This exclamation from Peter closely mirrors what Isaiah declared hundreds of years earlier when he realized who he was in the presence of the Lord, “Woe is me, for I am undone!  Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5)  It is only in realizing what we really are that we can be filled with the power of Christ to live a satisfying life.
Let’s look back at the circumstances that caused Peter to make this statement.  In the beginning of Luke chapter five, we read that Jesus was preaching to the multitudes from the bow of Peter’s fishing boat.  Then when He was done teaching, Jesus suggested to Peter, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4)  But Simon Peter replied, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” (Luke 5:5)  We can get the sense that Peter is thinking, “I’m the fisherman here.  It’s my boat You’re in.  I know where all the hot spots are and the fish just aren’t there today.  Why don’t you just go back to your carpenter shop pal?  I know this lake and the fish aren’t biting.”  However, look at verse six and seven, “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”  So powerful was this lesson in Peter’s life that he fell at the feet of Jesus as we read in the verse at the top.
Peter could have continued in pride thinking, “I know my profession.  I’m good at it and I’m telling you the fish aren’t going to be caught.”  And you might feel like you are very good at your profession.  I’m not saying that you’re not.  You might be very good at selling houses or parenting your children.  You might be the best physician in the county – but don’t you think God could used you to do so much more if you’d let Him partner with you in what you’re doing?  If we allow ourselves to see what we really are apart from the Lord, then God can take us farther than we’ve ever been before.  Look at what Jesus said to Peter after he fell down in humility, “Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men.” (Luke 5:10)  There was a brand new dimension in Peter’s life, a new attitude of living a life that praises and gives glory to God in everything.  And this is available to us if we are willing to admit what we are apart from Him.
Prayer –

Dear Lord,

When I take the time to see You as You really are, I agree with Isaiah and Peter in saying that I am not worthy to even be noticed by You.  As I strive to see myself as I really am, I ask You to partner with me and lead me into new dimensions of life.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

Do you want to be called God’s friend?  What a great thing to be – a friend of God.  How does this happen?  By faith being lived out in our lives.  James 2:21&22 states, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?  Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”  Remember that day? (Genesis 22)  It was day in which Abraham could not sit in his tent and believe in God – he had to act it out.  He had to make that long trek, three days long, as long as Jesus was buried in the tomb.  Abraham walked with his son Isaac up that mountain.  Which mountain?  The same mountain that Jesus was crucified on.  Halfway up, Isaac turned to his father and said, “Dad we’ve got wood, we’ve got fire, but we don’t have a sacrifice.”  And Abraham in faith replied, “God will provide.”  And He did – not only that day for Abraham and Isaac, but for all of us God provided His only begotten Son who was sacrificed so that we could be set free to live this life of faith.  Faith that’s alive is faith that’s applied.

“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:17

Prayer –

Dear Lord,
May I not be satisfied with simply having faith, but may my faith take on action.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

In the midst of all that’s going on, God tells us that He’s written eternity on our hearts.  Eternity is a birthmark of Jesus.  In fact, Jesus was not only born to affect our lives here on earth, but to prepare our hearts for eternity.  There is an afterlife, after all.
You may think, “You know, a lot of people don’t believe that.”  Yet throughout history, we can see the eternity written on men’s hearts.  Take the Egyptians for example.  Look at all they attempted to accomplish in their lives.  They were obsessed with the afterlife.  That’s why they built all those pyramids, all those tombs.  They were preparing for the afterlife before they even reached midlife.  Now, they weren’t focused on the right kind of afterlife, but it’s pretty obvious that eternity was burned into their hearts.
My, how different our culture is from their’s.  We’re not preparing for the afterlife.  We want it all here and we want it now.  Our culture lives for today, “Give me another box!  Give me something else to open.  More, more, more, now, now, now.”  We’re so wrapped up in instant pleasure; we’re not worried about the balloon payment at the end of our mortgage, let alone the end of our lives.  But Jesus came to verify that we are eternal and He came to show us how to prepare for it.  “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)

Let us be reminded to look into our hearts and see the eternity written there.  And let us prepare not only for tomorrow, but for eternity.

“…while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Corinthians 4:18)

Prayer -

Dear Lord,

You came to show us how to prepare for eternity.  Though that is not what the world wants to focus on, may I spend my energy on getting to know You more and in this way prepare for eternal life.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

God reveals Himself in many ways – through the teaching of His Word, through nature, through the counsel of godly people.  But primarily God has chosen to reveal Himself through His Son.  As we read in this chapter of Isaiah, we can see part of the purpose in Jesus’ coming – we read about the characteristics of the rule of Jesus Christ.

Firstly, and most importantly, Jesus is filled with the Spirit of the Lord.  Why is that important?  Because there are a bunch of spirits floating around, even in San Diego, and they aren’t necessarily from God.  1John 4:1 states, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”  How do we test?  How do we know if a spirit is the Spirit of the Lord?  The Spirit of the Lord brings wisdom and understanding, as it says in the verse at the top.  Isn’t it great that Jesus was filled with the spirit of understanding?  Isn’t it incredible to worship a God who understands?  He is so awesome, so holy, so perfect, but He came and became one of us so that He could understand.  Whatever you’re going through in life, you have a God who understands.  The spirit of understanding is upon Him.

Prayer -

Dear Lord,

I know that You came to bring salvation, but what a comfort it is to know that You also came to understand me – to understand the difficulties I face in living my human life.  Thank You for Your grace and mercy and also for understanding.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

As we read this description of Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, we think, “My goodness, they were really living life the way it was supposed to be lived.”  And not only did they live righteously, Zacharias was a priest.  As he went into the temple to perform his priestly duties one day, an angel appeared to him and told him that he was going to have a son.  What was his response?  In modern day vernacular he said, “No way.  Impossible.  Can’t happen.”  And the angel said, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” (Luke 1:19, 20)

What can we see from this account?  Zacharias shows us the difference between obeying and believing.  A person can be obedient yet not believe.  And just like I want my kids to obey me, not because they’ll get punished if they don’t, but because they believe I know what’s best for them, God desires the same.  Zacharias had been going through all of the religious motions of obedience, but when it all kind of hits the fan – so to speak – he’s not believing.  God doesn’t want us to obey Him without an intimate, loving relationship with Him.  And believing is played out in obedience.  In fact, for Zacharias the curse of muteness was broken the moment that belief and obedience were united.

Prayer -

Dear Lord,

May my obedience to Your commands be an outgrowth of my relationship with You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

This is a great passage for a Christmas card, but we need to understand the meaning behind this statement.  The first part of this verse is declaring that Jesus was fully human.  “A child is born” – that makes Him human.  In fact, it makes Him more fully human than Adam, who wasn’t born.  Adam was created out of the dirt by God as a full grown adult.  Why didn’t God do that with Jesus?  Because He wanted the world to realize that Jesus was fully human in every aspect.

And yet, Jesus is also fully God – “A Son is given.”  In fact in John 1:1, 18 it says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”  Jesus has always existed.  He created the world and then became fully human so that Isaiah could say this about Jesus: “For You have broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor…” (Isaiah 9:4)

Prayer -

Dear Lord,

You are the only One who is fully human, yet fully God.  I praise You for coming to set me free from the yoke of sin.

In Jesus’ Holy Name,
Amen

Do you know what Christmas is all about?  It’s about telling us the good news that the war is over.  You might say, “Wait a second.  I don’t think so.  We’re still over there in Iraq.  We’ve got terrorism going on.  I have in-laws coming to visit.  The war is not over.”  We can look at all those things, but for each of us as individuals, according to God’s Word, the war can be over if we want it to be.  That’s the gift of Christmas.

Read what Jesus said that He came to bring, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” (Luke 4:18, 19)  Jesus came to bring us liberty, to end the war within us for the future of our souls.  Jesus came to set us free, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)  Believe the good news.  End the war within you.  Be set free.

Prayer –

Dear Lord,

I recognize the spiritual war that is waged for each person.  I feel the battle within myself.  I praise You for coming at Christmas to set me free, to give me victory over the enemy of my soul.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

How great it is at this time of year to give God the glory that He and He alone deserves.  That is what we want the world to see when they look at us.  But don’t think that the glory of God showed up for the first time when Christ was born.  No, it’s been around since the very beginning – God’s never been without it.  It is not as if we should give Him glory because He needs it from us.  His glory is intrinsic to the nature of who He is, as light is to the sun – just as dark is to the night, as wet is to water, so is glory to God.  What if no one glorified God anymore?  Would He be glorious?  You bet; it’s who He is.  But when we give Him glory instead of holding on to it for ourselves, it has a radical effect on us.

Look at what happened when Moses told the Lord that he wanted to give God glory, “And He (God) said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” (Exodus 33:14)  The word ‘rest’ is the same word that is translated ‘peace’ in the angels’ announcement to the shepherds.  When we give glory to God, we are the ones who benefit.  “Therefore glorify the LORD in the dawning light, the name of the LORD God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.” (Isaiah 24:15)

Prayer –

Dear Lord,

I am amazed to know that when I give you glory; You grant me peace and rest.  I pray that others look at me and see someone who lives a life that brings glory to You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

Did you know that in 1638 Harvard College was founded by the Puritans?  And every student who was enrolled in the school was told, “The main end of your life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ, which is life eternal.”  Doesn’t sound much like Harvard today, but that is how it started.  In fact, when Harvard went liberal in 1701, the Puritans went down the road and started Yale.  Every school that was started before 1776 was founded by followers of Jesus Christ for the purpose of promoting Him here in the United Sates of America.

And in 1892 this was said, “This is a religious people.  And from the discovery of this continent unto the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation and we find everywhere a clear recognition of the truth that this is a Christian nation.”  That was not said by the Pilgrims or the Puritans.  It was not said by a pastor.  That was a ruling made by the United States Supreme Court.  Somewhere along the way we’ve taken a wrong turn.  We have wandered from what formed us as a nation at the start.  In our search for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we’ve kicked God off the train.  “For they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the LORD their God.” (Jeremiah 3:21)  President Lincoln said, “As a nation, we have forgotten the gracious hand of our Savior and His Word which contains within all things desirable to man.  And we have, instead, chosen to believe that the blessings of our land flow from a wisdom and virtue of our own.”

Congress can’t fix the problems and neither can a governor.  The Supreme Court – my goodness, the rulings that are coming out of there make it seem like the only thing they’re supreme at is calling evil “good” and good “evil”.  So where do we turn?  We turn back to the Lord, “Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.” (Joel 2:13)

Prayer –

Dear Lord,

I realize that there will always be those who want nothing to do with You.   But as for me, I turn my heart toward You and praise You for Your mercy and kindness.  May I spread Your truths to those I know.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

But how many times do we just try to conceal that little thing from God?  “God, it is Saturday night and all.  And Lord, could You just turn around, turn Your back?  I’ll be back – You just stay right here.”  Right?  No.  Let’s look at the rest of the verse, “And their works are in the dark; they say, ‘Who sees us?’ and, ‘Who knows us?’” (Isaiah 29:15b)  Can you believe how contemporary that verse is?  Isaiah goes on to say, “Surely you have things turned around!  Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; for shall the thing made say of him who made it, ‘He did not make me’?  Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding’?” (Isaiah 29:16)  In other words, we sometimes get it all backwards.  So let’s take a moment to examine our hearts and our actions.  Have we been trying to hide from the Lord?  Do we esteem ourselves as equal to our Creator, as able to manipulate Him?

Prayer –

Dear Lord,

Please forgive me for falling into the temptation of thinking I can hide my actions or thoughts from You.  I ask You to give me eyes to see myself and the strength to confess my sins to You.
 
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen