#WorshipHim2Day

Armed with his trusty BB gun, little Danny took careful aim at a clay pot on the front porch, pulled the trigger and [much to his surprise and horror], he hit it! I'll never forget his explanation: "Mom, I did it on accident."  While the explanation was weak, I realized his deliberate aim wasn't his deliberate intention. Wise men from the East followed a star which led them to the Christ Child.  Scripture records their next move: "they fell to the ground and worshiped Him." (Matthew 2:11).  Oh, how guilty I am of being distracted from giving my full attention to the One Who attended to the debt of my sin and Who attends my every need. It is evident the wise men were focused, conscious and deliberate in their pursuit of the Messiah; they reached their intended target and did just as they intended.  What a lesson for Christians today - particularly in these next few days of holiday busyness - to be intentional in what we do.  We must not allow the urgent to take the place of the important.  Do not forget nor neglect the Reason for this season.  Be intentional.  Be deliberate.  "O come, let us adore Him."  #WorshipHim2Day

Fragrance of The King

​Is there a difference between an odor and a fragrance?  Certainly, there must be since "deodorizing" is such big business! The smells associated with a feeding trough for cattle may be missed in Scripture, but present nonetheless.  The King's fragrance may also be missed but absolutely noteworthy!  In Exodus 30, God instructed Moses to take sweet spices with pure frankincense and with great care and precision, make a pure and sacred perfume holy to the LORD (V.34-37).  Imagine it – a recipe for divine fragrance!  Oh, how I would have loved a first- whiff of The Savior's arrival that holy night: the Fragrance of Heaven lingering still with the Christ Child, aromatic traces of ivory palaces (Psalm 45:8), scents of a heavenly nature, perfume of eternal glory, a lingering sweetness of The Father.  Surely, sweet was the unexpected fragrance of the evening!  Believers are to be that "sweet fragrance of Christ unto God" (2 Corinthians 2:15), reminding the world of The King.  The group Selah sings: "There's a Rose in Bethlehem, with a Beauty quite divine - Perfect in this world of sin, on this silent holy night - There's a fragrance much like Hope, that it sends upon the wind - Reaching out to every soul, from a lowly manger's crib - Oh, Rose of Bethlehem, how lovely, pure, and sweet - Born to glorify the Father; born to wear the thorns for me."  Every day, may others know the Fragrance of The King in our presence.​

Whose You Are

​"Remember who you are," Mom would say as I left the house.  A mother's advice albeit a subtle warning to "behave myself."  Matthew writes, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly,. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'" (Matthew 1:18-20). Not that his parents would have ever let him forget, but God's messenger reminded Joseph of his royal lineage, which would have brought to mind ancient words that from David's family would come the Savior of the world. Consider this: every born-again Believer has been bought with a Price, adopted into God's Royal Family, and given an inheritance into His Kingdom for now into eternity. God's children have Kingly qualities and a Fragrance foreign to this world.  You see, it's not who we are as much as whose we are!  Do not let this Season of the Savior slip away before you know for sure whose you are and celebrate His Richness!​

Loyalty

​Most people bristle when their loyalty is brought into question.  I suggest, however, every Christian should examine his or her loyalty.  Begin with this: do you really believe Romans 8:28 - "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God."?  This idea was presented to me as I read Oswald Chamber's: "To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, and that is to our Lord." Do you feel that sting?  Consider a young teenage girl who, after visited by the angel said these words, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Thy word." (Luke 1:38).  Then within weeks of giving birth, she obediently makes a 4-5 day journey to an otherwise unfamiliar city to deliver her child. There were no engineering of circumstances, no alternative plans or excuses offered - just one devoted response: "be it unto me according to Thy word." Chambers concludes, "The idea is not that we do work for God, but that we are so loyal to Him that He can do His work through us."  Jesus was loyal to The Father's plan for Salvation even unto death on a cross. I wonder what loyalty looks like in my life.  What does it look like in yours?

Be Home

Home for Christmas: it sings well, but for many it's just a dreamy thought.  Many folks are just content to stay home for Christmas.  Luke tells us Joseph went to his ancestral home: "up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David." (2:4).  The 92-mile journey was difficult for the young couple especially for an expectant Mary.  Why Bethlehem?  It was to Bethlehem God led the Prophet Samuel to find Israel's first [real] king (David) and with whom the Messiah's royal line began.  And, it was to Bethlehem where God would deliver His Son, to begin the reconciliation of sinful man to Himself.  Jesus came to dwell among men and to dwell in the hearts of men: man's heart - God's dwelling place ... home.  Is your heart home to the Savior? This touted most wonderful time of the year is a certainly wonderful time to be home in Christ. Be home this Christmas!

Tender Mercy

​Among tender things, newborn babies are certainly counted!  A couple of friends are expecting new grand babies, and perhaps the tenderest of moments [as I recall] is holding the child-of-a-child - I'm excited for them. Zechariah, John's father, said: "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of Salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God ..." (Luke 1:75-78a).  To comprehend the fullness of the word tender in Scripture, we must first understand from where tenderness originates: bowels - believed to be the seat of the most violent passions and the most genuine affections. Jesus expresses the tenderest of The Father's passion against sin and His affection for man.  God revealed His fullness to us in two human tenders: the Christ Child and Calvary's Lamb.  This is the tender mercy Zechariah spoke of - this is the Father, Son and Spirit of Christmas. Dare we imagine the measure of tenderness Mary felt as she held her newborn, her Savior, her Lamb. Do not miss the tender mercy of Jesus Christ this Season!​

Mercy Promised

​Promise a child something and be prepared to fulfill it.  Isn't the faith of a child magnificent!  In a world where broken promises seem to rule the day, certainty is a treasure.  Following the birth of his son, John [the Baptist], Zechariah said, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of Salvation for us ... to show the Mercy promised ..." (Luke 1:68, 69, 72). The Promised One - the Child of Bethlehem - surpassed all expectations: "Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give Light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of Peace." (V.78-79).  Mercy alone promised is a wonder but the promise kept -- amazing still!  Lost and undone, Salvation with all its riches is free to all who believe. A confident and absolute Certainty is Who the angels announced to the shepherds. Mercy promised. Mercy made real.​

Heart Moves

​There are certain songs that just make you want to move - then there are songs that move you. Mary's song in Luke 1 reflects a heart a'burstin' with joy and delight. Her song begins, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior," but she doesn't leave us wondering why: she speaks of His might, His holiness, His mercy, His strong arms, His goodness and His faithfulness.  Most importantly, however, Mary declares her Child to be her Savior!  Mary's words must be the words of the Redeemed everywhere, and our delight a mirror of hers. And, our heart moves - "Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee - How great Thou art - How great Thou art - Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee - How great Thou art - How great Thou art." If your heart is not moved, check your pulse!​

Glory!

​It's observed by many a woman expecting a baby has a certain "glow."  You may recall as Moses descended the mountain, his face "shone" – was radiant ­– from talking with the LORD (Exodus 34:29).  Many others in Scripture write of God's Glory and forthwith falling to the ground before the Almighty.  Luke writes of the angels, "the Glory of the LORD shone around them" (2:8). We speak of being "in the presence" of God, but here [on earth] we know only a fragment of His Glory.  Oh, the angels knew!  Furthermore, they could only helplessly proclaim, "Glory to God in the Highest."  The sweet and magnificent message of the angels should be our own.  Glory! Glory! Glory!​

It's Personal

If you were a time-traveler and could visit Bethlehem the night of Jesus’ birth, where would you choose to be?  This is a question I’ve pondered this Season, and without hesitation, I would travel to the fields outside of the city; there, where “shepherds “watched their flocks by night … and lo, the angel of the LORD appeared” (Luke 2:8-9).  The last group a king would give credence to with his presence were shepherds yet this lowly cast is precisely where Almighty God chose to deliver His “good tidings of great joy to all people” (V.11).  The angel’s next words should ignite personal delight in each of us: “For unto you” – a personal Savior for you and for me!  “Unto you” is as personal as it gets!  Emmanuel – God with us – Divine in flesh made Himself personal in Jesus Christ.  Today, consider just how personal Christ is to you.

New MWB Email Address

Good morning!  I do trust you've missed "Morning with Beverly" this week.  For several reasons, I have created and will begin using a new MWB email address: morningwithbeverly@gmail.com. The importing and customizing of the extensive contact list is taking some time.  My hope is to resume MWB early next week.  I appreciate your patience.

If you have received this email and do not wish to receive future emails, kindly response with the word: REMOVE.

Miles of Smiles, Beverly

www.morningwithbeverly.blogspot.com

New MWB Address

Good morning!  I do trust you've missed "Morning with Beverly" this week.  For several reasons, I have created and will begin using a new MWB email address: morningwithbeverly@gmail.com.  The importing and customizing of the extensive contact list is taking some time.  My hope is to resume MWB early next week.  I appreciate your patience.

If you have received this email and do not wish to receive future emails, kindly response with the word: REMOVE. 

Miles of Smiles, Beverly

www.morningwithbeverly.blogspot.com

Claim Him!

Several years ago, I attempted to locate descendants of a great uncle who lived on the west coast. Sometime later, I received a letter saying there was no knowledge [whatsoever] of my uncle nor anything of their ancestry.  I can recall things my grandparents did and said, liked and disliked, even personality traits so dear to me.  Yet many Christians know little personally about the One Whose life rendered for them such an amazing inheritance.  Matthew 1:1 says, “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham … ,” and what follows is deeply rich and distinct.  The lineage is clear and precise: “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.” (V.17).  In many family trees, there will be blanks representing missing names or dates – not so with the lineage of The Messiah; there’d be no guesswork, no extensive research.  When the angels proclaimed Jesus’ birth, it was on foremost Authority of God Most High.  Perhaps the most exciting of news is Christ is the greatest Ancestry to which His followers can claim.  And, He isn’t just a name in some family tree – He is a personal Savior, a personal Lord, and a personal Friend.  There is nothing we cannot learn of Him from His Word!  This Season of the Savior, claim Him and all He is! 

In The Midst

We’re not far into the Season, and already it has become busy.  If my digital calendar fails, I’m toast!  Genesis 2:9 tells us in His Garden, God made to grow trees pleasing to the eye and good for food then “the tree of life also in the midst of the garden.”  Noted in Scripture, a special tree – not on the fringes of the garden, not tucked away in an obscure location; no, specifically situated in the middle of God’s Garden.  Jesus later declared, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." (John 14:6).  God’s Son – Jesus Christ – came that we might have Life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).  This Life – abundant Life – Jesus spoke of Life beyond measure, exceeding any particular measure, supremely.  Furthermore, this Life was made real to us in human form in Christ.  Those who trust fully in The Savior experience this Life both in eternity but here in the midst of each day.  Emmanuel - God with us - lives within: strengthening, encouraging, empowering, steering us through present struggles and rejoicing with us in triumphs.  Personally, I find it particularly joyful God spotted the center of the Garden for His tree of Life.  Similarly, Jesus arrived right in the middle of a chaotic Bethlehem!  Nonetheless, He brought Peace and Life.  In the midst of this Season, would you pause often to ponder on and wonder at One Solitary Life and the Life He offers.  He is the Hope of this Season and all seasons.  Let Him live in the midst of you!

"Heart Gifts" by Helen Steiner Rice

It’s not the things that can be bought that are life’s riches treasure

It’s just the little “heart gifts” that money cannot measure

A cheerful smile, a friendly word, a sympathetic nod

Are priceless little treasures from the storehouse of our God

They are the things that cannot be bought with silver or with gold

For thoughtfulness and kindness and love are never sold

They are the priceless things in life for which no one can pay

And the giver finds rich recompense in GIVING THEM AWAY