Look Under The Tree

[IDS]

Look at the tree
What do you see


Ornaments and lights
That glow in the night


Shiny garlands surround
Traveling round and round


Stars or angels lit
Atop the tree they sit


Underneath the tree
Treasures we see


Presents and gifts
A little child sifts


Waiting for Christmas day
To unwrap and play






Look at the tree
What did GOD see


GOD saw the mockers
He heard the talkers


He saw the tears
He heard the jeers


A bloody dice game
His Son's shame


A mother's sob
An unruly mob


A crown of thorns
Flesh ripped and torn


Jesus blood dropped
Eternity stopped


The Father wept
A promise kept






Look at the tree
What do you see


Do you see the love
From GOD above


Can you see the light
Where once was night


Are you wrapped in His arms
Safe from things that would alarm


Have you found your place
Do you see His face






Or are you a great talker
But not much of a walker


Have you got it all figured out
As others you outshout


Do you gamble to possess
But are unwilling to confess


Does your heart break for the lost
Or do you stop to count the cost






Under the tree lies great treasure
That is far above count or measure


Only found by those who know
How to live for Him and not for show


Who embrace the Cross with many tears
Holding on thru fife's pains and fears


Little ones whose hearts are tender
These are the ones who remember


That peace on earth was completed
When on the Cross sin was defeated



.....peace.....






Last Sunday the sermon text was from Isaiah 11 where it talked of the different animals that would live together safely on GOD's holy mountain. There was a Christmas tree in the sancturary.


I began to think.


Each of the animals listed had different natures. Some were aggresive, others were passive. Some were meat-eaters, some grazed. But on GOD's holy mountain natural enemies lived peaceably together.


The church is made of people of different personalities and temperaments. When we are walking on GOD's holy mountain our diversity enriches instead of estranges. Peace prevails.


Peace is not the absence of conflict but rather the presence of unity. In our differences we do not harm. Not on GOD's holy mountain.


Under the Christmas tree are presents.


Under the Tree of Calvary were presences.


Soldiers just doing their duty. Just another bloody execution like so many others. Let's get this over with and go home.


Pharisees getting the last laugh on Jesus.
Finally this one who so often left them speechless was being silenced. Now life will go back to how they wanted it to be...their way.


A dice game for His robe. The pariticipants are more interested in what He had than what He was doing.


A few who loved Jesus wept deeply as they watched His life being poured out.





When GOD looks under the Tree what is your presence?



.....peace.....

 

[angelwind]

I don't know...He keeps breaking down my pride and I am undone. Yet more alive than ever before to God and dead to self.

 

[brinny]

*ditto*

 

[TheOriginalWhitehorse]

The church is made of people of different personalities and temperaments. When we are walking on GOD's holy mountain our diversity enriches instead of estranges. Peace prevails.

It's so true, because when we're living for the Lord, we all seek to do His will and His service. And when we all are doing that, we realize God has a call and a plan for all different gifts and personalities and how I wish we would all take this to heart.

By way of example, some rain down thunder and lightning because God has sent them in this capacity to do the work of warning and judgment. Whether or not it matches the tastes or preferences of mankind has never been God's issue: as long as the thunder and lightning truly are from Him and not an excuse to be ill-tempered or ungracious.

Then there are those who have a nurturing role. That is their gift and God sends them to places where that is needed.

There are so many personality types to both give, and receive, the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In each there is a needy person who will find grace and a home. In Him, each servant realizes that God has many types of work and sends many types of people, with different gifts, who are all doing God's work. In this there is unity.

 

[IDS]

On that day there was a very noticeable absence. Where was Peter? The one who was ready to fight to the death. The one who would die before deny.
Peter was not at the Cross.


Peter was completely undone. So many plans and dreams died that day. And at the time of his Friend's greatest need he failed miserably.


But the story does not end here. With pride stripped away Peter came to the end of himself. Finally, with all his defenses and strongholds abolished, Peter was fianlly in a place where GOD could begin to get to know him.


The man with a knack for street-witnessing to gangs may find himself overwhelmed in a nursery with a half dozen infants and toddlers. The woman who can host a hundred guests may become undone when asked to teach a class. Bubba ain't gonna want no Barbie doll and Celeste doesn't care for steel traps. There is a purpose and plan for each gift GOD gives.


But GOD is not limited by our natural gifts. This is why we must be broken and brought to the end of ourselves. Moses was "over-qualified" to lead the people of GOD out of Egypt as a young "Egyptian" leader. It took GOD forty years in the wilderness to "undo" (get Egypt out of) Moses. And another forty years to "undo" (get Egypt out of) His people.


For every person who says it can be done there are five who say it can't. Everybody is right. Those spies who said the land could not be taken died before the Promised Land was taken. Those spies who said it could did take the land (forty years later). Life hasn't changed much these last few thousand years, eh?


It can be painful to go to a dentist. But it is more painful not to. Better to suffer a little in his chair than to avoid it and suffer a lot. Same it true spiritually.


.....peace.....