Bonnie J Martin

#forsuchatimeasthis

Prince of Peace

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For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NASB)

The news blared loud from the screen hanging on the wall. It was too much to take. Robbery. Murder. Scandal. War. Terrorism. Disease. Political nightmares. Financial distress. Suicide. Natural disasters.

Its all there and more. Sometimes I think the media alone could cause the ruin of a country and even the world. Choices made to broadcast far and wide the worst of the worst. It sells. It is sensational to watch the images run across screens. Supposedly far removed from the confines of my living room. But are they?

When I can’t take it anymore, it gets turned off. The ones living it can’t turn it off. Despite the media placing spins on situations, there is destruction and desperation. There are lives in peril. And there have been since the beginning of time. There will continue to be.

But there is hope. Wrapped up in layers of cloth, He was placed in an animal feeding trough, sitting in a dark, cold barn with animals and their mess. He was placed in the midst of us. He left the comfort of His home to join us in ours. In all our mess, He shows up. 

He doesn’t mind the floor in need of sweeping.

He doesn’t mind the laundry piled high.

He doesn’t mind the scum in the shower.

He doesn’t mind the dust on the lamp.

He doesn’t mind the stain on the front of your shirt.

He doesn’t mind that thing you did five minutes ago that you regret.

He doesn’t mind that thought you let go too far.

He came. As Wonderful Counselor. Seek His counsel. He wants you to. Just call on Him.

He came. As Mighty God. Fear Him. A reverential fear knowing His power. Just look around at His creation.

He came. As Eternal Father. Rest in Him. Perfect protection. Everlasting provision. Rely on Him.

He came. As Prince of Peace. When you know Him, you know peace. If you don’t know Him, allow me to introduce you to the Savior of my soul.

He came as a baby. To create a path for us to follow. It is a path of love that is incomprehensible. In the middle of all the nasty, rotten junk that I think and do, He reached down and said I am forgiven after I reached the end of me. I had to look to Him. I had to recognize Who He is. And I had to ask for forgiveness. But He forgave. He replaced my hurt and regret with peace and love. He gave me mercy. He gave me grace.

He will do the same for you.

Leap for Joy

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I have carried three babies. I remember over 30 years ago the first flutter of movement with my very first child. It was like a paint brush stroking the inside of my abdomen. A light swoosh of movement, that until you feel it, you don’t know it. Until you experience it, you can’t explain it. It grabs your attention.

As she grew inside me, I could begin to detect her head and her knees and her feet. Small knots protruding under my skin. She could kick. Her brothers could too. I loved to lay on my back or sit real still. My movement kept them rocked comfortably. But let me be still and they wiggled. Feet would always stretch to push against my taut skin.

I am thankful for those memories. I am thankful to have known their presence before I could see their faces. I knew them. They were part of me. They were attached to me. 

Elizabeth was a little older than I was during pregnancy. Well, she was probably much older. Blessed with one that had been promised. Blessed with one that would be a leader. Blessed with one that would be radical in his day. Blessed with one that was already aware of the presence of his Savior while in the womb.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” Luke 1:41-45 (NASB)

I can get so wrapped up in the two mothers here. Maybe because I am a mother. Maybe because here, two women, very different ages, very different life circumstances, both very pregnant, both carrying a man-child that would proclaim good news. One a forerunner to lead the way and prepare the fertile ground for planting seeds and sowing them ahead of the One that would come to finish the work.

I think John was getting ready in the womb. He was already doing push-ups and squats. And apparently, from what Elizabeth said, he was jumping. If you have ever been pregnant, you know what she means! But I have to think that was a little more significant than seeing baby feet imprints on a swollen belly. 

This boy leaped for joy. It was a holy moment. It filled his mother with the Holy Spirit. It caused her to cry out loudly. She had no way of knowing about Mary’s condition. Mary’s mom didn’t have a cell phone. And neither did Elizabeth. But Mary showed up unannounced. And when she did John went wild.

Joy. He was excited. He wanted to reach out and touch Jesus. Imagine a little tiny hand desperately wanting to reach his Savior through his mother’s skin. Jumping, leaping, hands raised high, praising the Messiah. A baby in the womb.

Does your joy look different than John’s? Maybe your joy is an inner peace that exudes throughout your chest and fills your senses with silent anticipation of all is well. Or maybe your joy is a smile across your face even when times are tough. Is it raising your hands in worship, no matter where you are or who you are with? 

Where are you recognizing your joy? Do you recognize it?

Are you so wrapped up in the wrapping paper and countless events of the season that you miss the joy of it? The season of expectation. The season of hope. The season of joy.

Take time to be aware. Recognize the presence of joy. Realize the source of joy. Worship the Messiah this season.

A Willing Participant

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He isn’t discussed much in the story. None of the writers mention him often. There isn’t much said about the man. Have you looked for him in this story?

His family tree is provided. A brief narrative of interaction in a dream is described. His description of being a guardian is recorded. 

But have you considered him? 

Thrust into a story only he could serve as a quiet, strong, willing participant. No different than Mary, unknowingly, given a position in history only he could play out. He received reassurance but it came in dreams. On the outside, opinions, judgments, dangers, and speculating eyes all followed him. 

He obeyed the law of Moses by taking the Child to Jerusalem. Along with Mary, he was anxious about the Child’s welfare. He filled the role of earthly father. 

He did what any other father would have done for the Child. He provided leadership. He taught Him a skill. He was able to keep that which was given to him safe from the enemies of the King.

He had a front row seat and personal influence over the Messiah. His hands held the Child. 

God allowed Joseph to raise His Son. He gifted a righteous man, with a willing heart, to hold the hand of His mother. Her body may have carried Him, but Joseph protected Him. She pondered the things and kept experiences in her heart but Joseph had Him on his mind.

His profession was carpentry. He knew how to measure. Accurate cuts were required. He knew the different species of wood. He knew which were appropriate for different purposes. He was a craftsman. Attention to detail with creative flair was required in his job.

He took his family to church. He made sure the things of God were placed first for them. He had Immanuel living in his house! 

I would like to have a conversation with him. I want to know things from his perspective. Did he look at Jesus the way I see my husband look at our children? He stands back and lets them learn. He doesn’t rush in the way I want to do to help and hinder. But he releases them to think and grow when I want to hold on and keep them as they were wrapped in a blanket, nestled in my arms as tiny babies.

Joseph knew the baby blankets couldn’t stay. They weren’t meant to be lasting articles of warmth. He knew the cold world was like a blood-hound seeking to devour but he trusted the One that gave the Messiah. He knew the tools needed for life were thicker and stronger and couldn’t rip apart over time. 

Luke records:

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52 (NASB)

I know God provides wisdom. I know God is in control. But I also know that a child is influenced by those adults that come in direct contact with Him. God placed Joseph in the life of His Son to raise Him. To teach Him. To love Him. To protect Him. To guide Him. To give Him enough room to hang out in the temple. To let Him grow.

Since I am not a theologian with knowledge of the historical accounts of the man, I can’t say when Joseph died, but he isn’t mentioned at the cross. He prepared the Son for adulthood and then he was gone. He did what was needed of him and was taken out of the picture. He didn’t linger, wringing his hands. He didn’t worry that the job he performed wasn’t good enough. He did what he knew to do and trusted the Master.

I want to be like Joseph. I want to fulfill the role God has for me while I am here on earth. I don’t want to sit around wringing my hands worrying, needlessly. There is work to be done. I want to be a willing participant in the story God is writing for my life.

Are you a willing participant?

A man of the Pharisees

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Intrigue plagued his thoughts stealing his sleep. The Man had made a scene in the temple that day and His words pierced the soul. The images and words were on repeat in his mind. He couldn’t let them go. Who was this Man? He had to know.

Under cover of night, darting in dark places, he navigates the streets of the city. Everyone knows where the Man is staying. Word of His every move was the buzz of the time. A true viral sensation.

He has studied the Man. Not just the recent events that has caused the excitement, but he has studied the Man his whole life. He studied the prophets. He studied the lineage. He studied for knowing and recognizing when this Man showed up. Is this really the Man God? Is this really the Messiah?

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless * God is with him.” John 3:1-2 (NASB)

Obviously! The words. The mannerisms. The nature of His very being indicated this was not just another man. God doesn’t hide. But He does desire to be sought out. Nicodemus sought out the Man that night. He was drawn to Him. He knew where to find Him. I wonder if he had heard of that night the shepherds still remember? It was a few decades ago, but history lingers in the mind with some stories.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night, And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. Luke 2:8-18 (NASB)

This was one of those stories you just don’t forget. It was another night under darkness but illuminated in a most unusual way. Angels. And lots of them. Worshiping. I wonder if the sheep stayed in place for the urgency of the shepherds seeking the Child.

Like the shepherds, Nicodemus was seeking to know the Messiah. He had prepared. He expected the advent. He didn’t necessarily expect it to unfold in his lifetime. But was this it? Is the Man Word made flesh?

The private conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus led to a proclamation for the ages. Try searching for the most common Bible verse. I will wait here while you do.

Better yet, let me help you.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NASB)

He gave Nicodemus the keys. The answer. The very gift of eternal life. Himself. But did Nicodemus accept?

Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. John 19:39-40 (NASB)

The weight of the spices didn’t compare to the weight of the moment. His studies of the prophets being fulfilled before his eyes. The press on his chest too great to bear. He had met the Messiah early in His ministry on land. He kept up with the events of those years. He followed from a distance. 

He had to close the gap. He had to draw close one last time. The earthly vessel that had wrapped the Messiah had to be wrapped and laid to rest. In his priestly garb, he approached the shredded Man bearing the finest spices he could locate. Healing spices. The wounds were abundant. So he helped lay Him in the tomb.

I wonder if Jesus’ words were on repeat again in his mind? I wonder if he was the first one to memorize John 3:16? I wonder if the very night the words were spoken to him, if he returned through dark streets to write the words under the light of a lamp. He didn’t forget them.

He returned to the Man. He returned to seek Him as He was laid to rest. 

I don’t know the rest of the story of Nicodemus. I am not a Bible scholar. But I do know there are lessons to be learned from the interactions recorded about him.

He was intrigued by the Man. It caused him to seek Him out when it was not acceptable for him to do so.

He questioned some stuff. What did it mean to be born again? Did he learn that to die to self and sin was to be born of the Spirit believing the One True Son?

He was a seeker. He wanted more of what he had studied his whole life. He wanted more of the Messiah.

He took action. When, again inappropriate for his position, the messy task of picking up the slaughtered Lamb needed to be done, he was there. Even His closest followers weren’t on scene for this task. Their worlds had been shaken and they were left with wobbly knees. But not Nicodemus.

I don’t know but the Father does. I want to think Nicodemus believed. I want to think Nicodemus believed the Christmas story. That he believed the story told for all of time of the Savior of the world coming as a Child, born of a virgin, ransom for all sinners, all people, Redeemer. Messiah.

Old Man

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Simeon knew the time must be near.  He felt his age.  He had lived for this moment.  He knew he had to keep going so that he could see this Child. 

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Luke 2:26 (NASB)

And there, the moment arrived, the Child was there.  So much more than a child.

then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, Luke 2:28 (NASB)

For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Luke 2:30 (NASB)

Talk about an eye opening experience. Simeon had waited for this moment his whole life. Anticipation. Expectance. Preparation. Advent.

The salvation of the world. The promise fulfilled in flesh. The babe Messiah in his arms. 

This passage doesn’t reveal emotion in Simeon. Was it because the writer found it unimportant in such a reverential moment? I have emotion reading this passage. Makes me want to fall on my face but stand up and cheer all at the same time. Perhaps Simeon felt the reverence and moved gently and quietly, feeling fully the magnificence in his midst.

Was it because the old man just didn’t possess an emotional reaction because to him this was highly expected and the next right thing to happen in his life? He had prepared. He knew the role he had to play in this moment. His life and death depended on the arrival of the Child. And here He was.

The weight of the Babe in his arms. The weight too great to bear. Did the Babe hold Simeon more than Simeon held the Babe?

The words spoken over the Child amazed His parents. They both knew who He was but others did too? Why wouldn’t they? Shouldn’t the whole world know?

Word became flesh. Simeon could depart in peace.

Humble Mother

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She was so young. But He knew her long before she was born. And she had been getting to know Him her whole life. She didn’t know He would choose her with the most precious gift of His Son.

She knew what the prophets had said about this Child. She knew the journey she faced would not be easy. She knew the One she held in her womb was more than her Child, He was her Master. How do you birth and raise your Master?

Mary was trusted with this position. Her alone. The strength given to her through the power of God held her heart together. She knew what her Son faced. But she welcomed the position of being His mother. She welcomed the trials in rejoicing for the Savior of the world.

“For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. Luke 1:48 (NASB)

She accepted the accusations from her people. She faced their doubt with faith in God. While her body held her Savior, God held her. 

She accepted the provisions of God and trusted Him. He provided Joseph to walk beside her on this journey. He provided Elizabeth to encourage her in the position of being mother to the Savior. He provided a humble birthplace that was made radiant with the Gift from heaven. He provided confidence for her to trust Him.

She didn’t shy away from the task at hand. There was no walking away from it. She embraced the moments fully aware of her position of lowliness and honor. Oh, to be chosen to be the mother of Jesus!

Camping with Paul

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I struggle with Paul’s super long sentences. There’s good stuff in them but I have to unpack them. Kind of like coming home from a trip where everything was stuffed back in the luggage with no sense of organization. What goes where? How do I process the unpacking?

Colossians has been where I have been camping. Just the first twelve verses consists of three sentences. Have you read them? Read them!

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

See what I mean? How do you unpack from that trip!?!

There’s a lot of praying going on. Interceding on their behalf, Paul encourages those believers at Colossae to continue in the truth of the gospel. He knows that truth continues to bear fruit for the kingdom of God in all the world.

His prayers are for love to be manifested in knowledge with spiritual wisdom and understanding. He encourages to walk the walk and talk the talk so the fruit is more abundant. He knows the more exposure one has to the goodness of God, the more fellowship is possible.

The results being strength from Him, steadfastness, patience, joyous thanksgiving. All of which comes from the One who provides a great inheritance.

He packed a lot in three sentences. He gave the road map for the trip. The destination, a camping spot for eternity.

What God has given to possess

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Five years ago I was introduced to soap making. I fell in love with the scents and the science. Watching ingredients come together from solids to liquid and back to solid in just a matter of time and condition.

I didn’t master it. I piddled. The desire lingers. Time doesn’t allow. Priorities take precedence.

My mom crocheted. I taught myself by watching others. Small projects completed and an attempted big one unfinished. The creating with my hands only bringing minimal satisfaction because the perfectionist in me sees all the faults left from imperfect stitching.

I didn’t master it. I piddled. The desire lingers. Time doesn’t allow. Priorities take precedence.

Sourdough became a thing to do during days of isolation. I joined the band-wagon. Once again the science combined with creativity intrigued me. Never much of a cook, I wanted to figure it out. Holiday baking was always a favorite thing to attempt. It just never worked well for me.

I didn’t master it. I piddled. The desire lingers. Time doesn’t allow. Priorities take precedence.

Gardening brings me back to my roots. (Pun intended!) Cacti and succulents thrive in my haphazard gardening intentionality. They don’t mind long periods of being ignored. Each trip to a nursery causes my husband to remind me that he doesn’t want to take care of anymore of my plants.

I didn’t master it. I piddled. The desire lingers. Time doesn’t allow. Priorities take precedence.

In all these special projects that I begin there is one that comes with more satisfaction. One that leaves behind more meaning than a trashed loaf of bread that just didn’t turn out. Because the leaven and salt that seasons this project doesn’t get poured from a glass vessel. This one is gifted to me and not created with imperfect stitches. The stitching of this one was crafted by perfect hands, not my own.

Unraveled yarn doesn’t hold anything together. Handmade soap can’t clean the mind and heart. Unwatered plants whither and die but there is a living water that quenches eternal thirst.

All these projects become time wasters if not done for the right purpose. Most are just for me to redirect my brain for just a little while. Decompressing my work brain. An outlet for me to find a little down time. But what is the result? Tasteless bread. Empty pots of dirt. Shreds of yarn that get tossed in a bag for another day. Stinky bars of soap no one in my house wants to use.

But the one that leaves peace, it comes from spending focused time with the One that does the gifting. I don’t always readily accept His gift. Sometimes I push it away. Sometimes priorities take precedence. But what takes priority over the very gift given by Him for me to possess?

What gift have you been given? Have you accepted it? Are there distractions that keep you from possessing it? What can you do today to claim the gift given to you by God? If you don’t know your gift, ask God to show you. Ask Him to reveal the work He has for you. Then,

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Glory

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Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

God’s glory-grace given.

Paul repeats the phrase “to the praise of the glory” or “to the praise of His glory” three times in Ephesians 1. Then continues two more times referring to God’s glory. Five references to glory in one chapter.

Whose glory? God’s.

Kept to Himself? No.

In verse 6, grace bestowed on the writer and recipients of the letter. More specifically, in verse 2, “the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus.” In chapter 2, expanded to Gentiles in the flesh. Formerly aliens and strangers to the people of God, the commonwealth of Israel, the Circumcision. Uncircumcised. Adopted as saints. Accepted into the household of God.

Not because it was earned or deserved. Just the opposite. Glory-grace lavished because of His kind intention. Read it yourself in chapter 1, verse 8. Lavished. Not just tossed toward low-life scoundrels. Not just haphazardly mentioned in passing casual conversation but gifted in the most extraordinary package there ever was.

Glory-grace.

God’s glory.

Freely given according to the riches of His grace.

Redemption.

Forgiveness.

In the flesh, the body can’t obtain redemption on its own. Forgiveness is not known outside the glory-grace. The riches are not owned without the inheritance gifted by the Owner. Lavished by the Owner.

God’s glory through redemption, forgiveness of trespasses, riches bestowed on undeserving Gentiles.

Dwelling of God

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So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22

This passage is sitting and expanding in my mind and heart. Paul, writing to the church in Ephesus, the church living in the middle of an immoral city. The church that is young and far removed from the origins of the Savior they worship. The church that has been given grace and peace and every spiritual blessing. The church that is full of members that were aliens and strangers to the ancestral family of the Savior. The church that has an inheritance of belonging to the family of the Savior, adopted by God Himself. The church that is being built into a dwelling of God.

That right there gets me in the pit of my stomach. And the aching neck and shoulder as I type this. Inside the vessels we have been given to spend our time on earth, resides more than we know or understand. But yet I treat this vessel hard. I am not always honoring the inheritance given to me, through the blood and tears of Christ. The inheritance is invaluable. But yet I disregard what is being built in me. Some may say I even abuse this dwelling place.

Isn’t that what was happening in Ephesus? Was that the example of what not to do for those living in that city? And the immorality wasn’t the only corruption happening. It isn’t the only corruption happening in our modern times.

I sit at a desk for a living. My body is capable of moving. I make a choice to be sedentary.

My food choices are less than healthy. I make the choice to eat the food I eat.

The little black device that literally goes with me everywhere. I choose to pick it up and mindlessly scroll through countless reels and posts.

The anger that rises up in me over inconsequential circumstances depletes my joy. I allow it. My choice.

Jealousy forces me into idolatry. Or is it idolatry that forces me into jealousy? Both and neither. I choose to allow my mind to be consumed so that my heart longs for something other than God.

I sit in a pew Sunday morning. I get up and leave and have done nothing but occupy space and gained knowledge without action. How is that being an active participant in what is being built into a dwelling of God?

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12

Of all the above, it is available to me to choose my response to gifts and treatment of time and resources.

I get to choose action over allowing my body to become stiff and ache from lack of movement.

I get to choose food that will give me energy to be able to move.

I get to choose to lay the black device down. Frees up time for the good stuff.

I get to choose to be angry without allowing it to steal my joy. I will still be angry because, well, you know. But my response can be better, not bitter. I can use it to do good.

I get to enjoy what is not mine without wanting it for myself. I can be thankful for what I have and for what others have. The abundance given to me already far surpasses anything I could need.

I get to sit in that pew. I also get to be a willing participant in being the church, not just sitting in it. There is something for everyone to do and everyone gets to do something. We just have to choose.

The offer is on the table. The dwelling is being built. Will you join?