Meet Jesus : Receiver of Gifts Matthew 2:11

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Matthew 2:11: And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Abundant living is a promise of  Jesus.  He comes to give us life and life more abundantly.  The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  Jesus brings abundance.  In that abundance is our capacity to respond in giving to Him.  He is never embarrassed in receiving.  He is a receiver of gifts as well as a giver of abundance.  Abundance is the capacity to give.

ACT!  Give to Jesus.  You may not have gold or frankincense, but you have something.  It may be finances for the kingdom.  It may be an ability that will bless the kingdom.  Give out of your abundance.

PRAY!  Father of Giving, You have enabled me with more than I need.  Jesus told me that when I give to the least, I have given to him.  Show me where to give of myself of Your abundance.

copyright 2001 Phil Larson

Meet Jesus: Escape From Trouble Matthew 2:13

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Matthew 2:13: And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14: When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

 When trouble arises, Jesus is an escape artist.  He is totally able to get us to a place of escape and safety.  That’s necessary sometimes.  Sometimes facing the issue won’t help.  Sometimes trying to bring the trouble under rule won’t help.  Sometimes we need a place of escape.  Sometimes we need Jesus to take us to a place to let trouble blow over.  Then we can go back.

 ACT! Trouble comes in many forms.  Do you need escape from one form or another?  Take time to listen to God.  Where is Egypt for your trouble?  Where can you wait it out until it passes?

PRAY! Father, troubles surround us every day.  You know all my troubles.  You know the ones I can face and conquer.  You know the ones I can give over to the  governance of Jesus.  You know the ones that need a place of escape.  Show me the difference.  Guide me.

copyright  Phil Larson 2001

What does a smile do? Una Sonrisa por ti.

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ImageMornings are special.  Before facebook and twitter, it is my prayer time.  With such tools, I get to look from the eyes of friends around the world at what they see.  My life is bigger by being involved more intimately in their lives.  Sure, there is much time in the day living with those right here.  And my  life is bigger with those whom I can’t be right there.

The more lives we have in our life, the bigger our health and balance.  Maybe you can have too many friends.  Maybe.  I don’t think so.

The Spanish word for smile is Sonrisa.   When a friend of mine smiles, it is as the Son Rising.  I can see the Son of God in their smile.  The heart is warmed.  Life is bigger.  Problems are smaller.  Hope is encouraged.  Strength is stronger.

Someone asked me to smile recently.  Seems life is getting too serious.  The heart is warmed best with a smile.  So I am sharing Janet’s smile this morning from Matamoros.

Oh, and here is smiling idea from Jody, another friend.  He lives in OKC, but FB says he was in Columbus, Mississippi when he shared this morning.

I read from Mark 2 this morning @ early prayer. I was reminded that I don’t have “faith for” things but rather have “faith in” God. Also my faith is not just for me. Others around me will either be held back from my lack of faith or propelled forward by my increasing faith. My prayer today…

“God, let me be surrounded with friends that trust in You and are full of faith….then God, let our faith bring change to those around us and to our city…God thank you for Columbus, MS. Let me represent You well and trust You enough to step out and do what may seem radical and different to me to help make a difference in someone else’s life.”

My thought for today: My faith is not just for me…someone else may be depending on my faith today for their miracle!
Mark 2:1-12

El Punto De Cambio – The Point of Change

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“Bring to me what You have spoken of me.”         “Bring me to what You have spoken of me.”

Genesis 18:19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

“Bring to me, God, what you have spoken of me.” That is my prayer. I want what Abraham had. For first few weeks of 2013 and the last few of 2012, this has been my prayer.  It is designed to bring healing to some scars in my soul.  Over life and time and relationships we all encounter betrayal and disloyalty and lack of gratefulness.  It hurts.  As a father of a family and a community initiative and  a business invention, I thrive on “thank you” many times more than others do.  A real father gets up every day looking to build those for whom he cares.  When they take advantage of that, he is happy.  At least if they are grateful and express it, he is happy.  No healthy person likes to be “taken advantage of”.  That is imbalance.  Imbalance is painful and unhealthy.

The other side of that prayer is important also.  “Bring me, Father, to what you have spoken of me.”  Yes, bring it to me and bring me to it.  I need to change to be more like the Father every day.  As a father I need to be brought to the point of change, el punto de cambio.

Over these last few weeks, we’ve launched a definitive and irretrievable thrust into the community of Oklahoma City and the world.  Sometimes you take steps in full assurance of faith that God will meet you on the path.  Along that path are many points of change.  You will encounter el punto de cambio, the point of change.

Creating Chaos

Change creates chaos.  Make no mistakes on that measure.  Introduce change to settled situation and watch the chaos.  The more impact the change is designed to create, the more chaos you can expect in the beginning.  “Why did we do this?”  “Are you crazy?”  “This won’t work.”  All comes crackling back like a hot fire touching dry weeks and thistle.  Those flames will singe and scar.  Do it.  Embrace “el punto de cambio”.

Shifting Alliances

Note who stays and who goes and who supports and who decries.  Yes, change means changing partners. Those that have walked with you just might disappear like a scissor-tail flycatcher slipping away from a fast diving hawk.  In a flash and a flurry the hawk finds himself quite lonely and so does his prey.

The plus side of the equation is the new partners.  Yes, when you commit to uncharted territory, there will be new partners. They can be loving and kind and supportive.  Remember, they might leave you at the next “el punto de cambio”.  This season they are with you .  This season they are on the path.  Many may stay for many weeks and even years.  A friend of mine has worked with insurance brokers for decades.  He advised me once, “Phil if you have 3000 brokers it means 1000 are staying, 1000 are going, and 1000 are coming.  Out of the 1000 staying, 200 are producing.  You just have to find out which is which.”  His wisdom applies to most ventures.  Not without pain.

Finding 200

Gideon took thousands and reduced the count to 300. Each “el punto de cambio” reduced the numbers until he found the committed.  Of course he started with himself and an angel. Then he gathered a few friends and family. Then thousands jumped on board at the first signs of success and retreated at the first signs of scars.

About nine months ago, I was working with a group on a business invention.  At the most critical “el punto de cambio” some of the backers jumped ship in a surprise move.  Wow!  We had walked together for years, and then for some undisclosed reason they lost heart and vision.  Maybe another “el punto de cambio” came at them from another direction and swayed loyalties.  Some shifts come and you will never know.  You just carry the scars.  Now I am working with a completely new team on the concepts and beginning to have fun again.  Now I am working with another completely new team on a related concept and beginning to have fun again.  Not without pain.

FootHolds

Each “point of change” has footholds.  There are lessons to learn and take to the next “el punto de cambio”.   At a recent gathering of a small group, more support was committed in a morning than all the folks to whom I have been giving for ten years.  You read that right.  Those that have been receiving for free have less commitment than the new.  Maybe I should drop the old and embrace the new?  Hmmmm…. A new foothold.  Maybe I should begin a sorting process and whittle down to the 200?  Is that a new foothold I see?  Would my energy revitalize?  My base is bigger now.  Ten years ago it was 500.  Now it is 7500.  Let’s see, do the math. 2500 are going.  2500 are coming.  2500 are staying.  Let the going go with blessing.  Welcome the coming.  Find the 500 in the staying and run shoulder to shoulder with them.

Healing in All

All of this has a point.   You can live in the scars or you can live in the stars.  There is a balance.  Let the stars heal the scars.  Let pains slip away.  You flitted off the fence post and the hawk missed.  Land among healthy friends.  Don’t run alone.

Prayer: Well, Father, You are amazing. Again, you have touched my soul in a most amazing moment.  You bring healing with every light and lesson.  Thanks.  I am grateful for You.

Get Outside The Reach @Christmas

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Get Out Side The Reach

Usual travels this week include a trip from OKC to Matamoros and back again.  Sort of a Bilbo Baggins adventure.   Though, I’m not sure which end is the Shire.   Raul and I certainly don’t look like Hobbits even though we might have hairyness.

This year, I am staying home. Raul and Abdiel are in Matamoros.   Fiero will take another load of   toys today.   I will watch the star from afar and trust the wise men to do the job.

Why do we do this?  Why have we connected with this congregation in Matamoros called CAREVI?  Why don’t we just stay home instead of drive for 12 hours one way?  What is the purpose?

Get Outside Your Self…

A big reason is to stay outside of ourselves.  It is easy to go downtown and deliver gifts to kids who have more on a poor day than some kids in Matamoros on a rich day.   Ever watched a kid who has never opened a new box open a new toy?  Used stuff really is not the focus.  But getting a new toy in the box is an amazing experience for some of these kids.   Sure, I’ve helped a little and my wife has helped a lot right here in OKC with families needing Christmas.  Yet, they have so much even when they have little.

Get Outside Your Comfort

There is a need to be uncomfortable.  Our lives have little real sacrifice.  Try driving toys across an armed border knowing you will drive past military and cartel operations just to bless someone.  A little unnerving.   We need to be unnerved.  We need to remember.  We need to think about the chaos our comfortable, drugged, entertainment, make me happy culture in the US creates to sustain.  All of those guns and threats exist to supply US entertainment and leisure.  Hmmmm

Get Outside The Reach

Sometimes we need to see the miraculous.   How in this world doe multiple churches and business professionals in OKC come together to support folks in Matamoros?   Black and Latino and White churches here; Baptist and Nazarene and Full Gospel churches here;   join and bless with gifts and gospel folks they will never meet.

Return

Then we come home.  Then we live with memories and facebook connections in between.  Sure I  get to stay connected unlike missions works in the old days.  But it doesn’t smell the same.  It does not taste the same.  It does not love the same.  Sorry, I can’t hug a facebook post.   I can hug a friend, a child, a cohort, a fellow human on the journey.

That is Christmas

There you go.  That is Christmas.

Jesus went outside Himself and became an extension in humanity.

Jesus went outside His comfort zone in the throne room and stepped into an earth zone.

Jesus went outside the heavens and touched the earth, where we live in sin and destruction disturbing His intended peaceful creation.

Jesus returned to heaven; yet, He stays connected with us.   He is more powerful than facebook.  He takes up residence in hearts and stays even though He returned.

Guess That’s Why

I guess reliving that journey of Christ every year is what drives me and the team.   Thanks for sending us.  Thanks for allowing us.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Enjoy the Light of Christmas

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navimg8Isaiah 9: In Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.

During the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my family has always enjoyed watching Christmas themed movies and celebrating with friends.  For us, an opportunity to have a world focused on giving and receiving and thanking the God of Comfort is special.

I am thankful for each of my friends and family. The honor to exchange prayer with you is a blessing.

Yet, one friend belied the missing element of Christmas movies.  Where is the Christmas movie that celebrates an individual connecting with Christ and His love?

  • There is connecting with the Bishop, Santa Claus.  http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/bishop-of-myra/   Surely he loved Christ and spread His love.
  • There is connecting with others.  Surely some of them are full of the love of Christ.
  • There is connecting with ghosts.  Surely some of them lived for Christ.
  • There is connecting with the spirit of Christmas.  Surely it is the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ that spawned the spirit of Christmas.
  • There are movies about the life of Christ that end with a story but not a changed life.

What about connecting directly to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Light of Life, and the salvation of our souls?  Where is that movie?

The entertainment dollar is king.  People don’t want their souls pricked and a challenge made for real life change.  We like entertainment in our movies, churches, community events, and homes.  Real life changing impact is not supported financially for the most part in our communities.  Yet, ignoring truth is a dangerous seasonal habit to form.

There is a mournfulness underlying our Christmas season.  Aversion to life changing truth brings depression.  It brings pain.  And pain brings destruction.  Evil is real and waiting for opportunity to express itself in dark acts.  Yes, especially at Christmas, evil erupts.  Suicides prevail greater than other times of year.  Depression is in high season.  Conflicts shatter otherwise smooth relationships.

Understand that the truth of Christmas does show itself.  It cannot be denied.  As a society, we love to deny the truth and replace it with a smoother reality.  Repressed truth erupts in pain and anger and depression and destruction.  Embraced truth erupts in joy and liberty and happiness and thankfulness and strength and life.

It would be better if we embraced the truth of Christmas and placed some life changing messy messages into our media.  Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  He is no longer a babe in the manger.  He is a Lion of Righteousness.  He demands we face truth and change our direction.  Yes, He demands it.  He knows that repressed truth ends in destruction for eternity and embraced truth lives in liberty for eternity.  He loves us enough to change us.

Embrace truth for a healthy life.  Embrace Christ.  Face realities and connect with a power to change and develop full health in body, mind, desires, emotion, spirit, and relationships.

Prayer:  Father, give a little light.  Better yet, let the Great Light You have already given explode into our darkness. We need You.   We need Your light.

Raise Your Eyes

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raisedeyesWatching a group approach God with heads bowed, a thought struck me.  It is good to humble ourselves before a mighty God. It is also good to approach the throne of grace with boldness and confidence as a received and favored child of God.

So, raise your face for a moment.  Look into the kind and loving Father face of God.

We are not prideful, but we are purposeful.
We are not egotistic, but we are energized.
We are not overconfident, yet we are courageous.
We are the head and not the tail. We are the lender and not the borrower.
We are the leaders set in place of God.
What we do prospers.
What we think is established.
What we speak is encouragement.
God lives in us, with us, before us, and behind us.
Of one thing we are sure.  He is our good and gracious and encouraging Father Forever.

Love That Motivates

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There is a love that motivates any of us to serve others.  That love is powerful in many ways.

Ephesians 3:  7 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—

Here we find a prayer to be rooted and grounded in love.  Here we find a desire to know the total scope and immensity of the love of God.  Why?  For motivation.

When we understand the love of the Father for us as individuals, we can access that love and apply that love to others.  Love becomes our motivation.

When Jesus looked out over Jerusalem, he was “moved with bowels of compassion”.  What  a  strange phrase this is.  You will not find it in all translations, but it is extremely accurate.  The core thought is that He is so touched with love that his stomach hurts.  This type of love commands you to action.  You must do something.

There are other instances where Jesus looks out and sees the people are confused, is moved with compassion, and sends out workers to teach and help.  It is a constant with Him.  Love motivates.

Jesus came to show us the Father.  He shows us the Father’s love.  The Father so loved the world that He gave His Son.  He was motivated to action by compassion.

Any father/leader does the same.  Our actions are driven by the deep motivations of our heart.  When greed is motivation, we act greedily.  When self sufficiency is motivation, we act accordingly.  When love is our motivation, we act with compassion and protection and provision.

Love brings health.   A friend of mine has struggled for some months over a decision.  In that  time frame, he has made many decisions that don’t seem to add up.  But there is a constant that has directed his path.  He has a great love to do a certain work and lead a certain demographic.  His decisions keep coming back to making that happen.  Wandering off course for a few weeks, he will always come back to supporting that group and that motivation.  It compels him.  The more questions he answers with that motivation, the more clear his path and direction becomes.

Think of a father and his family.  When he is motivated by love every decision leads in the same direction.  It leads to the health of his family.  When making  a priority decision over spending household budget, he will ensure everyone has their basic needs met and something that brings joy to them.  Love motivates and guides his decisions.  When making a decision during a hardship of whether to speak words that build or words that tear down, he will choose the former.  When finding himself in the wrong, he will seek forgiveness and health of his family over self serving his ego.  Love motivates to the good.

Love is healthy.  It leads us to life building decisions.

Finding Energy For Living

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In Ephesians 3 Paul breaks into prayer for those to whom he is writing.  I get like that sometimes.  When thinking about others and laying out plans for a next step, my mind and heart break into prayer.  It is habit.  It is a developed habit.  Hopefully, it is a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being

In the middle of the chapter and a long thought sequence on the unity of believers in Christ,     we find an enormously useful prayer encouragement.   It is a pure power prayer meant to impact lives.  This is not a wimpy prayer.  This is power.  I would love someone to pray this prayer for me on a regular basis.

The first part is all about health.

out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being

Every one of us needs energy to get our lives in motion.  Every one of us needs energy to overcome lethargy of disappointments and discouragements and diseases.  Every one of us needs energy.

Energy can come from the synergy of the Holy Spirit filling and activating us.  In a service in Matamoros, a pastor asked for prayer.  As I prayed for him and his wife, the energy of the Holy Spirit lifted me.  Praying for him, I was energized.  After three intensive days on my feet in the church and in the street, I was tired.   That moment lifted me into a new realm of energy and the rest of the service went by rapidly.

Going to bed can be a laborious ritual for some of us.  Not much energy in getting ready to sleep.  But going to bed on a tough day saps expectation of joy for the new morning.  I don’t like to sleep until I know I will wake with energy and expectation.  Right before I go to sleep I am motivated to stir up the Holy Spirit within me with scripture and expectant prayer and some times defiant declarations.  Somehow, I believe that is the Holy Spirit within me disturbing His power for protection and preservation and potential.   Then I can rest for the evening.  Confidence in His love is reassured and rest ensues.

Energy is needed.  The Holy Spirit inside of you is a source of powerful energy.  His action inside of you brings synergistic impact on reality. Reality changes to conform to God’s will and creativity.  You take out of the abundance of His storehouse of all that is needed for life    and Godliness and apply it to you action and day.ASK

In Malachai there is a promise.  The Son of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings.   You will leap forward out of a dormant position like a well fed calf jumping from the stall.  That is energy.  Anyone who has been to a rodeo knows that roping a calf is tough business.  They are full of moving energy. Darting and dashing, they elude the rope and delay timing of the best.  That can be you.  You can be darting and dashing and eluding the drag of life.  You can be full of energy.

Spend some time in the scripture. Spend some time listening in prayer.  Spend some time developing a forecast of the future that fits the design of God.  Be energized.

Energy can overcome every discouragement and disease.  It has a way of making them of no effect.

Acts

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In Acts 2 we are encouraged to enjoy the power of the Holy Spirit.  This person of power brings life and health.  This person of God brings righteousness, joy, and peace that passes all understanding.  This person of love brings restoration and vibrancy.
He is a promised gift.
The promise is for all.
The promise is strength.
The promise is for power.