Throw it Down

     Moses would have been trembling in his shoes if he were wearing any, but when God tells you to take off your shoes, you go barefoot. He couldn't believe what was being asked of him. He didn't have anything that God could use. All he had was a stick, a little defense in an offensive world. He really couldn't believe the next request. God wanted him to throw down his only source of comfort, his stick. Reluctantly, Moses threw his stick down thinking, "This can't get any worse." only to see he was wrong.

  

     His stick was now a snake. Yes, a snake. As he turned to run, he heard the Lord say, "Moses, pick up your stick." Gathering up his courage, he grabbed the snake by the tail and it instantly was his old stick again, but something had changed. It was now God's stick; under Moses' command.

     All of us have something that God is calling us to throw down. That is down, not away. God wants us to lay down our talents so He can inhabit them. So that when we take them back up, they are God's talent under our command. What is God asking you to throw down?

The Image of God

A word before you start reading this. (I guess you are already reading this if you have made it this far, so disregard that first sentence.) I know a lot of you reading this blog have never really known a time when cameras actually used film, but that used to be the only option. Go ask your grandparents about the dark ages when you had to put film in your cameras.


     Cameras fascinate me. You aim them, push a button, and an image is captured forever on film. I have had the science behind exposing film explained to me several times, but I still think there is magic involved somehow. However it works, it does; every time. What ever it is facing when the film is exposed will be captured on the film. The film will be changed into an image of what it was exposed to.

     We are a lot like film. We become an image of what we are exposed to. We know that we are created in the image of God, but that quickly changes as we continually expose ourselves to the world. Just like film, we become an image of what we are exposed to.

     God calls us to repentance, a 180 degree turn. Why turn around? We need to turn around so we are no longer exposing ourselves to this world of sin. We need to turn around and expose ourselves to the glory of God, that way we will take on the image of God; the very image we were first created in. What is on your spirit's film?

Just Beyond the Manger

     I think this will be the last of my Christmas posts. After today the topics will probably not follow much of a pattern until Easter. This post is also a little different in that I didn't write it. I mean have written it on paper, and I am typing it right now (at least I will be in a few minutes), but these are somebody else's words. They are in fact the words of Joseph M. Martin. They are the lyrics to a song he wrote entitled "Just Beyond the Manger". I think it is important to remember that there is more to the story of Jesus than His miraculous birth. He was born for a reason, to provide a path to the presence of God.

Just Beyond the Manger
by Joseph M. Martin

Just beyond the manger,
I hear no lullabies, 
I see no golden hay,
I feel no starlight.
Just beyond the manger.


Just beyond the manger,
I hear the hammer fall,
I see a rugged cross,
I feel the chill of night.
Just beyond the manger.


Just beyond the manger,
I see no swaddling clothes,
I hear no angels sing,
I feel no candle glow.
Just beyond the manger.


Just beyond the manger,
I see a lonely hill,
The Savior crying still,
I hear the thunder roll.
Just beyond the manger.


Forgive us Lord, and grant us eyes to see
in every Christmas, Calvary;
Implant it in our hearts.
Help us recall amid trees of red and gold
on another tree raised long ago
we raised God's brightest star.
Just beyond the manger,
Just beyond the manger.

Curious Choice

     Luke tells us that the shepherds were the first to hear of the birth of Jesus.(Luke 2:8-20) The shepherds? Why the shepherds? They are dirty and smelly and kind of a worldly lot. In first century Israel, shepherds were the lowest of low class. To be called a shepherd was an insult, and these are the people God chooses to tell first? A curious choice indeed.

     This curious choice was only one of many curious choices made throughout Jesus' life on Earth. Why Bethlehem? Why sinners? Why fishermen? Why a cross? The list could go on and on.

    I think the shepherds were chosen to show that this child was born for all mankind, even the lowest of the low. Consider the visitors that Mary and Joseph entertained, shepherds and kings, both ends of the spectrum. Truly this child was born for all people.

     God may make what seems to be curious choices, but be sure they are made for a purpose. The most curious choice may be that he chooses us to do His will. Will you become one of His curious choices?

I pray that all of you have had a Merry Christmas.

Is it Here Yet?

     I remember waking up thinking, "Surely it is time to get up now." It was still dark outside and the house was still quiet, but to an eight year old on Christmas that means nothing. Not only was it not time to get up, I had only been in bed for a few hours. This was repeated two or three more times until finally the sun was up and it was time. The big day had come. I ran out to where the tree was, and sure enough there were presents everywhere. Christmas had come at last.

     On this Christmas Eve, we should have the same excitement as that eight year old. We should awaken tomorrow morning wide eyed with wonder, Christmas has come! The Christ child is here! The greatest gift of all time has been given to us.

    I pray all of you have a Merry Christmas this year. I have enjoyed having this outlet so far, and I am looking forward to what the upcoming year has in store. Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings.


Mike Matteson

The Star

     With Christmas approaching, I have heard the Christmas story over and over. This year I have been puzzling over something. Why was it only the wise men? It should have been the whole of Israel.

     Why these men from the East? Who were they? These men were scholars. They were studied in all of the religions of the region, but they weren't Hebrews. They weren't Hebrews, but they were familiar enough with the Hebrew scriptures to recognize the bright, new star to be one of the signs of the birth of the Savior. They did more than notice the sign, they realized that this was something special. Special enough to rearrange the heavens. They knew they must go see this thing that had happened.

     This isn't the part that puzzles me. What puzzles me isn't so much that the wise men recognized this heavenly event. After all that was their job. No, what puzzles me is why they were the only ones to recognize what was happening? Why weren't the Hebrew scholars investigating this star? If the Eastern scholars knew the scriptures well enough to recognize the sign, surely the priests would too. Surely the star was visible throughout the whole country of Israel. There should have been Hebrew priests kneeling before the Christ child. Where were they? Why didn't they see the signs?

     Maybe they weren't looking. Perhaps they had become comfortable with their lives. Maybe they weren't really looking for the Savior as diligently as their title demands. Maybe they felt they didn't need a savior. Maybe they thought the scriptures were speaking metaphorically, that the savior lies within each of us, or none of us, or... who knows? Probably, they were a lot like us. So busy, so preoccupied with the season and just plain living that we miss an event so big, God rearranged the stars.

    Some time this Christmas season, take the time to follow the star and kneel beside those wise men of old before the Christ child.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

     It starts in October when the first decorations go up in the stores. Come Thanksgiving there is Christmas music on the radio and playing in the malls. The malls are packed with shoppers rushing from store to store trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on their list. Tensions rise, tempers flare, fights even break out. Suicide rates and credit card balances go up. Is this Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year?

     If you find yourself somewhere in that last paragraph, stop and listen. Listen hard. Do you hear it? No? Listen again. There it is,the cry of a baby, a baby born 2000 years ago. A baby born in a stable. You may hear it in the voice of a teenage clerk telling you to have a good day and actually meaning it. It maybe in the ringing of the Salvation Army bells, it may be in a child's giggles.

     If you listen hard, you will find that Christmas is still there beneath all of the rushing and glitter. When you find it, share it with those around you. The small cry of a baby born 2000 years ago can still be heard above the din if you will only stop and listen for it. In the words of the Psalms, "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10a)

What Child is This?

They rushed everywhere they went. To the paint store, "Should we get blue or yellow? Have we got enough toys? Is the crib just right? Have we done all we can to get ready?"

They were soon to become parents and it was obvious to all who encountered them. It was written on their faces, you could hear it in their speech. They were excited! Why? They were excited because a child was coming into their lives and their lives were soon to be changed forever.

As we close in on Christmas, we should feel this same type of excitement. Amongst the shopping, parties, caroling, etc... we should be excited. A child is coming and once He enters our lives, they will never be the same. This is called the Advent season, a season of anticipation and preparation. We are to prepare this world for the child that is coming.

What child is this? This, this is Christ the king. Are you prepared for the coming if this child?



Random afterthought that has absolutely no spiritual significance what so ever, Google Chrome doesn't think amongst is a word. Silly Google Chrome, buy a better dictionary.

Trying out the blogosphere

I am not really sure what my motives are for starting this blog. My plans right now are to mostly post the  devotional thoughts that are frequently rolling through my mind, but I may include other random, occasionally bizarre, things as well.

If you happen to find your way to this blog and read this far, thank you and I hope you find something here you like.

By the way, about the title. I have heard Christianity described as one beggar telling other beggars where to find food. Every Christian, great or small, is, at the core, simply a beggar. We have all sinned and all fall short of the Glory of God. The good news is, there is a feast laid out for us by the Son of God and He has extended a free invitation to all of us lowly beggars. My wish is you will accept this beggar's invitation to join me at that feast.


Mr Matt