Clarence, Gabby, and real angels.

Something To Think About, Angels:

A group of teens, with some help from some dedicated adults, presented a lovely Christmas play yesterday.  It was kind of a melding of A Christmas Carol, and It's A Wonderful Life with Lee Strobel brought in as a consultant. The Angel in our play was Gabriel, or "Gabby," because he talks a lot. Angels figure prominently in the Christmas story, Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2.  We see them fulfilling their role as "ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation."  (Hebrews 1:14)   Hebrews 13:2 gives evidence for the "undercover" nature of much of their work.  The main character in the play the teens presented yesterday channels the view of most moderns--angels are myth, figments of fervent imaginations.  Scripture, however, presents angels as a very real part of a very real spirit world. Angelology is a division of the study of God and His ways--Theology--and, no, I don't remember any time being devoted to how many of these amazing creatures could dance on the head of a pin.  Here are a couple of points to keep in mind about angels:   Angels are not to be worshiped.  Only God is to worthy of that devotion. Within the Spiritual realm are evil spirits, considered by many theologians to be angels who rebelled.  Chief among these spirits is the devil.  Though these spirits are powerful, their ultimate defeat is sure.  God is never overcome by them. Amazingly, as the Bible passage from Hebrews 1 indicates, these marvelous spirit-beings work on behalf of God's people. Angels are part of the wonder of this wonderful season.  They proclaimed to a group of shepherds that a Savior had been born.  Listen to their message It's Something To Think About. You can see the CBC Christmas program here. Here is a site where you can find out about Jesus Christ and His plan for you.  You'll find several opportunities to explore.  If we can help you, let us know.  covingtonbiblechurch.com

A day full of sin, death, grace, and angels:

When I awoke this morning, the hard drive in my headbegan to whir.  About the first thing I remember thinking was, "It can't be onlyTuesday."

It's been a full week already.

I know all the Theological reasons for starting the week with the Lord's Day, but in my little preacher world,Sunday is the end of the week.  Monday - Saturday is, in large part, spent getting ready for Sunday.  Sundaynight, Kathy and I exhale and crash.  So, when I woke this morning I was only thinking of one day.  

Yesterday was a microcosm of life on this sin-cursed planet.  Kathy and I were with a family, at a crisis point in the their lives.  Sin has done its work and these dear friends of ours were left to sort through the pieces and put things back together.  Don't get the idea its hopeless, far from it.  We can see God's grace shining through.  I'm expecting great things!

Part of that grace--much of it, in fact--is packaged in
human flesh.  A couple of other friends are reaching out to this family with love-in-shoe-leather.  It's the kind of thing angels do.  When you are at the end of your rope, they show up to 

 help.  

In the midst of that, I got word that my mom had died.  It was no surprise.  In fact the surprise was that she was still with us yesterday morning.  There was no "I better sit down." kind of shock, like there was when my dad died with a sudden heart attack, just a dull lump that settled somewhere in my lower abdomen, and wouldn't go away.  Again grace appeared.  God is good.

Miles were traveled, emails sent, phone calls made,conferences had, and plans put in place.  Surely it must be Thursday or Friday.

Life is not a smooth line.  It's like looking at the wave pattern of a speech, full of peaks and valleys.  Across those jagged lines that make up the whispers and the ear piercing screams of life, I find one constant.  I don't know how others live without.  Call it a homing beacon, a steady light, a constant tone, maybe, as a song says, it is the "rhythm of his 

Be Still and Know - Steven Curtis Chapman - Worship Video w/lyrics

unfailing heart of love."

 

Yesterday was full.  I'm glad I can say it was not only full of stuff that happened, I can also look back and see an abundance of God's grace.

 

It's STTA.

 

 

(The little angel at the top?  My mom made I don't know how many of them.  They are around the world.  This morning it is a pretty good reminder of God's grace.)