THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

December 23, 2020

Merry Christmas!

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

A few nights ago I had a dream. There were a lot of details involved that I don't particularly remember, but there is one part of it that has stuck in my mind. I was driving a car with some other family members riding along with me. We got to this hill overlooking a town and people were spread out across the hillside, ready to watch a parade. Someone stopped me and said something along the lines of, "You came to the parade!" My reply was, "I'm not only at the parade, I'm IN the parade!" I was so excited. They told me that I had got there too late to be in the parade, because they were already lined up and the street was blocked off. I looked down to the street and as far as I could see were bands and floats and vehicles and people making up the parade. I was told that the only way to get to the end of it to join in was to drive down that street; and there was no way to get passed those already lined up and ready. I didn't let that bother me, but said, "That's okay, I can still participate from here!" I was determined to clap for and encourage those who were involved in the actual parade, and knew that I could be a participant by doing that, and not merely an observer.

I woke up and was falling back to sleep, or maybe did fall back asleep when I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me regarding that dream. Many people go TO church, but they are not IN church. They are observers, but not participants. They stand and mouth the words to the songs that are sung, but don't participate by worshipping. They sit and listen to the pastor's sermon, but let the words wash over them, with their mind on other things. They bow their heads during prayer, but listen to what the person who may be leading in prayer aloud is saying, without praying their own prayer. They smile, shake hands, and do their traditional duty of going to church on Sunday mornings, but never truly have a heart connection and become participators.

There are many who do this same thing in life. They sit on the sidelines watching life go by, thinking that everyone else has a more satisfying, exciting life than they do. They are always wishing for future events, thinking that will be more gratifying than what they are experiencing at the time. Kids can't wait until they're 16 so that they can drive..... then can't wait until they graduate high school so they can go to college or get a job and start making "real" money.... then as young adults can't wait to be out on their own so that they can be independent.... want to own a house.... want to get married and have kids.... want to succeed in their career and make more money.... can't wait for their kids to grow up and get out of the house.... want to become grandparents..... if only, I could retire...... They never fully enjoy the moment and time of life that they are in, but always think that the next decade or stage of their life will be much better. They observe life and do what has to be done, but aren't joyful participants, always looking for and wanting something better to happen.

Honestly, every day isn't a parade filled with excitement. But I believe that we often miss those special moments that occur, because we're too busy focusing on what we want to take place. We miss out on truly knowing God and experiencing a deep relationship with Him, because we compare what we have with Him to what we "think" others have. We perhaps feel as if we can never attain the level of spiritual maturity that others have, so we become satisfied with a mediocre relationship and don't even try for more. We miss out on God's blessings and the joy that He gives, because we are so focused on the world and what's going on around us. Some may even feel that if they have low expectations of God, then they'll never be disappointed, so don't expect or pray for anything else. But He has so much more for us!

I think we sometimes read the stories in the Bible, not really thinking about the fact that these were men and women, just like us. They lived in a totally different time period and their culture was much different, but they still had the same emotions, worries, fears, aches and pains, exhaustion, bills to pay, meals to cook, work to do, homes to maintain, issues with raising kids, bullying and arguments and fights, political issues in their government...... all the same type of issues that face today. They were human, the same as we are.

Mary was a regular, human teenage girl doing whatever girls her age did during that time. She had no idea that an angel was going to ever appear to her and tell her that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus, the promised Messiah.

Four hundred years of some very dark times had happened in Israel, where God was seemingly silent. They had been promised that their Messiah would come, by Isaiah, but then years and generations passed with nothing happening. I'm sure that there were many who thought Isaiah was mistaken or was a false prophet, because it took so long for his words to ever come to pass. Men and women became disillusioned and disheartened. Evil filled the land. Government was corrupt. I'm sure that many turned away from God and forgot what He had done for their ancestors.

But there was this remnant of believers who chose to have hope that the prophet Isaiah's words would one day come to pass; and they passed that hope and that promise down to their children and their children's children.... and on down the line of generations. They refused to give up hope! They chose to not just read the scrolls out of tradition, but to believe the words printed there. They chose to hold fast to their faith in God. There were still priests ministering in the temples, and still families who had not given in to the pressure of society to worship false gods and idols.

Then one day, it came to pass! This young believer had an angelic visit that changed not only her life, but changed the world. Mary's response was first of how, "How can this be when I'm a virgin?" The angel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would bear a child and call His name Jesus. Mary's reply was faith-filled, "Be it unto me, according to your word!" She knew that in her culture, Joseph, to whom she was engaged, could leave her and have nothing more to do with her. She could endure ridicule and torture for becoming pregnant, as a young virgin girl. Who would believe that she hadn't been with a man and that this was indeed a holy child, who was the promised Messiah? She very possibly could lose the respect of all who knew her, thinking that she had lost her virginity and become pregnant before being married to Joseph; either blaming Joseph for his infidelity or that she had snuck around to be with another local boy. Yet she responded to the angel's message, "Let it happen to me, just as you have said!"

She was willing to be a participant in this great story of the Savior coming to earth, not just an observer.

Joseph also had a dream where an angel came and told him what Mary had told him was true and what his role was to be. He could have chosen to say no, knowing what others would say and the accusations that would be made and the hurtful words that would be spoken. He could have said, "No way! I want nothing to do with Mary anymore! I don't want to live out the rest of my life with this huge responsibility of nurturing and caring for the Messiah. That's asking too much of me!" Yet he, too, chose to be a participator in this wonderful event, and not just an observer. And knowing human nature, I'm sure that it wasn't easy for him and Mary. They had to flee to Egypt and live for a few years. He was responsible for hearing God, obeying, and caring for his young wife and this heaven-sent baby boy.

Those shepherds, who were tending sheep on the night of Jesus' birth, could have responded in numerous ways when the angel appeared until them. Scripture says that they were afraid and filled with fear when the angel showed up. After the heavenly host of angels came and sang, "Glory to God in the highest and peace, good will, to all men," and then left, they had a decision to make. They could have said, "Hey, let's keep this quiet, because no one will ever believe us!" They could have been afraid to leave their herd of sheep, knowing if the sheep were stolen or harmed, they'd be responsible and could lose their job. Their response could have been, "Well, that was really cool! I can't wait to go home and tell my wife what happened tonight." They could have just stayed where they were and chose to be observers of the angels, then not done anything about the message. Instead, they chose to be participators. They ran to where Jesus was to see this newborn baby. They didn't stop there, but ran and told everyone they saw about what had happened. The people were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

We may not have angelic visits, but I believe that each of us have God-given opportunities to share the good news of Jesus. We have moments when God chooses to give us dreams, then reveals to us, by the Holy Spirit, what the meaning of those dreams are. We have special encounters with someone that we can look at and say, "Wow, God orchestrated that!" We have those moments when we are "in the right place, at the right time" for God to use us or help others. There are those times when someone needs a word of encouragement or hope, and God directs our steps so that our paths cross so that we can be the vessel through which He speaks. God drops it into our heart so show kindness to someone, knowing that they are hurting and need to be shown love. When those things happen, we can choose to think, "Oh that's too bad, I'm sorry that they are going through a tough time," and withdraw. We can think that we have nothing to offer and someone else would do much better at doing what we feel impressed to do or say, than we are. We can even think we're too busy or think that they wouldn't listen to us or want what we have to offer. We choose to be observers to the situations that God opens up to us.

The better choice is to choose to obey and be participants in doing whatever it is that God opens up to us. It may not look like what we have planned, but that's okay. Don't quit or think "too bad, so sad" and do nothing.

In my dream when I found out that I wasn't going to get to be in the parade, as I had intended, I still had an attitude of joy that I could participate by clapping for and yelling out words of encouragement to those who were in the parade. I wasn't going to just sit and observe, silently, but I wanted those who were participants to know that they were appreciated and to thank them for being actively involved. I was going to clap for the school bands and tell them, "Good job!" I was going to clap for the firemen who were riding on the firetrucks in the parade and tell them, "Thank you!" I was going to clap for the veterans, and tell them, "Thank you for serving!" I was going to clap for the kids riding their bikes and tell them, "Good job! I like your bikes!" I was going to clap for the people riding on the floats, telling them, "Good job making your float!" By doing that, I was participating in the parade, not merely observing.

Let's take time to be participators in life! Let's be participators in worship. Let's participate in church. Let's participate in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Let's participate by showing kindness to others. Let's participate by speaking words of encouragement and hope to those who may be hurting. Let's determine to not spend our time on earth by being observers, but participators!

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

Not that long before Jesus was born, the Israelites were feeling lost. The leaders hadn't heard from God in such a long time that they began to guess at what He wanted. They split into the Sadducees and the Pharisees. The fought each other a lot over whether the written law passed down from Moses or the oral law passed down from Moses was the real law. Mostly, they forgot that the most important part was listening for His word, and loving Him with all their hearts.

They were like a lost child wandering to and fro, trying to find their mother or trying to find their father. They forget the rule for what to do when you get lost: go where you last saw your parents (or whoever is in charge), and wait there. Trust that they, too, will come there to find you. Don't start guessing, 'Dad was headed there', or 'Mom was going there'.

We can do that in our own lives, too. When we don't hear from God in a while, we tend to start guessing how we can get back on track. We start wandering this way or that, and grasping at straws. But we can really simplify things if we stop, and remember what God told us last. Remember those times you felt God's hand in your life. Remember your love for Him, and His love for you. Go back there. The right path should be obvious from there.

I had an interesting dream the same night. At first I thought it was just silly. But maybe not.

I dreamed I was with friends or family, at a house we weren't familiar with. We were looking around, checking out the place. Someone moved a curtain, and three mice fell on me. I didn't have to catch them; they fell onto my arm and chest. They appeared to be a mother and two newborn babies. The mother was okay. One baby looked hungry, or needed a little care. The other baby appeared to be dead; we guessed stillborn.

We checked on the mother, and handed her off because she didn't need help. We took a little more time with the first baby, but when it was obviously improving, we handed it off, too. But we frantically focused on the other baby. It seemed as if it was dead, and desperately needed our help. We did one thing after another trying to revive it. We finally did.

At the same time, we sent several people around to try to find the owners of these little pets. We were sure someone loved them dearly and would want them home.

It sounds like just a silly dream. But it also goes well with Luke 19:10. Jesus said "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." He didn't come to save those who were already saved. Just as we rejoiced that the baby mouse was okay, angels rejoice when a lost soul gains life.

ON THE MENEWE:

Christmas Crack

Mix cereal, fruit and nuts (you can add a bag of cranberry pecan "salad toppers" as well or in place of).

Melt white almond bark or white chocolate melting wafers; pour over other ingredients. Mix gently to coat.

Chill and break into bite-sized chunks.

Store in airtight container.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

I encourage you to once again read, beginning at Matthew 1:18 all the way through to the end of chapter 2, as well as Luke chapters 1 and 2, during this Christmas season. Think about things from Joseph and Mary's perspective and how it would have been to be in each of their shoes during this time. Think about what they endured and their journey. Think about their faithfulness in being quick to obey the words of God, spoken through the angels. Ask yourself what your response would have been, had you been either of them. Also, honestly ask yourself what your response would have been as family, friends, or neighbors of Joseph and Mary when you found out their story. Would you have responded with accusations, gossip, or criticism? Would you have believe them? Would you have loved them, respected them, and defended them? This was a very pivotal moment that entirely changed the course of their lives. It changed the world when Jesus came to earth! Read these verses once again and let the reason we celebrate Christmas become very real to you.

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

For to us a child is born, a son will be given to us, and the government will be upon His shoulder.

His Name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, My Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:5

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org