Christmas Pardon

Today’s Reading: John 18:29-30(NIV)

29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” 30 “If He were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed Him over to you.”

Isaiah 53:5(NIV)

5 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

Good morning!

Every year at Christmas, the President of the United States issues a Presidential Pardon to one or more people who are incarcerated for the crimes they committed. I imagine this is a difficult decision, given the numbers he must work with. The US has the highest documented incarceration rate around the world. In December of 2007, a record 7.2 million people were either spending time behind bars, or were on probation and parole. Of that total, 2.3 million were actually spending time in prison at Christmas.

While our society has evolved scientifically, economically and socially in the last twenty plus generations, our bent to sinning has continued to increase. What seems to be a time-honored tradition, we willingly choose to break the law rather than to obey it. Take five minutes and think about the last twenty-four hours of your life. Did you commit any notable crimes for which you should have been punished? Did you drive over the speed limit on the highway as you traveled to visit family for the holidays? Did you lie to a neighbor? Did you make time to come and worship the Lord or were you too busy with your holiday schedule? Are you harboring unforgiveness in your heart toward someone who has hurt you?

Pilate was trying his best to weigh the evidence in the charges railed against Jesus Christ. He did not believe this man had committed any crime. When asking his accusers for specifics, the people said if He was not a criminal, they would not have brought him for judgment. What crimes did Jesus actually commit?

A baby is born in a town with no room for Him. The mother gives birth in a dirty, stinky cave, where the only warmth is that of the animals surrounding her. Joseph delivers the boy in the dark, with only the light of a bright star to guide him. How was this child welcomed into the world? His parents had to take him and flee the country just to protect him from losing his life by an edict of Herod. What laws had this boy child broken to deserve an untimely death?

Jesus came to pardon us from selfish sin. He became the Christmas pardon for you and me. Are you imprisoned today by the sins that continually eat away your life? Are you struggling to find freedom from the chains that keep you bound? Jesus has pardoned you; He has given this gift, free to anyone who will receive Him today as their Lord and Savior. Christ bore your sins on the cross; He bled and died to set you free forever!

I pray that you will accept Christ’s Christmas pardon today. His gift of grace is the best present you will ever receive. Merry Christmas!

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

The Lord of the Impossible

Today’s Reading: John 18:28(NIV)

28 Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.

Matthew 1:21 (NIV)

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save his people from their sins.

Good morning!

Have you ever chosen to do the wrong thing for all the right reasons? Sometimes, what makes perfect sense in the moment is something we come to regret as time goes by. Take Joseph, for instance. He was betrothed to Mary, a virgin from Nazareth, who was found to be with child prior to the consummation of their marriage. He loved her and did not want to see Mary lose her life as a result of her pregnancy. She said she had conceived by the Holy Spirit of God. How he wanted to believe the impossible; nevertheless, Joseph chose to divorce her quietly, to avoid her public disgrace and untimely death. He made the wrong choice for all the right reasons; thank God for intervening angels!

On the morning of Jesus’ trial in Jerusalem, the Jews in attendance were more concerned about observing the law, refusing to enter the temple for fear of defiling themselves before the celebration of the Passover Lamb. Could they not see that the Lamb of God was being sacrificed right before their very eyes? A new Passover is coming today, and this One sacrifice will change the heart of humanity for all time. What seems to be a total impossibility is happening because the Great I Am is the Lord of the impossible. Jesus Christ is our Emmanuel; God with us.

The angel told Joseph that Mary would give birth to a son, and that He is to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. That morning, Jesus is fulfilling the angels’ promise. He is our Lord of the impossible.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Broken glass

Today’s Reading: John 18:26-27(NIV)

26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the olive grove?” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Good morning!

It is hard to see the Savior through shards of broken glass.

When my parents married in 1945, the war was finally coming to an end. Its devastation had cut the world to the quick. People in the United States were longing for peace, even in the midst of great chaos. Rations were still in effect, and it was a challenge to set up housekeeping with virtually no household goods available for purchase. My folks shared living quarters with some family friends in South Saint Louis, while my father looked for work and a place to live. They learned of a small flat coming available, to a couple whose marriage had shattered during the war. They sold everything they owned to my folks. Daddy and mother were fortunate enough to inherit their apartment along with all its contents. Items that were not yet available for purchase became theirs. They inherited a warm bed to sleep on with clean sheets and blankets, a fully-furnished kitchen with pots, pans, dishes and eating utensils, a small sofa, and even a box of tiny glass Christmas ornaments tucked away in a small hope chest. My mother said the ornaments were beautiful antiques, remnants of days gone by. Daddy chopped a small fir tree down at the family farm, and hauled it into the city. In the apartment, Mother hung the delicate glass ornaments on the tree. She wrapped its branches in freshly popped strings of popcorn and brightly colored cranberries, placing a shiny metal star on top. She held fast to hope, even in a hopeless situation.

Holding onto hope is hard when people are starving in the streets. It was a cold, dark winter, and joy was in short supply. People were struggling to survive, to hold onto the things that mattered most in life. Mother wept uncontrollably when she heard a glass ornament hit the floor. Tiny fragments of glass shattered everywhere, leaving its mark on the hard wood. She thought about the family whose marriage had failed, and for all families who were separated during the war. She knew just how fortunate she was, yet worried about the ones suffering around her. She longed for the light of the world to light up the dark spaces on Saint Louis city streets, to restore great joy to the joyless, and find the One eternal hope even in the midst of great poverty. As she swept up the tiny fragments of glass, Mother saw the reflection of her Savior’s love emerging from the shards of broken glass.

Peter stood, fearful and trembling, in the garden. The Savior of the world was being beaten and abused; he heard the cries of the soldiers and knew His friend was suffering. Peter was terrified, wondering whether he might be taken captive too. When asked if he knew the Lord, Peter’s reply hit the ground like tiny shards of broken glass. As the rooster began to crow, Peter remembered Jesus’ words, and was ashamed that he had denied knowing His Lord not once, but three times.

We can find Christ’s grace and forgiveness in the midst of broken glass. This Christmas, there are many who suffer; they do not have adequate shelter, food to eat, or a warm place to stay. How can we convey hope to a hopeless world? Can you see the Savior’s love shining through a broken heart?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Family photographs

Today’s Reading: John 18:25(NIV)

25 As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.”

Good morning!

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is the giving and receiving of greeting cards. I enjoy reading family newsletters, and catching up with the people I know and love each year. I especially enjoy seeing family photographs. Jeff and I will sit on the sofa together near the fireplace, and look at the cards together. I’ll say, “Jeff! Look at this picture! Oh my, how the children have grown - it hasn’t been that long since we’ve seen them, has it? Do you remember baptizing this little boy? How he looks just like his Father! There’s no denying who this child belongs to!

We had the privilege of reconnecting with a child that Jeff had baptized nineteen years ago at the Lindenwood coffeehouse this fall. When Lindsey was three years old, her parents moved from Missouri to New York and it was there that she grew up. We were surprised when we realized that Lindsey, now a sophomore in college, was the baby girl Jeff held in his arms on her baptism day. She has changed a lot in the last nineteen years! Lindsey is an intelligent, talented young woman, and she reminds us a lot of her mother, in physical characteristics and in her sweet disposition. Lindsey is an avid photographer. We asked her to take a photograph of us for our Christmas greeting cards, and she happily obliged. I dare say it is one of the best Christmas photos we’ve ever had made. She didn’t have a lot to work with, but dear Lindsey found a way to make us both look pretty good! That is truly a Christmas miracle!

Isn’t it funny, how we human types try to deny who we are, yet, our life’s snapshots somehow seem to give us away. We cannot cover the mark of the Savior upon our hearts. We are the spitting image of our heavenly Father, recognizable by the love of the Son living within us. Simon Peter was doing his level best not to be recognized that night as a follower of Jesus, but there was no denying it! The crowd couldn’t help but recognize and see the Lord He loves living in him.

There’s just no denying it! You are a child of the King! You bear His resemblance, and everything that makes you special is a direct reflection of the One who gave you these unique attributes! You cannot deny who you are: a child saved by grace, forgiven, and redeemed. Your family photograph is a direct reflection of the One who loves us all.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.