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IT’S TIME TO DREAM April 27, 2012

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In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Acts 2:17

When he was 16, Booker T. Washington decided he wanted to go to school. The year was 1872, and for a boy born a slave, who had no idea who his white father was, this was an enormous leap of faith. He set his sights on the Hampton Institute inHampton,Virginia. With nothing but a small sack of old clothes, he started walking fromMalden,West Virginia, to the school….500 miles away.

Eventually he made it toRichmond, about 80 from the school. He worked there for a few days unloading pig iron from ships and sleeping at night on the ground under a boardwalk. Finally, he continued his journey and reached Hampton Institute.

And while his challenge of getting there was over, the task of getting admitted to the school had just begun. Seeing no reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to attend, he approached the Head Teacher and asked her to admit him right away.

Later, in his memoirs, Booker T. Washington recalled the rest of his story. “Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and change of clothing, I did not make a very favorable impression upon her, and I could see at once that there were doubts in her mind about the wisdom of admitting me as a student.”

While Booker waited anxiously for her decision, he watched as the teacher admitted several others. But, he would not let his dream die. Then one day he saw a small opportunity. Having run out of delay tactics, she said to him, “The adjoining recitation-room needs sweeping. Take the broom and sweep it.”

“It occurred to me at once that here was my chance,” he remembers. “Never did I receive an order with more delight…I swept the recitation-room three times. Then I got a dusting-cloth and I dusted it four times.” He cleaned every corner of the room, even the walls and closets.

“I had the feeling,” he continued, “that in a large measure my future depended upon the impression I made upon the teacher in the cleaning of that room. When I was through, I reported to her. She was a woman who knew just where to look for dirt. She went into the room and inspected the floor and closets: then she took her handkerchief and rubbed it on the woodwork about the walls, and over the table and benches. When she was unable to find one bit of dirt on the floor, or a particle of dust on any of the furniture, she quietly remarked, `I guess you will do to enter this institution.’

“I was one of the happiest souls on earth. The sweeping of that room was my college examination, and never did any youth pass an examination for entrance into Harvard or Yale that gave him more genuine satisfaction. I have passed several examinations since then, but I have always felt that this was the best one I ever passed.”

Not only did Booker T. Washington pass that “examination”, but he stayed on as janitor to pay expenses all through college. In June 1875 he graduated on the honor roll and as one of the commencement speakers.

Booker T. Washington was a man of faith and a dreamer who backed up both with action. What kind of dreams are coming from your faith? Remember, the greater your faith in the Lord Jesus, the greater your dreams will be. He is the maker of dreams and visions. And when you allow yourself to see through the His eyes, then you will begin to see the incredible life that awaits you.

It takes faith to dream great dreams. Because faith makes your dreams come true. And the time to take action is now.

This week’s prayer

Lord Jesus, I want to fulfill every dream you have for my life. I know that this can’t happen without you guiding me and giving me strength. Please share the vision you have for me and walk with me as we make this dream come true. Today, remind me to stand up and take action, knowing that through you all things are possible. Amen.

WILL YOU CROSS THE LINE TODAY? April 6, 2012

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As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it.
Luke 19:41

On March 3, 1836, only 183 men remained to defend The Alamo against a huge army led by Santa Anna. Two hours before dusk, the Mexican guns suddenly stopped firing. The end was near.

The Commander of The Alamo, William Travis quickly assembled his men. He told them that no reinforcements were coming. “Our doom is certain,” Travis told the tired, beaten men. Then, Travis pulled his sword from its sheath and drew a line in the dirt. He asked every man who was committed to remain in the Alamo, fight and die to cross the line.

Topley Holland was the first man to cross the line. Others quickly followed. Another man was Colonel Jim Bowie. He was very sick and unable to cross the line on his own, so he called for help. Four men carried him from his cot and lifted him over the line. On March 6, the Alamo fell. Every man within her walls died.

But, as their lives ended a great new beginning sprang forth. Because of their choice to cross the line, the Republic of Texas was born from their sacrifice.

The moment Jesus enteredJerusalemon Palm Sunday, He had crossed the line. The end was near.

This should have been the happiest single day in Jesus’ life. Yet, we read that “He wept over” the city. Why? After all, huge Passover crowds had come out to greet Him. So many people, in fact, that the Pharisees murmured, “Look! The whole world has gone after him!” Yes, when Palm Sunday began it appeared as though Jesus’ preaching ministry would be a huge success.

But Jesus knew better. He knew how disloyal the crowds would become. He knew that when He needed His people the most, they would all forsake Him and run away. This same welcoming crowds would escort Him to the Cross.  Today, they were shouting, “Hosanna!” By Friday, they were shouting, “Crucify Him!” Before this week finished, Jesus would be arrested, tried, whipped, humiliated, spat upon, cursed at, betrayed, crucified, dead, and buried.

He had crossed the line. But, as His life ended a great new beginning sprang forth.

He shed His blood for us. And now He draws a line in the sand and asks you to cross over to His side. Make no mistake, if you choose Jesus, you will need to make a very special kind of commitment. Now is the time.

As we approach Easter, will you cross the line to the Cross of Christ?

This week’s prayer

Dear Lord, I offer my eternal thanks for your Son Jesus Christ. He died for me so that I may spend eternity in your glorious presence. Please guide me so that I will not take lightly my commitment to Jesus. Help me to live a Jesus kind of sacrifice. Amen.

IT’S UP TO YOU . . . March 31, 2012

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“Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”         Luke 10:38-42

 

Have you ever felt like Martha? We all have. But, it’s important to take a close look at what she is really worried about. Martha is telling Jesus that she is not being treated fairly. She wants others to start acting differently so that she will feel better. Sound familiar?

Poor Martha wants everyone around her to change, but she is not willing to change at all.

That can be a familiar feeling. When things aren’t going our way, sometimes our first reaction is to think that we are being ignored or taken advantage of. “Why is everyone doing this to me?”

This is when you can turn to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and freedom. If you do you will find an opportunity for real peace in any tense situation. But, you must take responsibility for changing yourself before trying to change anyone else, especially if you are asking for divine grace to help you. You see, while the Lord will help you deal with you, He alone will deal with everyone else.

And when you allow the presence of Jesus to have absolute first place in your heart, I guarantee amazing things will happen in your life! That is because God is so creative He can lead you to life-changing thoughts, decisions, and actions. This will do far more than just resolve a particular situation; it will bring healing, freedom, and even deliverance.

Be assured that your love and compassion for others will always replace your fuming over be slighted by them. Yes, if you call upon Him, God’s own divine wisdom will lead you to make changes in you and how you deal with everyone else in your life. He may even reveal how you played a key role in creating whatever problems you face . . . along with a way out of the mess!

But, no matter what the Spirit reveals to you, you will find your faith and trust in Jesus deepening. And as you experience His power to change your heart, His grace will flow out of you, helping everyone around you to experience that very same healing, freedom, and lasting joy.

          TODAY’S PRAYER

Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator,

true source of light and fountain of wisdom!

Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect,

dissipate the darkness which covers me,

that of sin and of ignorance.

Grant me a penetrating mind to understand,

a retentive memory,

method and ease in learning,

the lucidity to comprehend,

and abundant grace in expressing myself.

Guide the beginning of my work,

direct its progress,

and bring it to successful completion.

This I ask through Jesus Christ,

true God and true man,

living and reigning with You

and the Father, forever and ever.

Amen.

St. Thomas Aquinas

A LIFE OF JOY March 28, 2012

Posted by Raymond Bechard in Bible, Christ, Devotion, Devotional, Devotions, evangelism, Jesus, Lord, Meditation, Motivation, Praise, Prayer, Raymond Bechard, redemption, renewal, salvation, Worship.
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“The Seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash. Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you. However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’ In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure.'”      Luke 10:17-21

Centuries ago, St. Francis was a wealthy man who gave up everything to live a life of self-imposed poverty, suffering and service. Yet, he celebrated with great joy each and every day of his life! In fact, nothing separated him from the joy he found in the Lord. Even we he faced rejection by his family, or hardships among his friends, or poverty, his life remained a song of praise and thanksgiving!

How? St. Francis understood the real reason that Jesus rejoiced when his disciples returned from their successful preaching tour. Remember, these were simple fishermen and tax gatherers who had just performed miraculous healings and cast out fearsome demons all across Israel. But, like children whose boundless energy needs to be channeled in the right direction, Jesus had to make the disciples recognize where their joy truly lay. So He made it very clear that no matter what incredible deeds they performed or power they had commanded, nothing compared with the fact that their names were written in heaven.

Then Jesus brings the disciples, and all of us, even further into this journey of joy. He continues by demonstrating the kind of rejoicing that should be expressed by His followers. He says, “Thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants.”

Jesus is rejoicing in the Holy Spirit because “infants” like us had opened their hearts to the Father’s love and all of heaven was opening to receive them. It is exactly this experience of an opened heaven that is meant to move you and me to exuberant praise and rejoicing as well. Yes! Knowing that God has you in the palm of his hand will lead you to a whole life of joy!

At this very moment, be opened to God’s joyous revelation in your heart. Allow yourself to experience the very tangible potential and power of your life as God sees it in Heaven. When you open your heart to the open doors of heaven, you will find yourself rejoicing in the beauty of the sunrise, the face of a newborn child or in the loving relationships surrounding you.

If you allow yourself to see your name written in heaven, this will be the most joyous moment in your life. It will change your life forever. And that joy will never end.

This Week’s Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me rejoice in the love you pour out upon me. May I live my life in exuberant praise as you surround me with your presence. Show me through your Holy Spirit that my name is written in your heavenly kingdom. And remind me to be ever thankful for the blessings you have provided me. Amen.

How To Make The Biggest Decision Of Your Life March 2, 2012

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Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God’s will
entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.
1 Peter 4.19

There is a remarkable story of a newspaper editor who was told that a storm had caused a high-tension wire to fall across the street in the middle of the business district of town. He assigned two reporters to the story. The editor sent them out, saying: “No one knows whether the wire is live or not, so I want you to cooperate–one of you touch it and the other write the story. The choice is yours!”

Captain Peter Townsend, was a dashing World War II fighter pilot inBritain’s Royal Air Force. After the war, he and Princess Margaret, sister to the current Queen Elizabeth ofEngland, fell in love. By the early 1950’s, the two were engaged to be married.

But, Princess Margaret had a choice to make. You see, Townsend had been previously married and divorced, and the royal family along with the British establishment did not approve of the marriage. Margaret could marry him only if she gave up her title, her money and her place in the line of succession to the throne.

And so it was on October 31, 1955 that Princess Margaret announced to the world that she would not marry Captain Townsend. Further, the much-decorated war ace was banished from the palace and assigned to a diplomatic post inBrussels. “She could have married me,” Capt. Townsend wrote in his 1978 autobiography, “only if she had been prepared to give up everything, her position, her prestige, her privy purse. I simply hadn’t the weight, I knew it, to counterbalance all she would have lost.”

You will face many choices in the day’s ahead. True, you may never have to choose who picks up an electrical wire or between true love and a throne, but you still have choices. What value and weight will you put on the things of this world, stature, prestige and money? What will you give up to follow the will of God? It’s all up to you, but you do have help. Jesus wants to assist you in every decision. He wants to guide you to your best options and your most joyous future! Don’t turn away. Whatever it takes, and yes, it may take a lot, choose to spend your life with the King whose crown will never diminish or fade away!

Today’s prayer

Lord Jesus, I need your guidance in the days ahead. Stand with me when the moment of decision comes. Let me stand by you in all things. Guide me in all my decisions, large and small, so that I may glorify you in all I do. Amen.

THE DEAD OF WINTER February 2, 2012

Posted by Raymond Bechard in Bible, Christ, Devotion, Devotional, Devotions, evangelism, Jesus, Lord, Meditation, Motivation, Praise, Prayer, Raymond Bechard, redemption, renewal, salvation, Worship.
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“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion?” Job 38:31

Seasons. As surely as spring follows winter and fall follows summer the seasons roll by. It has been this way since God created the world. In the ancient days of the Bible, it was absolutely necessary for farmers of those times to determine the current season in order to reap the greatest amount of healthy crops. Back then, without written calendars, farmers focused on the positions of constellations in the night sky to determine the changing seasons. The brilliance or dimness of stars in the heavens depended on the earth’s orbit and the locale of the observer. Farmers counted on knowing the times of the seasons in order to know when to sow and when to harvest.

While Job, a farmer among other things, is suffering with all his recent struggles and battles, God explains to him what’s happening. God asks him, “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion?” He is asking Job if he has the slightest ability to alter the position of the stars in the sky. God is making the point that what is impossible for Job is easy for God. But, He was also indicating something else.

In a subtle way God is letting Job know that seasons come and seasons go. When did Orion’s stars shone brightest to the farmers where Job lived? January and February. The winter. Certainly, Job was going through the winter of his life. It couldn’t get any worse for him. The Lord was telling Job that he cannot quicken the days of winter. Job could do nothing to alter this winter season. He had to go through it, just like you and I in our day-to-day lives. Sometimes it is winter and winter is just long, dark and cold

But what inevitably follows winter? Yes, spring! The stars of Pleiades shine brightest in mid April, the new days of spring. God asked Job if he could “bind . . . Pleiades.”  To bind something is to keep it from coming about, or hinder it. God was asking Job if he could keep the stars of spring from shining. Of course not! No one can stop a new day dawning!

Everyday, I speak with people going through tough times. I remind them that they will face all the seasons of life if they live long enough. It’s just a matter of understanding that seasons come and the seasons go. You can’t let difficulties destroy you. You just have to make it to spring time, or to morning, or to home. When you’re in the middle of the winter, look ahead to the spring because the spring is coming. Remember that life has its cycles as surely as the stars shine in the heavens. You can’t hurry through a season nor cut it short.

And don’t forget that you can sip hot chocolate by a fire in the winter! That’s right, because it is often in winter that you are closest to God. As the seasons change, allow these thoughts to remind you that God is the One who brings about the changes and He will absolutely bring you through each season in victory!

Today’s Prayer

Lord, thank you for the changing seasons and for seeing me through each one. Winter, spring, summer, fall – I know you are with me to sustain and guide me through. If it is your will, allow me to be the springtime in someone’s life. For surely, there is someone nearby who is feeling the icy chill of winter’s frost on their soul. Let your love so shine through me. Amen.

THE GREATEST FAITH IN THE WORLD January 19, 2012

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Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

Ephesians 3:8-9

In 1910 a very soft spoken woman named Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born in Skopje, today the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. From the beginning it looked like Agnes was going to have a very mediocre life. Then she decided to become a Roman Catholic nun. That’s when her life got much more interesting – and complex.

From the moment she devoted her life to God, Agnes faced a very serious problem, one that she would hide from the world for the rest of her life. This note, which she wrote to a friend many years ago – revealed only after her death – illustrates the terrible problem Agnes faced. “I call, I cling, I want – and there is no One to answer – no One on Whom I can cling – no, No One. Alone. Where is my Faith? Even deep down right in there is nothing, but emptiness and darkness. My God. How painful is this unknown pain. I have no Faith. I dare not utter the words and thoughts that crowd in my heart and make me suffer untold agony. I am told God loves me, and yet the reality of darkness and coldness and emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul.”

This poor woman had lost her faith, yet she pressed in her work to save people in poverty and bring them to the Lord. Was her crisis of faith temporary? No, from her letters she questioned her faith and the presence of Jesus in her life for over 50 years, even until her death in 1997.

Again, it made no difference to the life of service Agnes chose. At the time of her death the Order of nuns she built had over 4,000 sisters, an associated brotherhood of 300 priests, and over 100,000 lay volunteers, operating 610 missions in 123 countries. These included hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children’s and family counseling programs, orphanages, and schools.

Yet, along with having won the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa had lost her faith.

Have you ever felt alone, abandoned, even by God? Have you ever questioned your faith? Let me tell you something, and it may be the most important thing you learn in a long time; we all have trouble with faith sometimes. It all seems to go away from us. It is normal, even for those great saints like Mother Teresa. Yet, I do not find her agony of faith troubling. On the contrary, it is an inspiration to me! This little woman changed the world and saved millions of lives all in God’s Name and for the glory and honor of Jesus.

You see, it didn’t matter to her what she thought about God. Through it all she understood that it only mattered what God wants for us. Never take your eyes off the fact that God loves you and everyone else in the world. Never forget that no matter what you think of Jesus today or for the next 50 years, you can still serve Him to your dying breath.

Because serving Him is loving Him – and that is the greatest faith of all.

This Week’s Prayer

Jesus, my own Jesus, I do not know what to say, but do with me whatever You wish, as You wish, as long as you wish. If this brings You glory, if souls are brought to You, with joy I accept all to the end of my life. Amen.

Mother Teresa

YOUR ANGEL STORY December 17, 2011

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So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.    
Acts 12:5-10

I love this story of Peter’s deliverance, because I love angel stories. Almost every day someone sends me a story of a personal miracle; some incredible angelic intervention that changed their life. Yes, angels are very real They are God’s helpers and messengers. The Bible and our reality is filled with their incredible stories and adventures.

During the Christmas season, we often hear the story of the angel who appeared to Mary and told her that she would have a son called Jesus. Joseph was also visited by an angel who told him what his role would be in this world-changing event. After Jesus was born, another group of angels appeared to the Wise Men, as well as to a group of very surprised Bethlehem shepherds.

Today Christmas angels are alive and well, appearing just in time to help save or comfort us. They appear in many ways, but their mission never changes; they are here to help us in times of great need.

One of my own Angel stories is not that different than many others. Years ago I was driving home very late one night after a long day of work and some last minute Christmas shopping. The road was very dark and I was very tired. I was fighting to keep my eyes open and I was losing the fight. After dozing for only a second, the steering wheel was torn out of my hands and pulled sharply to the left. The sudden movement woke me out of my dangerous slumber as I grabbed the wheel. Just then I passed a parked car in the breakdown lane. I missed it by inches. I had fallen asleep at the wheel, drifted into the emergency lane and was headed directly at that car. In that one, life-saving moment, an Angel was driving my car – and probably saved my life.

What is your angel story? You probably need only a minute to remember that one moment in your life when something unexplained happened; when someone seemed to be helping you – maybe even saving you.

Yes, I love angel stories and I want to hear yours. Please tell us your angel story by responding in the Comment Section below with all the details. It’s time we spread the miracles!

This Week’s Prayer
Dear Lord, I know your angels are all around us. And I know I need them more than ever. Yes, Lord, I need an angel. But, most of all, I need the love and grace of Your Son, Jesus, through whom all things are made new again. Amen.

THE WINNING MOVE . . . December 11, 2011

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She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Matthew 1.21-25

Years ago, an irritated journalist wrote a column about his experience trying to navigate his way through a crowded store. “Hurry as we may,” he wrote, “we are hemmed in by a surging crowd in front and a dense throng of people pressing in from the rear. One man digs his elbow into me, another carelessly hit me with a pole; one bangs my head with a plant. You can be considered foolish and thoughtless if you go out without your will made!” Sounds like a typical Christmas shopping trip at the mall, doesn’t it? Later, the columnist complains about the economic stresses of modern day life by writing that “here you may pay a big rent for a miserable house and everyone dresses above their means.” His frustrated insight is certainly shared by many of us.

The most fascinating element to these observations is that they are from the Roman writer, Juvenal, who lived from A.D. 60 to 140, just after the time of Jesus. Apparently, human nature hasn’t changed very much in at least 2000 years. Yet, while humanity often has a selfish and sinful heart, Christ can change us. In fact, He initiated that change in all of us long ago. Whether or not you choose to see it, that change can take place any time.

More recently, Benjamin Garrison, a Christian writer, found himself desperately trying to win a game of chess he was playing against his computer. His computerized opponent had made a brilliant, winning move several minutes before; a move Garrison had not seen. The computer let him continue making his moves, some good, others quite bad. And all along the computer was moving toward its own inevitable victory.

This is the just like the change God made with the birth of His Son, Jesus. Twenty centuries ago God made the decisive, but mostly unnoticed, move of sending Christ into the world. That move secured His victory . . . and ours. That move guaranteed the outcome. Meanwhile, He allows us the freedom to go on making our moves on the chess-board of life, some good, others incredibly bad.

And while we struggle on, God is calling us to join Him on the winning side. That is the simple message of Christmas. God has not forgotten you and me, His people. It is with Him that our nature can change forever. Jesus is the only winning move!

This week’s prayer
Lord Jesus, I don’t want to keep going on the same path. This Christmas, I don’t want to hurry about through life, ignoring and forgetting all the things that matter. I don’t want to live without you any longer. Your Son Jesus came into our world to save me. I know He is reaching out His hand right now to take hold of my life. Please give me the strength and will to take His hand and join the Victory of Christ! Amen.

THE CHRISTMAS STORY CONTINUES December 8, 2011

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“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:20

The Christmas story is a beautiful tale of love and family; a true inspiration for all of humanity. Yet, the most extraordinary part of this story is that it continues today in all our lives.

Take a moment and consider the people you encounter each day. Among your neighbors, co-workers, friends and family perhaps there is a man whose second marriage is not going well; a young man having profound doubts about his career; a woman who is waiting for test results from her doctor; or a family in debt is trying to find their way out of a devastating financial crisis.

Why am I telling you this during such a joyous time of year? Because Christmas has always been about people in trouble. It began with an unplanned pregnancy to an unwed couple who were on the road with very little money. They had no place to stay, so the teenage mother gave birth in a barn surrounded by farmers and their animals. For the baby to rest, the young couple could only place him in a feeding trough. And this was only the beginning of their troubles!

Remember, the story of Christmas is not just about the Christ Child in the manger. Like the stories of our lives, it is filled with plot twists, unpredictable characters and lots of surprise endings! And through it all – through the clamor and confusion of our everyday lives – we hear the call of God. Like the angels singing out to the shepherds, it is a glorious call bringing common men and almighty God into fellowship again. It is a call of forgiveness, hope and love.

Let there be no doubt. It is time we receive that call! And whatever challenges you are facing in your life right now, this is where your story can be rewritten with a magnificent new direction!

This week’s prayer
Lord Jesus, I hear your call. I know the story of my life has many complications and surprises to come. Please be with me as my story’s central character. Guide me and lead me today and every day as I answer your Great Call on my life. Amen.