John and Kathy Deisher

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The Witness

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Read – John 1:6-8

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.”

Meditate

There was a song we sang at one time in church that had us declare, “It’s all about you, Jesus.” I would sing it with enthusiasm:

“It’s all about You, Jesus    
     And all this is for You
For Your glory and Your fame
     It’s not about me
As if You should do things my way
     You alone are God and I surrender
To Your ways”

                  (Paul Oakley, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul (It’s All About You)”)

But, if I am truthful, there were times it was easy to substitute “me” for “you” so I was now the center of the song. As I thought about our verse today, I was reminded of a book I was looking at recently. The title was “How to Influence” and the book was all about how to market yourself so you would be the person others would want to look at and admire. It’s all about me.

Then we read these verses about John. His whole life was spent reminding people that he was not the one. His life was not about himself. His life was all about Jesus. 

During the Christmas season, we say that “it is better to give than receive.” But, if we are not careful, it can become all about “me”—my gift, my time, my schedule, my happiness. Even our giving can focus on us.

For Christians, this is the perfect season to remember that we are here as a witness, not of ourselves but of the light, Jesus Christ. We are the reflection of his light. I remember a story from years ago where a new Christian was talking with a friend about the sun and the moon. The friend said that the moon has no capability of bringing light without the sun. The moon reflects the light of the sun, and that is the way it is with us. We reflect the light of the Son.

The new Christian then declared, “Well, if that’s the case I want to be a full moon!”.

It’s all about you, Jesus. I just want to be a full moon so people will believe about the light.

Pray

“I am not the light, but I know the one who is the light. I want the world to see the true light that is Jesus. I want my life to reflect the glory and fame of Christ. Let me be a full moon for Jesus.”

Contemplate

  • If the weather cooperates, go outside tonight and look at the moon. The next full moon will be December 12th. The light is growing brighter. Give God thanks that the light of the Son continues to grow brighter in you.
  • How can you make this Christmas all about Jesus? Take a moment to look at the words of the song above and see how it matches with your life. Now is a great time to make some changes to truly reflect the light of Jesus.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Promises, Promises

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Read Luke 1:1-25

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Meditate

Today is #GivingTuesday. It is the day set aside at Christmas for people to give to their favorite cause. I decided to conduct a small campaign for our internship program and ask people to give a one-time gift. Kathy asked me what my goal was. I told her my heart of faith was praying for $10,000, but my head of reason was expecting $10. To paraphrase scripture, I believed, but I needed some help with my unbelief.

I understand Zechariah.

He has spent years serving God, taking care of his responsibilities, living a life of obedience. There was just one thing he and his wife really wanted.

A child.

That was their daily prayer. Maybe, as they got older, their hourly prayer. It was their heart’s grandest desire.

Then, in an angelic encounter, he hears the words, “Your prayer has been heard and your wife Elizabeth will have a son.” Finally, an answer from God. Let the choirs sing, release the doves, strike up the band. The prayer has been answered!

But, this is real life. Zechariah utters these words in response, “I want to believe this, but it is pretty impossible for this prayer to be answered.” After all, the angel didn’t have a baby in their hands ready to give to Zechariah. The answer seemed, well, still in process. In fact, it was a nine-month process.

I have prayers like this. So do you. I have things I have asked God that are decades old and I have not seen them come to pass yet. I have promises. I still believe these prayers will be answered, but I am realistic enough to feel that time may be against me. The answers are still in process.

So, I have to learn to be quiet and let God be God. I continue to believe, not out of blind hope or wishful thinking, but out of my faith in him. I have to trust the process.

This is what Christmas is about. It is the story in which our belief comes face to face with our unbelief and we find ourselves believing the unbelievable. Old people and virgins having children? Unbelievable!

Until the unbelievable is born. Until nine months passes. And that changes everything.

Pray

“Father, I believe, but I do have some unbelief. There are prayers I pray daily, there are promises that I have received, and it is easy to feel as if they are never heard. But you have heard my prayers. So I will be silent before you. I will trust you. I will learn to believe the unbelievable.”

Contemplate

  • Be the answer to someone’s prayers today and perform an act of service. Visit a friend and listen to them. Buy the person in line behind you a coffee. Help them believe the unbelievable.
  • Years ago, Dr. Ray Brock told me to pray over a situation. He asked me to pray Jacob’s famous declaration as he wrestled the Angel of the Lord, “I will not let you go, lest you bless me.” Whatever your prayer has been, begin to declare before the Lord your belief in the answer. Do not let go of God. Trust in his process.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

All In The Family

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Read – Matthew 1:1-17 

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.”


Meditate

I remember going to a family reunion when I was a teenager. There were a lot of people that I knew only casually and a lot more I had never met—great-aunts and great-uncles, cousins who were two and three times removed, spouses and children.

One great-aunt came up to me and asked who I was. I replied, “I’m John Deisher.” “No,” she said, “who are you?”

For a moment I was very confused. That was who I am…John Deisher. But revelation soon came.

“I am Ruth’s youngest’s oldest,” I said. Ruth was my grandmother, my mother was her youngest, and I was the oldest child in my family.

“Ah, you’re Peggy’s boy,” she said. And that told her who I was. And that’s who I am. 

Jesus was more than the Son of God. He was also the son Joseph, who was the husband of Mary, the grandson of Jacob, the great-grandson of Matthan…well, you get the picture. 

There are some pretty famous people in his family tree. There are also a few who are infamous. Kings and peasants, pioneers and prostitutes, Jews and Gentiles, they are all a part of the family of Jesus.

And this was how people knew him. They knew him by his family. They knew his parents, his grandparents, his aunts and uncles, his siblings and his cousins. He was known, truly known, as a part of a family.

Just as Jesus was known by his family, you are known by yours. In your natural family, there are traits and mannerisms, traditions and peculiarities you have inherited without realizing it. But if someone knows your family, they can tell you how that “thing” came to be and who had it. Family is how you are known.

You are also a part of Jesus’ family. He knows all the people in your spiritual family tree. And you have been impacted by those in your spiritual family. The books you read, the way you pray, all have been passed down to you. Family is how you are known.

Why does this matter? Because family is important. The good parts and the bad parts, the family is why you are here. Family, natural and spiritual, have made you who you are and brought you to where you are.

You are a part of Jesus’ family. He is in your family tree, and you are in his.


Pray

Thank you for family. Whether my natural family was good or not, it is because of them I am here. And because I am here, I am a part of a spiritual family that began before time—the family of God. I am thankful for the family of God and for the people in my family. I desire to be known as Christ was known.


Contemplate

  • Tell a family member how you are thankful for them. Hand-write a note and give it to them or send it to them.
  • Who is in your spiritual family tree? Take a sheet of paper and trace back to those who impacted you and who impacted them. Look forward to those you have impacted in the faith and the ones they have impacted. Give thanks for your spiritual heritage.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Miracles Happen

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The most incredible thing about miracles is that they happen.”

— G.K. Chesterton
Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

The great thing about miracles is that they happen.

That is also the most frustrating thing about them, because they happen outside of our control.

We can pray a certain prayer and a miracle happens. We say the same prayer and nothing happens. We face a certain situation and a miracle happens. We face a similar situation and nothing happens.

Jesus goes to the pool of Bethesda. Lots of sick people. He only heals one. A miracle! At least for one man.

But it was not a miracle for the others. One man walked out, healed. The others stayed, still needing healing. But now they know that there is hope. Now they know miracles happen.

That’s the thing about miracles.

They give us hope. And sometimes, that is enough.

Raise the Sail

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God provides the wind, Man must raise the sail.” 

— Augustine of Hippo

There are times when it is perfectly appropriate to say, “I’m waiting on God.”

It sounds spiritual, as if to do anything would be out of God’s will and we do not want to interfere with his plans and purposes.

But, there are also times when it is perfectly appropriate for God to say, “I’m waiting on you.”

Maybe more times for the latter than for the former.

If we are not careful, we can live in a spiritual paralysis of waiting for God to do something he has already clearly said is our responsibility. That is why we read the Bible. It has God’s revealed will. That is why we walk in community with other believers. We have God’s lived-out purpose.

God has said, “Go into all the world.” We say, “I am waiting for him to tell me what to do.”

God has said, “The harvest is ripe everywhere.” We say, “I am waiting for him to tell me where.”

God has said, “The days are short.” We say, “I am waiting for him to tell me when.”

We are waiting for God to speak in response to our question. But, God has already spoken first. The sailer does not raise the sail to cause the wind. The wind is already there.

We just need to raise the sail.

Life with a Shadow

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If you’re a Christian you’re just a shadow of your future self.” 

— N.T. Wright
Photo by Martino Pietropoli on Unsplash

There is a picture my Dad posted on my Facebook page of me when I was 25 years old. I was 5’11”, 142 pounds, and had a very large amount of hair on my head.

Truth be told, I thought I knew all the answers to every question.

Forty years later, age has shrunk my height a little, expanded my weight a little more, and reduced my hair a lot more.

And I have learned that often I don’t even know the question.

At 25, I would not have guessed I would be where I am today. At 65, I cannot imagine being anywhere else.

At 25, I lived in the shadow of who I am now. At 65, the shadow I cast includes that 25-year-old me, as well as all the years in-between. But my life now is already a shadow of who I am to become.

It is a paradox. I cast the shadow of my past, but I am making the shadow cast by my future. My life, my actions, my decisions, my relationships with God and others, are all in the shadows of the past.

And they are making the shadows created by my future self.

Stand boldly in the light. Cast a God-sized shadow.