Where You'll Find Me

“And [Jesus] said to them, ‘Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?’” (Luke 2:49)

The above verse (and passage to which it belongs) is the only record of the life of Christ in the Gospels from the time He’s two years old to the time He’s thirty. And what an unusual record it is! One of the things I find most interesting about this story, beyond that Mary and Joseph lose Jesus like they do, but that they, of all people, wouldn’t know where to look to find Him! Sure, hindsight is 20/20. And so I can sit here in judgment of our Lord’s parents. It’s so very easy because I have all the facts. Of course, the Son of God would be in His Father’s house. Shame on you, Mary and Joseph! That’s where I would have looked! While removing my tongue from my cheek, the thought and question came to my mind as I was considering this story: Where might it be that, if people were looking for one of us, let’s just say, like Jesus’ parents were Him - where might they go to find us and they’d know we’d be there for sure? “Oh yeah, he’s over watching his boy play Little League Baseball on Saturday afternoons.” Or, “She bowls every Tuesday night with the ladies. That’s where you’ll find her. She never misses.” Or, “They always go out on a date as a couple once a month to dinner. It’s Perko’s tonight.” And each of these are good places to be found. Don’t get me wrong. But what about being found in the presence of God like where Jesus was? When people think of us do they think of our devotion to the Lord, too, or do they just see us like everybody else in the world? My heart’s cry (and I know it’s yours, also) is to have God filling the place in my life that He filled in Christ’s life. Amen? And not just because I’m a Pastor. But just because He saved my soul. “Don’t you know you’ll find Mike (fill in your name) in His Father’s house?”

Peace via the Prince of Peace

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us . . . And His name will be called . . . Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Your heart can’t help but break watching Israeli troops earlier this past week uprooting fellow Jews from their homes in the Gaza Strip. It’s all been a part of an effort to bring about peace in a region of the world marred by violence. But will this move produce the intended effects? Will Palestinian extremists finally cease their terrorist ways and live peaceably with their Jewish neighbors? I don’t profess to be a Middle East expert (I read Hal Lindsey, however!), but it’s not hard to answer: “No.” After all, Israel has been doing this kind of thing (giving up land for peace) for years and it hasn’t worked yet. Why would it now? No, my friends. Peace will not come via this Gaza Strip pullout. Nor will it come via that person (the Antichrist) who will sign a peace treaty with Israel in the very near future (Dan. 9:27). No, real peace for Israel will only come when God’s people (the Jews) open their hearts to the Messiah (the Lord Jesus Christ). He came the first time and they didn’t recognize Him. He is coming a second time and they will recognize Him. And finally there will be peace in the Middle East when the Prince of Peace arrives on this earth, beloved. He is near!

Relief for the Weary

What kind of weight is on your shoulders today? Are you carrying a heavy load or a light one? You know, even the best of us can feel weighted down in life. And there are even times when we just can’t seem to figure out why. The next time you find this happening to you, don’t forget what Jesus said...

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

As a believer, you don’t need to continue walking around feeling all-weighted down because Christ is near and He wants to help lighten your load. As someone once said, “God’s just a prayer away.” So call out to Him today and He’ll lift your burdens.

A Blessing for You

In Genesis chapter 12, God makes the following statement to Abraham: “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great.” (Genesis 12:2abc) Now for some people it might be easier to think that God would bless a great man like Abraham rather than a lesser person like them. (Do you think like that?) This mindset can be tied to how a person was treated when they were growing up. Maybe they were overshadowed by a brighter brother or sister who drew all the attention. Or maybe they were just plain neglected either physically or emotionally, etc. Whatever the underlying issue, a thought pattern that says, “God wants to bless others, but not me,” can be a hard one to break. But God does want to bless you, my friend! It wasn’t because Abraham was such a great man that God chose to bless him. The Lord is no respecter of persons. He treats everyone the same. The man or woman who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ in any generation has put themselves in God’s sights to receive His blessings. Don’t you ever forget it! The Lord’s looking to bless someone. And that someone happens to be you!