The purpose of life

The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."  John 12:25-28

At this particular time in His ministry, Jesus is predicting His suffering, His agony, His death. He knows what is to come and He is human. The humanity in Him shudders at the thought of His upcoming sacrifice and His soul is troubled. He clearly recognizes the two choices that lay before Him: “hate” His life and become a living sacrifice for all humanity or “love” His life and fail to glorify the Father and save the human race. This battle within Him troubles His soul.

Rarely in Scripture does it portray Jesus as having a heart that is troubled for Himself. Yet here, He is weighing the most important decision He will ever make...to go forward with the Father’s plan and suffer more than any man on earth has ever suffered or turn back in self-preservation. His prayers reveal the two options that He had, appeal to Father God to save Him or appeal to Father God for His name to be glorified. 

I believe that God would have answered either prayer. He would have saved Jesus from  the upcoming death if self-preservation had been Jesus’ choice. God would also cause His name to be glorified if that was the choice Jesus made. Praise God for all time that Jesus chose the second path...to glorify the Father and make a way for eternal relationship with Himself for the entire human race. 

These prayers of Jesus parallel the choices Jesus’ followers must make today. We can “love” our life, holding fast to any security, safety, and ease that it affords us...focused entirely on self-preservation. Or we can “hate” our lives, holding all that we have in open hands, trusting Father God to give and take as He deems best, focused on glorifying God above all else. And just as it was for Jesus, this choice can cause our hearts to be troubled. 

As His followers who desire to walk in obedience and be used by the Lord to bring others to Him, we must understand what Jesus said: “it was for this very reason I came to this hour.” Just like Jesus, there is a reason, a purpose, for each of us. God could have taken each of us to Heaven as soon as we accepted Jesus as our Savior, but He did not because each of us has a purpose on this earth. 

Our purpose is to glorify the Lord and point others to Him. We are His ambassadors, His representatives, His hands and feet to a lost and dying world. Our purpose is much greater than ourselves and our purpose requires that we lose ourselves in the bigger picture of God and His Kingdom plan. 

I can only speak for myself. I must make the same choice that Jesus made...to save my life for my sake or lose my life for His sake. This decision is not made once but time and again, day after day. And just like with Jesus, it will cause my heart to be troubled as my sinful, selfish human nature battles against the Holy Spirit’s guidance within me. 

As I choose to lose my life for His sake and continue to ask God to glorify His name with my life regardless of the short term outcome, the future becomes less clear. By not holding on to the “American Dream” lifestyle but instead, putting the future in His hands, uncertainty abounds. Where I will live, the relative safety and security of my life, what I will do with my time...all of this is uncertain. It is an adventure into unchartered territory. It brings to mind the words of a song by one of my favorite singers, Steven Curtis Chapman: 

Saddle up your horses we've got a trail to blaze

Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace

Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown

This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure

We blaze a new trail into the glorious unknown when we follow the Lord. Life isn’t predictable, it isn’t safe, it isn’t easy, but it is so very glorious. And, after all, that is what we were created for and the only place we will find true beauty, happiness, joy and eternal peace...when we live out the purpose that God has for our lives. Jesus made that choice and with His help, we too can make it each and every day. 

Adoption is God's heart - Katie from Uganda

Katie and her girls

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. 

James 1:27

I have blogged about Katie from Uganda before. You can read about her at Katie in Uganda and More From Auntie Katie in Uganda. She is a young American woman whose heart has been impacted by God for the poor and orphans of Uganda. She has adopted 14 little girls and committed her life to sharing Christ and meeting the needs of the people in Uganda. 

Below is a recent blog from her website Amazima. I pray it will be a blessing to you. 

Teenagers and a lesson from Jacob.

I come to you humbly asking for prayer. Especially for my three oldest daughters, and for wisdom for me! All mommas know it: teenagers are hard. Three teenage girls are harder. Three teenage girls from different tribes and cultures and pasts trying to live together in one bedroom are harder still.

In an effort to be real, I want to tell you. Adoption is wonderful and beautiful and the greatest blessing I have ever experienced. Adoption is also HARD and painful. Adoption of older children is a beautiful picture of redemption. It is the GOSPEL in my living room. And some times, it just stinks.

As a parent, it stinks to not know when your daughter took her first steps or what her first word was or what she looked like in Kindergarten. It stinks not to know where she slept and whose shoulder she cried on and what the scar on her eyebrow is from. It stinks to know that for ten years of her precious life you were NOT the shoulder she cried on or the Mommy she hugged.

As a child, it stinks to remember your biological parents’ death, no matter how much you love your new Mom. It stinks to have your mom be a different color than you because, inevitably, people are going to ask why. It stinks that your Mom wasn’t there for all the times you had no dinner and all the times you were sick and all the times you needed help with your homework. It stinks when you have to make up your birthday. It skinks when you can’t understand the concept of being a family forever because your first family wasn’t forever.

And every single day, it is worth it. Because ADOPTION IS GOD’S HEART. He sets the lonely in families. Adoption is the reason that I can come before God’s throne and beg Him for mercy, because He predestined me to be adopted as His child through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

My family, adopting these children, it is not optional. It is not my good deed for the day, it is not what I am doing to “help these poor kids out.” I adopt because God commands me to care for the orphans and the widows in their distress. I adopt because to whom much has been given, much will be demanded. I adopt because whoever finds his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for HIS sake will find it.

Some days, my friends, it is not easy. Today, it is not easy. The HURT in my daughters’ hearts is big and real and as their mother, I want to fix it and know that I CAN’T. So I lay it at the feet of my Father and rejoice to know that if we are children, then we are heirs - of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings - in order that we may also share in His glory. And I call out to the Holy Spirit knowing that He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for us.

A sweet friend pointed me yesterday to Genesis Chapter 33. Esau and Jacob are meeting for the first time in a long time. As Jacob approaches Esau, with his many children following close behind, Esau asks, “ And who are these with you?”

Jacob’s reply: “These are the children that the Lord saw fit to bless me with.”

We get all the questions. “Why do you do it?” “Why so many?” “How in the world…” “Why these specific girls?” “Why the number 14?” “Do you think it's ok to adopt as a single Mother? Don’t they need a father too?” “Do you think they will have issues since you are not the same race?” We also get the compliments. “I don’t know how you do it!” “Good job!” “You must be so responsible!” “Your girls must be so well behaved.” We get crazy stares and huge smiles and every look in between.

Adoption is beautiful. Adoption is hard. Adoption is the Gospel of Christ and the promise of God’s love and redemption lived out in our lives. So I ask for your prayers. Prayers for understanding and peace and trust and the power of God that is more than all I can ask or imagine. And to the questions and the comments and the compliments, this is my reply: “These are the children that the Lord saw fit to bless me with.”

Jesse Tree - humble and believing worship

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."  

Luke 2:6-7

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."  

Luke 2:10-14

Christmas Eve: Jesus; Luke 2:1-20; Symbol - Manger

The birth of Jesus...the God of the Universe come down to us, taking off His royalty and putting on human flesh, leaving behind all His glory to be born as the son of poor, humble parents. Heralded by thousands of angels, worshipped by lowly shepherds, lulled to sleep by the sounds of the animals He had so lovingly created. 

Can we begin to comprehend what happened that night? The moment that God took His first human breath? The moment that He first saw the world He had created through human eyes. The realization that the capacity to love, which He had placed in each human being, was now being poured out on Him by His earthly mother and father. 

What joy God must have felt! 

He had felt the sting of rejection and death with that first rebellious bite of fruit in the garden. His heart was heavy when He commanded Adam and Eve to leave the Garden, when He shut up Noah and his family in the ark, when He brought down the fire of judgment on demon-worshipping peoples. 

But now, finally, His plan was being set into motion. He was here! Here on earth to show the people He had created, His infinite love. No longer would He rely on prophets to tell them. Instead, He would tell them in person,,,in person. Oh blessed Heavenly Father, what You did for us is too great for words!!!

Yet, You did use words...the words of the angels..thousands and thousands of angels -  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." 

"They sang of Christ, and the salvation which he came into this world to work out. And what they said of this salvation was this: they said, first, that it gave glory to God; secondly, that it gave peace to man; and, thirdly, that it was a token of God's good will towards the human race.

There had been no peace on earth since Adam fell. But, now, when the newborn King made his appearance, the swaddling band with which he was wrapped up was the white flag of peace. That manger was the place where the treaty was signed, whereby warfare should be stopped between man's conscience and himself, man's conscience and his God...Do you not feel my brethren, that the gospel of God is peace to man? Where else can peace be found, but in the message of Jesus?...And what a peace it is, beloved! It is peace like a river, and righteousness like the waves of the sea. It is the peace of God that passeth all understanding, which keeps our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God has good will toward man for He gave His Son. No greater proof of kindness between the Creator and His subjects can possibly be afforded than when the Creator gives His only begotten and well beloved Son to die." Taken from a sermon delivered on Sabbath Morning, December 20, 1857, by 

the Reverend Charles H, Spurgeon.

May that be our prayer this Christmas Eve, as we gaze upon the baby in the manger...Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. And may this prayer be not only for our family and friends but for all the world. 

Lord Jesus, just as You were born into a manager so long ago, may You be born into the hearts of men, women and children throughout the world tonight!

The above commentary on Luke is part of a 4-week Advent Reflection for the Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree is similar to an advent calendar. Every day you will read a Bible passage to your child(ren), discuss what it means to them in personal terms and color an ornament to hang on your Jesse Tree. A fuller description of this can be found at The Jesse Tree

When you are finished today, you might want to discuss how Christmas is about giving much more than getting. One way that your family can give is through their daily prayers. This might be a good time to pray for a specific country or for a group of people who do not know about Jesus. Today, over 2 billion people, 1/3 of the earth's population, have never heard the Gospel message. Please pray that hearts throughout the world tonight, will be touched, perhaps for the first time, by the love, goodwill and peace of Jesus, their Savior. 

Two great websites to help you do this are:

Unreached of the Day

Operation World  go to Featured Nation and click on Country Profile

Some of the churches in Charleston that are using a Jesse Tree as part of their Advent celebration are: Charleston Sanctuary

Allison Creek Presbyterian Church

Good Shepherd Catholic Church

St Luke's Lutheran Church

Grace Episcopal Church

Jesse Tree - humble and believing worship

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:10-12

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them...The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.  

Luke 2:16-19, 20

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

Matthew 2:11

Thursday: Shepherds & Magi; Luke 2:8-20; Matt 2:1-12; Symbol - Star 

"The only class of people considered lower than shepherds were thieves. Even Gentiles were afforded more respect...I (the angel Gabriel) found myself baffled by God's logic. Were the plan mine, I would have roused the sleeping world by trumpeting the birth of the Messiah in the Temple and in the royal courts. I would have engaged the important people in welcoming the new King to earth...But not God. 

He said, 'I will announce the birth of the Savior only to those who care to know it, only to those looking for a savior. Those who want a king to lead them into battle or a leader to make them rich will not know what to do with My Anointed One. If the rich and the learned and the powerful care to find Him, they will have no trouble. I have made the time and place of His birth known to all mankind for many centuries," taken from A Bethlehem Christmas by Charles R. Swindoll

God is so good and so different from the way we operate. The very first people he told, after the birth of Jesus, were young, poor, looked-down-upon shepherds. Maybe equivalent in our day to telling a bunch of migrant workers or the homeless. "Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these 'nobodies' to expose the hollow pretensions of the 'somebodies,'" 1 Corinthians 1:28 (The Message). But these were people who were searching for Him. People who had  much time on their hands to pray, little of earth's worldly possessions to distract them and desire in their hearts to know Him. 

For an instant, the veil between Heaven and earth was removed and they got a peek into Heaven to see the glory of the angels as they celebrated the Messiah's birth. What a moment! What a privilege! 

"On the eastern side of the Arabian desert...a cloister of Magi preserved the traditions of the Babylonian and Persian astrologers. As they looked into the western sky, high above the horizon, a new light triggered a memory...Daniel's calculations...a king! But not just any king. The King of the Jews. A King who would eventually rule the world...They travelled more than three months to see the new King and when they found Him, they did something extraordinary. They fell down on their faces and worshipped!" taken from A Bethlehem Christmas by Charles R. Swindoll

Foreigners, learned scholars, wise, intelligent men. Eager to find the one, true King. So sure of Daniel's ancient prophecies, confirmed by "a star in the east," that they bow down before a small child and hail Him as the King of Kings. And their gifts...gold to honor a King, frankincense in recognition of Christ's role as our ultimate priest and intercessor before God and myrrh to signify the suffering and death that Christ would undergo for us. 

May we, like the shepherds, humble ourselves before God, truly seek Him with ready hearts and may we, like the wise men, believe His Biblical promises and bow down before Him in worship. 

What can I give Him,  Poor as I am! 

If I were a shepherd I would bring Him a lamb, 

If I were a wise man I would do my part,

Yet what I can I give Him, I'll give Him my heart.

from the song In the Bleak Midwinter

The above commentary on Matthew is part of a 4-week Advent Reflection for the Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree is similar to an advent calendar. Every day you will read a Bible passage to your child(ren), discuss what it means to them in personal terms and color an ornament to hang on your Jesse Tree. A fuller description of this can be found at The Jesse Tree

When you are finished today, you might want to discuss how Christmas is about giving much more than getting. One way that your family can give is through their daily prayers. This might be a good time to pray for a specific country or for a group of people who do not know about Jesus. Today, over 2 billion people, 1/3 of the earth's population, have never heard the Gospel message. Please pray that hearts, like the shepherds, will be ready to hear the Good News about Jesus and that they, like the wise men, will trust in the message of God's love for them. 

Two great websites to help you do this are:

Unreached of the Day

Operation World  go to Featured Nation and click on Country Profile

Some of the churches in Charleston that are using a Jesse Tree as part of their Advent celebration are: Charleston Sanctuary

Allison Creek Presbyterian Church

Good Shepherd Catholic Church

St Luke's Lutheran Church

Grace Episcopal Church

Jesse Tree - Joseph, a father's heart

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "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."

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"which means, "God with us."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.  Matthew 1:18-25

Wednesday: Joseph; Matthew 1:18-25; Symbol - Carpenter's Hammer

Joseph, adopted father of Jesus...what was he like? Strong, brave, trusting, righteous, gentle...I've always felt a tenderness toward Joseph. 

He's not mentioned very often in the Bible, but the few times that he is, those instances show his inner character. His kindness and love for Mary when he planned to divorce her quietly rather than stone her; his trust in the Lord after the angel spoke to him; his protection of Mary and Jesus throughout their journey to Bethlehem, the birth, their journey to Egypt and then the final journey to Nazareth and the time with Jesus at the temple.

Through all this, Joseph stands out as a man of quiet strength, integrity, trust in God and love for his family. Just what God was looking for when He chose the man who would be the earthly father to Jesus. 

I could say more but I think the words to these two songs say it so much better. Please take a few minutes to listen to them and reflect on who Joseph was. 

Joseph's Song by Michael Card

Joseph's Lullaby  by Mercy Me

Joseph had a father's heart. And he held the Father's heart, in his arms, that night so long ago. May we marvel, once again, at the wonder of God come to earth, into a family, into the arms of a humble carpenter from Nazareth. Praise You Lord for Your plan and for Your love. 

The above commentary on Matthew is part of a 4-week Advent Reflection for the Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree is similar to an advent calendar. Every day you will read a Bible passage to your child(ren), discuss what it means to them in personal terms and color an ornament to hang on your Jesse Tree. A fuller description of this can be found at The Jesse Tree

When you are finished today, you might want to discuss how Christmas is about giving much more than getting. One way that your family can give is through their daily prayers. This might be a good time to pray for a specific country or for a group of people who do not know about Jesus. Today, over 2 billion people, 1/3 of the earth's population, have never heard the Gospel message. Please pray that hearts will be ready to hear the Good News about Jesus and that they, like Joseph, will trust in the message of God's love for them. 

Two great websites to help you do this are:

Unreached of the Day

Operation World  go to Featured Nation and click on Country Profile

Some of the churches in Charleston that are using a Jesse Tree as part of their Advent celebration are: Charleston Sanctuary

Allison Creek Presbyterian Church

Good Shepherd Catholic Church

St Luke's Lutheran Church

Grace Episcopal Church