lot of friction and hostility in this group, and some of it has a long history that I really can't deal with. I know they have to make a decision, and they have to make it now. But no one wants to compromise, and everyone wants it their own way. I have to go back to the meeting now, God, but I'm leaving it in your hands to show me what I can do to help them resolve this."

Instead of hanging on even tighter to an imaginary sense of control, Helen had asked God to take over. “I was still a little anxious about what I should do," she says, "but I also felt that I didn't have to worry." She went back to the meeting, and the discussion resumed.

Surprisingly, as the afternoon progressed, the tone of the meeting changed. Somehow, the directors found ways to accommodate the differences that had overwhelmed them in the morning. By the end of the day, there was complete consensus on the decision to be made, and the morning of the third day could be spent in working out the details of its implementation.

"I know that nothing I said or did in the meeting contributed to the outcome, but I'm equally certain that what I did outside the meeting had a direct effect," Helen says. The company chairmen drove Helen to the airport, and she decided to share what had happened.

"I was wondering what had changed everyone at that meeting from the morning to the afternoon of the second day---and now I know!" The chairman said.

It's not always easy to relinquish control. But when we invite God to direct us, amazing things happen.

Dear Lord, today when decisions have to be made we pray that we would give complete control over to You. We know that You have the best for each of us and will lead us in that direction if we give it ALL to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What Are Your Eyes Fixed On?

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

What would you do if you were plummeting to your death from a high-rise building? Would you look towards heaven with hope, or would your eyes be on the fast-approaching ground below?

No matter what, we look at something. Just ask the poor window cleaner when he fell six stories from a Wellington building in New Zealand on July 1, 2011. Or ask his boss, who watched the whole accident with a look of terror in his eyes. And that terror increased as the window cleaner's fall lined him up directly in the path of a car!

But he truly had nothing to fear. Yes, he fell pretty hard, partly on the ground and partly on the parked vehicle, and yes, it did hurt!

I can imagine that the owner had stopped looking by this time, scared death to open his eyes. But when he did, he was amazed to find the window cleaner still alive, and after a thorough check-up by the paramedics, it was confirmed that his only injury was a dislocated toe. Not bad after a six-story fall! Hopefully this window cleaner will be a bit less daring when cleaning windows in the future!

Imagine the shame in the eyes of Peter, Jesus' apostle, right after he had renounced his Master, not just once or twice, but three times! Right then, as the rooster crowed, Jesus "turned and looked straight at Peter." (Luke 22:60 NIV)

Oh that look must have been devastating! He had renounced the One he truly loved, and now that very person was looking at him with eyes filled with sheer--compassion!

Just hours before, Peter had boasted "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." (Matt 26:33 NIV), yet barely seconds before that look, he had vehemently exclaimed: "I don't know the man!" (Matt 26:72 NIV)

No wonder "he went outside and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:62 NIV). He had betrayed everything he stood for. No wonder that his original name was Simon which implied "weak or fickle". Who could rely on such a failure?

Jesus, however, insisted on calling Simon "Peter", which means "rock". He went far beyond what others saw in Simon! The truth is that only Jesus, Simon's Master, could make a Peter out of Simon. True greatness can only come via the road of brokenness. In order for any of us to be able to shine as God wants us to shine, we need to experience total brokenness as well!

Look at Simon after resurrection day (R day). Just like the window cleaner realized that there were limits to being a dare-devil, Peter was a different man, aware of his own weaknesses. He was still broken, but he was restored when Jesus talked to him directly, letting him know in no uncertain terms that He had great plans for him (John 21: 15-19).

And shine he did on Pentecost day where he witnessed about the Risen One. "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." (Acts 2:41 NIV)

If you do feel empty inside and unfulfilled, maybe it's time to let yourself go and let God come into your life. Remember greatness can only come through brokenness, for we can truly never be blessed with our hands full. Empty-handed we are ready to receive the gifts promised to us from above.

May our eyes always be geared towards heaven, no matter our circumstances.

Dear Lord, help us keep our eyes on You.  No matter what we go through help not have fear in our eyes but a peace that only You can give. In Jesus’ Name.

Do You Have Your Passport?

Romans 3:23-27 (NIV)

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded."

Have you ever looked into the mysteries of God's grace? There is no room for misinterpretation here. We have been justified through and through by the merits of Jesus' blood. Salvation is bestowed on us by His grace. It is all God's doing. The only part we play is to graciously accept His gift.

The problem is that we like to have a part to play. Many insist that we can't be saved unless we work hard at becoming a better person, which can only be done once Jesus lives in our hearts. We forget that: "Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded."

It's all about God's grace. We are the ones who rebelled against Him. We are the ones who wandered away, planning on an independent life far from Him. He is the One who initiated this costly reconciliation. He is the One who paid the price for our rebellion, extending His hand towards us with a reconciliatory embrace. It has nothing to do about what we do. In fact, even though our actions tell us otherwise, all we do while pretending to be godly is to err farther and farther from Him!

As we think about Grace let’s at Nik Wallenda.  You may remember seeing Nik Wallenda walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. He had begun his walk in New York, on the US side of the falls, and ended up in Ontario, Canada. He was filmed by literally thousands of journalists, and was broadcasted to the four corners of our planet.

As soon as Nik stepped onto Canadian soil, two things happened: He was hugged by his biggest fans, his family; and he was greeted by the Canadian border patrol, asking him to show his American passport!

Nik could have argued with these officials. He could have said, "Come on! You know who I am! I am the one who walked across the Falls on a tightrope. I literally brought hundreds of thousands of tourist to your town. I deserve to be welcomed into Canada with open arms. I don't need to show my passport!"

But Nik not being that kind of a guy graciously handed over his passport that he had carefully carried in his back pocket during his stunning performance, and when the border patrol him asked the purpose of his trip, his response was simple: "To inspire people."

No matter how grandiose they may be, our performances do not ensure us free entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. Just like Nik Wallenda, we need a "passport". And our "passport" is called grace. It can only be obtained by having complete faith in Jesus, the Christ. He is our guarantee, He is our passport. He is the One who carried us over the chasm into eternity.

"Our real passport is in heaven. Don’t leave Earth without it”

Dear Lord, we thank You for the passport that You have made available for each of us. Help us share the passport with somebody today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.