Barbara Rainey's Blog, page 9

Jesus Is the Son of God

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water,

and behold,   the heavens were opened to him,  

and he   saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;  

and behold,   a voice from heaven said,  

“This is my beloved Son,   with whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:16-17

Joseph and Mary were about to become mom and dad to a son. And though Mary was pregnant with Jesus long before ultrasound technology and modern birthing practices, this young couple knew their baby was a boy who would live long enough to save His people.

This baby wasn’t just any son; He was God’s only Son. He was a Gift sent with love. To be certain we don’t miss it, over 40 times in the Gospel of John the phrase “sent from God” is repeated. This Son was not from men but was of God, sent by His Father in heaven to a broken earth with a plan to rescue and redeem.

God Almighty understood what we can barely comprehend: that our salvation could not be accomplished by any other person than Jesus, God’s own Son.

A son carries the DNA, the genetic makeup, of his father. So, likewise God’s Son, Jesus, is the “exact imprint of God’s nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3).

To Mary, the angel Gabriel had delivered the message, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High … the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:31-32, 35).

From the most well-known verse in the Bible, John 3:16, we understand much about the newborn baby in very simple words:

“For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son,

 that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Understanding the first half of John 3:16 is important. But ignoring the second half can be deadly: “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This is an invitation to believe in Jesus, the Son of the Most High, to welcome His free gift of salvation, and to enter into eternity by faith.

Though we can’t see Jesus the Son in person, we can choose to believe by faith. Jesus said before He ascended back to His Father, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed” (John 20:29).

Those words describe you and me!

Do you believe Jesus, the Son, was sent by God to save you?

Have you welcomed Him into your heart as your Savior? If you haven’t welcomed Him and His free gift, will you open your heart this Christmas to Him?

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,

Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in—

That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin!

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee;

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

From “How Great Thou Art”

 

 

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Jesus Is the Messenger

“… the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight,

behold, He is coming,”

says the Lord of hosts.

Malachi 3:1

Have you ever wished to walk along a beach and discover a message written long ago and placed in a bottle on the ocean? Or would you like to have been the boys throwing rocks in the cave-dotted hills near the Dead Sea who discovered ancient clay pots containing aged parchments with the words of Isaiah—now known as the Dead Sea scrolls?

Like discovering buried or lost treasure, finding messages from God Himself is more valuable than a chest of gold coins. When the words on those long-lost ancient scrolls were studied, one portion (Isaiah 61:1) said this:

The Spirit of the Lord   God   is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;

These words describe both the Messenger and the message. Both are treasures. Both bring hope.

In this weary, war-torn world, good news is always welcome. This best news was to be delivered by God’s very own Messenger, His Son Jesus.

Today we live in a world where everyone with a connection to the internet can give their opinion on anything. We hear a multitude of opinions from online news sites or blogs or talking heads on a cable news network, declaring their slant on current events. But this Messenger was sent to us from God and “it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18). We can trust His message.

Over the centuries God called men to be His prophets, to speak to His people. Over time the messages linked together with greater clarity, but until Jesus came to earth to dwell among us, many of God’s messages remained mysterious. They needed an interpreter, someone to tell us what they meant.

Jesus came as the full and final revelation of God to this world. He is the answer to all our questions, the solution to all our problems, the fulfillment of all our needs.

As God’s perfect Messenger, Jesus reveals God to humanity. In Jesus “all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).

One day Jesus read words from Isaiah 61:1 in the temple and made it clear that He Himself was the fulfillment of the very words He read:

The Spirit of the Lord   God   is upon me, because the   Lord   has   anointed me to bring good news to the poor;   he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and   the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Over and over Jesus told His followers that He was not here on earth for His own agenda. His sole purpose was to do God’s will. His earthly mission was to convey the message that came from God. Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent Me” (John 6:38).

During His 33 years on earth, people from every race and culture marveled at His humility, His purity, His wisdom. No human was anything like this Messenger who wasn’t in the game for Himself, but solely fixed on the purpose of His Father.

This Christmas may you receive Jesus’ message of good news for yourself. Then, may you cheerfully and eagerly share that message with many, for we are now His messengers, His ambassadors to a broken world. Our world needs the good news today more than ever.

He comes the broken heart to bind,

The bleeding soul to cure,

And with treasures of His grace,

To enrich the humble poor.  

From “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks”

 

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Jesus Is the Light of the World

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying,

“I am the light of the World.”

John 8:12

Have you ever been afraid of the dark?

I remember taking a tour of an underground cave. It was fascinating and beautiful with spaces two and three stories high. But when the tour guide shut off the light for about 30 seconds it suddenly became frightening. We could see literally nothing, even a hand in front of our eyes. It was darker than any darkness I’d known. It felt like forever before he flipped the light switch back on. The relief was palpable.

The absolute darkest places on our planet are the very deepest parts of the ocean where no light can penetrate the abyss. Scientists are especially curious about the unexplored, unreachable crevices; for what lies in the deep darkness remains a mystery.

Genesis tells us that in the beginning the earth was formless, without any shape, and empty; there was only darkness over everything, as black as the depths of the oceans or the lightless recesses of a deep cave. “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’ … and God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:3-4).

Life was now possible because the Light had come!

And then the Old Testament prophet Isaiah foretold of a time when, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine upon them” (Isaiah 9:2). This would happen with the coming of the Messiah: “For a child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us … (Isaiah 9:6).

The early words of the Gospel of John describe Jesus as the Light of the World: “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not see it” (John 1:4-5).

A favorite Christmas activity for many families is stringing lights on the Christmas tree, draping them around the front door, or decorating the whole house with lights from rooftop to front porch. Candles and even a fire in the fireplace add a warm glow of light from the flickering flames.

Why do most all of us enjoy adding different kinds of lights to our homes at Christmas? Because lights create warmth. Heat from a fire, the soft glow of twinkle lights, or flickering candles, sends a message of hope, of expectancy, of life itself. Light catches our eyes, beckons us to stare at its glow, calls our hearts to be enveloped by its brightness.

Lights at Christmas are symbolic of the Light of Christ, reminding us of the true meaning of the Christmas holiday.

But on this earth, physical light doesn’t last. Days ends and night comes. Candles burn out and darkness descends. The fire dies and the cold rushes in.

One day that will change for those who know Jesus as the Light of the World. Those who follow Christ will, when He returns, behold the Light that never fades:

“Behold He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him … There shall no longer be any light and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them” (Revelation 1:7; 22:5).

God in His infinite goodness gave us light to sustain our lives. But infinitely more important, God gave us Jesus, who is light, and “in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). He was sent to us at Christmas to deliver us “from the domain of darkness” (Colossians 1:13).

The Light came to earth so that darkness would be banished forever. Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Christmas is about Jesus, the Light of the World.

Light of the world

You stepped down into darkness.

Open my eyes

Let me see.

 

From the worship song,

 “Here I Am to Worship”

 

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Use the Names of Jesus to Worship Christ this Christmas Season

In the beginning God created and He named. He named the darkness “night” and the light “day” (Genesis 1:1-5). He called the dry land “Earth,” the waters “Seas” and the sky above “Heaven” (Genesis 1:6-9). He created the sun, the moon, and the stars, giving each one its name.

Children learn at a very young age that the warm yellow ball in the sky is called the sun. That is its name. As they grow older they learn more about its properties, its size, and its effects on the earth and even on their own bodies. Their knowledge of the sun develops and expands.

Like the sun, each of us is known by our name. Meaning is inherent in a name, giving identity to an object or a person. 

In the Scriptures, Jesus is known by many names—some scholars say as many as 300—which tells us right away that He is not like us. Getting to know the names of Jesus introduces us to who He is. It’s the starting place for discovering the greatest treasure, a relationship with the eternal God. In learning the names of Christ, our understanding of Him grows. We begin to know Him as He is.

The celebration of Christ’s birth has gotten lost in a swirl of fairy tales and merchandizing. Think about it … the stunning miracle of God becoming human has become trivialized with toys, tinsel, and visits with Santa.

What’s the solution for you and your family? The Bible tells us: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2, NASB). Learn His names and in doing so you will know more of Him. Seeing Jesus stirs a response of adoration and worship. And the things of earth become less important. Our misplaced affections are righted.

The Advent names of Christ

As we move closer to Christmas day this week, I’ll be sending you four short blog posts as daily devotions. Each post will feature one of four names of Christ: Light of the World, Messenger, Son of God, and Word. Each of these names is connected with the Advent of Christ, the coming of Christ.

God sent His Son into the world to help us know Him better and to set us free from the darkness of our hardened hearts. One of my favorite stories is the C.S. Lewis book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The setting is a snowbound country called Narnia that had not known Christmas for a very long time. A young girl, Lucy, stumbles into this magical land and encounters a faun, a kind creature she’d never seen before. After proper introductions, Mr. Tumnus invites Lucy to tea, and she accepts.

As they chat by a fire, her curiosity grows about this very different land which she had unexpectedly discovered. But Mr. Tumnus’ answers to her questions begin to make her feel afraid, especially when he explains matter-of-factly that his wintry country is ruled by the White Witch. “It is she that has got all Narnia under her thumb,” he tells Lucy. “It’s she that makes it always winter. Always winter and never Christmas; think of that!”

Lucy replies, “How awful!” And we would all agree.

Like the imaginary land of Narnia, frozen by the evil spell of the White Witch, so this globe of ours became locked in a kind of perpetual winter the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Their hearts, and the hearts of everyone born after them, were hardened with sin.

For thousands of years the world waited for Christmas to come.

As the years went by, God sent messages to His people to let them know He had not forgotten them, that He would change their hearts, that He would come to them. He gave them hope that one day a Messiah would come. One of His prophets, Ezekiel, famously quoted God saying to His people, “I will remove the heart of stone … and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19).

When Jesus was born the Light of the World broke through our winter. Christmas was born and angels sang when the Gift of Jesus arrived from heaven and lay peacefully in a feeding trough.

At last, our personal darkness was shattered with bright rays of hope.

Christmas is about each of us; it’s about the whole world. God’s love never ends and it is always enough for any person who will seek Him.

Get to know Jesus

Each of the Advent names of Christ speaks to some aspect of His coming and His purpose.

Consider using the four blog posts to make a weeklong focus on getting to know Jesus. And you might even read each post to your family over dinner and talk about why that name of Jesus is important and what it tells us about why God sent His son over two thousand years ago. Perhaps you could to memorize the key Bible verses as a family or write them on cards and hang them prominently in your kitchen or on your Christmas tree.

For teens and adults, use questions like this to spur some discussion:

Why does God want us to know each of these names?Why is that quality important?Why does God describe Himself this way?What does it mean to us, His children, to know Jesus like this?

May His names be remembered in your family this Christmas—and beyond—as you give prominence to the One whose birth we celebrate on December 25 … the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ!

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Hope for All Who Are Unhappy This Christmas

As we approach Christmas, I’m wondering today if you are feeling lonely or troubled or disappointed.

The week after Halloween this year I was in a retail store which was playing a Christmas song … too soon already … about the holidays being the best time of the year. It wasn’t a familiar tune so I wasn’t paying close attention, but when I heard the words, “… when everyone is so happy” I thought immediately, “It is NOT true that everyone is happy during the holidays!”

For a few seconds I felt mildly angry. We have hard stuff going on in our lives right now and in that moment it seemed an affront that the song assumed everyone was and should be universally happy all this month.

Have you felt this way, too, some years?

Our culture relentlessly promotes the magical fantasy Christmas of our dreams. Industries literally bank on us funding our holiday fantasies. But this year, perhaps more than ever, the sparkles may only magnify your loneliness. The world has changed a lot since pre-Covid days and life isn’t the same. Everyone senses it even though much of life goes on as it always has.

This year, you may be facing issues that leaven your holiday happiness:

Your children are not getting along.Recent family gatherings have devolved into arguments about culture wars and politics. Your attempts to help or bring your faith into the situation fall short, and all you can think about is how you could have handled the situation differently.One of your children is battling a serious illness or disease or is wandering from the faith.Someone in your extended family is failing in health and you don’t know how many days they have left. Or you’ve lost someone dear this year and it’ll be the first Christmas without him or her.Perhaps this year for the first time you are facing a Christmas alone and you don’t know if you can bear it.The economy and the squeeze on small businesses make you wonder if you’ll have any extra cash for gifts this year.

More than ever this year we need the truth of Christmas, that God came to dwell with us as our Emmanuel, even if we fear our holiday experience will be very different this year.

A letter was written ages ago to a group of people who were living in circumstances that were radically different than what they’d always known. These families and individuals were forced to flee their homes because of persecution and find places to live that were safer. While I imagine they were relieved to have found refuge, there were undoubtedly friends, foods, and familiar places they missed profoundly.

Writing to this community, Peter sympathized with their trials and sufferings but then challenged them to “set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).

As painful as your circumstances might be this Christmas, is it possible that God is calling you to look honestly at where you place your hope? I know He is telling me that my hope is too often in people, things or circumstances I value as good rather than in Him alone.

In times of hardship, nothing is more life and hope giving than “the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). So here are some living abiding words of truth for you to read that can bring life to your sorrows:

“And He will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge” (Isaiah 33:6)

“knowing you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers … with the precious blood of Christ …” (1 Peter 1:18-19)

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession …” (1 Peter 2:9).

No matter what is happening in your life … no matter the current national or world crisis … and no matter how often our eyes constantly look for the outward to satisfy, to fill us, to bring us joy, it is only found in One Person.  

David said, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12). He knew the source was in God alone.

Joni Eareckson Tada, who I am honored to know as a friend, gives me the perspective I need. For 55 years she has been confined to a wheelchair and to the constant need of others caring for her physical needs. She said in an interview, “In the morning when I wake up, I know they’ll be coming into my bedroom to give me a bed bath, to do my toileting routines, pull up my pants, put me in the wheelchair, feed me my breakfast and push me out the front door. I lie there thinking, ‘Oh God, I cannot face this. I’m so tired of this routine. I don’t know how I’m going to make it to lunchtime. But I can do all things through You as You strengthen me. Can I please borrow your smile? I need it.’”

Do you shake your head incredulously at her impossible-to-comprehend circumstances? I do. And I marvel.

She went on to say, “I make myself be happy. I make myself sing because I have to. I choose the Holy Spirit’s help because I don’t want to go down that grim, dark path to depression anymore. Cast yourself at the mercy of God and let Him show up through your weaknesses because that is what He promises.”

Her faith stuns me because mine feels so shallow in comparison. But God eagerly waits to meet us when we come with our losses of any size and our broken hearts to His welcoming embrace. That is where joy is found in the holiday season, and in our everyday lives—in a real, vital relationship with Jesus Christ.

Come to Him. Give Him your broken heart. Adore Him always as Christ the Lord. Then sing for joy this season, not because your circumstances are the best ever, but because Jesus “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).  

He has not abandoned us! Not for a moment will He forsake you or me! And that is worth singing every Christmas hymn or carol you know.

One of my many favorite Scripture passages is worth remembering every day. This is a paraphrase of Habakkuk 3:17-19a, from the ESV and NASB translations:

Though the fig tree should not blossom, and no fruit be on the vines.

Though the olive tree should not yield, and the fields produce no food.

Though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength …

Amen. No matter what you are facing this holiday season, I pray that you will call on the name of Jesus Christ!

P.S. I’m working on a book, and a Bible study eventually, on the topic of disappointment with God. I spoke on this topic and how to find hope in our disappointments at a women’s conference at our church last spring. We videotaped it and it will be available in January for you to go through on your own or with a group of friends. I hope you’ll watch for it and join us. Our world is filled with people who are facing disappointments of all kinds. And Jesus wants to meet us right there in the hard places.

Hope to see you in January!

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The Barbara Rainey Podcast: Gift Giving in the Rainey Home

The gift-giving season is fully upon us! I’ve been working through our gift list for a while now, but with 27 grandchildren, I feel like I’ll never be done!

Many years ago, when our kids were small, Dennis and I decided we wanted to focus on giving, rather than receiving. In fact, the Bible points us in this direction!  Acts chapter 20 tells us “it is better to give than to receive” and I really wanted that to be the focus in our home.

Today on The Barbara Rainey Podcast, Dennis and I talk about our own upbringings and how they played into traditions we started in our home with our six children. We talk through our tradition of gift-giving with our children and how our kids started shopping for their siblings with their own money and gift-giving actually became a kind of competition in our home! 

We also talk about the newest book I wrote, Tales of the Resistance. In this book, I talk about many unsung heroes of the faith. Each story is written to where it can be told in several minutes or less, so you can read it around the dinner table or at bedtime. This month, we would love to send you a copy with your gift of $25. We only have a limited number of these books, so be sure to give today! 

You can listen here or on any major podcast platform.

I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!

Ever His,

Barbara

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What About Santa?

Dear Barbara: How should our family handle the popular tradition of Santa? I know Christmas is about Jesus, so is it wrong to talk about Santa too?  

Like many of you, Dennis and I kept our favorite childhood holiday traditions alive as we began growing our new little family: cookie recipes, Christmas trees, church services, holiday decorations, Santa Claus, and more.

Several years into parenting though, I started questioning this borrowed tradition, asking myself, Did I want to teach my children to believe in Santa Claus when I knew he wasn’t real?

The responsibility of what we were modeling and teaching our children weighed on me heavily. By this time our oldest children were between three and five, and they were already rooted in our traditions. To them, Christmas was all about these activities that we repeated year after year. When we talked about Santa, they trusted what we told them. And that worried me.

What should we do as a mom and dad who knew that Christmas celebrated the birth of Christ?

Not only did I wonder how we should handle Santa at Christmas, but I also thought about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. I questioned whether I should read fairy tales to our kids.

Truth has always been of immense importance to me. Even though Dennis and I didn’t feel we were harmed as children by pretending Santa was real, I feared my children would think I was lying to them if we told imaginary stories.

I wanted the best for my kids, and I know you do too.

A turning point for me was discovering the book, Honey for a Child’s Heart, by Gladys Hunt. Hunt addresses the importance of reading good stories to children of all ages. She helped put my fears in perspective when she wrote:

“Maybe you have wondered about the wisdom of fairy stories in your child’s life. I heard a man recently say that life wasn’t like Cinderella and others who say they don’t like elves and fairies and talking animals and Santa Claus. Children don’t take life as seriously as adults and are more inclined to read for pleasure without theorizing until all the fun is wrung out. Imagination is the stuff out of which creativity comes.”

Peace, encouragement, and clarity calmed my tangled mind as I read Hunt’s book. As an artist, and knowing God values our being creative since we are made in His image as Creator, I believed the value of growing creativity in my children was as important to me as teaching truth. This author’s words put the questions of pretending and imagining in perspective. Finally, as a mom I felt liberated to encourage my children to enjoy this delightful and very important part of being a child all year long.

Armed with a long list of great books from Gladys Hunt’s bibliography, I continued reading imaginative books from authors Dr. Seuss, Beatrix Potter, Maurice Sendak and one of my favorite stories, Good Night Moon. But as my children grew, I added more classics like Winnie the Pooh, Charlotte’s Web, and the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. These books include talking animals and imaginary worlds that danced in our heads.

I reread the entire Narnia series only a few years ago after our granddaughter Molly died. As an adult I still love the possibilities C.S. Lewis presented. His imagery of heaven gave me hope and peace as I pictured Molly playing and laughing in Lewis’s land beyond the sea.

I often wonder if God, in His limitless creativity, might welcome us to a world where animals do indeed talk and fly. Psalm 98:8 says, “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the hills sing for joy together,” and Psalm 96:12 tells us, “Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” Are these just metaphors? Personally, I wonder. As 1 Corinthians 2:9 reads, “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Imagination isn’t just for our enjoyment. It’s important for our faith too. Do you believe in a God because you’ve seen Him? Are you confident you will go to heaven because you’ve been there and can verify that it is good? Of course not.

We believe by faith because we have read the story God has written for us that gives us glimpses into heaven and stories of people who believed in Jesus, most without having actually seen Him.

I think it’s important to encourage our children to dream, wonder, and speculate about ideas that are out of this world. This is practice for them in growing the ability to believe in a God who they cannot see. What about heaven with streets of gold, mansions just for us? I’ve never seen such a thing. But I can imagine!

I don’t think parents should fear a make-believe character like Santa. But neither would I encourage an emphasis that excludes the more important Bethlehem story of Jesus. In our home we made the placement of our nativity scene (on top of our piano) more important than the decorating of our Christmas tree. We always played Christmas carols about Jesus, we read the nativity story, and practiced Advent … or maybe I should say we tried to practice it, because with little children we failed more than we succeeded!

We can encourage our children to enjoy reading good stories and learn to create their own stories to tell. If you want, allow them to delight in a character named Santa who would give sacrificially to others without trying to convince them he is real any more than Cinderella or Peter Rabbit. And if you choose to include Santa in your celebrations you might want to teach your children that he is modeled on real historical people who did give gifts on Christmas Eve to children.

Good, make-believe narratives create a longing in all of us for something more, a longing only the true story of Christmas can satisfy.

Every family needs to decide for itself what to do with Santa Claus. There’s certainly no avoiding or ignoring it, since Santa is everywhere in our culture during the holiday season. The choice is yours and you must make it.

But even more important than this decision is the commitment by you, as parents, to live the Bible’s truth before your children as you teach it.

One friend shared, “I knew about Santa when I was growing up just as I read stories about elves and other pretend ideas. But I never got these stories mixed up with Jesus Christ because of the way my parents lived. They talked about Him as a living person all year long. I knew He was the real one!”

Whatever you decide to tell your family about Santa, the more important question is this: Do you live in a way that shows your children that Jesus is really alive and real every day, every moment of every year? If you do Santa will be all he really is; a make-believe story that goes away as they grow up just like the Tooth Fairy.

May you make Christ the center of your holiday gatherings and your everyday lives. This is why He came at Christmas.

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Do You Play Thanksgiving Holiday Music?

As you’ve been decorating and preparing for Thanksgiving, perhaps for several weeks, have you also been playing Thanksgiving music?

 No?

Why not?

Several reasons come to mind, including the obvious one: Christmas decorating and celebrating has pre-empted Thanksgiving almost entirely. Christmas music began playing in many stores in early November. Some radio stations begin playing Christmas music non-stop even before Thanksgiving.

But equally obvious is the absence of any collected music themed for this holiday.

And yet … the singular core response to the work of God in our lives is gratitude and thanksgiving which breaks forth in worship, usually in songs of praise. I would guess the total corpus of Christian music—hymns, psalms, and praise and worship songs—is predominantly a collection of tunes about giving thanks.  

Dearth of music is not the issue.

About a decade ago I was focused intently on helping women prepare their hearts and homes to facilitate the transfer of faith and the knowledge of God to their families during the holidays. I recognized this absence of Thanksgiving music, so to help fill the void, two dear friends of ours collaborated to produce a CD of music for this holiday.

Many of you have been asking for this collection of music for several years. Now we have permission to share their work so that you and yours can enjoy Thanksgiving-themed music this week. As you finalize meal prep, make beds and pull out sleeping bags, this music can help you focus on this historic holiday to thank God for His many provisions.

The hymns and songs in this collection are all instrumentals except for the last one, which is the doxology. The arrangements of these 16 familiar songs are unique to this collection, which was created by Keith Lynch and Alan Mesko, both exceptionally talented musicians. Alan’s fingers made beautiful music for more than one of our daughter’s weddings. He’s now in heaven and we who remain miss him.

May this beautiful music inspire generous thanksgiving and praise to God this week for His endless goodness to us. Thank you, Lord, for Keith and Alan and the gifts you gave them that they have so generously shared with others for your Kingdom work.

Happy Thanksgiving week everyone!!!

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A Drone View of the Old Testament

Drones have given us ordinary people access to views only pilots and satellites once had. Recently a friend of ours took photos of our house with his drone. The images he captured show our house and yard, which from high above look tiny in the midst of the surrounding woods and forest. The view from above puts our existence in perspective. We too are tiny in the expanse of God’s world.

So studying the drone footage of the Bible brings to light the whole of God’s Word to me and to you. The elevation makes the important themes and ideas stand out. Instead of seeing the trees we see the entirety of His forest.

If you remember, last week I taught you 5-12-5-5-12 as a summary of the Old Testament? And I included in that post the summary of the entire Pentateuch in only 15 short stanzas. My goal was to highlight those pivotal moments of those crucial books. So much of everything else in the entire Old Testament and even the New Testament rests upon those beginning books. And as Jesus Himself said to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, “ … beginning with Moses and the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).

For my seminary class I’ve been composing a poem that presents a drone view of the Bible.  This week I’m posting the portion covering the twelve Old Testament history books: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. The key concepts are in the title.

I hope you enjoy this view of the history of God’s promised nation: Israel. It’s not quite finished, but it’s good enough to share with you:

 

God’s Promised Nation: Conquest, Chosen, Covenant, Kingdom, Chaos

 

See the Land! Just ahead! Go conquer

Joshua and Caleb led with a roar.

Rahab risked faith with the scarlet cord.

How I learn from saints long before.

 

Law reread, the sun stood still. Yet

lives remained prone to deceive.

“Choose you,” said Joshua. “Don’t forget!”

How God looks for each one who’ll believe.

 

The next generation knew not the Lord.

Glimpses of faith, evil decades of gloom.

Judges arose, purged idols with the sword.

How I watch God’s hesed* refuse to consume.

 

A glow in the darkness, a beauty pure

dared to believe; Ruth became a dreamer.

Noble. Loyal. Her true faith did endure.

How God reveals He’s Kinsman Redeemer.

 

Lured by envy, Israel begged for a king.

Samuel crowned Saul who soon self-destructed.

God then chose a shepherd boy, fearless with his sling.

How I see God’s plan, unthwarted by anything.

 

A theme persistent: God sees not as we

Not appearance or fame, but faith God does seek.

Unseen Rahab, Ruth, and Hannah show me

How God favors hearts teachable and meek.

 

David, valiant for God, rescued the Ark

saw His Presence return. Dreamed a place for

God’s Name to dwell; all to laud Yahweh as King!

How I wonder. Do You God, by me, feel adored?

 

Another covenant, three promises bright.

A house, a throne, a kingdom without end.

But the vision tarnished, David’s sins a sore blight;

Yet God’s divine plan and hesed transcend.

 

King David’s empire now gone with the wind.

Man of God blinded by lust. His offspring

ruined by the consequences of sin;

How closely to my Savior must I cling.

 

Solomon’s loves became idols. Wise one turned

a fool. In wealth he forgot Who provided.

Three kings, three hearts, the famed trio corrupted.

How God longs to find, pure hearts, undivided.

 

The kingdom once whole, fractured in two

Murderous reigns led a chaotic dismember.

Though Elijah worked miracles, most forgot Who;

How I too seem so weak to remember.

 

In the south, good kings were rare lights

Chosen Judah, a clock winding down. Heard

Isaiah and Micah speak woe. Even in plight

God always gives hope in His word.

 

God’s people refused Him, the land lay ruined,

Marched off to exile, Solomon’s temple razed.

Because God is love, He disciplines His children;

How in my exiles, God is to be praised.

 

A trilogy of tales show God does not sleep.

Three of His own in prominent roles

Scribe, cupbearer and queen, His sheep;

How God seems silent but His hand controls.

 

Ezra-Nehemiah return to restore

the land; its wall and temple rebuild

guide the people to God’s ways as before;

How I Your temple by You am refilled.

 

An unlikely queen, an invisible hand.

“If I perish I perish,” Esther’s words well known.

An outcome incredible! God’s in command;

How God ever loves me and cares for His own.

 

May you see in these lines the eternal patience and love of God continually seeking His own, calling then back to Himself, and all the good He has waiting for them to enjoy, both here and forever in heaven.

May your gratitude this month be focused on His abundant gifts of love to you.

O come let us adore Him.

*The word “hesed” is Hebrew for God’s steadfast, everlasting love.

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The Barbara Rainey Podcast: Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember

I don’t know about you, but to me it feels as though October dragged by a bit and now November is racing ahead and we are only two weeks from Thanksgiving! I feel like every year stores are putting out their Christmas decorations earlier and earlier and Thanksgiving gets glossed over. One of the things I have always tried to instill in my kids–and now my grandkids–is the importance of Thanksgiving and how significant this holiday is for our country and, more importantly, for us as people of faith.

This Thanksgiving season, to help you and your family celebrate this day, I want to share the audio version of a story I wrote many years ago, Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember. As a history major many years ago, I loved digging into the history of this story and writing about it through a Christian lens. I hope you take some time today to listen and are able to incorporate this story into your family’s celebration. You can listen here or on any major podcast platform. The podcast is a two-part series, but you can listen to both today! And please feel free to share this with your friends and family. I hope you are encouraged by this story!

I wanted to extend this special audio version of the book, Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember as a GIFT. We are so pleased to share it with you. Because of generous donations from listeners like you we are able to make this podcast available for FREE to anyone. If you enjoyed this podcast, would you consider making a donation to help support the ministry of Ever Thine Home? Go here to make your gift to help us continue the ministry of ETH. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ever His,

Barbara

The post The Barbara Rainey Podcast: Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember appeared first on Ever Thine Home.