advent

Timing is Everything

December 12, 2019 By John Deisher

Read Luke 2:1-7

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration whenQuirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

Meditate

Have you ever seen a “flash mob”? What seems to be a normal crowd suddenly breaks out in a song or dance. What are the chances that a large group of talented people just happened to be in the same place at the same time ready to perform the same piece of music?

Zero.

The “flash mob” was well-planned. Even though most people had no idea until the performance took place, there were others in the know. It was all about timing.

700 years before our passage from Luke, a prophet wrote:

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.”
Micah 5:2

The Messiah was expected to be from Bethlehem. Not a problem.

Except Mary, pregnant with the Messiah, and Joseph were in Nazareth. Problem.

There was not a compelling reason to be in Bethlehem for the birth of the child. Then Ceasar Augustus decides that he needs to count all the people in his world. What a coincidence. Everyone had to go back to the city of their family origin.

So, Joseph and Mary leave Nazareth and go to Bethlehem. While there, Jesus is born. Wow, that is lucky.

Coincidence? Luck?

Not really, because timing is everything. And God is the keeper of time. What appeared to be random was actually well planned.

There is a time for everything, the Preacher of Ecclesiastes tells us, and the God of time has a plan in place for you.

Be patient in the process. Timing is everything.

Pray

“Father, if you can move a nation of people around to fulfill a prophetic promise, then you can work the things in my life. I will learn to wait for your time knowing there are no coincidences. You are the God of the right time. Amen”

Contemplate

Enjoy this holiday flash mob surprising homeowners with “O Come All Ye Faithful”. How will you bring the light of Christ to people this Christmas season?
Now is a great time to review this past year and see God at work. At the time, you may have thought of these instances as luck or coincidence, but God was at work. Take some time today and give Him thanks.

Undignified

December 11, 2019 By John Deisher

Read Matthew 1:18-24

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Meditate

I cannot even begin to imagine the conversations between Joseph and Mary over her pregnancy.

“So, you saw an angel?”

“Yes.”

“And now you are pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re a virgin still?”

“Yes.”

“Because God is the father?”

“Exactly. Weird, huh?”

“Uh…..”

It could not have been easy for Joseph. After all, we are not talking about two people living in a metropolis. This was a small town. Everyone knew Mary and her family. Everyone knew Joseph and his family. I am sure the word “scandal” was tossed around a few dinner tables.

Joseph wanted to do the right thing. He would quietly arrange for everything to go away and move on. He did not seek justice. After all, dignity and decorum were the watchwords.

Then an angel shows up. Every time an angel shows up, stuff gets messy. Angels don’t bring words that say, “It’s okay, just be like everyone else. Don’t worry. No pressure. Dignity, always dignity” Angels say, “Don’t be afraid. God has a plan for you. And it is about to change your world. Think ‘undignified.’”

Just like that, Joseph committed to the process. The undignified, messy, “do not fear” process.

And he became the earthly father to the Son of God.

Pray

“Father, teach me to be willing to be undignified. I want to walk without fear in the plans and purposes you have for my life. Teach me to be faithful to the promises you have birthed in me.

Contemplate

When we think of someone who was undignified in the Bible, we think of King David dancing before the Ark of God (2 Samuel 6:14-22). Read the story and reflect on what it takes to more in love with God than in the opinions of others.
Listen to “Undignified” by the David Crowder Band and dance a little. Yes, it might be embarrassing. But it will help to reveal areas where God may need to work.

Behind the Scenes

December 10, 2019 By John Deisher

Read Luke 1:80

And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Meditate

Each year, we attend our fall student conference at a campground. It is pretty isolated with great views of sunrises and sunsets, places to walk and be alone, a lake to sit beside and reflect. It is not unusual to see students taking advantage of the solitude to journal and pray.

The campground is in an area with poor cell phone service. It is also not unusual to see students walking around, cell phones held high, trying to find a place to get a signal.

That is the problem with the wilderness. It is a great place for solitude, but it is not so great a place for a lot of the other things which fill our daily lives. This solitude is what makes it so important.

John grew up in the wilderness. It was the place that nurtured him, shaped him, formed him. He spent time with his thoughts and his God-promises. He wrestled with and settled the nature of his calling. He knew what it meant to be both alone and present, so when the day of the fulfilling of his calling came, he was ready.

It has been said that there are two great days in a person’s life—the day we are born and the day we discover why. The “why” is found in our wilderness times. No amenities to distract us, no memes to entertain us, no frivolities to fill idle time.

Simply solitude and time with God.

Grow. Become strong in the spirit. Spend time in the wilderness.

Pray

“Father, there are dangerous prayers, and this is one of them: take me into the wilderness. Teach me to be with you. Remove those things that distract us from being prepared to fulfill the plans and purposes you have for us. Amen.”

Contemplate

Set aside time during the Christmas season to be alone. It may mean getting up a little earlier or driving out to a park. No music, no book. Just spend some quiet time with God.
Watch “Start with Why,” A Ted Talk by Simon Sinek. What is your “Why”? What gets you out of the bed and inspires you for the day? During your alone time, come up with a way to express why you are here in one sentence.

Take the Leap

December 6, 2019 By John Deisher

Read Luke 1:39-45

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Meditate

I am a pretty typical grandparent. When we go to visit my grandchildren, I love the moment when they first spot me and come running. When they get to me, they don’t stop, shake my hand and say, “Nice to see you.”

No, they run yelling “Gramps!” and jump into my arms with joy.

This is what Elizabeth experienced. This was no normal kick of a baby while in the womb when Mary, the mother of Jesus, entered her home. This was a joyful celebration of the promise—that God the Father loved his creation so much he would send his only son so that anyone who believed in him might not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

It is easy during the holiday season to lose that joy. It could be the lines and crowds at the store. It could be the anticipation of seeing that difficult family member. It could be remembering the loss of a loved one. It could simply by the wear of daily life.

But if you will listen, you will hear the greeting of the Holy Spirit. And, if you will enter the moment, the God-promises within you will begin to leap for joy.

Pray

“Father, let me hear your voice today and let the promises you have placed in me that are waiting to be birthed jump for joy in your greeting. Help me remember why I celebrate Christmas and the reason for the season. Amen.

Contemplate

Greet people with joy today. Be truly glad to see them because they are a gift from God to you.
Spend some time today reflecting on the God-promises you are carrying. Listen to the voice of God to bring joy to those promises.

All In

December 5, 2019 By John Deisher

Read Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”^[ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Meditate

I grew up in a part of Texas that seemed to love their “folk wisdom.” This was things like:

“You are the bee’s knees” – you are doing something right.
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” – don’t count on something that may not happen.
“A stitch in time saves nine” – a little work now saves a lot of work later.

But there was one saying that has stuck with me. It was often said about someone who couldn’t seem to commit to something.

“You can’t be a little bit pregnant.”

Either you are, or you are not. It’s binary. Either you are committed to this or you are not. When we walk with Christ, it can become easy to pass on some of the harder things. Prayer, scripture reading, spending time with God can all be bypassed in the “doing” of life. Giving, serving, loving, can all be given selectively to those we feel deserve to receive them.

We can dabble in following Christ. We can want to be a little bit pregnant.

Mary was “all in”. When she said, “Let it be to me according to your word”, there was no going back. All of the judgment that would come for a girl pregnant before marriage, all of the whispers, all of the social stigma paled in the face of the promise she was asked to carry.

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord.” I am “all in”.

This holiday season, be all in. In the midst of the hustle, start your day by praying “I am your servant, God. Do what you want to do in my life.”

Pray

“Father, today I commit to being all in. I want to be all in to your plans and purposes for my life. I want to be used by you to birth a promise of your love. Interrupt my day so I can do what you want in my life. Amen.”

Contemplate

Do you have a junk drawer? As a symbol of being “all in”, clean out and organize your junk drawer today. This is a physical sign for what you want God to do in your life.
Commit this holiday season to do something you may know you need to do but have been putting off. If you have never read the Bible through, now is the time to start. Want a more consistent prayer time? Schedule it and commit to it. Needing to have a hard conversation with someone? Call them and go get coffee.

The Witness

December 4, 2019 By John Deisher

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.

Promises, Promises

December 3, 2019 By John Deisher

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.

All In The Family

December 2, 2019 By John Deisher

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.

Timing is Everything

Undignified

Behind the Scenes

Take the Leap

All In

The Witness

Promises, Promises