Frank’s Reflection

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah from you shall come forth to me one who is to be ruler in Israel.¹

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.²

For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.³

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.⁴ 

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.⁵

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.⁶

The Word became flesh and took up residence among us.⁷

He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel.⁸

The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.⁹

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.¹⁰

I kept them in Your name,¹¹ 

May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.¹²

¹ Micah 5:2 ESV; ² Isaiah 7:14 ESV; ³ Isaiah 9:6 CSB; ⁴ Galatians 4:4,5 NASB;
⁵ Matthew 1:21 NKJV; ⁶ Luke 2:10,11 KJV; ⁷ John 1:14 HCSB; ⁸ Luke 2:32 NLT; ⁹Luke 19:10 NCV; ¹⁰ Matthew 28:18 KJV; ¹¹John 17:12 NKJV; ¹² Romans 15:33 ESV.

In this final month of the year, we usually find ourselves giving and receiving gifts. After all, it is Christmas and many people say I want this or that. If possible, they get it all wrapped up with a bow on top. Desire and fulfillment may arrive at the same time and place.

More than two thousand years ago, God gave some people choices to make around the events of our Lord’s earthly birth. It’s interesting to look at a few. Some made the right decision, and some did not. What could have been good for some wasn’t because of their choices. Others decided to trust God, and God recorded their names or occupations in the Bible. 

Joseph was just a man wanting to do the right thing when he found out that his fiancé was with child. He was willing to pray and ask God what to do. God showed him in a dream that it was right to wed Mary. How would scripture be written if Joseph had said no to God?

Mary, a teenager, was told by an angel that she was going to have a child—the Savior of the world. She asked how? The reply was the Holy Spirit will overshadow you. That’s all she needed to know, and she said yes to God. What if she said no? Her name would never appear in God’s Word.

Another individual, the innkeeper, said he had no room for the young couple. Mary was about to give birth to the Son of God, and he said no to them. What would the Bible say if the innkeeper made accommodations for this travel weary couple? Praise would be part of the accolades about him. Maybe his name would be recorded in the Bible. Today his name would be a familiar name among men.

When you think of the shepherds, what do you think? It’s a respectable occupation that may be lonely but not looked upon with low esteem.

How about Herod, the local ruler, who felt threatened by a young man, Jesus? Because of jealousy and his insecure personality, his name was not respected by the societies of the world. Scriptures would have recorded compliments if Herod rejoiced over the King of Kings being born in his territory. But no, this man wanted to stand in the way of our glorious King. 

The wise men traveled from afar to worship our Lord.  They even brought gifts in appreciation as they worshipped our Savior. The gold was used by Joseph and his family to go to Egypt which prevented Herod from killing the Messiah, our Savior. These wise men are portrayed as true worshippers today in every Christmas play. What if they said, “It’s winter and it’s cold, the trip is too far?” The Bible probably would have never mentioned them. 

When God brings an opportunity to you for helping others, what will you do? What will be your choice? Eternity will record your answers. May we, by the grace of God, be willing to say yes. Yes, to God, and no, to everything else. It may be our only chance to make a difference for some for all eternity.

Have you ever noticed how God seems to work? Most days are just another day. Yet somehow some days seem to be more special than others. Breakfast may be the normal. The morning routine may be ordinary. Lunch is typical. Yet somehow, out of nowhere…there is this voice. The kind that speaks to your heart. That whisper that gets your undivided attention. It may even direct your steps differently that day. Somehow, someway, God speaks to you. No one else hears His voice. The people around you have no idea what is taking place in your heart. But it’s a life-changing event.

That’s what happened to David in the Bible. David was keeping the sheep just like he did every other day. This day was different. It was the day that Samuel, the Prophet, anointed him King of Israel (I Samuel 16:13).

A young Jewish girl named Esther (Esther 2:17) won a beauty contest and was chosen by King Ahasuerus to be the new Queen of Persia.

Some of the disciples were busy about their fathers’ business, fishing. The Lord just happened by and called them to be His disciples. There are no accidents in the way the Lord chooses people for His service. Somehow, He picks ordinary people in ordinary places doing everyday things, and he speaks to them in such a way there is no mistake. It is the Lord who is doing the speaking.

Nehemiah was going about his daily duties when his brother Hanani arrived from Jerusalem to tell him the condition of the city. The report broke his heart. The news made Nehemiah weep. It was sad that the city, the capital of Israel, laid in ruins, and there were no plans to correct it. But what could Nehemiah do? He was over 500 miles away. There was only one thing he could do. Pray. So, Nehemiah prayed and fasted. He prayed for months.

It was an ordinary day. Nehemiah was at work doing the cupbearer’s job, a  responsibility that required him to taste the King’s wine. It was Nehemiah’s responsibility to taste the wine to make sure that it didn’t have poison in it. If someone wanted to kill the King, it was the cupbearer’s responsibility to die before the King drank the poisoned wine. But when the King saw that Nehemiah was sad, he was in big trouble. It was against the law for anyone to be unhappy around the King. Yet the King allowed Nehemiah to explain. Explain he did. Nehemiah had the nerve to ask the King for permission to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls. He even had the boldness to ask for the resources from the King to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. It was just an ordinary day, the King said,  go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall.

God somehow answers prayer. It may take months to get an answer. Sometimes in an extraordinary way on an ordinary day, our God will answer. It’s just a reminder to pray on ordinary days. You never know when God will answer your prayer or redirect your life. But it will be on an ordinary day.

The Lord does not have voice mail or a message service. They were not invented in eternity past. Even if they were, there is no electricity in heaven. God is the source of light there, and there is no night in heaven. God is all-powerful. He is all the power we will ever need.

Whenever there is any need for anything, God is always available. His prayer line is always open. We never get a busy signal or a recording. He listens to every request. It is His decision on how to proceed. He always knows what to do. 

Many times, He answers immediately like Peter walking on water and then sinking. It was the Lord’s outstretched hand that kept Peter from sinking. Think about this —how did Peter get back into the boat? He walked on water with the Lord. Probably holding the Lord’s hand.

There are other times when God doesn’t answer our prayers that fast. This is when God is working out the circumstances to keep us safe. While He is arranging things to answer our prayers. 

Paul was a prisoner in the midst of a storm. It was there that Paul warned all those aboard that God was going to keep the entire list of occupants safe. Yes, the ship came apart and sank but everyone arrived onshore alive (Acts 27).

The tough times in our lives are when God doesn’t answer our prayers in the way that we want. When this happens, we may even get upset with God because He doesn’t answer our prayer as we wish. When we analyze our prayers, we should ask ourselves, are our prayers selfish? Are we asking for the right reason? Our problem is we cannot see into the future, to know what is best. When we decide to trust God, we realize all things do work together for good even though we do not understand. We humans must remind ourselves God is God. We are not and we do not tell God what to do. We are to ask Him for His will.

When you were a child, could you order your parents around? Did they jump when you, as a seven-year-old, told them to do what you wished? Of course not. They knew what was best. As God’s children, we must rely on God to do what is best for us and trust Him to do what is right. Even if we do not understand or like His decision. He is still God, and we still are not.  

I’m so glad that God knows best. I’m thankful He hears every prayer because He doesn’t keep office hours. He’s accessible anytime, all the time. Our heavenly Father is wonderful, even if we do not get our way. We serve a great God. 

Home runs are few and far between. The best major league players do not hit a home run every time that they are at bat. Actually, many of them strike out more often than they hit home runs. But the fans pay big bucks to see home runs.

So how does this translate into the Christian world?

Christians do not live on spiritual mountaintops. Most of our days are in the valleys with everyone else, doing our daily routines and responsibilities. The daily grind if you will. That’s our life. Many people live for the weekends to enjoy a break from everyday commitments — time with family and friends. The Christian will make time to worship God for a short time, generally Sunday morning. Then it’s back to our regular life. We finish up the time off by getting ready for the week ahead, another week of the daily routine. This description depicts the life of most people, including most Christians.

But for some, the spiritual message must include a home run on the part of the pastor. He is expected to stand and deliver a home run sermon to every person attending the house of God. Sermon home runs do not come every Sunday for several reasons. The spiritual meal served at church is good for some and excellent for others. Most spiritual meals are everyday food for nourishment. Not every meal is steak and potatoes; sometimes, it’s meatloaf or hot dogs. Some people enjoy hot dogs, and they are thankful that they have a meal. Hamburgers may be on the menu some nights. Whatever the church meal is, it is for nourishment for some and just humdrum for others.

The underlying problem for some believers is that it is the only spiritual food received for the week.

Everybody eats more than one meal per week. It should be the same for the churchgoer. What does this mean? It means get your Bible out and read it! If you are serious about God, you will take the time to have a spiritual meal every day. Read the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs first. Get a grasp of the hundreds of spiritual meals in the Bible contents and apply them to your everyday life.

You will find that daily spiritual meals are the fuel to keep you energized for the Lord during the week.

Occasionally there is a home run in the game of life. But the game of life is won by the singles of everyday life. Those singles mount up to a winning life for God.

God is able to make him stand Romans 14:4 NKJV

Have you ever heard a Christian tell another Christian how to live their life? Preachers do it all the time, but hopefully, they do it with scripture. Just in regular conversations, one may tell someone how or what to do, say, or act. Many times, an energized Christian will try to dictate Christian behavior. Let’s look at several areas where this can happen.

One area where this may take place is when a “mature” saint is unchangeable in their ways. They take it upon themselves to make others live to their standards. To fit a specific mold, as if a new Christian can be poured into a ridged shape and come out to be just like the one giving the instructions. Spiritual maturity comes in all shapes and sizes, and it takes years to become that size and shape. It takes a lot of trials and circumstances to develop a mature believer. A new believer doesn’t mature by taking a maturity pill. The pharmacy doesn’t have them. Spiritual maturity requires time to grow, and then there is still room for further development.

Far too many self-appointed believers try to control another’s spiritual development. We all must remember that spiritual growth takes time. God chooses the right time and opportunity to reshape his children when they are ready to handle the reshaping. Being forceful with a young Christian will temporarily make them conform. The conformity is not permanent without spiritual growth. No one can make another love Jesus or His work, that duty belongs to the individual. Forceful behavior only makes spiritual dropouts. They end up resenting Christianity and anything that has to do with the church. We Christians have caused this regrettable retreat. Believers need to think long and hard about being pushy about their spiritual maturity.

A mature saint of God will let people develop spiritual maturity and integrity in God’s timeframe. Let the Holy Spirit do what He does best, show the saint of God areas that need improvement. Let Him do the changing on His schedule. The Spirit knows when a person is ready to take another step of maturity. If God is guiding us and we should let Him, then we will know when to speak. In our zeal, we need to be sure it is God leading us and not our flesh. Prayer reveals the secret of knowing when to speak up and when not to speak. If you are unsure about God’s leading, don’t say anything. If it is of God, He will reassure you. Wait on God, pray, and everything will work out for His glory, not yours.   

Looking good in public begins with looking good in private. That sounds vain, but it can be spiritual. Very spiritual. 

How’s your private life, the one that is obvious only to God? Bible reading and Bible study will enhance it. That’s a Christian’s foundation. It is what you’re standing on and walking on spiritually. It is the footing that holds you upright. It’s the stability under your feet. 

If your feet are spiritual, then your walk may be spiritual. You can only walk where your feet will take you. Your spiritual feet and journey are connected. You can’t go anywhere spiritually without your spiritual feet. The Bible encourages us to walk worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1). As Saints of God, we should no longer walk like others. The believer is unique from others because of his relationship with God. 

Would you stop what you’re doing for a moment? Look at your feet. Examine the direction that you’re going. Are you going in the direction that God has intended for you? If so, great. If not, you need to make a concession. Take off in the God-given direction of His choice. Don’t get sidetracked or lost on your way. We do that sometimes. 

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. The easiest way, the least cumbersome way to stay on track, is to bathe yourself in prayer. Prayer is a neglected tool for Christians. If it was a physical tool in one’s toolbox, look for the instrument with rust all over it. That would be the prayer tool.

Prayer unlocks the doors of privilege, responsibility, and opportunity for all of God’s people. Real prayer is not something we do when we get in trouble, although that’s when most Christians get serious about it.

Sweet prayers should be an everyday occurrence: good days and bad days. But to neglect prayer makes a miserable day. Make prayer a wonderful time in the presence of God, with the world locked out. It’s just God and you in communion with each other. 

If you add to this prayer time, praise and thankfulness, the day can become heavenly. The reason  is because you are in the presence of God.

God longs for that abiding presence with each one of His children. He does, really. We miss out if we neglect that time with him. 

Have you ever thought about prayer in that way? If you haven’t, you have missed something very precious.  God desires that all His children come and sit in His lap and snuggle up to Him. You can do that in prayer; it’s a place of warmth, comfort, and love. There’s no other place like it. Would you take the time to get close to God? It’s a joy that words cannot describe. It can only be experienced. 

My parents taught me, as a kid, to share. It was one of those simple little lessons that God has allowed me to learn. As life goes on, the principle of sharing has taken on a more profound meaning. 

Sharing time with others, and building meaningful relationships, has been a blessing while at other times, a heartache. Some have drifted away as the paths of life have gone in different directions. 

Learning the lesson of sharing with others has brought profound experiences. Appreciation of people as well as the arrogance of others; which has caused me to investigate my motivation for sharing. It is through those  that I have learned more about my heart. Why did I give? Was it to help others? Was it to feel good about myself? Just what was the real motive behind the act of generosity? Was it to feel superior? Hopefully, it was none of these.

Listening to God’s whispers to extend a helping hand requires of me a deeper growing relationship with the Almighty. It means for me to have a quiet time. A time beyond reading God’s Word. Even a time beyond my average prayer time. It’s time to set aside all the cares of my life and reflect on the goodness of God. This time of reflection brings a fresh appreciation of the things that He has allowed me to experience, and especially the times He has brought me out of some self-imposed catastrophe.

It is that time of meditation that He brings that thought of sharing. It could be words of encouragement to give to someone. Maybe a short visit to say I was thinking of you. The personal touch means more. Much more. Whatever God impresses you with is indispensable. Important to the recipient. Later, when you reflect on the day, it is genuinely a pure warm feeling, “God used me today.” That peace when I realize that the God of the universe spoke to my heart. That is gratifying.

Whenever God whispers, listen with your heart. Then go and do whatever He instructs. Sharing will make a difference in someone’s life both now and in eternity.

The unseen element of humanity. Perhaps as a parent, grandparent, or teacher, you have seen the potential in a child and said to yourself, “That child has potential.” You see something that is unique, but attention-getting. Perhaps the suspect is quiet, unsure, even introverted. Then perchance, you have seen quite the opposite. Extroverted, outgoing, an attention-getter, even obnoxiously self-confident. There can be a third group. These blend into the group. Nothing seems to stand out. But inside their minds, there is imagination. Inwardly wheels are turning, but the outward appearance seems dormant. 

Years pass, sometimes decades then the bud blossoms. Self-confidence has sprouted. Their wings begin to soar.

Christians can be like that.

Jesus spent three years nurturing 12 men. We have the writings of Matthew, John, and Peter. The others seemed to disappear in scripture, yet each one has a part in turning the world upside down for Christ. Just because they did not write books in the Bible doesn’t mean that they were nonproducers in God’s army. 

It’s the unknowns that may have crowns with the most jewels to give to Jesus. These nobodies were faithful and used by God to make a difference in others for the Lord. They were parents, grandparents, friends, coworkers, neighbors, old military buddies, and classmates. There was something about them that stood out and inspired you. Something that gave you confidence. That reassurance that you could do something great for God. Yes, for God.

The Lord of the universe is still looking for people to work in His vineyard. He sees your potential. He wants to give you that nudge to get you started.

If we are willing to take that one step of faith, God will help you on your journey. He’s been waiting patiently for you to say yes. When you do say yes to God, that is when He will strengthen you. Enable you. Teach you. Bless you. Empower you. He will cause you to accomplish more than you’ve ever dreamed. 

So, get ready to walk where He directs with you trusting Him each step of the way and depending upon Him for your daily guidance, strength, and courage.

God wants to use you. Will you let Him?