One Small Child

One Small Child by David Meece

One small child in a land of a thousand
One small dream of a Savior tonight
One small hand reaching out to the starlight
One small Savior of life
Ooooh.

One king bringing his gold and his riches
One king ruling an army of might
One king kneeling with incense and candlelight
One King bringing us life
Ooooh.

See Him lying, a cradle beneath Him
See Him smiling in the stall
See His mother praising His Father
See His tiny eyelids fall.

See the shepherds kneeling before Him
See the kings on bended knee
See the mother praising the Father
See the Blessed Infant sleep.

One small child in a land of a thousand
One small dream of a Savior tonight
One small hand reaching out to the starlight
One small Savior of life
Ooooh.

Wake Up

The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household. 2 Samuel 6:11

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. Mark 6:4-6

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1 Corinthians 6:19

You are a temple of the Holy Spirit. God dwells within you. As a result, many amazing things are happening to and through you. God wants us to become more and more aware of this. Meditate on it, pray about it, declare it. When Jesus was in his own home town he couldn't do much because of the unbelief of the people. In a way, we are like Nazareth. Jesus is in our midst and willing to do great things. He is asking us to believe in him. He is asking us to acknowledge who he is and the goodness and mercy in our lives and in the world. Read his word and declare it to be true. Choose to believe. Choose to wake up and see the goodness of the Lord. The more you do this, your faith will grow. Then he can even do greater things in and through you.

You Have Been Lifted Up

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He lifts up (cuts off) every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:1-2

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap
Psalm 113:7

Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel. Judges 5:3

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:27

One time I heard a teaching on the vine and the branches. The speaker said that there was actually more than one way that John 15:2 could be translated. He said that some branches grow too low on the ground and get dirty. So the vine dresser lifts them and ties them up. Then he washes them so that they can be healthy and produce. This really spoke to me and I have utilized this translation ever since.

This morning, God showed me a picture of us as that vine that has been lifted up. I see us straining to get back in the dust because this is what we are used to. God is saying that we no longer live in the dust. It is not our identity. We are lifted up among the healthy, fruit bearing branches. We are to know our dignity.

He wants to give us a new identity. We are to have the identity of one who has been raised up. We are not the one who is diseased, fruitless and living in the dust. We are clean and lifted up. The gardener is pleased with us.

You Are Making A difference

And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you
1 John 2:27a

You are the salt of the earth. Matthew 5:13a

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:14

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

The other day I went to a gas station in a nearby town. When my tank was full, the attendant asked, "Kathie, do you need a receipt?" That's all. He didn't say anything amazing. He didn't do anything amazing. Yet, as I drove away, I began to cry. I don't know exactly what happened, but it was as if God said to me, "I see you and know that you are my beloved. I also see your pain and care about you. I see that you are making a difference in the world and I am pleased with you." None of these words were actually spoken and yet that is exactly the message that my heart heard from God, himself. That man was anointed by God. He is truly the light of the world. He is truly the salt of the earth. He was just going about his business, doing the menial job that was given to him. Yet, because he abides in God he is bearing great fruit. It is all very mystical, but I know it to be true. We are light and we are salt. We are making a difference.

“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” St. Francis of Assisi

Happy Birthday Jesus

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship Romans 12:1

During Christmas day service I asked God, "What do you want for Christmas?"

I heard him answer, "Give me all of your sins."

Rejoice

And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. Romans 13:11-12a

This is such a scripture of hope. It's Christmas Eve today and a day of great anticipation. Salvation is nearer. Tomorrow we celebrate the birthday of Jesus.

This is my last chance to share my favorite advent song. Enjoy this day of preparation for the birthday of our king.

Jesus, Our Most Amazing Paradox

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

It's a time of winter when roses don't bloom and yet, Jesus, our rose is blooming. It's a time of darkness, and yet Jesus is our light. It is a time of debt and unemployment, and yet Jesus is our provider. He is the King of Kings, and yet not only was he born in a stable, he chooses to dwell in us with all our imperfections. He is a baby boy, and yet he will grow up to do amazing things for us all.