children’ choir

Two Turtle Doves

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

And to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Luke 2:24 ESV

This morning I was thinking of how, Mary and Joseph had heard from angels and watched shepherds and wise men kneel before Jesus, but when they came to the temple to dedicate God’s miracle child, they offered only the sacrifice of the poorest of the poor. Though they were not ashamed to come to Herod’s golden temple with their babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, sometimes I wonder why God chose two doves for their offering.

Think how different it might have been if God had picked a princess or the wife of a wealthy merchant in place of Mary. But God chose a young peasant girl from Nazareth to be the mother of His Son. He specifically selected a poor village for Him to grow up in and a simple carpenter to provide Him a home. No place on earth was too humble for the Lord of the universe to visit and no offering too small for Him to treasure. And maybe it is like when I tell my grandchildren, “One cookie isn’t enough! You need another so there will be one for each hand!” Maybe God chose two doves so that they would have something in each hand to give Him. So, if you wonder what you have to give God this Christmas, think of Mary’s turtledoves and then come with whatever He puts in your hands.

Are your bags packed?

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18‭-‬19 NKJV

Because we are in the middle of moving our lives are more than a little topsy-turvy. Deciding whether to rent or sell our current home and choosing what to keep and or leave behind is really stressful. As Rex Harrison once sang, “I’ve grown accustomed to her face.. ” we have grown comfortable in the familiar sights and sounds of our home. But nothing really stays the same in life. All things at all times are in flux – except God. He alone is unchanging and if we will follow Him we must always be ready to pack our bags and go where He is calling. He delights in doing new things. He saw darkness and decided to create the light. He saw Adam alone then created Eve. The God who designed planets and filled the oceans is at work in you and I at this very moment. He says through the prophet Isaiah to get ready for change. Stop thinking long melancholy thoughts about the “good old days” and get ready to move forward. No matter how good those days were God is at work on something better. We can either mope in the back seat of the station wagon looking behind as we drive off or we can eagerly examine the road map for our journey ahead. Our destination is God’s choice but our attitude is ours. We need to be sure to pack our bags with everything that He has done in our hearts, then leave behind the keys with Jesus to close and lock the doors!