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For God So Loved The World
Read: John 3:16
Meditation: Many of us did not experience the kind of love
that gives life while growing up. Instead we experienced a lack of love
that left us cold and empty. Our experience became a hindrance in the
way we engaged and continue to engage life. It also affected how we saw
and continue to see God today. Yet it is the love of God that is one of
the central themes of the Gospel. God meant love to be life-giving
because that's who God is. God is Love (I John 4:16).
God's desire is that our lives would be a testimony of this love.
Foremost, we are to love God. What is the greatest commandment? To
love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). Then our lives are to reflect
our understanding of His love in the way that we live. When we
experience a love that is unconditional it instills a sense of
confidence and freedom in who we are. This is the kind of love that God
extends to us. He loves each one of us for who we are, not for what we
can do, what we might do, or what we look like.
Dorie Van Stone, a speaker and an author, grew up in an orphanage. She
was dropped off there by her mother when she was 6 years old. She was to
spend the next 7 years there. In all her growing up years she never felt
loved. As a small child she only experienced rejection and abandonment
by her mother. At the orphanage, she only experienced emotional abuse
and emotional neglect. She came to believe that she was unlovable, ugly
and that no one would ever love her. Then at the tender age of 12 she
heard the message that God loved her. For the first time she was told
that somebody loved her. For Dorie, this was the changing experience –
knowing that God loved her when no one else did. Years later, this is
the story that she shares with many people – the liberating and
healing power of God's unconditional love for her. John 3:16, is an all
too familiar verse that we often use as a punch line when we are
presenting the Gospel. Yet, it is the most profound and the most concise
message of God's love. It captures the essence of God's heart. "For
God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son…that
whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Moreover, this verse tells us what it cost Him to show His love to you
and to me. It cost Him His one and only Son Jesus Christ whom He sent
into our world of despair and helplessness.
The Advent Season is a time to reflect on this. We are reminded of how
God in His great love for you and me came down to our world in the form
of a tiny baby. He came as a tiny baby so that you and I could
understand and experience this great love He has for us. His love is
complete and unconditional, unlike our personal experiences. During this
Advent Season, let us be challenged to see and understand the kind of
love God has lavished on us. He has gone to the extreme to show His love
sending His only Son to us.
Prayer: Dear God, help me to see and understand how complete and
life-giving Your love is to me. Help me not see Your love through the
dark glass of my personal experiences of pain. In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen.
Linda Martin
Ministry Staff
Sioux Lookout,
Ontario
Hold to the Teachings
Read: 2 Thessalonians 2:14-15
Meditation: The night we had planned for, prayed for and
rehearsed had finally arrived – it felt almost like when a fisherman
lands a large fish using light tackle. Jesus equips us through the Holy
Spirit and the Gospel to be "fishers of men" as we proclaim
the life-saving/life-changing message of salvation. That message is as
old as the words recorded on the pages of your Bible. Yet, the message
comes to us "anew" each year as we commemorate the birth of
God's Son. When the Sunday School Christmas Program had concluded, I
took time to visit with the worshippers. Only then did I realize that
all of the Makah language teachers were participating with us that
night. We had not only shared the all time greatest story ever told, (of
Jesus) but we also had prayed His Prayer in Makah – using a version
that two wonderful Christian women had passed down to the next
generation. The spirits of these two wonderful Christian women, Isabel
and Ruth are now sainted in heavenly glory.
The Holy Spirit instructed men to write down God's Word for all people.
The message of Jesus' birth, death, resurrection, ascension and return
is matter of eternal significance. Every year at this time we prepare to
proclaim Jesus.
And every year at this time at Makah Lutheran Church (as well as at each
Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and worship service) the Lord's
Prayer is prayed in the language God gave to the Makah Nation thousands
of years ago. We are holding on to the teachings that have been passed
down to us!
Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for the Gospel and for the ability to
pray to You in the languages You have given to the people around the
world. In Your name, Amen.
Rev. Dale Heinlein
Pastor, Makah Lutheran Church
Neah Bay,
Washington
Guiding Star
Read: Matthew 2:2
Meditation: Short daylight hours in winter makes visibility more
difficult in any activity. It is so easy to lose your way, or at least cause
delay in finding and following a trail. It is easy to find yourself
wandering. Working at ground level becomes a challenge of false starts and
circle back moves. It's difficult to find your way safely.
In the winter season we have very short days and long periods of darkness
that prevent seeing clearly across the terrain. It becomes all too easy to
get lost. I have many native friends that have helped me find a way to
maintain my direction. They taught me to look up. The stars in the night sky
our Creator designed to give us light and direction, the knowledge to steer
a course.
As Christians we have a guiding light also. We share the story told through
the ages of the star the Wise Men followed, the Star of Bethlehem. That star
steered the first worshippers to Jesus, the Savior of the world. And when
they found the child they felt great joy. So do we in our day, when we come
to put our trust in Jesus and give our life to Him. How easy it is to become
lost in the canyons and valleys of our daily walk. Life begins to close our
sight line. Only when we look up, in order to lose sight of the nearby
distractions, do we see the Way. As we come to the Advent Season, the season
of light, let us keep the Star of Bethlehem in sight, to follow Him, that we
too will have that great joy.
Prayer: Father give us Your guiding light in our lives. Let us follow
You each day. Keep us on the path of life, and help us to be workers in the
Kingdom of Light. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Dan Treakle
Lay Minister, Pilot
Fairbanks,
Alaska
A Trusting Heart
Read: Luke 1:38
Meditation: The virgin's name was Mary. She was visited by the
angel Gabriel, who brought her unexpected, surprising news. She would give
birth to the Son of the Most High, and His Kingdom would never end. "The
child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." (Luke1:35b)
How could this be? How was it she, a humble handmaiden, had found favor with
God?
Gabriel told her, nothing is impossible with God. Even her relative
Elizabeth, said to be barren in her old age, was with child. Mary answered:
"Behold I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to
your word." She responded in faith, trusting God's will for her. What
was to come was beyond her comprehension; still the stance she took was one
of joyful obedience in God her Savior.
The child she bore obeyed God, too. The Word came into the world as a human
being, full of grace and truth. The angel of the Lord who appeared to Joseph
in a dream instructed him to name the child Jesus "because he will
save his people from their sins." (Matthew1:24) Jesus' obedience
brought Him to the cross, where His life was sacrificed for the sins of the
world. Mary's obedience brought her to the foot of the cross, where she
witnessed God's will for her Son, who was obedient unto death. And with
deeply thankful hearts we can rejoice in what God has done for us in His
Son, Jesus. God's redemptive act through Christ brings us back into
relationship with Him, as children of God. And so, even in Advent, the
message of the cross calls to us. We are preparing to celebrate the birth of
one by whose death our sins are forgiven and we are given the gift and
promise of eternal life. Therefore, we can join our Lord and Savior in
saying, "Yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will."
(Luke10:21b)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we cannot fully imagine the depth and breadth
of Your love for us. But may we be drawn to Your loving heart to join with
You in celebrating the birth of Your Son, Jesus, our Lord. In His holy name,
we pray. Amen.
Mary Miller
Seward Peninsula
Nome,
Alaska
The Life Appeared
Read: 1 John 1:1-3
Meditation: We were all gathered together, listening, waiting, and
waiting to see life appear. It had been a long night; our daughter had
endured much pain and suffering. It was her first child, a baby girl. At
times I wept for the pain that I could hear her experiencing. Then we heard
it, she cried, she had arrived. Then we saw her, so beautiful. Then we held
her, and I can tell you it was awesome. The family had all come together,
here at the hospital. Some had been fussing with each other for years. But
all that had been put aside, it no longer seemed so important. As this life
appeared there was a sense of sweet fellowship, there was just unspeakable
joy.
I'm reminded of another life that appeared, the eternal Word of life. 1 John
1:1-3 says, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched
– this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The Life appeared;
"we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal
life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you
what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.
And our fellowship is with the father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We
write this to make our joy complete."
The appearance of this life doesn't impact us just in a space in time, or
even just one family. Its impact is to all and for all, not just in the now
but also into eternity. Eternal fellowship with the Father and the Son and
with each other. Unspeakable eternal joy, for the life truly appeared.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Your Son's life that we
might have life eternal. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Dave Sternbeck
Ministry Staff
Neah Bay,
Washington
Hungry at Butedale
Read: Psalm 145:15-16
Meditation: In the typical autumn gales, rain, and fog, a once
intermittent but long-suffered problem with the radar blowing fuses had
finally shut it down completely. We were running the M/V CHRISTIAN back to
Alaska from it's repaint in Vancouver B.C. The resulting need for extra
caution found us tying up earlier than normal at the rickety float in
Butedale, British Columbia, Canada, a decaying salmon cannery. As we tied
securely for the night to the slippery rottenness, we were joined by a dog
who seemed to be wondering whether he should bite off our legs or lick our
cold fingers in friendly greeting.
We soon discovered that the dog and a cat were solely in charge of the
facilities and would not be selling us any of the advertised ice cream. The
dog seemed overwhelmed with the dilemma of his responsibility of guarding
his master's property, but finally gave us a guarded and suspicious welcome.
The cat, on the other hand, in care-free irresponsibility, immediately
turned on all her feline charms, settling cutely by our door like a
permanent porch ornament.
First Mate Alice saw right away that the cat and dog were hungry, and set
about righting the problem. Perhaps, we speculated, the proprietors were
long delayed in returning by the continued foul weather. Meanwhile a more
careful, probing scrutiny of a seemingly superficial chaff on the radar wire
revealed and solved the problem in twenty minutes.
As we motored away the next morning, pleased and reassured with the now
reliable radar, I couldn't help pondering the events slipping away in our
wake. Had God been looking out for those two hungry and lonely pets? Might
He have used our inconvenience and trouble to bless two animals? Had our
schedule been interrupted for the sake of a dog and a cat? Somehow, I hope
so. For He said we are of more value than His animals. If He'd do that for
them just think what He is doing for us, behind the scenes. Yes, we are in
good hands, God's hands, and that is good news, a part of the very Good
News that the M/V CHRISTIAN is commissioned to spread.
Prayer: Thank You, O God, for Your care for us. Unseen, You care for the
animals and birds and You care for me, too. Thank You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Melvin Borg
Elvin's brother and occasional
volunteer skipper on the M/V
CHRISTIAN
Jesus The Only Lasting Gift
Read: Romans 8:39
Meditation: As I walked up to our van, that cold 20 degrees below
zero winter night, the wind was biting at my face. As I got closer to
the van I also noticed something different about the passenger side
front window. From a distance it looked like the window was covered with
a strange sparkling frost. It was close to midnight and I was looking
forward to getting back to a warm place of lodging. I was hurrying out
to the van to get a gift that I had forgotten. I wanted to give this
gift away before we left for home. As I reached out to open the door I
realized, to my amazement, that the strange sparkling frost was really
shattered and broken glass. I had been robbed. It happened so quickly
and it was totally unexpected. There was glass everywhere and sure
enough many of our gifts and other possessions were gone. It reminded me
of how quickly things in this life can disappear. It also seemed so
ironic since at this time of year we usually think of receiving gifts
and giving gifts – not of having things taken from us or stolen from
us. It was just two days before Christmas. Needless to say it took the
joy out of the season, at least for a day or two, until I had a chance
to think it all through. What gifts do I have that are of lasting value
any way? Can I give away any gifts that are of lasting value?
This experience, in the end, turned out to be a blessing. It helped me
see that the greatest gift of all, Jesus, God's Incarnate Son, is really
the only gift that will never fade away, never lose it's value, never
lose it's power, and never cease to be the most important aspect of our
existence. I lost a few gifts that day but I did not loose my
relationship with the Creator of the universe. I was still embraced by
that incredible gift of Jesus through the power of God Himself. No one
can ever take that from me. No one can ever take that from
you.
It seemed that God was really teaching me a lesson last Christmas
season. He seemed to be reminding me that there is nothing certain in
this life except for Him and that it is only through the gift of His Son
that we experience His love and are in relationship with Him. Whether or
not the earthly gifts you receive this season are big or small or
whether or not you receive something, or have something taken away, we
must always remember that the gift of Jesus is the best gift we could
possibly ever receive. And no one and not any thing at all can separate
us from that amazing gift and that amazing love.
It is clear of course that God does give us many good and wonderful
earthly gifts and that He wants us to enjoy them. There is a little more
to the story. A friend of mine, without me having any idea of what he
was up to, gathered enough gifts of money to pay the damages of up to
half of the costs of this van break in. He handed this to me Christmas
Eve. A few days later another church handed me a check to pay the rest
of the damages. The two together covered the cost of this break in
almost to the dollar without either of them knowing what the other one
was doing. What an experience it was for God to remind me of what really
is important and lasting and yet, at the same time, clearly, take care
of my needs.
Prayer: Father, thank You for giving us Your perfect and
everlasting gift. Help us to see more clearly than ever that we have
everything in You and that nothing can separate us from Your eternal
gift and Your eternal love. I praise You Father that no matter what
happens in this life we truly have everything now and will have
everything later.
Rick Martin
Ministry Staff
Sioux Lookout, Ontario
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