When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” (Luke 2:15)

When you hear the word “shepherd”, do you think of Jesus “The Good Shepherd” right away?

Or do you recall the words of David: “The Lord is my Shepherd?” (Psalm 23:1)

Perhaps you visualize David, the young shepherd boy, out in the pastures, leading and feeding his sheep, while breaking out into psalms while taking a break from his chores!

However, in Jesus’ day, shepherds did not evoke positive thoughts from most people.

Jeremias, a scholar who has studied the world into which Jesus came rather exhaustively says: “Most of the time they were dishonest and thieving; they led their herds onto other people’s land and pilfered the produce of the land…Because they were often months at a time without supervision, they were often accused of stealing some of the increase of the flock.”

Consequently, people were warned not to buy wool, milk, or sheep from shepherds on the assumption that it was stolen property.

Shepherds were not allowed to fulfill a judicial office or be admitted in court as witnesses.

A midrash on Psalm 23:2 reads, “There is no more disreputable occupation than that of a shepherd.”

Does this background information help you understand why they were “sore afraid” when they saw the angel?

They would not have associated the appearance of the angel with good news. Anything but.

They were more likely to have anticipated the judgment of God. Bad news! Oh, oh! Now we’re going to pay for our sins!

Yet, God chose them to be the first to hear the good news:  “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.”

 A rather odd choice, wouldn’t you say?

In a way, yes. Yet, in another way, not particularly surprising.

God had a reputation for choosing unsavoury characters such as Jacob, Rahab and Jonah to be key participants in His scheme of salvation.

However, if all the shepherds had done was receive the revelation, would they still be revered as they are today?

What transformed these notorious citizens into noteworthy characters in the Nativity Story?

The key lies in Luke 2:15 and the verses that follow:

“They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished.”

They received the revelation and ran with it!

They went past the angelic encounter and ended up encountering Jesus himself!

It was this encounter with Jesus and his parents that transformed them into evangelists who then spread the good news to “everyone.”

Are you sitting on a heavenly vision, an incredible dream, a prophetic word or a destiny declaration that is at least as stunning if not more spectacular than what the shepherds received that night while they were “abiding in the fields?”

The reason the Lord chose you to be the seemingly unworthy recipient of such revelation is very simple.

He wants you to go and see what the Lord has told you about, to activate the vision by acting upon it.

Can the Lord count on you to be one who not just Receives Revelation but also Runs with it?

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

“The Pineapple Story” is a book by Otto Koning, a Christian missionary who spent part of his life among a native tribe in New Guinea.

In addition to sharing the gospel with them, he started to grow pineapples.

Once they were ready to be plucked, however, he could never get his hands on even one of the ripe fruits, as the natives would steal them all!

Not only that, but they did not think there was anything wrong in stealing them.

Needless to say Otto was very angry with them. The more they stole, the angrier he got.

He even had a German Shepherd flown in to protect the garden, but this resulted in the natives being even more alienated from him.

It should come as no surprise that during his first seven years there, not a single person chose to follow Jesus.

While on furlough in the United States, Otto attended a conference, where he was encouraged to hand ownership of the garden to God and not treat it as though it were his own personal property. He promptly obeyed.

Shortly after his return to New Guinea, one day the natives commented: “You’ve become a Christian recently, haven’t you?”

Otto asked: “Why do you say that?”

They replied, “Because you don’t get angry anymore when we steal your pineapples.”

All of a sudden Otto realized that his life had not reflected his message.

The natives had heard the name of Jesus incanted as he preached, but they had not witnessed Christ incarnate in the way he practiced his faith.

“Incarnation” literally means “to become flesh” or “to be embodied.”

Jesus is known as the Word made flesh, God in human form, a message that is at the heart of Christmas.

Martin Luther said that Christians are to be “little Christs” to their neighbours. In other words, observers see Jesus “in the flesh” or incarnate in the lives of those who bear his name. As Jesus himself said in John 13:34-35: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

When followers of Jesus love one another as he did, everyone will see them:

forgive their enemies as he did even as he lay dying on the cross;

show compassion to anyone in need as he did, making no distinction between those who followed his faith and those who did not;

mix and mingle with the so-called “sinners” and “outcasts” of today as he did with tax collectors and prostitutes in his day…

Get the picture?

Malcolm Muggeridge said of Mother Teresa: “In her face I trace the very geography of Jesus’ Kingdom; all the contours and valleys and waterways. I need no other map.”

May Jesus become even more incarnate in acts of kindness and compassion in the lives of his “little Christs” this Christmas and always.

Incarnation Trumps Incantation. Every Time.

“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” (Luke 12:11-12)

11 days ago you received a revelation penned by yours truly based on these very verses. In that DWOD, I was led to write these words:

“You will notice that Jesus makes two distinct promises:

#1. The HOLY SPIRIT will teach you. (Can you think of a better substitute teacher?)

#2. He will teach you AT THAT TIME.”

I also asked you to share how this promise had come true in your life. In response to the six responses, I wrote: “You have blessed me incredibly with your contributions.”

What I did not tell you at the time was that I was facing a test even as I was composing the DWOD.

The test was whether I would indeed trust the Holy Spirit to do the very thing He promises in these verses in real life, my life, 10 days down the road.

You see, I had just received an invitation from our local newspaper, the St. Catharines Standard.

The City Editor, Erica Bajer, wanted to launch “Niagara Conversations”, a series of discussions/debates involving her paper’s reporters and local leaders in a number of areas.

What better area to begin with than faith? And who better to represent the Standard than their resident atheist Grant Lafleche?

When they asked Grant to name his preferred victim, I mean opponent, he promptly thought of, you guessed it, one Jeeva Sam.

In addition to being an award-winning journalist, Grant had developed a reputation for ripping apart the religious with precisely aimed Hitch-Slaps (a la Christopher Hitchens) in “The Grant Rant.”

Yes, it was that Grant Lafleche who wanted to engage me in a “discussion.”

Having just authored the aforementioned article, did I really have any choice but to accept the invitation?

No sooner had I agreed than this headline appeared: “Pastor, atheist to debate the heart of Christmas.”

It was too late to back off. I really had no choice but to rely on the Holy Spirit to keep His promise.

Well, guess what, He did last night. The dreaded debate was in reality a civil discussion in which I was able to convey the message that without Christ there is no Christmas.

(You can watch the discussion in its entirety here)

At one point, I heard myself make the following statement:
“You cannot take Christ out of Christmas by saying “Happy Holidays”; neither can you put Christ into Christmas by saying “Merry Christmas.” Because Christ is already there.  Christ-mas.” 

Trust me when I say that those words did not come from my brain. It was the Holy Spirit who gave them to me, just as Jesus promised.

I did indeed come to realize that You Don’t Need to Know What to Say.

Thank You, Holy Spirit!

On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid!  For the Lord your God is living among you.   He is a mighty Saviour. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zephaniah 3:16-17)

These verses were quoted by my friend Emile Schmid at last night’s Blue Christmas service hosted by our Clergy Fellowship and sponsored by the funeral homes in Port Colborne, Ontario.

To the best of my knowledge the term “Blue Christmas” became part of the vernacular courtesy of one Elvis Presley who sang:

“I’ll have a Blue Christmas without you,
I’ll be so blue just thinking about you,
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won’t be the same dear, if you’re not here with me…”

Although the song is about one who longs for the presence of a lover (who is still alive), a Blue Christmas service is aimed at those who experience the absence of a loved one due to death.

Last night’s service was very simple.

A few carols. A few readings. A short reflection.

An opportunity for families to light a candle in memory of their loved one.

Followed by a time of refreshments and fellowship.

Many tears were shed.

Many laughs shared in between sips of coffee, tea and juice.

Many hugs exchanged.

Much comfort offered and received.

It was an acknowledgment that Christmas is a time of joy and celebration for most, but not for all. It is marked by intense emotional pain for those are still walking through the valley of grief.

Emile reminded us that God is among us as we grieve. That Jesus walks with us on this journey. That the Father loves us. He calms our fears. He sings over us. The Holy Spirit brings healing for the grieving.

Judging by the response, it turned out to be a necessary “service” indeed!

Perhaps this is shaping up to be a Blue Christmas for some of you, our beloved subscribers.

Your loss may indeed be as a result of the death of a loved one.

Or it could be the end of a marriage or other significant relationship, the loss of a job or business, health, mobility, independence or ability.

May the Holy Spirit use Emile’s reminders to bring you peace and comfort this Christmas.

On the other hand, this may not be a Blue Christmas for you, but let me make a bold prediction.

Every one of you is acquainted with at least one person who has suffered a significant loss between last Christmas and now.

Go ahead, make your list right now. (It is longer than you’d thought, eh?)

Would you relay the message of Zephaniah 3:16-17 to each and every one on the list? To paraphrase St. Francis of Assisi: “Use words if necessary.”

I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will use you to bless someone who is facing A Blue Christmas this year.

And you too will be performing a necessary service!

Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. (Matthew 1:19)

Quick, now, name one well-known carol that mentions Joseph. Better still, take your time, search on Google, Yahoo, MSN, Bing and Ask–the result is the same!  Not one, nada, nil.

Contrast this with repeated references to Mary, as in: “Mary’s boy child”, “Gentle Mary laid her child”, “On Mary’s lap is sleeping”, “Round yon virgin, MOTHER and child”, “For Christ is born of Mary”, “Mary was that mother mild”, etc.

Even cattle, sheep and assorted members of the animal kingdom get more press at Christmas!

Point me to one word of dialogue Joseph is permitted to utter in the script of the Nativity as found in Holy Scripture or in most traditional Christmas pageants for that matter.

Need I say more?

Yet, it would seem that this unheralded man is undeniably part of God’s plan for the early part of Jesus’ earthly life.

I find it instructive to examine the brief exposure to his character in Matthew 1:19 (Amplified Version): “…Joseph, being a just and upright man and not willing to expose her publicly and to shame and disgrace her, decided to repudiate and dismiss (divorce) her quietly and secretly.”

When Mary is found to be with child without an assist from her betrothed, a “just and upright man” could have ensured that justice was done by having her put to death or at least by issuing a certificate of divorce.

Either action would have been kosher but Joseph adds mercy to justice as he opts for a divorce with dignity.

Years later, when Jesus was asked by some what he would do with a woman who was caught in adultery (if it is possible to catch only one partner in the act of adultery, hello?) he would stonewall their bid to stone her to death with the words: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7)

Like father, like son, perhaps?

I cannot help but contrast Joseph’s choice with the way I am tempted to respond when someone hurts me.

Ever hear the expression: “Hurt people hurt people?” Out of my hurt, I want to make sure that justice is done and you’re hurt too–at least as much as you hurt me.

I could use any platform available to me–facebook, newspaper column, TV talk show, internet blog, pulpit–to at least shame, if not disgrace or downright destroy you.

Or it could be a family gathering over the holidays where amid the toasts, treats, eats and greets, some dormant hostility, buried bruise or interred insult rears its ugly head again or a fresh missile calls for a decidedly unchristian strikeback…

I could opt to leave lashmarks on the offender or leave quietly with bitemarks on my tongue instead.

May I, like Joseph, be glad to let my non-speaking role speak volumes.

But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (Luke 15:17-20)

You probably recognized the picture accompanying this revelation as the famous painting by Rembrandt known as “The Return of the Prodigal.”

Would you take a few minutes to look closely at this painting?

Please pay special attention to the contrasts in the picture between:

• the ragged, plain clothing of the son and the majestic, colourful robe of the father
• the blistered feet and worn out sandals of the son and his older brother to the right
• the open arms of the father and the closed unwelcoming posture of the older brother
• the compassion on the face of the father and the disdain of the older brother
• the kneeling younger son and the standing older son

Please notice also the positioning of the son’s face upon the father’s chest and the look of remorse on his face. “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”

The Father has been speaking to me and several others lately about how much He desires to see the prodigals back home, where they truly belong.

Some of us have been fasting and praying for the prodigals in our families to come home, even during the 12:12:12 Fast.

I am being led today to ask you to press in one more time before Christmas for answers to prayer in this area.

Who are the Prodigals that you long to see home? Your own children? Grandchildren? Other members of the family? Someone who used to be part of your church family? Someone else?

Look at the painting one more time. Can you see the face of your prodigal in the Father’s embrace?

Is there something you need to forgive them for? Please do it now.

Is there something you did that was responsible for them leaving? Ask the Father to forgive you. In the spirit realm, ask the prodigal to forgive you as well. Take a moment to forgive yourself.

Call out to them: “(First name). Come home. All is forgiven and forgotten. I love you. I welcome you with open arms.”

Focus on the Father’s face once again. Can you now see Him welcoming your prodigal child?

Give thanks in advance to the Father for welcoming them home.

Darren and I agree with you in this prayer. We stand on the promise of Jesus in Matthew 18:19: “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”

We declare it is done. On earth as it is in heaven. AMEN!

We look forward to hearing your testimonies over the coming days and weeks.

The Prodigals are coming home. Praise God!

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18)

As we celebrated the end of the 12:12:12 fast with a Feast last night at Forks Road East United Church in Wainfleet, I recalled how during a previous fast, Sulojana and I had sought the Lord for reconciliation with an estranged member of the family. We did indeed see years of no communication end within a few short weeks of us finishing the Fast.

One of our group immediately said something like: “I didn’t know you could fast for something specific like that!”

This was not the first time that someone had expressed concern about fasting with the expectation that a particular problem would be solved or a specific breakthrough would occur.  And with good reason, too. Because, it can come across as being self-serving.

However, during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes it very clear that our Father in heaven “will reward” us, as long as we don’t make a show of it.

You can look up any number of examples in the Old Testament that verify the veracity of this promise. Here are a few instances:

• Jehoshaphat and his people fasted when threatened by Edom (2 Chronicles 20:3) and received an amazing victory.

• Ezra led a fast seeking protection and favour on their way back to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon (Ezra 8:21) and were rewarded with both!

• When the Jews of Esther’s day fasted with her, she found favour with the king, eventually leading to Haman’s destruction (Esther 4)-a great reward, wouldn’t you say?

Look also at the long list of rewards promised in the greatest passage on fasting in the entire Bible, Isaiah 58:

1.      Your  light will break forth like the dawn,

2.      Your healing will quickly appear;

3.      Your righteousness will go before you,

4.      The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

5.      You will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I.

6.      The LORD will guide you continually;

7.      He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land.

8.      He will strengthen your frame.

9.      You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

10.  Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Need I say more?

Even before the 12:12:12 Fast was over, we had already received testimonies from an unemployed person who found his “ideal” job, and a healing testimony. Personally I found that in delivering prophetic words to people, my accuracy in hearing from God has increased exponentially.

What about you? Was Fasting a Rewarding Experience for you?

Did you go into the Fast with specific “Unfinished Business” from 2012?

What breakthroughs did you expect and experience?

What rewards did you seek and receive?

Would you kindly share them with us here? Thanks.