MicksBlog.com

I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to each and every one of you.

The last few weeks I have been enjoying the Holidays visiting

family and friends, and attending various Christmas programs.

My hope and wish is that you and yours have been doing the same!

By Wishing You a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukah instead of a

more generic Happy Holidays it is not my intention to offend

anyone who does not share my particular Faith.

It is an expression from me to you that all that is

pure and peaceful in this world is wished upon you.

It is an opportunity for me to send a loving greeting

from my heart to yours. It is an ever-lasting wish that

all the days of your life will be filled with joy, hope,

and a regard for kindness to all people.

It is the most pure greeting a person can send to another.

And, in all honesty, it is a greeting that has its equal

in expression among other faith traditions. 

We need more peace in this world, more love, more hope,

more compassion and more understanding.

I wish more people would unashamedly greet others with similar expressions.

Perhaps if we all understood the various expressions more instead

throwing up a wall to something that is different or foreign to us

we’d all hear more words of love, hope, compassion and understanding

and fewer words of hate and divisiveness.

Perhaps if even Christians were to understand what it means to wish

another Merry Christmas and hope that they convey that pure essence

and power of the greeting without attempting to express a tag line

of faith superiority then more people of other faith traditions would

understand the greeting and be less intimidated by it and conversely

those of other faith traditions will be more open to greet Christians

with their greeting of love, hope, compassion and understanding.

But my friends; “Happy Holidays” is not that greeting.

“Happy Holidays” is what capitalism came up with in order not to offend anyone.

It is a watered down greeting with very little meaning.

It is what retailers are forced to say to consumers because their companies will

not permit them to greet a person with loving and hope-filled words.

Retail merchants taunt consumers by displaying beautifully decorated

Christmas trees, hanging wreaths, festooning the retail environment

with bright ornaments, bows and Santa Clause displays.

Yet despite all of their hoopla to get consumers into the door to

take money from them their employees are forbidden to wish a customer “Merry Christmas”. 

It is what bank tellers are forced to express for fear that they would offend

a depositor with “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukah” and that depositor will

knee jerk and withdraw their deposit.

I would much rather hear an expression of belief from a bank teller

(no matter what faith tradition it is from) than to hear a meaningless

Happy Holidays and see the grimace in their face as they utter those two words.

It is what government employees are forced to say because the entity they work

in decreed that to say anything else might bring a lawsuit contesting some

Church vs State garbage.

It is what elected officials are forced to say for fear of alienating a constituent.

It is what public school teachers are forced to say because to say anything else

might bring the wrath of an ungrateful parent down on the school district

just because a teacher wish a loving, hope-filled message on their students.

And this list goes on.

“Happy Holidays” is this homogenized greeting that is

supposed to be universal and politically correct yet

as a greeting it is commercialized and bankrupt of anything meaningful.

So yes, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.

Not because I was raised in the faith tradition of Christianity

but because I sincerely express to you my wish that you are filled

with joy, hope and compassion and that you are open to hearing words of love

and peace from others.

May you be blessed this season and throughout the New Year with love,

joy, hope, compassion and understanding from everyone near and dear to you.

Peace,

Mick

Have You Ever Seen a Penny on the Sidewalk?

You always hear people say that pennies on the
sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. 

I wonder…………

Jack, a friend of mine and his wife, let’s just call her Jill, were
invited to spend the weekend at the husband’s
employer’s home. My friend’s wife was nervous about
the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on
the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Jill was
delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very
wealthy live. The husband’s employer was quite generous
as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Jill
knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this
kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself
immensely.As the three of them were about to enter an
exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking
slightly ahead of Jill and her husband, Jack. He stopped
suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent
moment. Jill wondered if she was supposed to pass him.
There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened
penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts.
Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the
penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as
if he had found a great treasure. “How absurd”, she thought! 
What need did this very rich man have for a single penny?
Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?
Throughout dinner, that little scene nagged at her. 
Finally, she could stand it no longer.
She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin
collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of
some value. A smile crept across the man’s face as he
reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for
her to see.  She had seen many pennies before!  What was the
point of this?

“Look at it,” he said.  “Read what it says.”  

Jill read the words;
” United States of America ”
“No, not that; read further.”
“One cent?”
“No, keep reading.”
“In God we Trust?”
“Yes!”
“I don’t understand,” she said.

He patiently explained;
“If I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. 
Whenever I find a coin, I see that inscription. 
It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! 
God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? 
Who am I to pass it by? 
When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. 
I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him.
For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. 
I think it is God’s way of starting a conversation with me. 
Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!

***************

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk.
I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been
worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot
change.  I read the words, “In God We Trust,” and
had to laugh.  Yes, God, I get the message.
It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the
last few months, and I used to think it was just because pennies were plentiful! 

But now I realize, God is patient..
and I thank God for pennies from Heaven.

In Numbers 14 we see that the tribes of Israel did.  First, they thought that they could not take the Promised Land with their own strength. And they were correct. They looked to their circumstances with their own eyes and not through the eyes of The Lord.

After God passed punishment on them, saying no one above the age of 20, except for Caleb and Joshua, would enter the land of Canaan, they became remorseful and then attempted to enter the land against warnings from Moses that they were going against God yet again.  But they did not listen and were soundly defeated and driven back into the wilderness.

Proverbs 3:5-6Proverbs 3:5-6
English: Good News Bible (1992) - GNB
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. ⁶ Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way.

For some of us it is difficult to know when God is directing us to make a choice or attempt something  impossible and seemingly out-of-reach.  Use this simple test to help you in understanding in what areas you should pray and ask God for help.  Are you asking for something like a bigger house or a newer car when what you have is sufficient, or are you asking for help in an area that will bring Glory to God?

I am not really writing about lucky numbers, but rather Numbers 13:1-33Numbers 13:1-33
English: Good News Bible (1992) - GNB
The Spies ^{13 1} The Lord said to Moses, ² “Choose one of the leaders from each of the twelve tribes and send them as spies to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.” ³-¹⁵ Moses obeyed and from the wilderness of Paran he sent out leaders, as follows: Tribe Leader Reuben Shammua son of Zaccur Simeon Shaphat son of Hori Judah Caleb son of Jephunneh Issachar Igal son of Joseph Ephraim Hoshea son of Nun Benjamin Palti son of Raphu Zebulun Gaddiel son of Sodi Manasseh Gaddi son of Susi Dan Ammiel son of Gemalli Asher Sethur son of Michael Naphtali Nahbi son of Vophsi Gad Geuel son of Machi ¹⁶ These are the spies Moses sent to explore the land. He changed the name of Hoshea son of Nun to Joshua. ¹⁷ When Moses sent them out, he said to them, “Go north from here into the southern part of the land of Canaan and then on into the hill country. ¹⁸ Find out what kind of country it is, how many people live there, and how strong they are. ¹⁹ Find out whether the land is good or bad and whether the people live in open towns or in fortified cities. ²⁰ Find out whether the soil is fertile and whether the land is wooded. And be sure to bring back some of the fruit that grows there.” ²¹ So the men went north and explored the land from the wilderness of Zin in the south all the way to Rehob, near Hamath Pass in the north. ²² They went first into the southern part of the land and came to Hebron, where the clans of Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of a race of giants called the Anakim, lived. ²³ They came to Eshcol Valley, and there they cut off a branch which had one bunch of grapes on it so heavy that it took two men to carry it on a pole between them. They also brought back some pomegranates and figs. ( ²⁴ That place was named Eshcol k : eshcol: This name in Hebrew means “bunch of grapes.” Valley because of the bunch of grapes the Israelites cut off there.) ²⁵ After exploring the land for forty days, the spies returned ²⁶ to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had brought. ²⁷ They told Moses, “We explored the land and found it to be rich and fertile; and here is some of its fruit. ²⁸ But the people who live there are powerful, and their cities are very large and well fortified. Even worse, we saw the descendants of the giants there. ²⁹ Amalekites live in the southern part of the land; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and Canaanites live by the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan River.” ³⁰ Caleb silenced the people who were complaining against l : complaining against; or gathered around. Moses, and said, “We should attack now and take the land; we are strong enough to conquer it.” ³¹ But the men who had gone with Caleb said, “No, we are not strong enough to attack them; the people there are more powerful than we are.” ³² So they spread a false report among the Israelites about the land they had explored. They said, “That land doesn't even produce enough to feed the people who live there. Everyone we saw was very tall, ³³ : . and we even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. We felt as small as grasshoppers, and that is how we must have looked to them.”

We all know the story, or do we?

Let me take a moment to review the background to the story. The Hebrews had been following Moses who was following God through the wilderness after they left Egypt on the way to the Promised Land (land of Canaan).  One day as they approach the borders of the Promised Land, God tells Moses to send one man from each of the ancestral tribes of the Israelites to scout out the land.

Moses chooses twelve leaders from the 12 tribes, one of who was named Hosea (meaning “Salvation”). Interestingly, Moses changes his name to Yehoshua (meaning “The Lord Is Salvation”).  We say that name in English as Joshua and its Greek equivalent as Jesus.

The 12 scouted out the land of Canaan for 40 days and returned to the Israelite encampment. They reported on the wonders they had seen, it truly was a land of milk and honey, and all about the people who lived there. They reported that there were strong walled cities and that the people who lived there were far too strong for the Israelites to battle.

Ten of the twelve said it was impossible to enter and conquer the land. After all, they were simply reacting to what was the reality they saw with their own eyes. All the people became distressed.  You have to face facts, right?

One man, Caleb from the tribe of Judah, tried to quite the crowd and spoke of a different possibility, saying that they could go and take possession of the land.

In the next chapter we see that the entire community of Israelites broke out into loud cries and weeping.  They decided it was better to face facts and give up on the Promise, to bemoan their fate and surrender to the reality they saw with their own eyes.

Yet Caleb and Joshua stood firm, resisting the reality they saw with their own eyes for the Reality of God they saw with their faith, saying to all the people that, “don’t rebel against the Lord, because the Lord is with us we can conquer the Land of Promise”.

As we ponder our own circumstances because the facts state we cannot do the impossible, that reality is staring us in the face and we must accept it, ponder this. Are you rebelling against the Lord? Is God with you?  If so, then accept God’s Reality and not your own.  Maybe you need to change your name from Salvation, presumably looking to the only salvation you can do own your own, to The Lord Is Salvation.

Look to God’s Reality, enter and take possession of your land of Promise this day, knowing that “The Lord Is Salvation”.

Amazing Grace is my all-time favorite Hymn.
(John 1:17John 1:17
English: Good News Bible (1992) - GNB
17 God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

I hope it now has new meaning for you.

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to rain slapping the ground?

I find it interesting that the first recorded miracle performed by Jesus receives so little interest or discussion. Yet, for me, it seems that His first miracle is one of His most important miracles because He publicly announced what He intended do while on earth.  The importance of this mircale is so often missed or glossed over.

Before I go on, take a minute to recall what you remember about the story and what significance it holds for you.

Written In John chapter 2, let’s review the story.  On the third day (day 3 after His baptism by John?  You may also want to refer to the third day of creation for an interesting parallel, the grapevine was created on the third day) Jesus and His new disciples are attending a Wedding, presumably of close friends or relatives since His mother Mary was also present.

Jesus had not yet started His public Ministry.  The Wedding party was running out wine.  This was not only a social embarrassment for the time, but also could have financial consequences.  Ancient text of that time period record at least one instance where a court imposed a stiff fine on the family that did not provide enough wine for the guest at a wedding.

Mary asked Jesus, insistently I might add, to take care of the problem.  Jesus told Mary he was not yet ready to begin His Ministry, but conceded to her  request.

Jesus then carefully chose this moment to announce His purpose for His Ministry.  He told the servants t0 get 6 stone water-pots that were set aside for the Jewish ritual of purification cleansing.   This ceremonial cleansing is a religious ritual that rose from the teaching of the Pharisees.   He ordered the servants to fill all 6 pots full.  Each pot held an between 20-30 gallons.  Let’s take an average of 25 gallons.  So we have at least 150 gallons of wine, more than enough for all who attended the Wedding Feast.

This wasn’t cheap wine either. Look at what the headwaiter had to say, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now” (John 2:10John 2:10
English: Good News Bible (1992) - GNB
10 and said to him, “Everyone else serves the best wine first, and after the guests have drunk a lot, he serves the ordinary wine. But you have kept the best wine until now!”

Remember the Last Supper?  “And in the same way He took the cup [of wine] after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood’” (Luke 22:20Luke 22:20
English: Good News Bible (1992) - GNB
20 : . In the same way, he gave them the cup after the supper, saying, “This cup is God's new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you. y : Some manuscripts do not have the words of Jesus after This is my body in verse ¹⁹, and all of verse ²⁰.

The wine of the New Covenant communion is made in the water-pots of the Jewish ritualistic cleansing.  Jesus is making a clear statement with His water into wine sign, signifying that there is a transforming power associated with Jesus. He changes the water of legalism into the wine of the richness and the fullness of eternal life in Christ.

One wonders if at a later time the headwaiter realized that he was the very first man to drink of the “New” wine.  I also wonder if he later made the life-changing decision to drink of the New wine again in Eternity,at another Wedding Feast yet to come. 

If the water-into-wine story did not alreay hold special significance for you, I hope it does now.

Mick