STRANGE BUT SIGNIFICANT

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Every few weeks or so I get asked to cater a meal. 

It is good therapy for me MOST times; a chance to serve others and step out of the “crisis management mode” that often defines my days. 

And while catering can produce its own share of insanity (aka a failing oven for example with 6 cobblers to bake), I like to cater cause I get to do it with a good friend. 

He is exceedingly more talented than I am at the whole “cooking” thing; an executive chef even. So I get a chance to learn and we get a chance to talk and our talks are always “good talks”.  For like most artists, my buddy is a little quirky and quirky is good.

So we were wrapping up a little Christmas party on Saturday, cleaning up the Maple Dijon Ham, Honey Roasted Turkey, Christmas Cranberry and Orange Stuffing etc. and having one of our talks when in the background I could hear some singing.

The singer was sharing one of my favorite Christmas songs, “A Strange Way to Save the World”.  So I paused from our conversation for a second and just soaked in the lyric.

“To think of how it could have been

If Jesus had come as He deserved

There would have been no Bethlehem

No lowly shepherds at His birth

But, Joseph knew the reason

Love had to reach so far

And as he held the Savior in his arms

He must have thought

Now I'm not one to second guess

What angels have to say

This is such a strange way

To save the world”

Yesterday our Senior Pastor Mark pressed us to again ponder and wonder as to the SIGNIFICANCE of the SEASON.

And when you do pause and ponder you have to wonder and agree that this was a strange way to save the WORLD. 

I mean something as significant as the coming of the Messiah should have gotten a little more fanfare pomp and circumstance or at least you would think.

But GOD chose to open the door to HIS grace and salvation via the door to a little stable.  Instead of hundreds of attendants catering the whims of a baby king there was just a young mom and young dad pondering and wondering what was “next” on this journey.

The significance of the season has never been about HOW Jesus got here but rather WHY He got here.  And there is no losing the profound significance of that. 

Thanks to Bethlehem, an obedient couple, some shepherds, a cast of angels, and a GOD who adores us, the significance is clear.

Matthew 1:21 (LB)

And she will have a Son, and you shall name him Jesus (meaning ‘Savior’), for he will save his people from their sins.

So while we may sometimes count it strange as to how Jesus came I pray we never lose the significance as to why.

Luke 19:10

…I, the Messiah, have come to search for and to save…

Perhaps that is something for you to ponder today.

 

Love you all…

Be blessed today…

Freedom Church