The Missing Ingredient

Perhaps this has happened to you. You set out to make the perfect cake. Butter - check. Eggs - check. Sugar - check. Flour- check. Mix and bake. Wait. Something is wrong. The cake is flat. The batter looked fine. Even a secret taste test of the batter (shhh) tasted yummy. The mixer worked great; the oven was set to the right temperature. It must have been an ingredient. Oh no, the baking powder! That's what is missing. The missing ingredient resulted in a flat cake instead of a fluffy raised cake.  

 

A missing ingredient can also impact life. Home - check. Family- check. Career - check. Pet - check. Mix in friends and stir. Wait. Something is wrong. Life doesn't quite meet the expectations that were set. It looked pretty on the outside and sounded like it would be happy, successful, and full of love, but something went wrong. Oh, yes. There is a missing ingredient. Jesus Christ. Life without Jesus is flat and empty. It falls short of the full life that God intended and never turns out as wonderful as it could be. 

 

What about you? Is Jesus the main ingredient in your life or is your life Jesus-free or Jesus-lite? Is He fully integrated in your life or just sprinkled on top for appearance? The recipe for life can include all kinds of variation except for the one key ingredient that makes everything else worthwhile - Jesus Christ.

 

The humble shall see their God at work for them. 

No wonder they will be so glad! 

All who seek

God shall live in joy. 

Psalm 69:32

Warming Up by the Fire

In most of the country, it’s a bit chilly outside. Some have snow and others just frigid temperatures and ice. The best thing to do is wear lots of layered clothing to keep warm or better yet, cuddle up and sit by fire. There, by the fire’s glow you can settle in and rest. You may even opt for a warm beverage or perhaps throw on a comfy, soft blanket to snuggle under.

 

The feeling of warmth and comfort by the fire is much like the warm, loving glow you feel when you take time to sit and rest in the presence of Christ. Jesus is the Light of the World. It’s impossible to be with Him and not feel His loving presence and warm tenderness. After time with Him you will be all aglow with radiance and grace.

 

Do you think this is true? Go ahead and discover it for yourself. It doesn’t matter if you sat in His presence a day ago, two weeks ago, or not for a year. After all, Jesus gave His life to be with you. When you surrender to His gentle comfort, and share your heart with Him, you will be filled with the warmth of the Spirit and your soul will shine anew. 

 

“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasure of living with you forever.” Psalms 16:11

 

 

 

Miraculous Appearance

 If you had to sum up in one word what currently matters most in American culture, a good describer would be "appearances".  Yes, appearances seem to be what is most important to people. There are influencers, celebrities, and even famous people with no talent appearing to be important, wealthy, cleaver, or have some special quality that others are chasing after.

The truth is, things are not always as they appear. What is visible to the world via social media, Hollywood, or the news is almost always a made up version of reality. That is not surprising when you consider we live in a fallen world. Jesus warned us that Satan is a liar. His goal is to distract, attract and attack. He even tried tempting Jesus. He will stop at nothing to make what is bad look good, just to get his way.

God's "appearances" are quite different. With God we learned to never judge a book by its cover as he uses the small, unassuming, and meek to do mighty and often miraculous work. His ways are awesome and awe inspiring. He sent the Savior of the World as an innocent newborn baby and had angels and a star appeared to announce His arrival.  He used a small shepherd boy to take down a giant and become King. He chose an orphaned girl to grow up and become a courageous queen, saving Israel from annihilation.

What about you? Are you getting caught up in appearances and becoming distracted from what matters most? Are you focusing on Christmas gifts, decorating and hosting the perfect "celebrity"  version Christmas for yourself, or are you celebrating the true meaning of Christmas? No matter how things appear, Jesus Christ, and the joy that comes from knowing Him as the Lord of your life, is the greatest gift of all.

Praise honor and glory to you Jesus Christ! 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: 

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

You Are a Gift

Have you ever felt invisible? Maybe you have felt as though you didn't matter, weren't important, or were forgotten. It's not a very good feeling. In fact, it can lead to depression, sadness, doubt, and even hopelessness. The truth is you aren't invisible. You have been created by the God of the Universe in His image. You are vibrant, strong, smart, kind, loving, and so important to God. 

God know all about you from before you were born and into the future. Your life, and His Son Jesus Christ, are gifts to you. He sees your ups and downs, wins and losses, shining moments and defeats. He loves every part of you, even when you are sad and down on yourself. God is cheering you on. He knows your potential and is watching for you to grow into it. His blessings will chase you down because God finds you impossible to ignore. You are always on His mind and heart. He loves you deeply.

So, don't just sit there. Get up and show God how much you appreciate the gift of life, and gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ, that He has given you. 

"Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed." Deuteronomy 28:6

Spiritual Eyes

Look around. What do you see? Are you witnessing despair, confusion, and fear or do your eyes see possibility, grace, and encouragement? Your sights may be on the natural while the supernatural looks very different. You see rejection. God sees the path He is setting you on to fulfill your destiny. You see loss. God sees blessings and new experiences you never thought possible. 

While your vision is limited, the supernatural view is limitless. God has angels, guides, and paths surrounding your journey that your human eyes can’t even imagine. When you feel like things aren’t going your way, find yourself hitting a brick wall, and getting no positive answers, God is in control. He knows exactly where you need to be and the precise timing to take you there. 

Instead of feeling frustrated and asking why, set you sights on Jesus and know the answer will be revealed in His timing to provide the blessings that already have your name on them. Nothing is eternal until God acts and He is working all things together for good. Keep looking up and know God has things well in hand to provide all you will need to be walking the journey He designed just for you. 

“For we live by believing and not by seeing.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭