First Day on the Road

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David. Luke 2:4 ESV

Often I lie awake the night before a trip turning over in my mind whether we have enough food, clothing, and money for the days ahead. As Mary and Joseph gathered their belongings for Bethlehem, they had practical concerns to deal with also. How would they safely bring their tax money along roadways where thieves laid in wait? Who would give them a place to stay? Should they return to Nazareth?

Amazingly in spite of so many things they could have worried about, we don’t hear one single complaint from either one of them. But Mary and Joseph we

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re not some kind of super-heroes. The Bible is quite clear that they were just ordinary people who put their trust in God. They had questions just as we do. Mary wondered how she would become pregnant without a man. Joseph considered whether Mary was the right woman to marry. Yet they traveled together on a difficult road in peace because they had taken their questions and fears to God.

In what ways are you fearful about your future today? Do you wrestle with some doubts about God’s plan for your life? If you long to travel boldly, first bring God all your questions and then trust His answers. God knows the why and where of the road ahead.

Morning Worship

Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”  He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. John 9:37-38 ESV

Discipleship of grace begins by faith – but it will only grow as we worship. One pitfall in our modern church is that we are so comfortable that we end up connecting worship in our minds to a hushed mood, a moment in the performance and a time to settle back into our comfortable seats.

But in the Bible we see Moses worshipped bare foot in the desert by a burning bush. We see Elijah wKIMG0642orshipping God at a stone altar even when the crowd was loving the 400 man worship team at the 1st church of Baal. David worshiped while he watched sheep and Daniel worshiped in the lion’s den. All of these people were worshiping because they had met by an awesome God and they wanted Him to get all the glory, no matter what the circumstances.

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Dial it forward to Jesus meeting the blind man in John chapter nine. First, He became His healer. Later after no one else could accept him, Jesus became His friend. Finally when Jesus showed the man who He really was He could do nothing less than worship. Before we can walk down the road with Jesus or gives us something more to do we must learn what it means to truly worship Him. No ministry is more important, no goal so vital, no relationship so precious that it can stand in the way of our worship. We will know that He is worthy and worth more than all we have to give, when we begin to uncover the truth of who He really is!

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Mary I Have News

Does it feel as if God calling for change in your life tonight? Mary faced one of the biggest decisions of all time when Gabriel brought her a message from God. Her choice set the stage for our Savior’s birth. Here is a little early Christmas greeting and song for my friends – especially my family at Allied Skilled Nursing. Missing you all here in Florida but God has brought some changes to us all this year and has Good News for us each this Christmas. Blessings!

Original Lyrics and Music by Peter Caligiuri 2017