Monday, December 22, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Christmas, Ferguson, and Staten Island
It’s amazing how God our Heavenly Father truly longs that every man, woman, and child, regardless of ethnicity and social status, be unto Him a “Peculiar Treasure,” (Exodus 19:5).
Though the Christmas rush is upon us, probably many of us in America are still thinking about Michael Brown and Darren Wilson (two Black men who died under questionable police enforcement). These situations painfully remind us how many people feel like “I don't matter…, others are more important than me…, there is no equality or justice.”
God told Moses and all the Israelites, “Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth belongs to me” (NLT). And how do we obey God and keep His covenant? To summarize the whole Law “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength… and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus came as the Jewish Messiah but He opened up access to the Father for all of the world, not just the Jews, to become, by faith, God’s “peculiar” or special treasure.
Protesters all over America right now are holding up placards saying “Black lives matter.” YES! Maybe our social conditioning tragically taught us otherwise. But God declares “Your life DOES matter! I want you to be my treasured possession, you are indeed my inheritance” (Deut 4:20).
Christmas is a season that reminds each of us “You are loved, you are special, I want you.” Father God gave us His Son so that through a personal relationship with Him we can experience being loved by Father and loving Him. All you need to do is ask. “God, do you love me?” Then ask Him demonstrate His love by pouring it into your heart by His Holy Spirit.
You matter, Black lives matter, each of us matters. He wants you to know and experience deep in your heart “I am God’s special treasure.” That’s the message of Christmas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)